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PHATCAT
Technologies / EST. 2026
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PhatCat / Services

Four ways to
keep your hardware alive.

Whether you need a single adapter for a prototype, a production program for your volume line, or an engineered substitute for a part no one makes anymore — we have a service model for it. Pick the one that matches your problem, or talk to us and we'll tell you which fits.

01
Service / Stock Adapter

Stock EOL Adapter Catalog.

Our off-the-shelf inventory of adapter modules for the most commonly requested EOL programmable logic. Each stock adapter has been designed once, qualified once, and is now available as a repeatable SKU with published specs and a short lead time.

If the part giving you trouble is on our catalog, this is the fastest path to a fix. The adapter hardware carries no engineering fee — you pay per-unit pricing and ship from stock or a short production run. Each project includes a short intake questionnaire so we understand what the FPGA's I/O interfaces to (signal levels, drive strength, loads) and can configure the onboard level translation correctly.

On HDL conversion: we recommend your engineers handle RTL re-synthesis and timing analysis against the target FPGA — they know the design best. If resources aren't available, we'll do it as additional NRE, given your RTL source, timing constraints, pinout map, and interface description.

↳ Best For
  • Teams who recognize their EOL part in our catalog
  • Service, repair, and aftermarket programs
  • Low-to-mid volume runs (10 — 5,000 units)
  • Anyone who needs a fix in weeks, not months
Pricing Model
Per-unit Tiered volume pricing, published on request
Lead Time
2 — 6 weeks from PO (stock-dependent)
MOQ
10 units standard; sample units available for qualification
HDL Conversion
Customer-performed by default; NRE available on request
Documentation
Published datasheet, conformance report, application notes
Hardware Engineering Fee
None (stock adapter hardware)
02
Service / Custom Design

Custom Adapter Engineering.

A purpose-designed adapter for a specific EOL part you give us. We select the modern replacement silicon, handle voltage and pinout translation, add any required glue logic or timing adjustment, and deliver a production-ready daughter board that drops into your existing PCB footprint.

This is our core engineering service. Fixed-fee, milestone-gated, and backed by a conformance report that shows measured behavior against the original chip's datasheet across voltage, temperature, and timing.

↳ Best For
  • Manufacturers with an EOL part not yet in our catalog
  • Products where redesign is prohibitive (certification, tooling, volume)
  • Mixed-signal interface translation and timing-critical replacements
  • Programs with 6+ month horizons and production volume
Pricing Model
Fixed fee NRE + per-unit production
Typical NRE
Scoped per project; feasibility quote in 5 business days
Timeline
6 — 10 weeks from signed SOW to qualified prototype
Milestones
Feasibility → Design review → Prototype → Conformance test → Production release
Deliverables
Qualified adapter boards, pin-footprint drawing for PCB placement, conformance report, and production documentation. Internal PCB design files (schematics, Gerbers, BOM, 3D STEP) remain PhatCat proprietary.
IP Ownership
Design IP assignable to client on request as part of SOW
03
Service / Production Program

Managed Supply Programs.

Once an adapter is qualified and your product is shipping on it, we can carry the ongoing supply as a managed service. You send us a forecast, we handle everything else — component sourcing through authorized distribution, assembly at our partner fabs, inventory buffering, and scheduled shipments.

Think of it as outsourcing the adapter supply chain so your team can stay focused on the product you actually make. When the modern silicon inside the adapter eventually hits its own EOL, we revise the adapter — invisibly to your BOM and your PCB.

↳ Best For
  • Production programs shipping 1,000+ units/year
  • Long-lifecycle products (industrial, medical, aerospace, defense)
  • Teams without a dedicated procurement function for specialty parts
  • Customers who want a single-invoice line item, not a BOM to manage
Pricing Model
Per-unit Volume-tiered with annual commitment
Commitment
Annual forecast; rolling 6-month production window
Inventory
Safety stock held at our facility; emergency pulls available
Revision Management
Silicon-generation transparency included; revisions notified with 6-month lead time
Traceability
Per-lot documentation, distributor pedigree, assembly records, optional AS9100 program
Contract Term
1-year minimum; multi-year with price-lock available
04
Service / Reverse Engineering

Reverse Engineering Service.

Sometimes the chip isn't just EOL — it's undocumented. The manufacturer is gone. The datasheet is lost. All you have is a working board and a dwindling pile of spares. For those cases we run a dedicated reverse-engineering engagement: we characterize the part's behavior against your working reference, then design an adapter that replicates it.

This is the most specialized thing we do and not every part is in scope. We'll tell you honestly during feasibility whether the behavior is recoverable or not. If it is, you get a documented functional replica on modern silicon.

↳ Best For
  • Legacy industrial equipment with vanished vendors
  • Military and aerospace programs with decades-long service lives
  • Custom ASICs from defunct fabs
  • Last-buy situations where redesign isn't possible
Pricing Model
Phased Characterization fee + design fee + per-unit
Feasibility Phase
2 — 4 weeks characterization. Deliverable: recoverability report and design-phase quote. Exit at this gate at any time.
Design Phase
10 — 16 weeks depending on part complexity
Working Samples
Minimum 3 working reference parts required for characterization
Scope Limits
Does not cover: encrypted firmware, active licensing enforcement, certain crypto accelerators
Legal
Clean-room methodology; client responsible for confirming no active IP rights block replication
/ 05 — At a glance

Which service fits your situation?

If you're not sure which engagement model is right, this matrix should help. When in doubt, start with an intake; we'll route you to the right service at no cost.

Stock Catalog SVC / 01 Custom Engineering SVC / 02 Managed Supply SVC / 03 Reverse Engineering SVC / 04
Chip in catalog ✓ Required — Optional — Optional — Not applicable
Datasheet available ✓ Required — Optional
Engineering fee None Fixed-fee NRE None Phased fee
Typical lead time 2 – 6 weeks 6 – 10 weeks Ongoing 12 – 20 weeks
Minimum volume 10 units Project-based 1,000+ / yr Project-based
IP assignment — Not applicable ✓ On request — Shared ✓ On request
Ongoing supply Available Available ✓ Included Available
Conformance report

Not sure which fits your situation?

Send us the part number and a one-line description of your application. We'll tell you which service is the right path within a week — no cost, no commitment.

Start Intake →