BOGUS ELECTRONIC PARTS （2）

Published:2011/8/3 19:56:00 Author:Phyllis From:SeekIC

By Harry Baggen

Serious problem

With electronic components it is not so easy to check if a part meets the specifications of the manufacturer. You could perhaps run a few logic tests on a digital IC, but it is much harder with an analogue component. It is a big problem for manufacturers of equipment to determine in time (that is, before assembly) if all paris originate from a trusted supplier.

Most semiconductor manufacturers have recognized how serious this threat is for them and will warn their customers as much as is possible when counterfeit components have surfaced somewhere. These are often accompanied by detailed descriptions so users can determine the differences between authentic and fake for themselves. Various famous brands such as NEC, LG, Hynix, Agilent, Vishay, Altera, Atmel, Hitachi, Motorola and Toshiba have already had to deal with counterfeit copies of their products.

Quality

The quality of fake parts appears to vary enormously. There are (often passive) components that are so well made that it is very hard to tell that they are not from the original manufacturer. But in most cases the quality is significantly lower. Power transistors are a favorite subject for forgers. Here the packages are carefully copied, so that they look as much as possible as the original, but on the inside is a chip with much poorer characteristics. Usually the chip is also much smaller (i.e., cheaper!) than the original, so that the transistor will fail in a very short time. Several examples are already known from Toshiba and Motorola.

But it can be even worse. In one case, a company bought a batch of ICs (LT1040) that were desperately required, for a considerable amount of money because they were scarce on the semiconductor market. After inspection it was realized that there were no chips inside the packages!

Another phenomenon that has appeared in recent years, is offering microcontrollers with OTP memory. These can be programmed only once (One Time Programmable). Already programmed parts are sold as new and the new owner is then stuck with a batch of useless parts!

The moral of the story: Be alert!

There is no single way to provide 100% protection from fake parts. Semiconductor manufacturers recommend their customers to obtain their components only from the official distributors or trusted suppliers, but it has already transpired that even these channels can be corrupted with forgeries.

It is, in any case, a good start to buy from known suppliers and to check on the manufacturer’s website if there are warnings for specific parts.

A number of companies have put together lists of fake components [9], with short descriptions of visible discrepancies with respect to the original parts. A glance at such a list is also recommended. In addition there is a special website for fake power semiconductors [10]. Everyone who builds or services audio amplifiers should certainly pay a visit there.

And finally the simplest advice: caveal emptor, be on your guard for deals that just look too good to be true. After all, you get nothing for nothing!

Readers with experience of fake parts are invited to contact the editor, because we are keen to find out how big this problem is in Europe. We can then also warn our other readers!

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