New clone on the block

Evaluation Board.

I  think its important that we should not confuse counterfeit parts with clone or plug in compatible parts.

Industry has a long history of plug in compatible manufacture and I think that on balance it has always been a good thing. If Gene Amdahl and others had not challenged IBM I suspect that the computer industry would look very different from the way it is now.

In the heyday of Silicon Valley it grew not least because all its secrets were so open.

Not all clones or work-alike chips are bad - I have  a lot of experience with Giga Devices processors which are work-alikes (not clones) of ST chips - and cheap and available when ST parts were on 50+ weeks lead time.

The ADX113 isn't passing itself off as a TI or AD part (I have no idea of its legality in other respects).

It (or rather parts in the same family) looks cheap on the LCSC website but everything does. There isn't a UK distributor.

The only way to know if it is really any good is to test it.

I like to see real competition.

MK

If prices look too good to be true...

The Analogy Semi parts look to be about half the price of the equivalent TI part based on 100 off from Farnell UK (for TI) and LCSC for AS.

That's in the difficult region where you are not quite sure if it's too  good to be true or not.

If Analogy are reading and care to send me as sample then I'll test it  (although it's not a part I use ...)

MK

Of course when you purchase from our corporates overlords (thanks Newark & Avnet for running this site) its not an issue to be too concerned about. You can be fairly certain you are getting genuine parts.

Analogy blatantly copying the TI datasheet word for word and diagram for diagram isn't great.

Then the follow on is then someone either remarks or buys bare dies and laser marks them with the TI device code

Someone else adds the TI logo... Is that Analogy fault, no, but they are likely aware of it and encourage it.

scottiebabe said:

Analogy blatantly copying the TI datasheet word for word and diagram for diagram isn't great.

True - Giga Devices have changed every single pin and register bit name in their data sheets. The silicon works exactly the same (as ST),(as far as I can tell.).

It's a bit odd - making the mask set must be much harder than re-working a data sheet. In the UK copyright law is used to documents and gives quite good protection.

In the end buying from a trusted distributor is the best protection in small volumes.

But it does cut down your options because some quite good manufacturers have no major distribution presence in the UK (and I assume elsewhere).

MK

Their silicon do not work exactly the same. They fixed issues from ST errata.

Rats !

They won't work with our work-arounds.

MK

At least LCSC is not on the list. ustr.gov/.../2022 Notorious Markets List (final).pdf

Bit-banging I2c over rs232 in 2002, good job TI.