25/09/2026
Finding a backup supplier for a chip sounds simple. Same specs, same package, done?
Not quite. For automotive chips, the AEC-Q100 standard runs one of its tests on 77 parts from each of 3 production lots. Grade 1 parts cook at 125°C for 1,000 hours. That is over 41 days of nonstop heat, and the pass mark is zero failures.
A matching datasheet is a promise. Test data is proof. That is why a second source needs engineering approval before it reaches the line.
What blocks second-source approval most often?
Source: Automotive Electronics Council, AEC-Q100 Rev J