solarwind wrote:
> Hey, what exactly are "counterfeit" parts and how do you know which
> ones are counterfeit and which ones are not?
>   
"Counterfeit" basically refers to parts which the manufacturer didn't 
build/test/sell through their normal channels.  Sometimes they are ones 
tested as defective and not properly scrapped (aka somebody took them 
from the garbage can).   Sometimes they're a relabeled part (take a 
low-quality, low cost part and relabel it as an expensive one).   And 
sometimes they are actually a knock-off manufactured in some fab 
somewhere where the parts are manufactured under less than quality 
conditions.

In this case, I had to send parts to the manufacturer - although the 
very high failure rate was a good indicator.   RAM chips are notorious 
along with transistors, etc.

On the futurlec counterfeiting issue, google futurlec counterfeit , and 
read the threads ..  pretty common stories, lots of ok responses and 
seemingly always 1-2 people saying that they got counterfeit goods.


-forrest


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