SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-28T05:50:35-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsElectrical Juggernaut on Fake ICs IdentifiedElectrical Juggernauturn:uuid:9ea6b659-a34c-e556-ce97-abe4b9f5864b2012-03-08T20:42:45-07:00<p>Sorry for being ~2 years late. I have done de-encap before for reverse engineering chips - it's not all that difficult, however depending on the method, and if you want a working chip after, it can be dangerous. A good page describing the processes is <a href="http://www.semitracks.com/index.php/reference-material/failure-and-yield-analysis/package-analysis/delid-and-decap" rel="nofollow">HERE</a><p>Let me know if this helps! Good luck</p></p>
zunkworks on Fake ICs Identifiedzunkworksurn:uuid:1e0d1880-ce1e-f0ce-cfe0-30bdd41250422010-08-02T09:10:10-06:00<p>Seems to be a common enough problem that there is a yearly "Symposium on Counterfeit Electronic Parts" held at the University of Maryland every year.<br>
<a href="http://www.calce.umd.edu/symposiums/adpcp2010.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.calce.umd.edu/symposiums/adpcp2010.html</a></p>
Luke6 on Fake ICs IdentifiedLuke6urn:uuid:91523162-5dc8-cbfd-4643-219bbce83e312010-07-30T12:19:48-06:00<p>Wow! Wish I lived somewhere close to a semiconductor manufacturer. Really cool what you have done to figure out what it is, instead of an Atmega.<br>
Some other cool things you could do with this chip:<br>
1)Building a working switcher around it (if possible, with all the bugs in pre-release material)<br>
2)Catching the criminals that sold these chips to the one that sold them to the one that sold them to the one that sold them to you.<br>
3)Richard Hart's idea of encasing them in plastic. The chips that is, not the criminals. Yeah, them too maybe, but shipping gets a bit expensive if you wanted to sell them as keychains or something. Plus I doubt it's legal...<br>
4)And write a good story about it. O, you already did that...</p>
slinger on Fake ICs Identifiedslingerurn:uuid:2a0027b4-990c-981e-960f-6b8a00d8e5f62010-07-15T19:04:05-06:00<p>Correct me if im worng but this is a voltage regulator. Well then try to wire one up and use it for that purpose that would make a great tutorial or project on how to use chips based off of what you can learn from their datasheets.</p>
slinger on Fake ICs Identifiedslingerurn:uuid:25ab71ca-0961-3348-5a9c-f9052cfd4bee2010-07-15T19:02:40-06:00<p>Correct me if im worng but this is a voltage regulator. Well then try to wire one up and use it for that purpose that would make a great tutorial or project on how to use chips based off of what you can learn from their datasheets.</p>
HissingRoachParty on Fake ICs IdentifiedHissingRoachPartyurn:uuid:8fe00052-e872-5ff2-fd83-9a841efdf0262010-07-14T11:09:26-06:00<p>I second the chips-in-plastic idea!</p>
iklln6 on Fake ICs Identifiediklln6urn:uuid:137126a5-0969-7618-b745-75017b46a2df2010-07-14T04:23:30-06:00<p>and they woulda gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids</p>
Stein on Fake ICs IdentifiedSteinurn:uuid:1f827640-5586-5239-b755-45e5244703142010-07-13T18:34:16-06:00<p>Yeah but you know how lawyers are...</p>
Microzoul on Fake ICs IdentifiedMicrozoulurn:uuid:e891a6ab-2db6-d134-18fb-1aadac1647572010-07-13T17:30:56-06:00<p>It was amazing ha ?!!<br>
As far as I can say shopping in Asian online shops like running in a field filled with land mines .<br>
that why always buy samples before you go ((mass))</p>
Nate on Fake ICs IdentifiedNateurn:uuid:f7f47d9f-228c-a197-04f7-c22473ba2e452010-07-13T08:34:31-06:00<p>Interesting idea. I'll see what I can do...</p>
