Why are companies doing this? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2021, 08:57:19 pm
content: I'm using parts from TI and ST quite often in my designs, and so I've subscribed to their news emails. Same goes for Digikey and Mouser. And every once in a while they mention a part that I find interesting. But once you follow the link to see if you can buy a few samples to play around with, I almost always see "out of stock". So what's the point in advertising a part which you can't buy anyways? I find it super annoying, but maybe that's just me? Is there a rhythm to this madness that simply escapes me? Who on Earth would ever design-in a part which seemingly only exists on paper and is otherwise unobtanium?

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2021, 09:15:01 pm
content: It's called 'vaporware' and is a commonly used marketing tool to see if there is any interest. It has been going on forever.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporware

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 03, 2021, 09:21:58 pm
content: I'm sure if you are big enough they will either:- give you production samples when they become available- give you pre-production or engineering samplesand then there is the question of what percentage of their sales are through their site/digikey, and what percent are direct contracts to large manufacturers.

author: Nominal Animal
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 02:14:30 am
content: Quote from: asmi on November 03, 2021, 08:57:19 pmI personally find clickbait titles much more annoying.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 04:29:33 am
content: Yes, very annoying.Texas Instruments, the world's leading ZERO STOCK company, is bait advertising. TI need to clean up their act by being honest and upfront with the engineering community. Unless they do, we as engineers have no way of knowing whether we should use one of their parts or go elsewhere. They are wasting our time.

author: Mark
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 11:44:15 am
content: Quote from: Nominal Animal on November 04, 2021, 02:14:30 amA co-worker clicked onthis TI link- you won't BELIEVE what happened next!

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 12:15:36 pm
content: Sometimes it is waporware, but a lot of times its just that they are in the process of getting the chip in production.For every new chip they do a small production run first so that they can verify that the chip works to spec, they are getting a consistent yield, the production line test jigs work reliably. If this preproduction batch seams to work well then they might be sold out as pre production samples to costumers so that they can design it into there product, so once the chip goes into proper production there are already costumers lined up to buy it.But why would you design in a preproduction chip? Well sometimes it turns out that the fancy new preproduction chip is exactly the chip you need for the job and there is nothing like it out there. So you take the risk of designing it in anyway. If it turns out that the chip gets delayed due to issues that popped up well then you can usually redesign that part of your circuit to do it with a worse performing chip or use 3 chips to replace the magical 1 chip solution that flopped.

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 01:57:42 pm
content: You and I might order samples of the part of interest after a glance at datasheet, but I'm sure in many companies the process is much more convoluted, so first order of samples might be half a year to a year after an engineer initially heard about the part.Starting the marketing just before the product availability is common in every field because it makes sense whenever the customers are supposed to make informed decisions and not just impulse buy.Make this delay too long, or start public marketing before you have even locked down the specifications, and you are approaching what's called "vaporware" indeed.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 02:37:11 pm
content: I got a pre release part from TI but there was a cost overrun on the project on my end (design limbo due to battery chemistry concerns unrelated to the part, which was in fact a slam dunk solution to a big cost problem)... but anyway their behavior was timely and they seemed interested.If you are looking at IC's related to industry safety in developing fields, expect turbulence. They usually have something pretty specific in mind when they make a 'simple' kick ass chip like say a AC power monitor.. as soon as there is some kind of regulatory requirement that sets in they have WAY less interest. Since its made for an industry as soon as the industry changes they will realize no one will be ALLOWED to use the part no matter how kick ass it is.... but thats for a few very specific product sections I think. And in some hyper competitive segments they can tell there is a consumer preference trend so they will know what type of system will stop being produced.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 04, 2021, 03:13:39 pm
content: Quote from: rstofer on November 03, 2021, 09:15:01 pmThanks for pointing to the definition. So Tesla Cybertruck is a classic vaporware.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 05, 2021, 11:23:21 am
content: If we am considering using a part, key info we want to know when we get get a samples and when we can get production quantities. TI hasn't got the intelligence to tell us this.Why hasn't TI communicated to their stockholders that many of their customers cannot design using TI parts and that they are forced to use competitors' parts instead?