Future-Proofing Aerospace

Stay at the cutting edge of the aerospace industry

We are pleased to have partnered with Rochester Electronics to launch the Future-Proofing Aerospace whitepaper.

The aerospace industry is continuously evolving, driven by the need to modernize, improve efficiency, and drive down costs. However, as avionics – the electronic systems that power aircraft – continue to advance, the preservation of legacy systems becomes increasingly vital. This whitepaper offers critical insights into the importance of maintaining these systems, the challenges posed by component obsolescence, and the solutions available to navigate these complexities.

Whitepaper highlights:

1. Understand the Importance of Legacy Systems: Discover why preserving legacy avionics systems is crucial for reliability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
2. Navigate Component Obsolescence: Learn about the challenges aerospace designers face due to outdated or discontinued components and how to address them.
3. Explore Solutions from Rochester Electronics: Gain insights into how Rochester Electronics specializes in preserving and replicating obsolete components to ensure the continued operation of legacy systems.

Report Foreword

The aerospace industry is in a continuous state of evolution, driven by the need to modernize, improve efficiency, and drive down costs. Yet, as the underlying avionics – or electronic systems that power the aircraft – continue to advance, the preservation of legacy systems has become more vital than ever.  

Preserving legacy systems in avionics is crucial for several reasons. These systems have a proven track record of reliability and performance, having undergone extensive testing and validation over the years. Replacing them with new, untested systems can introduce unforeseen risks, non-compliance with regulatory standards, and potential failures. Furthermore, the cost of replacing legacy systems can be prohibitively expensive, encompassing the new equipment as well as the integration, testing, and training required for seamless operation. 

In this context, component obsolescence is a major challenge for designers of avionics systems. As technology evolves, many integral components used in avionics systems become outdated or are discontinued by their manufacturers. This threatens the continuity of legacy systems and creates significant hurdles for aerospace designers, who must navigate the complex task of maintaining systems that are functional, affordable, and compliant with regulatory standards. Unfortunately, managing obsolescence is complex, involving the actual sourcing of obsolete components and addressing the technical and economic impacts of integrating modern technologies with legacy systems.

As a leading semiconductor lifecycle solutions provider, Rochester Electronics is at the forefront of solving these challenges. We specialize in preserving and replicating obsolete components such that legacy avionics systems continue to operate using the same boards, systems, and software that have proven reliability. By leveraging our extensive inventory and manufacturing capabilities, we help aerospace companies maintain the operational integrity of their systems, avoid costly redesigns, and ensure continued compliance with aviation standards.

This whitepaper aims to highlight Rochester Electronics' role in the aerospace industry. We will explore the importance of preserving legacy systems, dissect the causes of component obsolescence, and examine the challenges faced by aerospace designers in the face of such obsolescence. Additionally, we will display the myriad of ways that Rochester Electronics addresses these challenges. 

You can learn more about the future-proofing of the aerospace industry by diving into our related article series.

Article 1: Preserving Legacy Systems in Avionics

Article 2: The Causes of Component Obsolescence

Don't miss out on the Future-Proofing Aerospace whitepaper.