Python based spy robot controlled over Ethernet using Raspberry pi

Aim of the project:

In this project we have developed a platform to remotely control surveillance robot controlled over Ethernet. It will enable us to monitor the activities in the remote and sensitive areas such as naxalite areas and etc.

In traditional security systems, monitoring devices are usually mounted on fixed locations. In such cases, we may use the proposed robotic system which will go into those areas and provide us with the photos of those locations. When someone enters such secured places, then PIR sensor senses it and immediately it will send an indication to the user. Meanwhile, the camera mounted on the robot will keep on capturing the photos from the surroundings to keep a record of the details of the incident happened and this is readily available to the user.

General Application of circuit:

Military:

In military it is mainly used in  boarder, in boarder it will monitor the  motion of enemies and it alerts the army and it also capture the photos of enemies and it will send the data with high security and  high speed  through Ethernet cable .

Banks:

In banks it is mainly used in locker rooms for more security. If any motion is detected is in locker rooms it will  capture the photos  automatically .

3.Description:-

Block diagram:

Ethernet :

It is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs) and metropolitan area networks (MANs). It was commercially introduced in 1980 and first standardized in 1983 as IEEE 802.3, and has since been refined to support higher bit rates and longer link distances. Over time, Ethernet has largely replaced competing wired LAN technologies such as token ring, FDDI, and ARCNET. The primary alternative for contemporary LANs is not a wired standard, but instead a wireless LAN standardized as IEEE 802.11 and also known as Wi-Fi.

The Ethernet standards comprise several wiring and signaling variants of the OSI physical layer in use with Ethernet. The original 10BASE5 Ethernet used coaxial cable as a shared medium. Later the coaxial cables were replaced with twisted pair and fiber optic links in conjunction with hubs or switches. Over the course of its history, Ethernet data transfer rates have been increased from the original 3 megabits per second (Mbit/s) to the latest 100 gigabits per second (Gbit/s), with 400 Gbit/s expected by early 2017

Systems communicating over Ethernet divide a stream of data into shorter pieces called frames. Each frame contains source and destination addresses and error-checking data so that damaged data can be detected and re-transmitted. As per the OSI model, Ethernet provides services up to and including the data link layer.

PIR sensor:-

Figure : PIR Sensor

An individual PIR sensor detects changes in the amount of infrared radiation impinging upon it, which varies depending on the temperature and surface characteristics of the objects in front of the sensor.^] When an object, such as a human, passes in front of the background, such as a wall, the temperature at that point in the sensor's field of view will rise from room temperature to body temperature, and then back again. The sensor converts the resulting change in the incoming infrared radiation into a change in the output voltage, and this triggers the detection. Moving objects of similar temperature to the background but different surface characteristics may also have a different infrared emission pattern, and thus sometimes trigger the detector.

PIRs come in many configurations for a wide variety of applications. The most common models have numerous Fresnel lenses or mirror segments, an effective range of about ten meters (thirty feet), and a field of view less than 180 degrees. Models with wider fields of view, including 360 degrees, are available—typically designed to mount on a ceiling. Some larger PIRs are made with single segment mirrors and can sense changes in infrared energy over one hundred feet away from the PIR. There are also PIRs designed with reversible orientation mirrors which allow either broad coverage (110° wide) or very narrow "curtain" coverage or with individually selectable segments to "shape" the coverage.

Raspberry pi:-

The Raspberry Pi is a series of credit card-sized single-board computers developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of promoting the teaching of basic computer  science in schools.

The original Raspberry Pi is based on the Broadcom BCM2835 system on a chip (SoC), which includes an ARM1176JZF-S700 MHz processor, Video Core IV GPU, and was originally shipped with 256 megabytes of RAM, later upgraded (models B and B+) to 512 MB. The system has Secure Digital (SD) (models A and B) or Micro-SD (models A+ and B+) sockets for boot media and persistent storage. In 2014, the Raspberry Pi Foundation launched the Compute Module, which packages a BCM2835 with 512 MB RAM and MMC flash chip into a module for use as a part of embedded systems.

