NE612 SA612 Obsolete

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

The very common NE612 - SA612 IC's are no longer relevant and are obsolete.

Good luck finding any reputable sellers.

All the usual suppliers show 0 stock.

Findchips, Trusted Parts, etc. show no stock in small purchase amounts.

Looking at NXP, the website shows that they have been EOL'ed and will never be offered again.

https://www.nxp.com/part/SA612AD#/

SA612AD/01,11212NC: 935275263112

• End of Life   Last Buy Date: 18-Nov-2022
• Last Delivery Date: 18-Aug-2023
• 
  Enter eBay, Aliexpress, Banggood, Amazon, LCSC for the best in Chinese sand and paint products.
  
  Better get'em while you can. When they're gone they'll really be gone.

[Benta]

Outrageous!!!
Never heard the device, by the way.

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

RF Mixer / Gilbert Cell.
Lots of use in RF projects.

[NiHaoMike]

Aren't they largely replaced by Tayloe quadrature sampling mixers nowadays?

[moffy]

Next it will be the MC1496, such a shame, it was relatively simple but very versatile.

[pardo-bsso]

A shame.

I used to pick them from broken wireless phones and TVs.

I better refill my stock and add a bag of 1496.

[Damianos]

The SA602 seems alive: https://www.nxp.com/products/radio-frequency/rf-mixers/low-power-fm-if-systems/double-balanced-mixer-and-oscillator:SA602AD

EDIT: In another place they announce that also this is discontinued https://www.nxp.com/part/SA602AD#/

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

I don't think any time soon. Me thinks obsolescence is coming all too quickly.
0 stock, some say 3 weeks, 52 weeks.
Besides the SA612 is superior.

https://www.trustedparts.com/en/search/SA602A

https://www.findchips.com/search/SA602A

I have been down this rabbit hole before verification of stock and coming here.
I tried all the usual suspects: NE602, SA602, NE602 & SA612. Nada!
I was so desperate to search "rf mixer ic" in case of psudonames. Still nada!


Some say differently as to them all being the same, even though the wafer went from 45MHz for the 602 to 200MHz for the 612.
It says so in the article even though the topic is they are all the same. Not.
http://www.ur5ffr.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=166

[bdunham7]

I have been down this rabbit hole before verification of stock and coming here.
I tried all the usual suspects: NE602, SA602, NE602 & SA612. Nada![/size]
I was so desperate to search "rf mixer ic" in case of psudonames. Still nada!

https://www.arrow.com/en/products/sa612ad01112/nxp-semiconductors

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

I used to have an Arrow account until they lost my info.
They "fixed it" and it never worked again.
"Sorry you already have an account"
"I can't log in"
Since then, ordering from them is a huge pain in the ass.

1,972 parts: Ships today
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

[bdunham7]

1,972 parts: Ships today
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

To me that means that they have 1972 in stock and won't be getting any more, which seems reasonable if NXP isn't going to be making them.  Arrow also has ~5K more on reels shipping from Hong Kong, but the price is higher.

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

Hong Kong, China. Who knows what Aliexpress gave them. 

[tooki]

Hong Kong, China. Who knows what Aliexpress gave them. 

Oh come on, you know damned well that Arrow isn’t shopping on Aliexpress.

[Kim Christensen]

THIS ITEM HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED

Hover your mouse over the text and it says, "This item has been discontinued by the manufacturer."
Arrow still could have it in stock though. But once those are gone... then they won't.

[Damianos]

...
Besides the SA612 is superior.

...

Some say differently as to them all being the same, even though the wafer went from 45MHz for the 602 to 200MHz for the 612.
It says so in the article even though the topic is they are all the same. Not.
http://www.ur5ffr.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=166

In various web sites you may find contradicting information (opinions). In the data-sheets they give a little tighter specifications on some points for the "602".

[MisterHeadache]

Not surprised to hear this going obsolete.  IC manufacturers need volume to make money, and if these aren't being bought in volume anymore, they're gonna use their fab lines to make stuff that makes them money.  Plus I gotta think the *602 and *612 were being made on smaller wafers and larger litho processes, which also are being obsoleted and many ICs just plain aren't getting re-scaled for the larger wafers/smaller litho.

I've had to re-PPAP several automotive sensors in the past few years just because the IC manufacturer did decide to re-tool the chip for their larger wafer line.  But quite a few went permanently out of production.

This trend has been killing off great hobbyist RF BJT's for years (think the 2N5109, 2N3866, and many others...)

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

I've searched and I've searched but nothing's been found as ubiquitous as the 602/612 IC, as for the bang for the buck factor.


All the chips come up with a frequency range of 400 MHz to the GHz range, with some micro micro package that could never be hand soldered because the thing has a pad(s) under the device.


SOT-08 (some MSOP) I can do with bare eyes, but some of these packages are impossible even with "mognefication 12 keptin".


Unless there is a stash found in some gummit warehouse, I'm afraid that's all there is to it. Stick a fork in it.

[TimFox]

The SA602 seems alive: https://www.nxp.com/products/radio-frequency/rf-mixers/low-power-fm-if-systems/double-balanced-mixer-and-oscillator:SA602AD

EDIT: In another place they announce that also this is discontinued https://www.nxp.com/part/SA602AD#/

In your second NXP reference, there is a link to the notice that the "RC3" process has been discontinued and a list of affected devices.
https://www.nxp.com/pcn/202208013DN

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

Discontinuation Type

FULL WITHDRAWAL

"I got what I needed.
I'm moving on with my life.."

Availability
"I already told you don't call me again"                                         

 

[bdunham7]

I'm sorry we weren't able to serve you your chips on the correct color platter. 

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

It's the Brave browser based on Chrome.
I have to re-edit all text & photos I send here.
It might be the SMF version as my own private web forum (repair log) works the first time I post my blog to it. [size=78%] [/size]

[Quarlo Klobrigney]

See ^ extraneous text.

[Andrei YO6TJJ]

I just have seen the post via google search, you can still find some genuine NXP SA612A (SMD, SO-8) in stock here:

https://rowaves.com/sa612a/

and with adapter already installed here:

https://rowaves.com/sa612-adapter/

thanks for reading, Andrei, yo6tjj @ roWaves