Intel to Discontinue First-Generation Thunderbolt 3 Controllers

Megalith

Megalith

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Intel is discontinuing its first-generation Thunderbolt 3 controllers (DSL-) launched in 2015 because they contain lead: customers are being urged to adopt the JHL-series instead, which use a lead-free solder alloy based on tin, silver, and copper. Thanks to grtitan for this one.

The DSL-series controllers use a lead-containing solder alloy, whereas the JHL-series use a lead-free solder alloy based on tin, silver and copper (such alloys are called SAC - Sn, Ag, Cu). The European Union restricts the use of lead (as well as many other hazardous materials) because its fumes increase risk of lung and stomach cancer, along with the other known risks of lead exposure and heavy metals in general. So, as it appears, Intel is EOLing its first-gen Thunderbolt 3 controllers as part of the broader effort to phase out the use of lead in electronics products.
 
Was there a problem with them burning all the time or something? Good to see they've committed to making unreliable lead free devices you can now safely lick. Maybe I should start to sell the EU bubblegum. Easier on the teeth too.
 
MV75 said:
Was there a problem with them burning all the time or something? Good to see they've committed to making unreliable lead free devices you can now safely lick. Maybe I should start to sell the EU bubblegum. Easier on the teeth too.
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Its important when you have kids / infant at home....
 
Lead free solder is far inferior to leaded -- especially where reliability, vibration resistance, and thermal changes are involved. The EU needs to get over itself and recognize that, handled properly, products containing lead are NOT necessarily a bad thing -- unless you are eating the circuit boards.

We have had customers who specifically requested lead based solder for commercial/industrial applications due to the conditions under which many products have to operate (high heat + vibration).

I would be almost willing to bet that the increase in damage and danger due to shorts and cable fires caused from defective solder joints probably exceeds any safety gains made by reducing the lead.
 
mdburkey said:
Lead free solder is far inferior to leaded -- especially where reliability, vibration resistance, and thermal changes are involved. The EU needs to get over itself and recognize that, handled properly, products containing lead are NOT necessarily a bad thing -- unless you are eating the circuit boards.

We have had customers who specifically requested lead based solder for commercial/industrial applications due to the conditions under which many products have to operate (high heat + vibration).

I would be almost willing to bet that the increase in damage and danger due to shorts and cable fires caused from defective solder joints probably exceeds any safety gains made by reducing the lead.
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Yeah all it's done is increase landfill.

Remove the lead in petrol because it causes issues with infants and replace it with benzine which doesn't discriminate at all and happily gives cancer to everyone.
 
Lead based solder.... really? Since when does anyone lick their mobo. You can't even touch the stuff unless you are building it, and when you are, you certainly aren't trying to touch the circuity.
 
No one's talking about the real problem.

We need lead-free lead! Lead laced with lead has been known to give lead increased levels of lead in its lead. Lead.
 
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mdburkey said:
Lead free solder is far inferior to leaded -- especially where reliability, vibration resistance, and thermal changes are involved. The EU needs to get over itself and recognize that, handled properly, products containing lead are NOT necessarily a bad thing -- unless you are eating the circuit boards.
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My 2-year-old tries to eat everything.

Even if it doesn't directly effect the owner, lead production and disposal is a problem. Lead is toxic to all life because it preferentially replaces other metals like zinc and calcium in biological processes. The brain and nervous system are highly susceptible to lead poisoning even at extremely low concentrations. It does not degrade or wash away easily. Once it's in the soil concentrations can remain high for thousands of years. It's not normally found at extremely high concentrations on Earth's surface because it's high mass tends to drive it down deeper into the crust over geologic timescales, but it appears that humans have significantly increased surface concentrations around ourselves over thousands of years of mining and, more recently, the use of leaded paint and gasoline.

I get the argument that it's unlikely to be an issue in this sort of use-case, but I can also see why governments want to reduce lead production as much as possible.
 
staknhalo said:
No one's talking about the real problem.

We need lead-free lead! Lead laced with lead has been known to give lead increased levels of lead in its lead. Lead.
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its not about licking, its about land fill and ground seepage.

NOT that I agree with the lead-free aspect (I work in the electronics industry and know about the pains of lead free: tin whiskers, brittle, higher melting etc..) and equally the retarded reasoning is retarded when the EU then agreed to permit CFL which contains MERCURY! which is a lot more dangerous and in small quantities & we had managed to removed from households decades earlier with the removal from thermometers...

the EU is a trainwreck...
 
trparky said:
In more ways than one. About the only country doing well in the EU is Germany, they're practically economically propping the EU up.
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They are doing well at the expense of the other nations; the problem is the €. Germany has always been an economic powerhouse (give or take a few ... hickups in its ... projection :) ). When the € was formed, Germany experienced a MASSIVE devaluation with regards to the Mark, every other country experienced a massive inflation with respect to their associated currencies.

Chuck in some seriously questionable financial assessments to permit the P.I.G.S. nations to join "because they are financially viable", chuck in Germany & France consistently breaking the EU fiscal rules without any penalty (while Spain, Italy, Greece are fined...) and well...

Germany are propping it up because they have profited the most from it and equally have the most to lose if it implodes... TARGET2 transfers do not paint a good picture w.r.t.capital & debt flow...