Pi camera:-

The Raspberry Pi Camera Module is a custom designed add-on for Raspberry Pi. It attaches to Raspberry Pi by way of one of the two small sockets on the board upper surface. This interface uses the dedicated CSI interface, which was designed especially for interfacing to cameras. The CSI bus is capable of extremely high data rates, and it exclusively carries pixel data. 

The board itself is tiny, at around 25mm x 20mm x 9mm. It also weighs just over 3g, making it perfect for mobile or other applications where size and weight are important. It connects to Raspberry Pi by way of a short ribbon cable. The camera is connected to the BCM2835 processor on the Pi via the CSI bus, a higher bandwidth link which carries pixel data from the camera back to the processor. This bus travels along the ribbon cable that attaches the camera board to the Pi.the sensor itself has a native resolution of 5 megapixel, and has a fixed focus lens onboard. In terms of still images, the camera is capable of 2592 x 1944 pixel static images, and also supports 1080p30, 720p60 and 640x480p60/90 video.

8051 microcontroller:-

The Intel 8051 microcontroller is one of the most popular general purpose microcontrollers in use today. The success of the Intel 8051 spawned a number of clones which are collectively referred to as the MCS-51 family of microcontrollers, which includes chips from vendors such as Atmel, Philips, Infineon, and Texas Instruments.

About  8051

The Intel 8051 is an 8-bit microcontroller which means that most available operations are limited to 8 bits. There are 3 basic "sizes" of the 8051: Short, Standard, and Extended. The Short and Standard chips are often available in DIP (dual in-line package) form, but the Extended 8051 models often have a different form factor, and are not "drop-in compatible". All these things are called 8051 because they can all be programmed using 8051 assembly language, and they all share certain features (although the different models all have their own special features Some of the features that have made the 8051 popular are:

·         4 KB on chip program memory.

·         128 bytes on chip data memory(RAM)

[ 32 bank reg + 16 bit addressable reg + 80 general purpose reg ]

·    4 reg banks.

·   128 user defined software flags.

·   8-bit data bus

·   16-bit address bus

·   16 bit timers (usually 2, but may have more, or less).

·    3 internal and 2 external interrupts.

·    Bit as well as byte addressable RAM area of 16 bytes.

·    Four 8-bit ports, (short models have two 8-bit ports).

·   16-bit program counter and data pointer.

·   1 Microsecond instruction cycle with 12 MHz Crystal.

8051 models may also have a number of special, model-specific features, such as UART, ADC,.

Pin diagram of the 8051 DIP

Basic Pins

PIN 9: PIN 9 is the reset pin which is used to reset the microcontroller’s internal registers and ports upon starting up. (Pin should be held high for 2 machine cycles.)

PINS 18 & 19: The 8051 has a built-in oscillator amplifier hence we need to only connect a crystal at these pins to provide clock pulses to the circuit.

PIN 40 and 20: Pins 40 and 20 are VCC and ground respectively. The 8051 chip needs +5V 500mA to function properly, although there are lower powered versions like the Atmel 2051 which is a scaled down version of the 8051 which runs on +3V.

PINS 29, 30 & 31: As described in the features of the 8051, this chip contains a built-in flash memory. In order to program this we need to supply a voltage of +12V at pin 31. If external memory is connected then PIN 31, also called EA/VPP, should be connected to ground to indicate the presence of external memory. PIN 30 is called ALE (address latch enable), which is used when multiple memory chips are connected to the controller and only one of them needs to be selected. We will deal with this in depth in the later chapters. PIN 29 is called PSEN. This is "program store enable". In order to use the external memory it is required to provide the low voltage (0) on both PSEN and EA pins.

Ports

There are 4 8-bit ports: P0, P1, P2 and P3.

PORT P1 (Pins 1 to 8): The port P1 is a general purpose input/output port which can be used for a variety of interfacing tasks. The other ports P0, P2 and P3 have dual roles or additional functions associated with them based upon the context of their usage.The port 1 output buffers can sink/source four TTL inputs. When 1s are written to portn1 pins are pulled high by the internal pull-ups and can be used as inputs.

