Watch out for well-made (counterfeit) chips. Counterfeit parts are big headache. Saelae tells that they noticed first that many more boards than normal were failing the functional test. The USB chip was running hot. It turned out that every last part was an old revision corresponding to a different (obsolete) part number – the parts had been relabeled with a modern part number.
Counterfeit Electronic Parts presentation from NASA gives examples of counterfeit ICs and information on business around counterfeit electronics.
Counterfeit components can be a a big business and safety risk. Criminal Prosecution – Who can be held liable for the sale of counterfeit parts? is an inside look at the unscrupulous business practices that plague the open market and the liability that could accompany this unethical conduct. This article is intended to serve as a warning to sales, purchasing and management representatives involved in the purchase or sale of integrated circuits in the open market. Ignorance is not a defense. It will likely be difficult, if not impossible, for any representative of the open market to argue that they were “unaware” of the risks.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Your Components are probably FAKE! Soooo is that BAD?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_hIVtcx6CA
In this video we will be having a closer look at electrical components because there is definitely a possibility that your components are fake/counterfeit. So I will show you why fake components exist, what their problems are and how you can spot them/test them. Let’s get started!
0:00 Fake Components?
1:23 Intro
2:00 How Fake Components come to be
3:11 MOSFET Fake Testing
6:12 OpAmp Fake Testing
8:50 Verdict
Tomi Engdahl says:
Your Components are probably FAKE! Soooo is that BAD?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_hIVtcx6CA
0:00 Fake Components?
1:23 Intro
2:00 How Fake Components come to be
3:11 MOSFET Fake Testing
6:12 OpAmp Fake Testing
8:50 Verdict
Tomi Engdahl says:
(Amazon has a lot of counterfeits)
Stress test with tools:
https://www.raymond.cc/blog/test-and-detect-fake-or-counterfeit-usb-flash-drives-bought-from-ebay-with-h2testw/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://cdn.baseplatform.io/files/base/ebm/electronicdesign/document/2022/04/How_to_spot_counterfeit_electronic_components___A2_ES.625ee12795815.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
A free tool to test storage media for counterfeit space claims.
https://h2testw.en.lo4d.com/windows
H2testw
https://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/H2testw.shtml
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to spot counterfeit electronic components
https://cdn.baseplatform.io/files/base/ebm/electronicdesign/document/2022/04/How_to_spot_counterfeit_electronic_components___A2_ES.625ee12795815.pdf
Counterfeits electronic components are Electronic components that are misleading as to the origin or
quality relating to the parts. It is possible to counterfeit a certain electronic component and potentially
infringe one’s trademark license rights.
Counterfeit parts often have inferior specifications and quality. They may be a hazard in a critical
system such as an aircraft navigation and life support equipment or space vehicle. The sale in
consumer markets of electronic components making it easier for counterfeiters to integrate inferior
and counterfeit goods into the market.
The Global Chip Shortage has affected our lives more than you think, and it’s not solely due to low
supply. One of the main reasons is very high demand. The demand for electronic products that use
microchips like computers, smartphones, tablets, and even vehicles has skyrocketed in recent
months.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WALMART CAUGHT SELLING FAKE HARD DRIVE THAT JUST SHREDS YOUR DATA
https://futurism.com/the-byte/walmart-fake-hard-drive-technology
Tomi Engdahl says:
FBI antoi varoituksen vaarallisista akuista – tarkkaile näitä merkkejä https://www.is.fi/digitoday/mobiili/art-2000009115183.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to spot counterfeit electronic components
https://cdn.baseplatform.io/files/base/ebm/electronicdesign/document/2022/04/How_to_spot_counterfeit_electronic_components___A2_ES.625ee12795815.pdf
Counterfeits electronic components are Electronic components that are misleading as to the origin or
quality relating to the parts. It is possible to counterfeit a certain electronic component and potentially
infringe one’s trademark license rights.
