Counterfeit Mosfets

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
I recently got the opportunity to purchase a quantity of IRFP240's at a very reasonable price ( under half the price of my usual suppliers )
I ordered and received a couple o dozen of these, and then it occurred to me that maybe I'd been stung with fakes.

Has anybody encountered counterfeit IRFP240's ?

These look reasonable, the tabs are nice and flat and the packages look clean and tidy, but the markings don't quite line up with the markings in the IR .pdf datasheet.

The IR logo isn't in the centre ( like it shows on the datasheet) but smaller and offset to the left and is printed within a recessed rectangular window.

Am I being unnecessarily paranoid ? does anyone else have any IRFP240's which look like these ?

I guess the next step is to crack one open to look at the die.
I really hope these are kosher because I'm about to make quite heavy demands of them and I don't want to have to replace 20 in one amp!:eek:

cheers

Ray
 
TheFettler said:
Has anybody encountered counterfeit IRFP240's ?

These look reasonable, the tabs are nice and flat and the packages look clean and tidy, but the markings don't quite line up with the markings in the IR .pdf datasheet.
Am I being unnecessarily paranoid ? does anyone else have any IRFP240's which look like these ?
I don't want to have to replace 20 in one amp!:eek:

cheers
Ray
Well, you are to blaim a little yourself.
Why use the bad MOSFETs in the first place.
When you know they are not as Good as Bipolar.

This is what happens, when you do not use your thinking
in the right way.

So instead of beeing "brainwashed" into using bad MOSFET
you should stick to transistors with real Quality
that is Bipolar High Output Current Devices.

how badly brainwashed can we get ....
noone knows - they are out to get your money .....

Regards
to you Ray - I pity you.... poor fellow
--------------------------------------------

halo - clever enough to understand the datasheets
- prevents him from being fooled into MOSFET troubles
 
Well, you are to blaim a little yourself.

well now , it's clearly time to don the 'ol asbestos suit:cool:

of course it's my fault that I chose 'fets . as for your mean slurs against mosfets , well I'm over it ;) It's an old argument that I'm not going to persue here.

suffice to say that the design is an upgrade of an existing design which calls for multiple output devices ....

my last design used 2SC2625's ....erm... because I had some kicking about.


have you seen IRFP240 's like these ? please tell me that I'm just whingeing over nothing 'cos I'd hate to have to go out and buy another 30-odd from another supplier!

Ray
 
"halo - likes his TO3 Bipolar devices " A lot of fakes of these around also.

Any time the price is to good to be true, it is to good to be true. If you have FETS from a trusted source you can compair to, I would test the parts in question and compair to known good ones by doing a matching test and see what you get.

You could try contacting the manufacturer and asking them about the part as well. Perhaps by e-mail with a photo of the part. If they are fake they will want to know about it.

As for "halojoy" you are free to press the ignore button if you wish.

Later
Bruce
 
Bruce , these came from a trusted source , and I think that they are ok , but I can't ignore a nagging doubt in my guts - the consequences of having them fail in service could be very expensive.

I'll order some from a different supplier and compare the two lots.

cheers

Ray

BTW when I tried matching them into sets the range of values was exactly as I would have expected from genuine ones, but thats not really any real evidence is it. I guess pretty much any n-channel fet would give a similer result.
 
Re: how about posting a picture and let the masses be the judge?

TheFettler said:
ok, thats a good idea, I'll take a couple of snaps tonight and post them here. I might even break one open and take a pic of the die too.


cheers,

ray

Sounds like it would help. Can't blame you for wanting the real thing. Everybody knows that "Good FETs die hard" so one cracked open would be good...
 
Counterfeits Transistors

HDTVman said:
"halo - likes his TO3 Bipolar devices " A lot of fakes of these around also.

Bruce
Yes, that's right!
but how easy to forget...... ;)

I know i have read an article of rod Elliot
where he put the light on the "faked" bipolar
power transistors.

I guess it is still there in his columns.
at ESP, elliots sound Projects

/halo - can agree, that it is no better among the bipolars
- but we should keep on warn our brothers for those fakes - whatever kind they are
##########################################################
Here it is:
Counterfeit components identified so far

MJ15003/4 Power Transistors
OP-07 Opamps
2N2773 Power Transistors (probable)
2SA1302 and 2SC3281 (Toshiba) Found all over the world! The ones seen are all marked Toshiba.
NTE37 and NTE37 (I am told these are equivalent to 2SC2581 and 2SA1106) - not confirmed, but highly suspect
LM3915 LED VU Meter
... and just in case you thought that this was a conspiracy affecting hobbyists, read this article from EDTN - the cost is in millions, and that's just in the US!


A reader in Sweden sent me some pictures of fake Toshiba devices, purchased from a local dealer - this shows just how bad these counterfeits can be ...

Counterfeits transistors - by Rod Elliot
 
Describtion

some differences:
 

Attachments

  • fake-mj.gif
    fake-mj.gif
    20.8 KB · Views: 1,000
I know i have read an article of rod Elliot

thanks Halo, it was when I remembered this article that I started having doubts.... but I only remembered hearing about dodgy bipolars, still that's not any excuse.

where was my memory beforehand !!!

still , I'll know more tomorrow.

cheers

Ray
 
These came in individual bags too.

Last night I took a couple of pics , a bit of a struggle to get my camera to take clear close-up shots, but here are the best ones for your amusement:

Here's a shot of the inside of the package, it shows the die which measures 5.5 mm x 4 mm i.e. some 22mmsq , which should give us a good idead of it's current capabilities.
 

Attachments

  • irfp240_3.jpg
    irfp240_3.jpg
    18.8 KB · Views: 798
we all hope we have good devices

i had hope for a comment from Nelson P.

I am sure he has a lot of information
about Counterfeits MOSFETs, especially IRF

So to get a final verdict, and some general valuable info
I think we have to wait for The One and Only.

Too, bad you didn't start this one at Pass Forum.
Maybe we have to start a NEW THREAD in Pass
THat covers faked MOSFET - In general

/halo - as genuine as halojoy can be :) :)
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.