PORT P3 (Pins 10 to 17): PORT P3 acts as a normal IO port, but Port P3 has additional functions such as, serial transmit and receive pins, 2 external interrupt pins, 2 external counter inputs, read and write pins for memory access.

PORT P2 (pins 21 to 28): PORT P2 can also be used as a general purpose 8 bit port when no external memory is present, but if external memory access is required then PORT P2 will act as an address bus in conjunction with PORT P0 to access external memory. PORT P2 acts as A8-A15, as can be seen from fig 1.1

PORT P0 (pins 32 to 39) PORT P0 can be used as a general purpose 8 bit port when no external memory is present, but if external memory access is required then PORT P0 acts as a multiplexed address and data bus that can be used to access external memory in conjunction with PORT P2. P0 acts as AD0-AD7, as can be seen from fig 1.1

PORT P10: asynchronous communication input or Serial synchronous communication output

Features of raspberry pi:

The model B+ is the final revision of the original Raspberry pi. It replaced the model B in July 2014 and was superseded by the Raspberry Pi  2  Model B in February 2015. Compared to the Model B it has:

·   More GPIO. The GPIO header has grown to 40 pins, while retaining the same pin out for the first 26 pins as the Model A and B.

·   More USB. We now have 4 USB 2.0 ports, compared to 2 on the Model B, and better hot plug and over current behavior.

·   Micro SD. The old friction –fit SD card socket has been replaced with much nicer push –push micro SD version.

·   Lower power consumption. By replacing linear regulator with switching ones we‘ve reduced power consumption by between 0.5W and 1W.

·   Better audio. The audio circuit incorporates a dedicated low –noise power supply.

·   Neater form factor .we‘ve aligned the USB connectors with the board edge ,moved composite video onto  3.5mm jack, and added four squarely-placed mounting holes.

The Model B+ is perfectly suited for use in schools : it offers more flexibility for learners than the learner Model A or A+,which are more useful for embedded projects and projects which require very low power, and has more USB ports than the Model B.

Motor:-

A DC motor is any of a class of electrical machines that converts direct current electrical power into mechanical power. The most common types rely on the forces produced by magnetic fields. Nearly all types of DC motors have some internal mechanism, either electromechanical or electronic, to periodically change the direction of current flow in part of the motor. Most types produce rotary motion; a linear motor directly produces force and motion in a straight line.

DC motors were the first type widely used, since they could be powered from existing direct-current lighting power distribution systems. A DC motor's speed can be controlled over a wide range, using either a variable supply voltage or by changing the strength of current in its field windings. Small DC motors are used in tools, toys, and appliances. 

Working of the circuit:-

Raspberry pi consist internally python IDE tool. We use this tool we write the code for control the pi camera,pir sensor and motors. in this pir sensor activate i.e. if any motion is detected the pi camera automatically capture the images and displayed on screen. for control the robot a GUI is designed .click the required button in GUI for the motion of the robot. the raspberry pi give the instructions to the AT89S52 microcontroller and the controller will control the related moving task and display the lcd display to the status of robot.

Number of components

1  raspberry pi model B+ board

2  pi camera

3  AT89S52 micro controller

4  PIR sensor

5  16x2 LCD display

6  Motors

Pin number:- 

Pin description of raspberry pi:-

Connect PIR sensor output to the GPIO 16 and 1^st pin connected 2^nd pin and 3^rd connected to 6^th pin of raspberry pi.

The GPIO 5 is conncted to the port 1.0 of the AT89S52 controller and GPIO6,19,13,20,21,26are connected to the Port 1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4,1.5,1.6,of the controller.and the lcd data pins are connected to port 3 of the controller and R/W pin is connected to ground and RS,EN pins are connected to port 2.4,2.5 and motors are connected with L293D motor driver to the controller port 2 of micro controller.

Supply voltage values:-

·    Raspberry pi     -    5v

·    AT89S52          -    5v

·    L293D              -    5v

·    LCD                 -     5v

Circuit Diagram:

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Lead Time Information

Make sure you know what's going on with manufacturer's lead times by downloading our very helpful Manufacturer's Lead Time Table. 

