Electronic Component Life Cycle Status Terminology

When looking through component data-sheets, or looking online you'll see a note about their position in the electronic component lifecycle: things like preliminary, active, not recommended for new designs and so forth. What do these lifecycle status or phases terms mean?
To try to avoid components going obsolete during the production of a product and not being available it's absolutely necessary to understand the various designations, terminology and the names given for these lifecycle stages or phases. This way you can avoid having too many components that become unobtainable during the life of your product.
The main component lifecycle stages or categories are:
1) Preliminary - when a component is still being developed and only initial information is available. Samples may be available but the final product could change.
2) Active - when the component has been launched and the design is stable. These components should be used in new designs.
3) NRND - this stands for Not Recommended for New Designs and it indicates the component is nearing the end of its production life.
4) LTB - Last Time Buy sometimes called obsolescent and this indicates that the final production run is being made for the component and it will not be available after this.
5) Obsolete - this is when the component is not longer produced and it is not available.
It is really important when designing a new circuit to ensure that the components have the best chance of being current or active when the design enters production and for as long as possible after that.
More information about electronic component product lifecycle status:
www.electronics-notes.com/art...
Website homepage: www.electronics-notes.com
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[@user-kr9kq3fo4v]

Application Note + Lithium ion battery .
This research site is very excellent, and I wish you could talk about it and give us some advice

[@dipakbhalodia7155]

Good

[@ElectronicsNotes]

Glad you found it useful.

[@ricksampson6780]

Can you please explain why the legacy LM741 OP-AMP is still listed as an active component on the DigiKey and Mouser websites?
The performance of this device is clearly not suitable for new designs and there are many outperforming "pin for pin" replacements available.

[@ElectronicsNotes]

You would need to ask Mouser and DigiKey to answer for themselves. My take is that the lifecycle phases are based upon the current production status of the components. When a manufacturer decides that they are no longer financially viable, he will inform the distributors and other interested parties of the fact they will no longer be produced and they become NRND, and then as the last production batch is being planned they go to LTB and then afterwards they are obsolete.
The 741, although very old - yes I can remember using them in the 1970s, are so popular that they are still in production. Possibly many of the original manufacturers have stopped making them, but they are still produced widely by a number of other recognised manufacturers, and there are likely to be no plans to stop production. It is this factor that is important despite their age and the fact that there are other far more modern and capable op-amps.

[@ricksampson6780]

@@ElectronicsNotes Most interesting exception to the rule nonetheless.

[@ElectronicsNotes]

@@ricksampson6780 I think there are a few very popular chips that have remained in Active status for many years . . . , but not that many.

[@ricksampson6780]

@@ElectronicsNotes Yes, but you have definitely flagged a component life-cycle anomaly, cheers.