Interesting point... the Greece debt issue (which is still as big as ever) was due to German, France, Lux, Brussels banks agreeing to bad loans. When the financial bubble popped and Greece received & still receives massive bail outs, the money didn't go to Greece or the greek people, it went to Germany, France, Lux, Brussels banks to bail out their bad loans... Greece now owes more than they did at the start of the crisis
 
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naib said:
its not about licking, its about land fill and ground seepage.

NOT that I agree with the lead-free aspect (I work in the electronics industry and know about the pains of lead free: tin whiskers, brittle, higher melting etc..) and equally the retarded reasoning is retarded when the EU then agreed to permit CFL which contains MERCURY! which is a lot more dangerous and in small quantities & we had managed to removed from households decades earlier with the removal from thermometers...

the EU is a trainwreck...
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What do you think of the argument that with our current use of coal for power it actually reduces mercury in the air and on top soil?

Lead free solder is far inferior to leaded -- especially where reliability, vibration resistance, and thermal changes are involved. The EU needs to get over itself and recognize that, handled properly, products containing lead are NOT necessarily a bad thing -- unless you are eating the circuit boards.

We have had customers who specifically requested lead based solder for commercial/industrial applications due to the conditions under which many products have to operate (high heat + vibration).
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I'm curious if you have seen studies of modern lead-free processes and showing how much less reliable they are then leaded?
 
serpretetsky said:
What do you think of the argument that with our current use of coal for power it actually reduces mercury in the air and on top soil?


I'm curious if you have seen studies of modern lead-free processes and showing how much less reliable they are then leaded?
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All you have to do is look at the past few generations of consoles. How many early failures from RROD and YLOD there been. The primary cause for it been broken solder cause they use this garbage now. There have been video cards also with the same issue. Seems a little better tho with not many PS4, xbone and video cards suffering that fate.
 
mdburkey said:
Lead free solder is far inferior to leaded -- especially where reliability, vibration resistance, and thermal changes are involved. The EU needs to get over itself and recognize that, handled properly, products containing lead are NOT necessarily a bad thing -- unless you are eating the circuit boards.

We have had customers who specifically requested lead based solder for commercial/industrial applications due to the conditions under which many products have to operate (high heat + vibration).

I would be almost willing to bet that the increase in damage and danger due to shorts and cable fires caused from defective solder joints probably exceeds any safety gains made by reducing the lead.
Click to expand...

I used to think you had to be a master craftsman with steady hands and good equipment to solder components so easily like they do on youtube. Then I tried lead solder for the first time and thought "What the fuck have I been trying to solder with my whole life?!".
 
Megalith said:
Intel is discontinuing its first-generation Thunderbolt 3 controllers (DSL-) launched in 2015 because they contain lead: customers are being urged to adopt the JHL-series instead, which use a lead-free solder alloy based on tin, silver, and copper. Thanks to grtitan for this one.

The DSL-series controllers use a lead-containing solder alloy, whereas the JHL-series use a lead-free solder alloy based on tin, silver and copper (such alloys are called SAC - Sn, Ag, Cu). The European Union restricts the use of lead (as well as many other hazardous materials) because its fumes increase risk of lung and stomach cancer, along with the other known risks of lead exposure and heavy metals in general. So, as it appears, Intel is EOLing its first-gen Thunderbolt 3 controllers as part of the broader effort to phase out the use of lead in electronics products.
Click to expand...
Wow

How many years behind RoHS is that? Holy crap.

Yeah I know lead has a low melting point, flexes better, and adheres better to a variety of metals. Lead is also very bad for the environment.

The process has improved at many shops that solder point heat cycling issues aren't nearly as bad as they used to be.
 
I'm surprised that Intel could even sell components with lead in them in Europe. The EU has its RoHS rules barring lead in electronics (with exceptions in certain cases) since 2006. So I don't know of any company that would introduce a chip in 2015 that had lead in it.

Remember the Xbox 360 red ring of death issue, that was attributed to the switch over to non-lead based solder (coupled with hotter than expected chip with tons of ball connectors) that was less malleable than lead based solder that eventually lead to cracked joints. And the Xbox 360 was launched in late 2005!
 
vegeta535 said:
All you have to do is look at the past few generations of consoles. How many early failures from RROD and YLOD there been. The primary cause for it been broken solder cause they use this garbage now. There have been video cards also with the same issue. Seems a little better tho with not many PS4, xbone and video cards suffering that fate.
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I am aware of various problems attributed to lead-free solder with ps3's, xbox 360's, and nvidia 7000 and 8000 series video cards. I haven't heard of these problems with newer consoles or newer PCBs. So this doesn't tell me much on the current reliability of modern lead-free processes.
 
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caddys83 said:
wut kid eats his own shit?:bored:
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Private_Ops said:
If this wasn't the news section I'd ask for the story behind that. Morbid curiosity.
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Three of my relative took off one of their diaper with poops, then all of them start eating it and smudge all over their face like chocolates.

I also know one of them chewed a iPhone like candy.

Been around with kids, realize nothing is impossible around them....
 
Can we also take a minute to marvel at the fact the EU hasn't tried to sue the EU yet? That's pretty impressive, all things considered.
 
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