The majority of lead times have remained stable over the last month with Atmel decreasing to 20 weeks, Fairchild reduced to 16 weeks and ON Semiconductor down to just 6 weeks. a

We would always recommend for you to plan ahead and check purchasing schedules to avoid disruption!

In Brief:

• 11 Manufacturer's lead times have stayed the same
• Atmel decreased to 20 weeks
• Fairchild down to 16 weeks
• ON Semi at just 6 weeks

Make Lead Time worry a thing of the past by using Cyclops' Scheduling Service. Less hassle, save money and no disruption to your production line.Get in touch and see just how easy we can make component ordering.

Avago Long Lead Time Information!

We have been informed that  Avago's FBAR portfolio will be updated to a 99 week lead time with immediate effect!

Avago is currently seeing unprecedented demand for products that use it’s FBAR filter technology. Between now and mid 2016 Avago is recommending that customers use alternative sources wherever possible.

Impacted products are:
ACMD-xxxx
ACPF-xxxx
ACFF-xxxx
ACFM-xxxx
ALM-GNxxx
ALM-GPxxx
AGPS-xxxx
ALM-1xxx
ALM-27xx
ALM-3xxx

To see the Avago parts we have available, click here and get your orders in fast! We always suggest you plan ahead and check purchasing schedules wherever possible.

To help when unexpected lead times occur, Cyclops Electronics offer a free of charge Scheduling Service! You forecast what stock you will need over the next 12 months and we will hold it in our warehouse until you need it.

For more information, visit our website.

Keep Up to Date With the Top 14 Major Manufacturer's Lead Times

To help you plan ahead and keep on top of your orders we have put together an update on manufacturing lead times in the electronic component industry.

The vast majority of lead times have remained stable over the last month with only Infineon increasing from 24 weeks to 26 weeks. Atmel have decreased their lead timesfrom 24 weeks to 20 weeks. We would always recommend for you to plan ahead and check purchasing schedules to avoid disruption.

In Brief:

• 12 Manufacturer's lead times have remained the same
• Atmel is down from 24 weeks to 20 weeks
• Infineon has increased from 24 weeks to 26 weeks

If you want to stop having to worry about lead times take a look into our Scheduling Service. There will be no more disruption to your production line and you can save money. Sound good? Of course it does! Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Semiconductor Stocks in decline after warning from Microchip

A major decline in chip stocks occurred at the close of the stockmarkets on Fri 10^th Oct due to Microchip cutting their sales outlook for the next quarter. Microchip released a statement to say its figures will be $546.2 million rather than the forecast $560-575 million.

Steve Sanghi, CEO of Microchip started the decline with the following statement: “We believe that another industry correction has begun and that this correction will be seen more broadly across the industry in the near future.”

From this, Microchip's stock fell and so did several other semiconductor manufacturers including larger companies such as Intel, AMD and Texas Instruments. This is also shown in the 6.9% drop in the PHLX Semiconductor Index. It is thought that this fall is due to sales in China being lower than average, indicators of weakness in Europe and possibly due to a “semiconductor downcycle – where distributor inventories are piling up until they reach a tipping point.”

We will continue to monitor this situation and you can keep up to date with all the latest industry news by subscribing to our blog, following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook.

Automated Home Connected Appliances

The all new concept of automated home connected appliances makes it possible for people to know what’s happening at home while they are away via their SmartPhones and other Smart devices. Additionally, users can program automated devices to respond appropriately to environmental cues and anticipate the user’s needs. In this article, we will explore the emerging technology of home automation. Read on to learn more.

There are several companies that make smart appliances for home use. Among them are Cisco Systems and Microsoft. There are also a number of smaller companies that offer a variety of automated products. So far, consumers are not rushing to purchase products that will only save them a few steps but will cost a hefty sum; however, there are a few exceptions. Outdoor type appliances seem to be gaining popularity more quickly than many interior use devices. For example, security systems, garage door openers, moisture sensors and other systems that can be operated using SmartPhone apps have proven to be practical, affordable and popular among users.

