Rockwell Automation publishes a lifecycle status for every Allen-Bradley product, which makes it relatively easy to find out whether the part in your panel is still current - or living on borrowed time. Here's how to check, what the statuses mean, and what the common legacy lines migrate to.
The four lifecycle statuses
Rockwell classifies products into a lifecycle, generally:
- Active - currently manufactured and fully supported; buy with confidence.
- Active Mature - still available, but a newer product is recommended for new designs.
- End of Life - a discontinuation date has been announced; this is your last-time-buy window.
- Discontinued - no longer manufactured or available new from Rockwell; support and parts are limited.
How to check your part
- Look up the exact catalog number in Rockwell's product directory / lifecycle status pages.
- Use Rockwell's Product Replacement Lookup tool, which suggests the recommended migration product for a discontinued catalog number.
- Watch for the practical signs too: stretched lead times, only surplus stock offered, and rising prices.
What replaces the common legacy lines
- SLC 500 and PLC-5 - long-running classics now at end of life / discontinued; typically migrated to CompactLogix (1769) or ControlLogix (1756).
- MicroLogix (1761-1766) - older small controllers moving toward discontinued; the Micro800 family (2080) is the modern small-controller path.
- Legacy PowerFlex drives - earlier PowerFlex and pre-PowerFlex drives migrate to current PowerFlex 520/750-series models.
- PanelView Standard / older HMIs - migrate to PanelView Plus.
Obsolete doesn't mean down
A discontinued status is a planning trigger, not a shutdown notice. The right move depends on the equipment's remaining life: last-time-buy spares to ride it out, source surplus/refurbished modules to keep it running, or budget a migration when the line is due for modernization.
We keep legacy Allen-Bradley running
Whether you need discontinued SLC 500, PLC-5 or legacy PowerFlex parts to extend a system, or the current product to replace it, send us the catalog numbers and we'll respond within two business days, with availability, condition and price where we have them and a full quote once confirmed. We are an independent reseller and not affiliated with Rockwell Automation; brand names are used here for identification only.