Counterfeit parts often have inferior specifications and quality. They may be a hazard in a critical
system such as an aircraft navigation and life support equipment or space vehicle. The sale in
consumer markets of electronic components making it easier for counterfeiters to integrate inferior
and counterfeit goods into the market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Perhaps It’s Time To Talk About All Those Fakes And Clones
https://hackaday.com/2022/12/05/perhaps-its-time-to-talk-about-all-those-fakes-and-clones/
We all like cheap instruments, whether they are a logic analyser, an SDR, a spectrum analyser, or whatever. Sometimes the cheap products are based upon open source projects, such as the NanoVNA vector network analyser we looked at a while back, but it’s important to be aware that just as often they are clones of commercial products that have had a huge research and development applied to create them.
There may be some open-source enthusiasts who would respond that all such things should be open source hardware anyway, and that the devices have been somehow “set free” by the cloners.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anatomy Of A Fake CO2 Sensor
https://hackaday.com/2023/02/18/anatomy-of-a-fake-co2-sensor/
The pandemic brought with it a need to maintain adequate ventilation in enclosed spaces, and thus, there’s been considerable interest in inexpensive C02 monitors. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous actors out there that have seen this as a chance to make a quick profit.
Recently [bigclivedotcom] got one such low-cost CO2 sensor on his bench for a teardown, and confirms that it’s a fake. But in doing so he reveals a fascinating story of design decisions good and bad, from something which could almost have been a useful product.
Fake CO2 monitor (party detector) with schematic
https://hackaday.com/2023/02/18/anatomy-of-a-fake-co2-sensor/
The self latching power button circuit is very neat. It’s the electronic equivalent of a standard motor starter with latching contactor contact.
The most useful bit of this video is the science of tin oxide sensors. What I showed is little more than a crude oversight to quite a complex scientific subject. The exact composition of the metal oxide layer is what determines the gasses detected, and there are usually other vapours and gases that will be detected alongside the desired one. But the payoff is the simplicity and ruggedness of the sensor. As you can see in the video, the resistance change is dramatic for even a whiff of gas or vapour.
Further examination of the display does show that it’s a fixed use monochromatic display with coloured panels printed over the circular segments. That’s a shame, as it would otherwise have been an excellent base for a custom display unit.
The use of a random cheap sensor to give the illusion of being real by genuinely reacting to environmental changes is amusing. I’ve a horrible feeling they may also pull this stunt on detectors that actually matter, like gas leak or carbon monoxide detectors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Test for Real Germanium Diode or Fake Schottky imports from China
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ao0-gRYzBU
This is a limited, but good first test to see if the “Germanium” diodes you bought online are real Germanium, and not fake silicon Schottky diodes.
Test: Germanium diodes have reverse leakage currents.
Schottky diodes have little to no leakage at small voltages.
Important for guitar pedals, radio, etc.
NOTE: A 9v battery works the same, and shows more reverse leakage, in case your meter is not super sensitive in the micro-amp (μA) range. (Thx KJ6EAD). For the record, this meter was $29 at Harbor Freight. Not super accurate or robust, but it was sensitive enough for this demonstration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Some Fake Chinese Semiconductors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM7We9oH0oU
The Chinese sellers fake really every kind of semiconductor:
Germanium diodes, small-signal FETs, radio-ICs, schottky-diodes…
Tomi Engdahl says:
GuitarPCB Germanium Diode Tutorial – Real or Not?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR-OXRm-r9g
This is a general tutorial to aid with questions and concerns of purchasing Germanium Diodes online. Again there are a lot of opinions and facts available on the internet and I suggest doing your own research however there is a simple “heat test” you can do to help determine what you have. Lastly remember NOS Germanium diodes are getting hard to find and there really is no such thing as cheap Germanium. I will be carrying tested NOS 1980′s Diodes in my PCB Shop soon and I already have Ranegemaster, Fuzz Face and Tonebender Germanium transistor sets available.
1N34A or NOT 1N34A ???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfCh87JP92I
Short video about problems with mislabeled components.