These sorts of appliances and systems can be controlled using a variety of devices, such as SmartPhone, WiFi routers, windows PCs and cable boxes. Open source software and apps are available to facilitate use. Unfortunately, many people feel that the resources available to them to use automated appliances are too complex; however, just as with any type of technology, devices and systems become more user-friendly and more affordable by the day. One way that this is happening is through enthusiastic experimentation with the available open source software. Communities of hardware experimenters are always fiddling around to create new ways of using the devices and the available means of controlling them.

The one thing that seems to be holding the concept of automated home connected appliances back is that, so far, consumers are seeing them as a novelty rather than a necessity. This tends to prevent investment in development, which slows down the rate at which newer, simpler and more affordable products are available. A house that is truly automated would be able to do things such as letting the user know if the power was out in the home, thus preventing extremes of temperatures that might cause damage to the home and contents. This sort of capability could save users a great deal of money; however, it’s not a very “sexy” selling point.

Producers of automated home devices are currently hard at work to spread the good news about their wares. One company, SmartThings, has begun sending its contributors home kits that will allow them to set up their home lighting so that it can be controlled by SmartPhone. The kit also features a moisture sensor that will alert the user to flooding in the basement and a motion sensor that acts as a security system. All of this can be controlled by mobile app.

The purchase price for this kit is currently around $300 (£178.50). While many consumers may consider this to be a high price, it is important to look at the potential savings that the use of these types of automated home connected appliances can offer. If your home looks dark and deserted and is broken into or your basement floods, the loss would surely be more than $300 (£178.50). While cheaper alternatives to these kinds of products currently exist, it is important to remember that most automated systems can be built upon and added to. As technology moves forward and prices drop, the smart system you begin today can grow along with your needs.

Ecommerce is the Future of Electronics Components Purchasing: Part 1

Without a doubt the Internet has changed the way in which the B2C market conducts both the research and purchase of products online. But can the B2B market as easily embrace the concept of a "one click" shopping experience?

We at Components Direct think the question outlined above is particularly pertinent if we consider the evolution of E-commerce in the supply chain distribution of electronic components. Given the stringent quality control measures necessary for shipping components and the complexity of the product at hand, it is clear that whilst we can leverage this "internet revolution" the backend fulfillment process and quality control mechanisms need to go hand in hand with this.

Components Direct and EBNonline :-

This month Components Direct talked to Hicotronics Devices Pvt Ltd, an industry leader in supply chain innovation and thought leadership, about the growth of E-commerce within the semiconductor market and the increasing advantageous it brings to the supply chain industry. We discuss not only the flexibility which online distribution channels bring to engineers and procurement officers but also the greater transparency and efficiency in researching and procuring parts online. A key element of our discussion with Hicotronics Devices Pvt Ltd was also the fact that online buyers need to ensure that the online source they are buying from follows all quality care procedures.

This is the first of two blog posts which will highlight the increasing role E-commerce platforms are playing within the component distribution supply chain.

Keyword Search begins the Online Education Process

Components Direct recently completed a study tracking the online search behavior of design and procurement engineers. For many engineers search engines such as "Google" or "Baidu" is the first stop for searching for components and obtaining basic product information. Our research found that search traffic tends to fall into two main categories: general or high level keywords and very specific searches.

High-level keywords can include "connectors" or "process ics" - our study found that some of these keywords received over 2 million searches per month. People conducting these types of searches are more in the research part of the buying process. Ecommerce sites like Components Direct are beneficial here because they facilitate this research with information about the product and serve more as an information site as opposed to an ecommerce site with product datasheets and part specifications. Specific online searches conversely, such as part number searches (e.g. PAS5001-NM4) or long tail keywords (for example "0.15A Inverting Switching Regulator") generate much lower volume however the person conducting their research is more further along in their design or buying process.  This ‘education phase’ is an important first step on the path to full online purchasing.

