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Market brief, Thursday 2026-11-05

Note ideas

  1. Why an NTC thermistor reading is off by a degree (and what calibration actually fixes) — group 10 gap: thermocouple and PT100 notes exist, NTC does not; forum threads keep circling the same causes (B-value error, pull-up tolerance, self-heating, lead and contact resistance, 1-point vs 2-point calibration) — "ntc thermistor accuracy adc" — https://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/threads/ntc-selection-criteria-for-temperature-range-5c-until-35c-accuracy-1.161829/ · https://forum.arduino.cc/t/increasing-thermistor-accuracy/619812
  2. Designing around the memory shortage: when an SBC/compute module stops making sense vs an MCU — why now: Raspberry Pi raised 2 GB+ boards a third time on 2026-10-01; 8 GB eMMC reportedly went from ~$1 to ~$18; small buyers are last in allocation — "raspberry pi alternative microcontroller memory shortage" — https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/more-memory-driven-price-rises/ · https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/component-shortages-drive-raspberry-pi-prices-up-by-up-to-23-percent-escalating-lpddr4-lpddr5-costs-trigger-the-third-price-hike-of-the-year
  3. Web Serial is now in Firefox: what it changes for browser-based flashers — Mozilla shipped Web Serial on desktop in Firefox 151 (May 2026); Web Bluetooth/WebUSB are still Chromium-only; ties directly to the ESP32/STM32 flashers on /tools — "web serial firefox esp32 flasher" — https://bittide.aicompass.dev/article/dd2e2b53-856b-47ec-bad9-a36df447309c · https://www.beaconzone.co.uk/blog/browser-support-for-web-bluetooth/
  4. How many parts to buy on a last-time-buy — NXP PCN 202606009DN (LTB passed 2026-10-09), Littelfuse eZ80 (orders to 2026-12-21), Microchip PIC32MZ/SAM E54 notices: teams now have to size a buy (volume x years x yield x shelf-life/moisture); existing EOL note covers the "what now", not the math — "last time buy quantity calculation" — https://www.nxp.com/pcn/202606009DN · https://hackaday.com/2026/10/11/littelfuse-announces-retirement-of-the-ez80/
  5. ESP32-P4 display bring-up checklist (MIPI DSI + LVGL 9 + capacitive touch) — P4 boards with DSI panels are everywhere (Wireless-Tag board on CNX 2026-11-04, Arduino UNO Q display 10-31); existing note covers choosing an interface, not bring-up; also mention the rev v3.2 pin-54 change — "esp32-p4 mipi dsi lvgl touch not working" — https://github.com/embenix/ESP32-P4-DSI-Support-Hub · https://documentation.espressif.com/en/PCN202600801_ESP32-P4_Chip_Revision_v3.2_Upgrade_Chip_Revision_v1.3_Demand_Collection_and_EOL_Plan_Description.html

Launches and funding

Thin this run: Kickstarter, Crowd Supply and the CNX article pages returned 403 or empty, and search did not surface fresh (under 30 days) funding rounds for hardware companies. - Azume One — a 2.8 mm sensor that adds health tracking to a regular wristwatch, crowdfunding, listed by CNX Software 2026-10-30 — https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/10/30/azume-one-a-2-8mm-sensor-that-turns-any-regular-wristwatch-into-a-health-tracker/ (page blocked, headline only) — website not verified — fits groups 1/2/4/10 — a crowdfunded wearable with a tiny sensor module usually needs DFM review, small-batch SMT and test fixtures before delivery. Confidence low: I could not open the page, so company, platform and ship date are unconfirmed. - Carolina Instruments (Chapel Hill, NC) — camera-free eye-tracking glasses, three-person bootstrapped startup, grant-funded (Bold Path Fellowship, ~$120K), entering a $2M raise; NOTE the article is from April 2026, outside the 30-day window — https://grepbeat.com/2026/04/23/carolina-in-my-eyes-chapel-hill-startup-revolutionizes-eye-tracking-technology/ — https://www.carolina-instruments.com/ — groups 1, 2, 8, 10 — prototype is a glasses-style device aiming at VR headset integration; a raise will likely mean a design-for-manufacture respin.

Leads

Fewer than usual; no EOL-affected company was named in any notice I could read. 1. Carolina Instruments — "latest prototype is a glasses-style device", pursuing a $2M raise and grants (paraphrased) — https://grepbeat.com/2026/04/23/carolina-in-my-eyes-chapel-hill-startup-revolutionizes-eye-tracking-technology/ — https://www.carolina-instruments.com/ — fit: groups 1, 2, 8, 10 — confidence low-medium (local, real need likely, but source is 7 months old and needs not stated). 2. Azume One team — crowdfunding a wristwatch sensor, see above — confidence low (company unidentified). 3. Commercial users of NXP i.MX31/35/6 (select), LPC4078, MPC83xx, MCF5441x, DSP5672x — PCN 202606009DN, LTB 2026-10-09, last delivery 2027-07-09, no replacement listed, all sole-source. Companies unnamed; this is a segment, not a lead — https://www.nxp.com/pcn/202606009DN — fit: group 5 (firmware port, board respin) — confidence low as a lead.

