Of all the inhibitors to achieving a market for new technologies, the demonstration of cost savings is paramount.

In today’s world, every engineer in the design process for an electronic product is tasked with understanding the economic tradeoffs associated with their decisions.

The Electronics Systems Cost Modeling Laboratory (ESCML) at the University of Maryland develops modeling methodologies and tools that address all aspects of the life cycle cost of electronic systems from hardware fabrication and software development through sustainment and end of life.  The ESCML currently has programs that address:

• Electronic part obsolescence driven design refresh planning 

• Part obsolescence mitigation approach optimization and lifetime buy quantity prediction

• Prognostic Health Management (PHM) driven maintenance planning and ROI

• Warranty analysis and linkages between warranty and reliability

• Economic tradeoffs associated with hardware/software partitioning for systems on a chip 

• Test and rework economics models for use in manufacturing cost modeling 

• Size/cost tradeoff analysis for embedded and integrated passives in printed circuit boards 

• Application of yielded cost to electronics assembly

• Cost of ownership modeling for packaging and interconnect technologies, and MEMS

• Web-based courseware development for electronic products and systems cost modeling

ESCML Electronic Part Obsolescence web site detailing research in obsolescence forecasting, design refresh planning, viability and lifetime buy forecasting.

ESCML NEWS

• Electronic Systems Cost Modeling Course to be offered on web in Fall 2009 - Course Announcement

• SiliconExpert releases electronic part obsolescence forecasting based on University of Maryland work, Press Release (November 18, 2008)

• Interview with Peter Sandborn about technology obsolescence featured in August 4, 2008 ComputerWorld, Link.

• Interview with Peter Sandborn about technology obsolescence featured in April 29, 2008 Wall Street Journal, Link.

• A feature article entitled “Trapped on Technology’s Trailing Edge," discussing the technical and logistical challenges posed by obsolete electronic parts appeared in the April 2008 issue of IEEE Spectrum (http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/apr08/6095)

• "Obsolescence Driven Design Refresh Planning for Sustainment-Dominated Systems" wins the Eugene L. Grant Award for the best paper published during 2006 in the Engineering Economist, Link to Paper

• Call for Papers: IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies Special Issue on Electronic Part Obsolescence, Details

• Design refresh planning featured in Industrial Engineer, June 2006

• Motorola Adopts CALCE MOCA Design Refresh Plan for GTR8000 Hardware Platform (May 2006), Details

• First release of the lifetime buy quantity optimization tool (February 2006), Details

• New book: Course Notes on Manufacturing and Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Electronic Systems, by Sandborn published (August 2005), Details

• "Forecasting Technology Insertion Concurrent with Design Refresh Planning for COTS-Based Electronics Systems," by Sandborn and Singh was selected by the International Society of Logistics for the 2004 SOLE Proceedings Paper Award (June 2005).

• PartMiner licenses electronic part obsolescence forecasting algorithms from the University of Maryland, Press Release (October 16, 2003)

• MOCA (Mitigation of Obsolescence Cost Analysis) software tool wins 2002 University of Maryland Information Sciences Invention of the Year, Summary (April 28, 2003)

• Electronic part obsolescence forecasting, mitigation and management short course offered, Summary (February 2003)

• Embedded passives size/cost tradeoff analysis tool featured in Maryland Research magazine, Link to the article (Fall 2002)

The ESCML is part of the CALCE Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland.