NXP Semiconductors cleaning house

[johnr66]

NXP has made some audio ICs "end of life" status. One IC is the popular TDA1517 which was an easy to use two channel amp for small 5 watt amps. Obviously a business decision based on sales. IC manufactures are moving designs to surface mount and class D designs.

I must admit my allegiance to linear monolithic ICs with "through hole" leads for easy use. Makes me wonder when some of my favorite ICs, like the TDA2050, LM1875 and LM3886 will get canned.

 

[Boscoe]

Surface mount is easy people are just afraid of something they have never tried. For me SMDs are far easier, faster and neater.

 

[kevinkr]

I suspect some large power monolithics and many larger discrete power devices, particularly those not operating as saturated switches will never be SMD, but they will comparatively few compared to the flood of SMD devices on the market.

 

[sofaspud]

No doubt most of the lower wattage chips will hit the end-of-life list or become SMT only. I'm not so sure about the popular higher-power through-hole chips.

 

[sofaspud]

I'm a bit more sure (thanks to Jan D).
This chip looks like it's designed to mount flat (but not necessarily horizontally), so I wonder if it's power-derated or how thermal management is implemented. Requires further investigation.