News to watch

  1. NXP PCN 202606009DN (issued 2026-06-09): full withdrawal of ~100 parts incl. i.MX31/35/6 variants, LPC4078, MCF5441x, MPC8313-15, DSP5672x; LTB was 2026-10-09, last delivery 2027-07-09, no replacement. Hits legacy industrial/networking/audio boards. Small teams: check stock now, buy remaining allotment if the board is staying in service, start a port to i.MX RT/8M or STM32/LPC55. — https://www.nxp.com/pcn/202606009DN
  2. Littelfuse/Zilog ending eZ80 and all its MCU lines (PCN ZAC26-0074): orders until 2026-12-21, deliveries through 2027; hits TI-84-class and legacy eZ80 embedded products. Decide LTB quantity this month or plan a port. — https://hackaday.com/2026/10/11/littelfuse-announces-retirement-of-the-ez80/
  3. Microchip: PIC32MZ1024/2048 and related families, last shipments 2027-11-19 (aug/sep 2026 PCNs); ATSAME54 PCN dated 2026-08-28 with last bookings 2026-11-06 per one source (unverified, the PCN PDF returned 503); ATSAMW25H18 modules LTB was 2026-10-30. Confirm exact parts in each PCN before acting. — https://www.mouser.com/PCN/Microchip_Technology_PCN_MFOL_25ZHDZ566.pdf
  4. Espressif ESP32-P4 rev v1.3 -> v3.2 (PCN202600801, 2026-05-20): new part numbers (…X), pin 54 becomes VDD_HP, needs ESP-IDF 5.5.3+/6.0+, binaries not interchangeable; v1.3 enters EOL. Hits any P4 board; respin needed to move to v3.2. — https://documentation.espressif.com/en/PCN202600801_ESP32-P4_Chip_Revision_v3.2_Upgrade_Chip_Revision_v1.3_Demand_Collection_and_EOL_Plan_Description.html
  5. Memory shortage: Raspberry Pi 2 GB+ price hikes (third in 2026, effective 2026-10-01; Pi 5 16 GB reported at $385 on 2026-11-03); embedded eMMC/LPDDR4 allocation favors big OEMs; SK Hynix reportedly expects the worst shortage in 2027. Products with SBC/CM or eMMC: lock supply, consider MCU-based redesigns. — https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/more-memory-driven-price-rises/
  6. Renesas SRAM EOL: final LTB 2026-11-30, last shipment 2028-12-31 (Infineon replacement mapping); ISL-series analog LTB 2027-01-17. Hits boards with external SRAM. — https://globx.eu/blog/component-lifecycle/renesas-sram-eol-2026
  7. EU CRA reporting duties live since 2026-09-11 (24h early warning, 72h, 14-day final; applies to products already on the market; ENISA single reporting platform). Anyone selling connected devices into the EU needs a vulnerability intake and a named manufacturer; rest applies 2027-12-11. — https://www.skadden.com/insights/publications/2026/09/get-ready-reporting-faqs-and-checklist
  8. Tariffs / reshoring and local: Section 232 semiconductor tariff (25% on certain advanced chips since 2026-01-14, phase two unresolved as of my sources); Protocase/ProtoSpace/45Drives expanding in Wilmington NC (laser cutting since July 2026); new US-only fab shop ProvenMetal (YC S26, 7-day turn, drone/defense focus, provenmetal.com) is a competitor to watch; KiCad 10.0.x current (10.0.6 in Aug). Also Nordic nRF71 low-standby Wi-Fi 6 chips (CNX 2026-11-03, page blocked, not confirmed elsewhere). — https://perkinscoie.com/insights/article/presidential-action-semiconductors-and-critical-minerals-under-section-232 · https://www.wilmingtonbiz.com/more_news/2026/08/12/protocase_firm_focus_growth_here/27730 · https://zeli.app/en/story/49198464

New search terms

  • "kicad design variants" / "kicad drc rule editor" (KiCad 10 features)
  • "esp32-p4x" / "p4 rev 3.2 pin 54"
  • "last time buy quantity"
  • "firefox web serial" / "esptool-js firefox"
  • "emmc price shortage alternative" / "lpddr4 shortage small manufacturer"
  • "cra 24 hour reporting small manufacturer" / "ENISA single reporting platform"
  • "7-day us pcb assembly" / "us-made pcba defense drone"
  • "hx711 replacement ads1231 nau7802"
  • "can bus ethanol content analyzer esp32"
  • Spanish: "flashear esp32 desde el navegador", "calculadora divisor de tensión en línea" (calculator results are dominated by hacecuentas.com and uelectronics.com)

Coverage

Groups covered at least lightly: 1–11. Deep: 5 (supply chain/EOL, memory shortage, tariffs), 10 (sensors) and 11 (HMI/displays); depth on 10 and 11 was limited because searches returned mostly older material, not fresh threads. Counts: about 41 web searches and 18 page fetches. Blocked or empty: crowdsupply.com (403), cnx-software.com article pages (403; homepage worked), Kickstarter (no dated results), mouser.com Microchip PCN PDF (503), Renesas EOL PDF (unreadable), wraltechwire redirect (no hardware stories), NC Commerce grants release (no recipient names). X: not visible at all (no X search results). Reddit, HN and forosdeelectronica: no usable results (HN and forum searches returned older items); Spanish coverage is weak. Branch: working from detached HEAD on main; pushed to claude/briefs.

Odd things

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