August 1, 2025

Subject: Obsolescence of EXC-4000 Carrier Boards
Date: August 1, 2025
PCN Effective Date: August 1, 2025
PCN Status: Final Notification
PCN Type: Obsolescence Notice
Products Affected:

  • EXC-4000PCI
  • EXC-4000PCIe
  • EXC-4000cPCI
  • EXC-4000VME
  • EXC-4000VXI

Last Time Buy (LTB) Date: December 31, 2025

Description and Reason for Change:

As noted in our previous announcement — Excalibur | 4000 Obsolescence Notification — the 96-pin connector used in our EXC-4000 family of carrier boards has been obsolete for several years. We issued an early warning to help customers plan ahead.

To minimize disruption, we took multiple steps:

  • Developed the EXC-8000 family, which supports the same module types as the 4000 family, with improved capacity and a modern connector.
  • Upgraded our 4000 half cards to support the full range of M4K modules.
  • Secured a large last-time buy of the 96-pin connectors to extend the lifecycle of the 4000-product line.

That connector inventory is now critically low. As a result, we are officially declaring the EXC-4000PCI, EXC-4000PCIe, EXC-4000VME, EXC-4000cPCI, and EXC-4000VXI boards obsolete as of December 31, 2025. We anticipate being able to fulfill last-time buy orders until that date.

Migration Guidance

We would like to highlight several points to ease your transition:

  • API Compatibility: The M8K modules for the 8000 family use the same API as the M4K modules - no code recompilation is required.
  • Channel Count: Some M8K modules have a lower channel count than their M4K counterparts. However, since 8000-series boards can accommodate more modules, no additional chassis slots are needed. In fact, users benefit from increased dual-port RAM per channel.
  • Module Equivalency: Some modules — such as all MIL-STD-1553 modules and the 5-channel ARINC-429 module — are functionally identical between M4K and M8K versions.
  • For applications requiring only one or two modules, the EXC-4000PCI(e)HC supports up to two M4K modules and is fully compatible with the EXC-4000PCI(e) boards - again, no code changes are needed.
  • We also offer the EXC-8000cPCI board to meet cPCI requirements.

 

Notes

  1. Please contact your local representative to discuss alternative solutions and migration paths.
  2. All Last Time Buy (LTB) orders are non-cancellable and non-returnable (NCNR).

 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or to discuss your specific application requirements. Our team is committed to supporting a smooth transition with minimal disruption to your engineering efforts.

Obsolete Part Number

Replacement Part Number

EXC-4000PCIe

EXC-4000PCIeHC - for up to 2 modules {uses different connector}

EXC-8000PCIe {uses different connector}

EXC-4000PCI

EXC-4000PCIHC - for up to 2 modules {uses different connector}

EXC-4000cPCI

EXC-8000cPCI – {uses different connector}

EXC-4000VME

No replacement

EXC-4000VXI

No replacement