Nate on Fake ICs IdentifiedNateurn:uuid:fb1f3492-e76a-5187-8357-87222f9712fc2010-07-13T08:32:05-06:00<p>Good point! We should send him one :)</p>
Muthanna on Fake ICs IdentifiedMuthannaurn:uuid:2d881223-d4aa-a4d4-91f3-ca911cfb67c32010-07-12T21:59:54-06:00<p>Ahh...I got it in the original story :)</p>
Muthanna on Fake ICs IdentifiedMuthannaurn:uuid:332944f8-d0a9-9146-2faf-5f43b70cb15c2010-07-12T21:49:45-06:00<p>I wish to know what was the process used to remove the IC package in a very clean way as shown in the photo? Soooo nice reverse engineering step; Can anyone tell me about it? By the way I used this photo as desktop background.</p>
Forrest on Fake ICs IdentifiedForresturn:uuid:15797fad-8ba9-5538-38bd-bab89e2152f02010-07-12T21:05:14-06:00<h2>Zach was the first one to get (guess?) this based on the images. Good job! :)<p>by Zach +1.3 | June 25, 2010 at 12:21 PM<br>
It's the wrong package (LQFP-32), but at least some of the pins seem to fit if you turn the chip 180 degrees.<br>
<a href="http://www.onsemi.com/pub_link/Collateral/NCP5318-D.PDF" rel="nofollow">http://www.onsemi.com/pub_link/Collateral/NCP5318-D.PDF</a></p></h2>
thmjpr on Fake ICs Identifiedthmjprurn:uuid:b939fc30-7c78-f451-8040-21e7a347065b2010-07-12T20:53:31-06:00<p>Its still a part, not a system or even a product.<br>
Motherboards use many component types already sold on this site.</p>
Stein on Fake ICs IdentifiedSteinurn:uuid:cd7bb251-c9c6-79bd-87b4-2c5af92399ca2010-07-12T18:44:56-06:00<p>Better watch out on selling them they are officially computer motherboard parts that other "spark" company might not be too happy about it...</p>
Ookseer on Fake ICs IdentifiedOokseerurn:uuid:cfa127c0-1c94-550f-1dfe-b1c3b5c558892010-07-12T17:55:14-06:00<p>This assumes that that 'AG20' mark isn't also counterfeit. :P<br>
I hope ON Semi is working with you to find the leak in their supply chain.</p>
Richard Hart on Fake ICs IdentifiedRichard Harturn:uuid:2a87e3e4-561e-8c3a-f21f-028ad5b516122010-07-12T16:44:08-06:00<p>I second that. Thanks for providing a wonderful mystery story.<br>
Speaking of selling them...you could encase each one in plastic with the Sparkfun logos and the legend "No Phony Chips". They'd make great key fobs. I'd buy several, that's for sure.</p>
mikemack on Fake ICs Identifiedmikemackurn:uuid:32e908a3-293c-4f4c-1aaf-946ccb3a8a9d2010-07-12T16:37:57-06:00<p>i really want to hear about there reaction when you tell them how you got them.</p>
rsp on Fake ICs Identifiedrspurn:uuid:3754c764-e9c0-f2c4-4624-699a6aa1e5ac2010-07-12T16:29:31-06:00<p>The pursuit of pure knowledge and technology is often not subject to a simple cost/benefit analysis. Obviously it was a huge effort, but I'm sure that much was learned in the process. And I really appreciate SFE for letting us all in on the details of this adventure!<br>
I can see selling these as novelties, but PLEASE mark them a such (maybe use a rubber stamp on the bottom of the chip?) in order to avoid being accused of being a seller of counterfeit goods.</p>
c-scott on Fake ICs Identifiedc-scotturn:uuid:dfd88ec5-06d0-7e65-f3b8-c0364ca4a3bd2010-07-12T15:31:27-06:00<p>I parse "pre-release engineering material" as "small quantity runs of our then-new device to test it for bugs. We found a lot of them -- enough that we'd need 6 more revisions to get something good enough to sell -- so this particular chip probably won't actually work for you, even if you do need a 4 phase Vcore buck switcher for an Intel CPU/GPU."</p>
Chilean on Fake ICs IdentifiedChileanurn:uuid:f9460a27-a41b-7bf1-b873-9219d15ac0802010-07-12T14:12:47-06:00<p>What do you mean by "Thanks ON Semi" ?<br>
is it "Thanks for letting others re-label and sell YOUR chips"?<br>
