[sachu]

Very interesting report.
 
Scary even.
 
No wonder i try to avoid stuff form China as much as possible. 

 
 
 
http://www.edn.com/blog/PowerSource/41244-Watch_out_for_well_made_counterfeit_chips.php

 

[ETAHL]

Another case of China bashing.

 
You are perfectly happy with inexpensive 95% China made computer system you are using, while wearing China made cloth, and can't live without your China made iphone.
 
The article is more about recycling electronics. Considering the mountains of obsolete electronics we dispose every day. More power to them.
 
Are you scare about your $3000 amp having these components or $200 China made amps with warranty?

 

[sachu]

Nope..my computer is nearly all Taiwan made. My clothes aren't made in China either and nope, don't use an iphone either
 
And no, this isn't about China bashing..but you just made it one.
 
I only mentioned China in the above post cause i work in the semiconductor industry and have seen the company i work for fall victim to such counterfeiting practice and the perpetrators are always China based.
 
 
 
 

 

[ETAHL]

I have not seen a Taiwan made computer system for a long, long, long time. Nowadays Taiwan companies have most, if not all of their productions in China.
 
There is always a few rotten apples in a barrel, why lump them all together. As if there are no sleazy and crooked companies in North America. Would you generalize all North American companies in this manner?
 
I, for one, am very grateful that we can afford so much because of products made in China. If it were like the old days where your have to work for weeks to buy a toaster and clothes for my children, there is not going to be any money left over for high priced Head-Fi products.

 
 
I guess the company is trying to save a few bucks. How about some QC on their part?

 

[sachu]

Ok.. I take that back. Bad apples are everywhere..and yes low prices are attractive. Not wanting to get this thread get deleted or locked out cause it turns political or some such crap.
 
The main point I am trying to get at is the broker system through which semiconductors get sold.
 
This is a very common practice and not all traffic goes through the global distribution system (allied, future, mouser, digikey, RS, Avnet, etc etc)... 
 
I saw a customer lose a quarter of a million cause of fake parts bought through a broker based in the East. COmplained about the parts not working to us, sent in a few sampels..guesss what..on one of the chips the bonded wires were not even connected to the die...on other the die itself was missing 

 
Am sure the guy who processed the PO for that company got canned.
 
 

 

[ETAHL]

Quote:

I saw a customer lose a quarter of a million cause of fake parts bought through a broker based in the East. COmplained about the parts not working to us, sent in a few sampels..guesss what..on one of the chips the bonded wires were not even connected to the die...on other the die itself was missing 

 
Am sure the guy who processed the PO for that company got canned.
 
 

Sounds like someone is selling stuff from the reject bins rather than making fakes. Less effort this way and they are the real deal, except the working part.

 

 

[leeperry]

Exactly my experience...I was recently in the market for some killer sounding obsolete metal opamps from BB.
 
I contacted many chinese sellers, they all got back to me very quickly...then I asked for pictures, and most of them were not genuine...but not counterfeit either, just different chips w/ fake markings...the pins were not gold plated and the markings amateurish. Surely they all claimed that these were genuine =)
 
I ended up buying them from a canadian website, but when you call them you're silently bounced back to a phone in India. And the guy asks for payment in CAD, but ships from India as well(and his emails originate from NEW DELHI). The guy got mad troubles on scam.com because he sometimes sells refurbs as NOS. Buying obsolete chips is a risky business, I can tell you that ^^