How to avoid fake chips systematically?

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It is relatively easy when we want to identify 1-or 2 chips, but when we identify the authenticity of a large number of components, it is a very big challenge for enterprises.Today I would like to tell you about our long-term efforts to ensure that no fake chip flows into the hands of customers.

Source control

• Excellent supplier management can eliminate most fake chips, which is both the lowest cost and the most effective.For a company like ICONE that has to manage more than 5,000 cooperative suppliers around the world, how should it do a good job in supplier evaluation? Our business does this.

Digital supplier dynamic control

• As the types of components required by customers increase, the number of our suppliers continues to increase, the way of Digital management and AI data management is a necessary.

• Track the long-term supply situation and make timely adjustments.We record the contact data of each supplier into the system, including on-schedule delivery, quality of delivered goods, and honesty and trustworthiness. This is a trait of suppliers that we value very much.

• The data is detailed to the operating status of the company. However, not every supplier is reliable in the long term. We require procurement personnel to record changes in the operating status of each supplier, dynamically control the supplier's situation, and ensure that the supplier's situation is updated in real time to make our channels controllable. and stability. Every supplier transaction becomes data that we record and track its dynamics, so digital management is very important. Many companies assess their suppliers once a year. When the other party supplies counterfeit chips, a large number of fake components may have entered the production line. Our dynamic data management can solve this problem.

• Screen out inferior suppliers,As I said, if you want to ensure that your supply channels are reliable and stable,So promptly discovering and eliminating unstable factors is our idea to maintain stable channels. When a supplier with normal cooperation suddenly have problem, we will promptly add it to the system blacklist to eliminate potential crises.

• Reliable and strict supplier data records ,provide guarantee for the source of our components.We select and configure our inventory or order deployment based on the reliability level of the channel to ensure that each of our orders is supplied to customers with the safest and most reliable solution.

• accumulated and updated supplier data provides reliability,Especially during periods of component shortage, a large number of counterfeit and shoddy products will appear. This is where our huge amount of supplier data will play an important role. If there is a shortage in time, we can also effectively avoid counterfeit and shoddy chips from the source.

Sample library updated daily

• We also have a key database that plays a role in systematically identifying counterfeit and shoddy components.In the past 12 years, we have handled more than sixty million chips. The components in the storage will become our gold sample library, providing reliable reference data for the next order. Over time, this sample library has There are more and more data and they are updated every day, and our reliability is also constantly improving. Since the digital management process is relatively complete, every order we execute will provide a valuable reference for our next customer. In the past 12years, the customer group we have served has been mainly BOM single supply for small and medium-sized manufacturers. Currently, we have served more than 3,500 manufacturers.

• small and medium manufacturers demand are frequent and diverse, so this is why our sample library is rich and extremely valuable in identifying fake components.Our sample library contains original and real chip shapes of various brands of components, integrated circuits, diodes and transistors, passive components, sensors, connectors, relays, etc.

• One thing you may not know is that the value of fake and shoddy samples may be beyond your imagination.We realize that there are uncontrollable factors in original and genuine samples. Until you have a sample library of counterfeit components, many truths will be directly displayed in front of you. Many people don’t know that the most valuable databases are not original and real samples, but fake and shoddy samples. 

• We consciously collect a large number of sample libraries of fake components, which is included in the training and screening work of our QC personnel, so our QC personnel are familiar with the appearance of counterfeit and shoddy components and can eliminate them at the first time, and our library is kept updated to adapt to the constantly improving counterfeiting techniques of counterfeiters of fake and shoddy components. Including various types of refurbished and scattered new chips, the most difficult to identify are counterfeit labeled components because they have a brand-new and complete appearance. We have a large number of counterfeit samples of such components, which provide us with valuable reference for the screening work. Even if you have massive sample data, it doesn’t mean you can detect all fakes.

Tag libraries also have value

• Although labels cannot 100% identify counterfeit components, they have certain reference value.At least it can help us identify some obvious counterfeit components. We have more than one hundred thousand tag databases. We are also assisting our QC personnel in appearance inspection.

Test reports we can provide

• Since we have been focusing on providing BOM services to customers for 13 years, our sample library contains components of various brands, which can help us effectively identify fake chips., although there are still a large number of components that cannot be identified through appearance screening, we can still conduct in-depth screening and analysis of the components through technical ways. Therefore, we can provide customers with the following testing solutions, free of charge at the early stage of the order. Provided to customers to reduce customer purchasing costs.

Testing plan

• Our incoming material inspection appearance inspection process includes labels - outer box - internal auxiliary materials - chip MARKING inspection - pin inspection and wiping - chip body inspection - standard parts comparison.

• Its principle is to test and analyze the electrical characteristics ，of the chip through input and output signals to determine whether the chip can operate normally and whether there are potential problems. It also includes characteristic testing, power consumption testing, timing testing, etc.

• X-ray comparison: Obtain high-definition X-ray photos of the internal structure of incoming materials ，and compare them with X-ray photos of the internal structure of standard original parts. This method is suitable for most chips.

• A method of comprehensively testing the functionality of a chip. By designing a series of test cases to cover various functions of the chip and verify the performance of the chip in different working way, we can understand whether the function of the chip is perfect.

• Reliability testing is to test the chip under different environmental conditions to check the life and stability of the chip. This kind of testing often includes humidity testing, vibration testing, destructive testing, temperature cycle testing, etc. Through reliability testing, you can understand how the chip performs under various extreme conditions.

• Use tools such as Programmer fixtures and emulators to test components. The software can read whether the component is a genuine model, and perform repeated erasing and burning operations to check for chip damage.

• The X-ray source emits X-rays and irradiates the chip. Different materials in the chip have different signals such as scattering, reflection and absorption of X-rays. By measuring these signals, the structure and defect information inside the chip can be obtained.

• We have served many customers who believe in the testing reports of testing agencies. In fact, they do not know that some components are very cleverly counterfeited and their components can escape many detection methods.Therefore, the combination of real-time and dynamic counterfeit component data is of high value here. In many cases, for problems that cannot be solved technically, some inadvertent data provide the core help. Of course, for the sake of safety, we provide customers with comprehensive screening plan. Including appearance screening and in-depth screening combined with technical means.

Additional technical services provided, free programming services

• Our programming services allow electronics manufacturers to outsource the programming of their components to us. This solves the programming costs and consumption caused by manufacturers due to insufficient equipment or inadequate personnel training, thereby improving the efficiency of the production line and saving costs for the company.

• Outsource your component programming to us and benefit from lower costs, higher productivity and an integrated supply chain.Fast delivery means you can ensure your production is completed on time and your time is valuable.