News and New Products

Component database adds life-cycle forecasting, BOM management

By Gabe Moretti -- EDN, 12/25/2003

PartMiner has released two new additions to the CAPS electronic-component-database product line. CAPS Forecast adds risk and obsolescence analysis on semiconductor devices that vendors have not flagged as at or nearing end-of-life status. The company developed a forecasting algorithm in conjunction with Peter Sandborn, PhD, and the University of Maryland that uses both technical and market data. It generates a risk-factor rating, a life-cycle-stage identifier, and a zone-of-obsolescence time frame.

CAPS BOM (bill-of-materials) Manager adds the ability to upload files or spreadsheets of parts to verify and update a BOM with validated part numbers and standardized manufacturer names and part descriptions from the CAPS database. The program then monitors validated parts for life-cycle-status changes and notifies users by e-mail of these changes. You can get more information, including demos and a free trial offer, from the vendor’s Web site.

PartMiner Inc, 1-631-501-2800, www.partminer.com.