I’m looking for lifecycle information about the WS6318 module, but I couldn’t find anything on the Sierra Wireless Source pages (not to mention the main pages, where the Wavecom branch seems to have disappeared). I’ve seen on this site (opendatasheets.com/search/WS6318) that the WS6318 is tagged as obsolete = no longer in production. Is it true? If not, is it possible to get any information about it: how long could we rely on it, is there a footprint compatible replacement (active or planned), or at least a firmware compatible replacement part?
There isn’t really a ‘compatible device’, the one that is the most similar is the HL6528 which has the same foot print but a slightly different form factor. Also the AT commands are not compatible (the 3GPP ones are but otherwise not).
There are indeed plenty of documents about the WS6318 module in the Source, but I couldn’t find anything about its life cycle. In spring 2015, when I chose that particular module, I don’t remember having seen anything about a very next phase out. So, if I start a new design based on the HL6528, is there any way for me to know or to guess how long I can rely on its production?
Assuming you are using an official distribution channel and they know about your design they should notify you about any EOL of products. We do not publish EOL notifications publicly.