How is Chipageddon affecting you?

[Algoma]

I was recently quoted £12 each for AT90CAN128-16AU which is about three times what we paid from the same source about 12 months ago. However, it could be worse - Winsource has them listed for over $100

AT90CAN128-16AU

According to Octopart, None in stock with Authorized Dealers, and LOTS with the Non-Authoized Stocking Dealers.
https://octopart.com/at90can128-16au-microchip-77758956#PriceAndStock

Looks like Heisener bought them all:  Claiming nearly a Quarter Million of them in stock. ... Hope they choke on that price they paid to corner the market.
https://www.heisener.com/ProductDetail/AT90CAN128-16AU

[tom66]

I suspect a lot of the quanties on Octopart for the grey market distributors are fictitious.

They put a large number there to get an enquiry and make a sale a little bit more likely, or do a bait-and-switch ("we don't have part <X> in qty required but we have <Clone_Part>")

[IDEngineer]

I suspect a lot of the quanties on Octopart for the grey market distributors are fictitious.

I've also noticed that the available quantities are often an identical, oddball value across multiple sources. That can't be an accident. I wonder if they are quoting each other's stock and if they get an order they do some behind-the-scenes horse trading.

This is similar to an old Yellow Pages trick. A single vendor (say, a plumbing company) would take out multiple ads under different names and phone numbers. All the numbers went to the same place, but they answered with a company name based on which incoming number rang. This way, when someone called to get competing quotes, they could coordinate the quotes to keep them higher and also increase their chances of landing the sale. Legal, clever, but a bit dodgy.

[tszaboo]

I suspect a lot of the quanties on Octopart for the grey market distributors are fictitious.

I've also noticed that the available quantities are often an identical, oddball value across multiple sources. That can't be an accident. I wonder if they are quoting each other's stock and if they get an order they do some behind-the-scenes horse trading.

This is similar to an old Yellow Pages trick. A single vendor (say, a plumbing company) would take out multiple ads under different names and phone numbers. All the numbers went to the same place, but they answered with a company name based on which incoming number rang. This way, when someone called to get competing quotes, they could coordinate the quotes to keep them higher and also increase their chances of landing the sale. Legal, clever, but a bit dodgy.

Yes they do, this was confirmed by our supply chain manager.

[cdev]

Canadian Truckers to blame for Chip problems to automakers?

I just saw this article in Washington Post (owned by Amazon's jeff Bezos)  This kind of treatment makes me wonder if TPTB want to blame Chiapageddon on the Canadian truckers, Does it make sense to blame it on them, as supply chain problems had already existed for two years now?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/08/truck-trade-vaccine-canada/

[TimFox]

The Washington Post article referred to auto parts crossing the border, disrupted by the protest.  US car companies have operated across the US Canada border for ages.  The article did not mention semiconductors.  I’m not aware of substantial semiconductor fabrication in Canada, but plenty of auto parts are shipped (in both directions) between parts suppliers and assembly plants on both sides.

[floobydust]

No semiconductor or telecom manufacturing in Canada after huawei/ccp sunk Nortel with industrial espionage and hacked IT system as well.
Laughably, there is a token "semiconductor council" 107 page report full of the usual hints but lacking any clout or direction.
Historically, these councils run out of money. We have no organized plan to build semi's. In that sense china is superior- they have a long term plan and command of corporations.

Auto manufactures get huge subsidies (total $4B) for building in Canada, it's union labour and good for votes. A few plants idling due to protests but I think semi's are the main bottleneck for auto production numbers.
I'd rather have the $4B go to technology instead of car plants- they're just bolting together parts made elsewhere, human robot workers.

[TimFox]

The main problem now is that the protest has blocked the main bridge between Windsor, Canada and Detroit.
Some Americans have apologized for exporting anti-mandate extremism to our northern neighbor.

[Bud]

... blame Chiapageddon on the Canadian truckers

 

[cdev]

I think that (if indeed traffic is blocked) blocking traffic is not a positive activity for protesters, and given the economic situation for many, worsens it..

[Nortek-Chris]

I rarely use Octopart these days. Unfortunately in my experience I've often found that the information is stale and out of date. For example on the link Algoma provided,

https://octopart.com/at90can128-16au-microchip-77758956#PriceAndStock

Utmel Electronic on the Octopart listing are showing 3000 parts in stock with prices ranging from $12.28 - $14.47. When you actually click the link, the Utmel website reports 125 in stock with prices ranging from $23 - $40.

I checked the link yesterday and the same information is present today. So I assume Octopart hasn't updated or refreshed the stock and price information for at least 24 hours.

This kind of treatment makes me wonder if TPTB want to blame Chiapageddon on the Canadian truckers, Does it make sense to blame it on them, as supply chain problems had already existed for two years now?

Nothing would surprise me. After all, in the UK we blame all of our troubles on Brexit 

[jrs45]

I suspect a lot of the quanties on Octopart for the grey market distributors are fictitious.

They put a large number there to get an enquiry and make a sale a little bit more likely, or do a bait-and-switch ("we don't have part <X> in qty required but we have <Clone_Part>")

They are totally fake, and exist only to bring people to their website to request a quote.

