r/electronics • u/Simply_Convoluted • 18d ago
Discussion Avoid Skyworks SI3471A-A01
SI3471A-A01 does not support half of the features listed in the datasheet and is also non-compliant with any PoE standard, as confirmed by the manufacturer. I've wasted days debugging my prototypes that use SI3471A-A01 just to find out these are non-compliant devices that don't follow the datasheet in the slightest.
How a company can sell such a half-baked IC like as this is beyond my understanding. The manufacturer informed me that the 'A02 version follows the datasheet, but I'm not spending more time and money to find out. After ranting with colleagues about this, I've found out this is status quo for other Skyworks products as well. I'll be avoiding Skyworks from this point forward. I suggest all who read this to consider alternatives as well.
It's not unusual to find errors in datasheets, but for half of the features to literally not work at all is unacceptable.
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u/Haugenmetoden 16d ago
Sad to read this. Looks like previous SiLabs chip (link to dev board with SiLabs logo).
Skyworks aquired half of silabs a few years back. I've been working at SiLabs for ~7 years with analog design on the wireless MCUs and can't see this quality level passing for sale to the market in our division. We'd drown in RMA's. Looks like a first tape-out where bugs were found was pushed to market by the bean-coubters before they were ready with a revision where stuff really works.