• Home
• Services & Tools
• Programming Centre

Programming Centre

Services Quotations Production Cycle Times Quality First Articles

Business Continuity Planning Failure Replacements Minimum order values Contacts and Directions Value-Added Services

Arrow Electronics has been supporting its European customers with semiconductor programming services since 1994.

With the latest high technology programming equipment from BP Microsystems, System General, Data I/O, International Microsystems, Echelon and Epson, Arrow can program tens of thousands of different programmable devices in all package variants (BGA, TSOP, PLCC, QFP, MLF, QFN etc) from over 150 semiconductor manufacturers.

Arrow programs over 75 million units globally in its regional programming centres. Arrow's programming facilities are in Venlo (Holland), Bedford (UK), Nedre Vats (Norway), Reno (Nevada), Penang (Malaysia) and Guadalajara (Mexico).

  

Services

• Semiconductor programming
• Crystal oscillator programming
• Compact flash/SD card programming
• Laser marking
• Poly labelling
• Tape and reeling (as part of programming or stand-alone process)
• Peel force testing for all taped and reeled orders
• De-reeling to trays
• Serialisation
• 3-dimensional lead inspection (for co-planarity, lead pitch etc)
• Dry packing of components
• Component baking

Arrow’s UK distribution customers are serviced from a logistics centre in Venlo, Holland. Therefore those customers that purchase semiconductors and programming services from Arrow will have their requirements met by the Venlo Programming Centre. Those UK customers that wish to send semiconductors to Arrow to program will in most cases have those requirements serviced by Arrow’s automated programming facility in Bedford, UK. The Bedford centre will also cater for all UK military & aerospace programming for which ECCN codes prevent the export of the software code.

Quotations
Programming quotations vary depending on the memory size and services required. Please contact your Arrow Account Manager or Customer Services using the details below to arrange for a quotation.

Production Cycle Times
Programming cycle times vary with the order size but the European facilities average 38 hours per order from the receipt of the blank devices. For tape & reel only orders, the average cycle time is 18 hours. We realise that on occasions our customers require urgent order turnaround. Arrow's expedite process ensures that we prioritise our orders as necessary, doing everything in our power to ensure that customer production lines never stop, wherever possible avoiding overtime and expedite fees.

Quality
The programming facilities are fully ISO9001:2000 certified, compliant to TS16949** and is fully ESD protected. The automated programming equipment allows programming, marking and tape/reel to be completed in-line on the same machine to reduce manual handling of components to virtually nil.

First Articles
Arrow targets the processing of first articles within 24 hours. We will accept first article information via any of the following media:

• Master device - a pre-programmed device that is sent to Arrow's First Article Engineer. Arrow's FAE will set up the new master by Arrow's production system by reading the code and configurational settings from the device. Please send master devices to:
  
  Sanjeev Banger
  First Article Engineer
  Arrow Programming Services
  St Martins Business Centre
  Cambridge Road
  Bedford
  MK42 0LF
  
  
• Arrow's customers may email their programming file together with the necessary information below to bedfordfirstart@arrowuk.com
• device configurational settings (security fuse, blank fill etc)
• marking instructions (laser mark, poly labelling and required characters)
• customer part number



• Arrow's Pre-programming Worksheet - click on this link pre-programming worksheet to be taken to a worksheet which will take you through all of the required information to complete a first article. Once you complete the form it will open up an email in your system which is pre-addressed to our First Article Engineer. You just need to browse your network to attach the programming file prior to sending.

Business Continuity Planning
For business continuity purposes, Arrow's programming facilities benefit from a common production platform both in terms of shop floor control software and programming equipment. All customer software and configurational settings (exceptions are software for military/aerospace customers or software with non-benign ECCN code) are stored in a central data library which can be accessed by linked programming centres. This provides the ability to seamlessly switch production or load balance between programming centres.

Failure Replacements
Arrow will program semiconductors that are supplied by the customer (customer-owned product) as well as those programming those devices that are provided by Arrow as part of value-added service supply chain.

A small percentage (typically less than 0.5% of total order volume) of semiconductors will fail to program successfully. If the programming services and the blank device are bought from Arrow, then any programming failures will either be replaced from free stock or the customer will only be invoiced for the successfully programmed devices. Either way the customer will experience 100% yield from the programming process.

For those devices that are customer-supplied, any programming failures will be returned to the customer in a clearly identified separate package from the programmed devices.

Minimum order values
Arrow does not apply minimum order quantities to any process, although a minimum order value of £25.00 applies to programming orders.

Value-Added Services
The programming centre Customer Services team also manages the third-party value-added services that Arrow utilises for UK customers. These services include key-fob programming, tin-dipping, tape & reeling of axial or radial components, cropping & forming, LCD module assembly and kitting.

Contacts and Directions

Programming Centre Contact Numbers
Customer Services Manager
Emma O'Connor
+44 (0) 1234 791437
emmao@arrowuk.com


First Article Engineering
Sanjeev Banger
+44 (0) 1234 791647
bedfordfirstart@arrowuk.com


Address:
Arrow Programming Services
Door 1, Cambridge Road
St Martins Business Centre
Bedford
MK42 0LF

Click here for directions to Arrow Electronics' programming facility

**In 2007 the TS16949 certification for the automotive supply chain was withdrawn from semiconductor programming activities as it was regarded as a non-production activity. The Arrow programming centre was fully TS16949 certified up until that point in time and remains compliant to the standards.

Head Office: 01279 441144	Dublin: +353 1 6298700	Reading: 0118 963 3800
Bedford: 01234 791550	Harlow: 01279 455300	Manchester: 0161 233 8500
Bristol: 01454 280080	Manchester: 0161 233 8500	Arrow Advantage: 01279 626777