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The EEs are spinning alternative designs, the SWEs are writing cart sniping bots, the Supply Chain guys are trying to figure out if anyone with chips can be com

The EEs are spinning alternative designs, the SWEs are writing cart sniping bots, the Supply Chain guys are trying to figure out if anyone with chips can be compensated for their consideration, ASML is desoldering chips from washing machines so they can make machines that make more chips, Influencers are using clout to beg for chips https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chip+shortage+adafruit https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=chip+shortage+a... Et tu, ATMEGA328P? It's getting very real very fast out there.

KptMarchewa 4y ago
>ASML is desoldering chips from washing machines It's not what ASML does - ASML exec reported that some other company does this
- reaperducer 4y ago
  And according to the New York Times, this is the reason that Russian troops are looting major appliances from Ukraine, and trucking them back home. There must be some interesting chips in washing machines these days.
  - honkler 4y ago
    they want a direct line to NSA
  - nebula8804 4y ago
    Why not just pull the circuit boards and truck those home? Do you really have to take the rest of the machine?
    - tomxor 4y ago
      Maybe they are... alternatively maybe they aren't and it's simply easier and faster to tell troops to chuck washing machines onto trucks rather than spend time dismantling them and learning how to identify the relevant parts and remove them without damage, not to mention Russia has a lot of spare fuel now.
      - freemint 4y ago
        I find the connection to acquiring electronic parta dubious. No one would transport washing machines on tanks when other transportation means exist. Plundering by badly disciplined troops looks much more likely.
jtode 4y ago
I got, like, FOUR Arduinos in a bin out in the garage somewhere. I'm gonna be rich!
eek2121 4y ago
This is not true. I laugh when people claim chips are desoldered by anyone at all, even Russia. Anyone with a minimal amount of knowledge knows that it would cost tons of time and money (and be impossible for anyone not well educated/experienced in the craft) to: 1) design a new circuit board around the chip 2) print said circuit board in sufficient quantities 3) Write software (from scratch) for the chip ASML is most certainly not involved, regardless.
- RF_Savage 4y ago
  I personally know people in low volume industries where they have pulled parts from prototypes, rejects and devkits to keep production moving. It absolutely gets done when it makes sense. For example with FPGA's.
- scld 4y ago
  I promise you that there are plenty of reasons to get a chip professionally desoldered. Your steps 1 thru 3 could cost $100k or more, depending on the chip. If you're selling 1,000 to 10,000 units of something in the short term, you'd definitely pay the premium for a removal and repackaging
- avhon1 4y ago
  steps 4+) get new electronics through FCC, UL, CE, etc. certification, which is slow and expensive, strongly motivating keeping the components the same
- jjoonathan 4y ago
  You desolder to avoid 1, 2, and 3. That's why it makes sense. Washing machine has the stupid microcontroller you need and costs half of scalper prices? Washing machine it is. Obviously the economics only work in low volume / high NRE sectors -- like semiconductor tooling.

KptMarchewa 4y ago

>ASML is desoldering chips from washing machines It's not what ASML does - ASML exec reported that some other company does this

reaperducer 4y ago
And according to the New York Times, this is the reason that Russian troops are looting major appliances from Ukraine, and trucking them back home. There must be some interesting chips in washing machines these days.
- honkler 4y ago
  they want a direct line to NSA
- nebula8804 4y ago
  Why not just pull the circuit boards and truck those home? Do you really have to take the rest of the machine?
  - tomxor 4y ago
    Maybe they are... alternatively maybe they aren't and it's simply easier and faster to tell troops to chuck washing machines onto trucks rather than spend time dismantling them and learning how to identify the relevant parts and remove them without damage, not to mention Russia has a lot of spare fuel now.
    - freemint 4y ago
      I find the connection to acquiring electronic parta dubious. No one would transport washing machines on tanks when other transportation means exist. Plundering by badly disciplined troops looks much more likely.

jtode 4y ago

I got, like, FOUR Arduinos in a bin out in the garage somewhere. I'm gonna be rich!

eek2121 4y ago

This is not true. I laugh when people claim chips are desoldered by anyone at all, even Russia. Anyone with a minimal amount of knowledge knows that it would cost tons of time and money (and be impossible for anyone not well educated/experienced in the craft) to: 1) design a new circuit board around the chip 2) print said circuit board in sufficient quantities 3) Write software (from scratch) for the chip ASML is most certainly not involved, regardless.

RF_Savage 4y ago
I personally know people in low volume industries where they have pulled parts from prototypes, rejects and devkits to keep production moving. It absolutely gets done when it makes sense. For example with FPGA's.
scld 4y ago
I promise you that there are plenty of reasons to get a chip professionally desoldered. Your steps 1 thru 3 could cost $100k or more, depending on the chip. If you're selling 1,000 to 10,000 units of something in the short term, you'd definitely pay the premium for a removal and repackaging
avhon1 4y ago
steps 4+) get new electronics through FCC, UL, CE, etc. certification, which is slow and expensive, strongly motivating keeping the components the same
jjoonathan 4y ago
You desolder to avoid 1, 2, and 3. That's why it makes sense. Washing machine has the stupid microcontroller you need and costs half of scalper prices? Washing machine it is. Obviously the economics only work in low volume / high NRE sectors -- like semiconductor tooling.