The firmware you write today will be expected to run for 15 years. The hardware it runs on will be obsolete in 5.
This is the automotive paradox. You carefully select a microcontroller, qualify it, and go into production. Three years later, the manufacturer sends an EOL (End-Of-Life) notice. The perfect 5V CAN transceiver you designed with is gone forever.
Now you're forced into a painful re-qualification process. The new transceiver has slightly different rise times or a different standby current. Your timing margins are now different. Your EMC testing is invalid. A single component change can trigger a cascade of re-testing and software tweaks.
A truly senior automotive engineer doesn't just think about the current design; they think about the entire lifecycle. They design with margin and choose components with long-term availability, knowing that the real challenge isn't shipping the first unit, but shipping the millionth.
What's the most painful component obsolescence issue you've had to deal with in a long-running automotive program?
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