Posted by Jenny Miller on Tue, Jun 15, 2010 @ 09:44 PM
In attending the CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Electronic Parts last week in Arizona, I walked away both challenged and encouraged. I have much greater clarity on this issue...and it really includes two main parts. It was incredibly beneficial having all the different pieces of the supply chain present so you could see different viewpoints and better understand the challenges they face. Let me give you an example:
- IC Trends buys a part from a distributor
- We don't have a great deal of confidence in the parts
- We try to get support from the Original Component Manufacturer (OCM)
- The OCM is reluctant to give support and until last week I didn't know why...
- Now I understand that the OCM has economic reasons motivating their decision, but moreover they don't want to be on the hook for parts that they could once verify but now can't because they've been outside of their control
Back to the conference- the counterfeiting problem breaks down into two main pieces:
1. The size of the problem and how many people it touches
2. The complexity of the problem
The counterfeiters are in many cases better financed and becoming more and more sophisticated as time goes by. Our abilities to detect counterfeiting need to increase. I learned a number of new methods by which we can make that happen. Some of those methods are relatively simple and will be implemented immediately, and some are more complex requiring the acquisition of capital equipment and that will happen over time.
In the coming weeks, I'll be blogging and sharing with you some of the methods gleaned from the conference. We'll be putting out literature on the immediate steps that IC Trends is taking to become even more dependable as a partner against counterfeiting. Some of the things you'll see in the next month are:
-Full disclosure of the IC Trends Anit-Counterfeiting Program
-The specific in-house testing and partnerships we have to ensure reputable components
-An outline of our visual inspection techniques
-The steps that we are taking to come into compliance with prevailing and relevant industry standards
IC Trends has always been motivated to excel as a trusted partner in the marketplace. When our customers have the need to move outside their normal supply chains we want to be the first, last, and most trustworthy call they make to satisfy their electronic component needs.
Best Regards,
Joe Stafford
Posted by Jenny Miller on Tue, Jun 08, 2010 @ 07:24 AM
It's here! The CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Electronics begins today.
In Part I of our blog looking forward to the CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Electronics, we talked about the scope of the counterfeiting problem within the electronic components industry. Today we want to talk about the future: questions we're going to be asking at the CALCE conference to determine how we're going to attack this problem in the days ahead.
Our questions look to these areas:
1. Are there any industry wide initiatives to combat counterfeiting?
2. What is the role that the government is playing in all of this? How effective will their role be?
3. Are there any software initiatives associated with the component counterfeiting problem?
4. What is GIDEP doing about this matter? Are they providing listings of problem parts/vendors?
5. What are some of the best practices that companies are employing in this arena?
6. How do companies envision getting out in front of the component counterfeiting issue? How do they plan on approaching this problem proactively rather than reactively?
The CALCE conference promises to be a forum inviting these questions and hopefully providing strategies to employ moving forward.
Again, we're tweeting the specific stats that provoked these questions...follow us on twitter @ ICTrends to get the facts and figures associated with the staggeringly large business of counterfeiting.
Posted by Jenny Miller on Fri, May 28, 2010 @ 06:48 PM
As we head into the CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Electronics, questions about the scope of this problem and its impact on our industry are being asked. We know counterfeit electronic components are on the forefront of anyone in the world of component distribution. We know the scope of the problem is huge, according the US Department of Commerce; counterfeiting accounts for 8% of all global merchandise and can account for up to $1.2 trillion in lost sales.
As we look forward to the CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Electronics, held this year in Phoenix from June 8th-9th, counterfeiting is on the brain. The problem is big and the answers seem few. As we look ahead to this week there are several areas we're hoping get touched on and an array of questions we're hoping get answered.
The first handful are:
1. How big is the legacy problem for these manufacturers?
2. How pervasive is the counterfeiting problem?
3. Who are companies turning to in counterfeit component situations?
4. What are the current market conditions for OEM's? Are they experiencing shortages and increased lead times and, if so, what are they doing about them?
5. Are companies taking an aggressive stance against questionable electronic components coming out of Asia (i.e. not buying product from there)?
We'll be tweeting the specific stats and updates before, during, and following CALCE Symposium on Counterfeit Electronics on these topics and more...follow us on twitter @ ICTrends to get the facts and figures associated with the staggeringly large business of counterfeiting. Follow this trail to get see what's happening at the important industry conference.
Posted by Jenny Miller on Wed, May 26, 2010 @ 04:01 PM
As of May 26, 2010, be on the lookout for the following high risk devices:
· Kemet T520V226M020ATE040, 100% failure - high ESR
· Texas Instruments OPA2541SM, 16% failure - clipped and clamped output
· ON Semiconductor NID6002NT4G, 100 failure - high drain-to-source leakage current
· Fairchild FDB2532, 5% failure - low gate threshhold voltage, Vgs(th), and high drain-to-source leakdage current (Idss)
· Nichicon PCF0J331MCL1GS, 100% failure - high ESR
· Analog Devices AD8310ARM, 100% failure - output is clamping to the supply and drawing current at no load to overheat the devices
· Texas Instruments TPS40009DGQR, 96% failure - unstable output and feedback voltages
· BS62LV4006-EIP55, 10% failure - bad protective diodes
· Texas Instruments OPA2343UA, 16% failure - no signal on both channels
Posted by Jenny Miller on Thu, Apr 01, 2010 @ 03:26 PM
In the time we live in, the world has indeed become flat. As we strive to provide our customers with the right parts at the eleventh hour, we cannot turn aside from viable sources of electronic components that meet the needs of our customers. Most manufacturers in the electronics industry have been harmed by counterfeit components and we need to have the necessary tools to separate the authentic from the false.
According to the article World Hardware: Semiconductor Marekting Update, 53% of global semiconductor sales are going to the Asia-Pacific region. This makes up more than half of the global market, and we cannot afford to ignore the supply of components this region brings...especially when it comes to dealing with supply chain interruptions that need solutions yesterday.
Most quality problems originate in the Asia Pacific region, and companies must develop a strategy to procure quality electronic components from Asia Pacific.
Does your supplier have a strategy?
We do.
IC Trends is pleased to announce our partnership with White Horse, a firm specializing in the inspection and testing of electronic components coming out of China. White Horse's testing facility is located in Asia so that we can determine whether or not you are getting the right product before it exits the region and gets anywhere near your supply chain.
In this world, we have to be on top of our game so that you can be on top of yours. Our developed relationship with White Horse is one more way that IC Trends brings value to your business and earns our place as your go-to business partner for quality electronic components.
To learn more about White Horse, please visit their website and stayed tuned for more information on our role in stopping component counterfeiting on the IC Trends website.