The dog days of August are evident in the electronics components market: lead times and prices haven’t moved significantly from the prior month, according to Avnet’s most recent Market and Technology Trends report.
Although there’s been some upward movement in memory products, most semiconductor and IP&E trends have remained stable.
Lead times for DDR-1 SDRAM have remained stable at 8-10 weeks, according to Avnet product experts, and Micron, ISSI and Alliance Memory have made long term support commitments for all 256 and 512 Mb devices. The 1 Gb DDR-1 has been announced EOL and is past the last-time-buy window.
DDR-2 SDRAM lead times are increasing to 16 weeks; all densities and options for DDR-2 have great long term support, according to Avnet. Extended lead times mean customers should have orders and forecasts in place, the distributor said, and Micron has announced new revisions for 512 Mb and 1 Gb, so customers should migrate.
Allocation is increasing for DDR-3 SDRAM, Avnet said; the design “sweet spot” is from 1 to 4 Gb. Prevailing support is for the DDR3L / 1.35 V option which retains 1.5 V compatibility. Customers should expect allocation, rising prices, and constrained delivery for 2014. Two- and 4-Gb DDR3 have seen slight increases most recently, product experts add; having forecasts and backlog in place is the best way to assure support.
Avnet is also reporting allocation is increasing for Mobile or LP DRAM; LPDDR and LPDDR2 are in strong demand. Vendors are increasing production on LPDDR2 products, the distributor said. Customers can expect seasonal demand to increase during the second half of 2014, and Avnet advises LPDDR2 parts should be chosen carefully as not all configurations and packages are well supported. Support for LPDDR2 with industrial temperature range is limited and designers should exercise caution.
