What is EOL (End of Life)?
EOL (end of life) means a supplier has decided to stop making a product. It is announced in a product discontinuance notice (PDN), which gives a last-time-buy (LTB) date for final orders and usually a last-time-ship (LTS) date for final deliveries. A PCN (product change notification) is different: the product stays in production but something about it changes.
The terms in one table
Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
EOL (end of life) | The supplier has decided to stop making the product. |
PDN (product discontinuance notice) | The written notice that announces the EOL. |
LTB (last time buy) | The last date on which you can place orders. |
LTS (last time ship) | The last date on which the supplier ships against those orders. |
PCN (product change notification) | A notice that a product which stays in production is changing. |
An EOL ends supply. A PCN does not: the part number usually stays the same, but something about the product or how it is made changes. Texas Instruments describes the PCNs it sends as covering "major changes which affect the form, fit or function" or that adversely affect quality or reliability.
What JEDEC requires for discontinuance
JEDEC's JESD48C (December 2011) sets the rules for semiconductor suppliers. Current supplier policies, such as those of Analog Devices and Texas Instruments, cite J-STD-048 for discontinuance. JESD48C requires:
- Timing (clause 3.1): at least 6 months from the notice to place final orders, and 12 months from the notice for final shipments.
- Contents (clause 3.3): at minimum, the effective date for last purchase orders and the affected supplier part numbers.
- Alternatives (clause 3.4): the supplier helps the customer locate an alternate source with information and technical data. On request it negotiates other options, such as transferring technology and tooling, or setting up wafer or die banks.
Suppliers often give more time than the minimum:
- Analog Devices: a 12-month LTB period and an 18-month LTS period from the date of the notice.
- Texas Instruments: 12 months for the last order, then up to six more months for final delivery.
How PCN timing works in practice
Analog Devices says its PCN policy complies with J-STD-046. Under that policy:
- PCNs go out at least 90 days before the changed material is implemented and shipped.
- Customers should acknowledge a PCN within 30 days. No acknowledgment within 30 days counts as acceptance of the change.
- After acknowledging, no further requests within 90 days also counts as acceptance.
These figures are one supplier's policy. Read the acceptance terms in each PCN you receive.
What this means for display modules
JESD48C applies to solid-state products. For an LCD panel or display module, the LTB and LTS dates come from the maker's own notice and from your supply agreement. Do not assume the JEDEC minimums apply: read the dates on the notice itself.
When a display EOL notice arrives:
- Note the LTB and LTS dates and every affected part number.
- Estimate how many units you need until a redesign could ship. That number is your last-time-buy quantity.
- Check replacements early. A drop-in replacement keeps the outline, connector and interface. An FPC adapter fixes a connector or pinout difference. A mechanical change needs a new bezel or bracket.
- For a PCN, compare the change against what you qualified: outline, connector, interface timing, brightness and touch. Ask for samples while the review window is still open.
Our panel replacement finder shows each panel's lifecycle status with its source, and lists drop-in, FPC-adapter and mechanical-change options with the differences spelled out.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an EOL notice and a PCN?
An EOL notice (product discontinuance notice) ends supply: it gives a last date for orders and, usually, a last date for shipments. A PCN announces a change to a product that stays in production, such as a change that affects form, fit, function, quality or reliability. After an EOL you need a last-time buy or a replacement; after a PCN you need to check the change against what you qualified.
How much time do I get after an EOL notice?
It depends on the supplier and your agreement. For semiconductors, JEDEC JESD48C requires at least 6 months from the notice to final orders and 12 months to final shipments; Analog Devices gives 12 months to last time buy and 18 months to last time ship, and Texas Instruments 12 months plus up to six months for delivery. For an LCD panel or display module, read the LTB and LTS dates on the maker's own notice.
Do I have to approve a PCN?
Check the terms in the PCN. Under Analog Devices' policy, which it says complies with J-STD-046, a PCN that is not acknowledged within 30 days counts as accepted, and after acknowledgment no further requests within 90 days also counts as acceptance. Other suppliers set their own windows.
Sources
Not sure which display fits your design?
Send us your size, interface and host processor. A display engineer replies within 12 hours with 2–3 options, datasheets and init code. Samples from 1 pc.