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abduznikabduznik/abduznik-skills/skills/component-alternatives/SKILL.md

component-alternatives

Skill2 starsChanged 2 months agoMITView on GitHub

Find replacements for obsolete military components.

The file

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

5 rules. About 0 are common, 5 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • ≈0

    Common · estimate

    Many files like this have a rule of this kind.

  • ≈5

    Distinctive · estimate

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    When a part is obsolete, NRND, or needs a modern equivalent: find what fits the same footprint and pinout, decode military variants, check …

    line 17
  2. Distinctive:

    Check the manufacturer's product page for "pin-for-pin alternate" suggestions (TI is good at this)

    line 39
  3. Distinctive:

    Check Octopart/DigiKey for "similar" or "alternatives" sections

    line 40
  4. Distinctive:

    Check DigiKey, Mouser, Octopart for active stock

    line 51
  5. Distinctive:

    Document both options: "drop-in" (same part, military grade) vs "redesign" (different part, new layout)

    line 60

≈ “Common” is an estimate: at least 1 in 5 of the 350,495 skill files we read have a rule of the same kind, not the same words. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Component Alternatives — Finding Replacements

When a part is obsolete, NRND, or needs a modern equivalent: find what fits the same footprint and pinout, decode military variants, check what's actually purchasable.

Pipeline

1. Establish the baseline

  • Get the datasheet (use datasheet-hunting pipeline)
  • Extract the exact pinout from the pin configuration diagram — every pin, every function
  • Note the package type (DIP, PLCC, SOIC, etc.) and pin count
  • Note the architecture: parallel vs serial, voltage vs current output, internal reference vs external

2. Determine the military designation

  • Search for "<PART>" SMD OR JAN OR "MIL-STD-883"
  • SMD numbers follow the pattern 5962-xxxxx — the DLA Land & Maritime Microcircuit Drawing
  • The SMD drawing lists device types, case outlines, and lead finishes
  • Military part number format: 5962-<drawing>0<device type><case outline><lead finish>
    • Example: 5962-8778902EA = drawing 87789, device type 02 (AD558T), case E (16-pin DIP), lead finish A
  • /883 suffix = MIL-STD-883 Class B screened
  • S and T grades are typically the military temperature range (-55°C to +125°C)

3. Search for pin-compatible alternatives

  • Search: "<PART>" "pin compatible" OR "pin-to-pin" OR "drop-in replacement" OR "same pinout"
  • Search: "<PART>" cross reference equivalent
  • Check the manufacturer's product page for "pin-for-pin alternate" suggestions (TI is good at this)
  • Check Octopart/DigiKey for "similar" or "alternatives" sections

4. Verify compatibility

For each candidate:

  • Pin-for-pin: same pinout, same package? Compare pin diagrams side by side
  • Electrical: same supply voltage range? Same output type (voltage vs current)? Same resolution?
  • Timing: settling time, conversion speed — does it match the application requirements?
  • Interface: same bus interface (parallel/SPI/I2C)? Same control signals (CE/CS/WR)?
  • Temperature: does the candidate cover the required operating range?

5. Assess availability

  • Check DigiKey, Mouser, Octopart for active stock
  • For military: check DLA inventory, Rochester Electronics (rocelec.com), or UTC (used test companies)
  • Note: obsolete parts may still be available from surplus dealers but with no warranty on authenticity

The Hard Truth

Many classic ICs (AD558, DAC0800 series, early ADCs) have unique pinouts that no other manufacturer copied. In these cases:

  • The same part in military grades IS available (AD558S/T, 5962-87789)
  • Functional alternatives exist but require board rework (different pinout)
  • Document both options: "drop-in" (same part, military grade) vs "redesign" (different part, new layout)

Military Variant Quick Reference

PatternMeaning
5962-xxxxxStandard Microcircuit Drawing (SMD) number
/883 or /883BMIL-STD-883 Class B screened
M in part nameMilitary temperature die variant
S, T suffixMilitary temperature grade (-55°C to +125°C)
Q suffix (TI)CERDIP package
JAN / M38510Joint Army-Navy qualified part

Pitfalls

  • web_extract with ddgs backend fails consistently on PDF URLs and many sites — fall back to curl + pymupdf extraction
  • Browser use times out on PDF-heavy sites (analog.com, alldatasheet) — download via curl first, then extract
  • python3 on Windows points to the Microsoft Store stub — use the Hermes venv python at C:/Hermes/.cache/runtimes/windows-x64/venv/Scripts/python.exe
  • Pin-compatible ≠ functionally equivalent — a part with the same pinout may have different electrical characteristics (output impedance, settling time, supply range). Always verify the electrical specs match the application.
  • "Obsolete" doesn't mean unavailable — many obsolete ICs are still stocked by distributors and surplus dealers. Check before assuming you need a replacement.
  • Military drawings lag behind commercial datasheets — the SMD drawing may reference an older revision. Cross-check specs against the current commercial datasheet.

Verification

  • Pinout: extracted from datasheet PDF, not from memory or third-party sources
  • Military designation: sourced from DLA microcircuit drawing or manufacturer military databook
  • Availability: cite the source (distributor page, search snippet) and date
  • Compatibility: compare electrical specs side by side, not just pinout

Related

  • datasheet-hunting — finding and downloading the original datasheet
  • component-sourcing — Octopart/DigiKey lookups for pricing and stock
  • datasheet-aggregation — automated spec extraction and summary generation

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