The influx of counterfeit electronic components is an epidemic in modern board level manufacturing and is a problem which shows no immediate signs of slowing. The damage done by counterfeit electronic components entering the supply chain of US electronics manufacturing is estimated to be in the several billions of dollars and that figure is increasing annually. Many standards of physical detection such as advanced levels of microscopy (including SEM analysis), X-Ray, XRF, delidding, and chemical testing have been established as the norm, but until recently there hasn’t been an easy way to test the suspected part electrically.

The EMPF uses the ORAFEC-09 counterfeit component detector (ORAFEC is an acronym for the Organization Against Fraudulent Electronic Components). This device is designed to provide the next level of quality assurance to buyers and sellers of electronic components. By creating an electronic record of a genuine part (a PinPrint); the machine can check any suspect part against the known good part to determine authenticity.

ORAFEC has also developed a software system designed to turn every ORAFEC-09 device into a network of testing sites, all working together to provide PinPrints for every company to use and test against their parts. By providing an industry-wide sharing of known good PinPrints, the spread and infiltration of counterfeit components can be reduced or eliminated.

But what is a PinPrint? By applying electrical signals to a component’s pins, the ORAFEC-09 can record the electrical characteristics of those pins and save the unique information as a PinPrint. A known genuine component’s PinPrint can then be used as an electrical standard for that device. To accommodate different components, the ORAFEC-09 can be configured to adjust voltage range, low and high peak voltage, source resistance, and the frequency. This quick test can eliminate a vast majority of counterfeit parts which cosmetically look authentic but lack the electrical properties or characteristics of the original.

Many package configurations can be tested including:

• Dual in-line (DIL)
  
• Small outline integrated components (SOIC)
  
• Small outline packages (SSOP, TSOP)
  
• Plastic leadless chip carriers (PLCC)
  
• Quad flat packs (TQFP, PQFP, LQFP)
  
• Ball grid arrays (BGA)

The ORAFEC-09 can also be used for complete modules. The ORAFEC-09 is a very valuable tool in the ongoing fight against a very aggressive enemy. Our industry must use every tool available to detect bogus parts and react appropriately. For more information related to this article or to see a demonstration of the ORAFEC-09, please contact Ken Friedman, the EAB Coordinator at 610.362.1200 extension 279 or via email at kfriedman@aciusa.org.