Insights
Practical guidance on counterfeit mitigation, component obsolescence, and sourcing electronic parts — from a distributor that's done it since 1982.
How to Spot Counterfeit Electronic Components
How counterfeit electronic components enter the supply chain, the common types (recycled, remarked, empty-package), and the layered inspection methods that catch them.
Managing Component Obsolescence and End-of-Life
A practical strategy for electronic component obsolescence and EOL: monitoring PCN/PDN notices, last-time buys, qualifying alternates, and sourcing obsolete parts safely.
Independent Stocking Distributor vs. Franchise Distributor
The difference between independent stocking distributors and franchise (authorized) distributors — when to use each, and the quality controls that matter for open-market parts.
Cross-Referencing Part Numbers: Speed, Temp Grade, and Reliability Upgrades
How to decode a part number and find acceptable alternates: speed up-rating, temperature grades, JAN/JANTX screening levels, revisions — and why military grade sometimes costs less.
Inside a Counterfeit-Mitigation Lab: What the Tests Actually Catch
XRF, X-ray, decapsulation, FTIR, microscopy, and blank-programming checks — what each counterfeit-detection test reveals and why layered inspection beats any single method.
Last-Time Buys: How to Size, Store, and Backstop an LTB
A practical guide to last-time buys for end-of-life components: forecasting lifetime demand, storing parts correctly, and what to do when the buy runs short.
How to Sell Excess Electronic Component Inventory
Three proven ways to recover value from excess components — outright purchase, consignment, and warehouse-and-market programs — and how to choose between them.