This was an expensive investigation: ON should buy that roll back plus research costs, which should come down to anywhere near $180 a piece. :-D</p>
WhoKnew? on Fake ICs IdentifiedWhoKnew?urn:uuid:38112e47-7f0a-daa8-98b4-7f74eeafc7632010-07-12T14:09:08-06:00<p>Pre-release engineering material? If I understand the term correctly that chip never hit the market?<br>
So if I'm correct them someone sold the production die to some manufacturing plant thinking that they were duplicating the AtMega?<br>
Did they cheaters got scammed?<br>
Then again I could be completely wrong....</p>
Ivan747 on Fake ICs IdentifiedIvan747urn:uuid:65e01f44-805a-a153-c225-ed42d148723c2010-07-12T13:57:43-06:00<p>And a red breakout board.</p>
Ivan747 on Fake ICs IdentifiedIvan747urn:uuid:23d987d6-53db-1f28-728d-c5a65d486f782010-07-12T13:56:24-06:00<p>Pentiuinos!</p>
Tinkerish on Fake ICs IdentifiedTinkerishurn:uuid:620f1274-7dce-c328-fa5e-8f4092a11ebd2010-07-12T12:11:08-06:00<p>I want one (as a novelty). If you decide to sell them, I'll add one to my next order :-)</p>
R0B0T1CS on Fake ICs IdentifiedR0B0T1CSurn:uuid:ae8c13e7-292f-7028-5416-3a72c69e87c42010-07-12T11:52:30-06:00<p>Even if just used as part of a tie clip, this would make for an interesting conversation piece. A bit of SF's History.</p>
Bret Mattingly on Fake ICs IdentifiedBret Mattinglyurn:uuid:2adabb36-73aa-7d6c-ed59-3de5844f6bdc2010-07-12T11:42:25-06:00<p>Didn't think about that. Will you guys be selling these again since we now know what they are?</p>
vmspionage on Fake ICs Identifiedvmspionageurn:uuid:351b1ff5-2f01-7fe5-d42c-7483dc6ce14d2010-07-12T11:32:30-06:00<p>If you soldered them into cubes they would make good dice :)</p>
mowcius on Fake ICs Identifiedmowciusurn:uuid:b2eb8861-de87-f4a7-5cbc-6940213d197b2010-07-12T10:53:10-06:00<p>Well at least you know what they are now...<br>
You going to be selling them now you know what they are?<br>
Give people a challenge to do something interesting with them :p<br>
Mowcius</p>
Nate on Fake ICs IdentifiedNateurn:uuid:d8ab5a98-5dd2-e7e5-646c-20658c21a7b32010-07-12T10:29:24-06:00<p>We tested three of the parts from different spots on the reel. We're pretty sure they're all the same, but there's no telling really.</p>
Bret Mattingly on Fake ICs IdentifiedBret Mattinglyurn:uuid:e294d46c-3cec-c50d-7cde-58a5c3e3327b2010-07-12T09:58:55-06:00<p>Haha, love that comment from the guy at ON Semi.<br>
Pretty interesting chip, there.<br>
I'd love to see you guys wire one up, but what the hell would you do with a high-performance Intel processor?</p>
cipher on Fake ICs Identifiedcipherurn:uuid:a692968a-7917-3a3c-c9d6-2fcbb0b7017d2010-07-12T09:56:51-06:00<p>thanks ON Semi. you guys solved the mystery</p>
SparkedFun on Fake ICs IdentifiedSparkedFunurn:uuid:4e07fd51-2f71-ee1f-87c0-025b48e63b272010-07-12T09:54:13-06:00<p>Just an interesting thought, are they all the ICs actually the same because I was reading about how Chinese workers (read slaves) remove all sorts of electronic components from old computer and other boards for reuse etc.<br>
Could this be a case of a whole bunch of this particular package ICs being re branded and sold off?</p>
N8B on Fake ICs IdentifiedN8Burn:uuid:c35cc029-acae-4748-90e5-cc793af29e8b2010-07-12T09:42:05-06:00<p>Where the hell did we get those? That is a great question.</p>
NextPerception on Fake ICs IdentifiedNextPerceptionurn:uuid:9242253e-9676-42af-b489-565c4259a7122010-07-12T09:39:29-06:00<p>I can see it now.<br>
To Catch a Predator : BLACK MARKET EDITION!!!</p>
Gintaras on Fake ICs IdentifiedGintarasurn:uuid:3e7de4d8-c93a-f269-f37b-54a0acbcc4132010-07-12T09:33:50-06:00<p>Is it the end or will you try to catch those guys who sell fake ICs?</p>