[SilverSolder]

I suspect a lot of the quanties on Octopart for the grey market distributors are fictitious.

They put a large number there to get an enquiry and make a sale a little bit more likely, or do a bait-and-switch ("we don't have part <X> in qty required but we have <Clone_Part>")

They are totally fake, and exist only to bring people to their website to request a quote.

They haven't always been fake...  before the current times of crisis, it was a pretty good site.

[TimFox]

A detail about the Canadian truck blockade:  I was surprised to learn that 25% of the trade between the US and Canada passes over that single bridge near Detroit.

[PaulAm]

With that route blocked, truckers have had to detour to the Sarnia/Port Huron bridge which adds around  5 hours to the trip (plus a 3-4 hour delay at the bridge).  If they block that bridge, then they have to go up to Ste Saint Marie in Michigan's UP or through Niagra/Buffalo which would probably add another 16 hours or so.  Playing holy heck with JIT inventories for the car makers

[nctnico]

I suspect a lot of the quanties on Octopart for the grey market distributors are fictitious.

They put a large number there to get an enquiry and make a sale a little bit more likely, or do a bait-and-switch ("we don't have part <X> in qty required but we have <Clone_Part>")

They are totally fake, and exist only to bring people to their website to request a quote.

They haven't always been fake...  before the current times of crisis, it was a pretty good site.

Not all listings on Octopart are fake. It is just the non-official distributors that smell fishy.

[Ed.Kloonk]

Canadian Truckers to blame for Chip problems to automakers?

I just saw this article in Washington Post (owned by Amazon's jeff Bezos)  This kind of treatment makes me wonder if TPTB want to blame Chiapageddon on the Canadian truckers, Does it make sense to blame it on them, as supply chain problems had already existed for two years now?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/02/08/truck-trade-vaccine-canada/

There is a reason why some ppl call it the Washington Compost.

 

[Ed.Kloonk]

I think that (if indeed traffic is blocked) blocking traffic is not a positive activity for protesters, and given the economic situation for many, worsens it..

They are suggesting that they aren't being listened to. In the past, trucker's unions used to do the talking for them. The unions have indicated that they won't support them on certain messages; which is interesting in and of itself.

The key takeaway is we have to realize that none of the involved parties are listening. I don't have a dog in the fight, but I can only suggest that if you are like me and happen to enjoy food, stock up with non-perishables. And of course electronic widgets!

We've had an extended string of years with continuous supply and prosperity. The truckers didn't fuck this. They are only responding to what happened to it.

[floobydust]

"Russia could hit U.S. chip industry, White House warns"
"... regarding Russian/Ukrainian production of a number of semiconductor materials... referencing a summary by Techcet on C₄F₆ {Hexafluorobutadiene} Palladium, Helium, Neon and Scandium...
"According to Techcet estimates, over 90% of U.S. semiconductor-grade neon supplies come from Ukraine, while 35% of U.S. palladium is sourced from Russia."

It's amazing how complex the semiconductor supply chain is. I hope this doesn't get ugly but with the White House issuing fresh warnings, they're assuming it is.

[alexanderbrevig]

I just found 21 STM32F103's and I'm extatic! That says something, as it's not even on my top 5 preferred mCU parts list.
I hate the Chipageddon. 

[magic]

Got this helpful suggestion at TME today.



Is this the product you are looking for?
The product is out of stock.

 

[dgtl]

The situation with non-official sellers is also out of hand. For some odd reason, they grind off the markings and re-laser them. On some chips, the grinding is not deep enough and the old markings shine through. Just the date code is different. On some chips, they have messed up the rotation, so the pin1 is at wrong corner now. I'd rather take the chips with original and older date codes... Or mixed date codes, as they are probably gathered from multiple sources or desoldered. This has now happened with multiple parts from different sources. Some MCUs have also come with something programmed in them and fuses locked, luckily they can be erased.
If this is the only way to live at the moment, i'll take it. But this situation irritates a lot, if you have to solder on some chips in a rotation, that looks wrong when looking at the mounted board.

[magic]

Nothing to do with shortages, fake chips have been a thing for many years.
All those opamps, DS18B20, FT232 and other popular "hobbyist" chips you get from auction sites are fake. What cannot be faked is recycled.

I wonder what those odd reasons could be

[Ed.Kloonk]

Is this the product you are looking for?
The product is out of stock.

God. How annoying.

[Bud]

"Russia could hit U.S. chip industry, White House warns"
"... regarding Russian/Ukrainian production of a number of semiconductor materials... referencing a summary by Techcet on C₄F₆ {Hexafluorobutadiene} Palladium, Helium, Neon and Scandium...
"According to Techcet estimates, over 90% of U.S. semiconductor-grade neon supplies come from Ukraine, while 35% of U.S. palladium is sourced from Russia."

It's amazing how complex the semiconductor supply chain is. I hope this doesn't get ugly but with the White House issuing fresh warnings, they're assuming it is.

" Mother, should I trust the government ? "

Pink Floyd, The Wall, 1979