The growth of ecommerce in Electronic Component Distribution

Industry sources have stated that 50-75% of new business and nearly half of overall sales are coming from e-commerce platforms, with an anticipation of significant future growth. Companies are now investing more time and money in eCommerce growth and this is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. 

Both procurement and design engineers are viewing eCommerce websites, such as Components Direct as a complement to their personal relationships with distributors.  Not only are full-service e-commerce websites such as Components Direct, providing their users with the information and products they need, they also offer multi-channel ordering process so buyers can choose to conclude their purchase online or pick up the phone to speak to a sales person to negotiate price and delivery times.

Follow the Components Direct blog in the coming days where we will discuss the importance of purchasing products from only Authorized Ecommerce Distributors as well as additional ecommerce trends and behavors we are seeing in the market.

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Electronic Component Purchasing for Manufacturing

I’ve been thinking about component purchasing lately as I talk with folks who use hicotronics in their purchasing workflow. These conversations have illuminated some of the less visible corners of the electronic component industry: pricing, purchasing workflows, and excess inventory.

Insight into these areas has come from contract manufacturers, electronic product designers, software makers, component distributors and component manufacturers. I’ve even gone to a conference focused on electronic component purchasing!

What follows is a very high level summary. There are at least a few books waiting to be written on this subject.

Contract Manufacturers

If you’ve designed an electronic product that’s gone to market, chances are you’ve worked with a contract manufacturer. Contract manufacturers have the expensive capital equipment involved with modern electronics assembly: pick and place machines for affixing the components to circuit boards, reflow ovens for soldering, injection molding equipment for manufacturing enclosures, skilled labor, and the experience needed to make the whole process move smoothly. A good contract manufacturer can take your design files and work closely with you so that the finished products are exactly what you expect.

Large electronics companies like Apple work with large contract manufacturers like Foxconn and Pegatron to build their products. But there are many midsize and small contract manufacturers who focus on certain technologies, industries, or constraints associated with specialized products. One thing they all have in common is purchasing.

So who purchases the electronic components that get stuffed onto the printed circuit boards?

The Purchasers

Well, it depends. It’s either the contract manufacturer or the company that designed the product, or a combination of both. Regardless, it’s usually an employee with a title like “purchasing manager” or “procurement specialist”. These folks are responsible for ensuring that at assembly time, 100% of the parts are there, ready to be soldered to the printed circuit boards. If 1 part out of 1000 is missing, it’s a show stopping problem. To say these people must be detail oriented is an understatement.

The BOM (Bill of Materials)

The BOM is the lingua franca that is passed from the engineers who designed the product to the purchaser responsible for sourcing the parts. At the most basic level a BOM is a list of parts, each identified by the manufacturer part number and manufacturer name, along with the quantity required. As the products being manufactured get more sophisticated, so do the BOMs.
Additionally, BOMs may include acceptable alternate parts, pricing information, distributor specific part numbers, acceptable date codes, lifecycle data, and more. An entire class of software exists to manage BOMs: Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software.

If you’re a purchaser tasked to procure the parts on a BOM, you have a few options, and for different components types, you’ll probably take different approaches.

Buy Online

Buying components online is fast and easy. Most distributors post pricing at multiple price breaks from single pieces to 10,000 pieces or more. The parts are just a credit card number away. But in many cases, buyers can often get substantially better prices than what’s published on the web by submitting an RFQ if they’re buying in production quantities.

Submit an RFQ (Request for Quotation)

Typically, RFQs emailed to salespeople at large distributors. The salesperson will quote each item based on many different variables, a few of which are below.

• If you’re buying parts for a product for which there is large future volume, you may get a better price since large distributors are eager to capture orders which offer recurring revenue and large volumes.
• Sometimes you can work out a deal with a semiconductor manufacturer or distributor during the design phase to get better pricing on a key chip. Be sure to include information about what product the parts are going into on the RFQ so you get the special pricing. These deals are called “design registrations”.
• If you have a long term relationship with a component distributor you’re more likely to be able to get better payment terms, allowing you to defer payment until many months after delivery.

The downside to submitting an RFQ is that you’ll probably have to wait a few days and sometimes much longer to hear back from everyone you asked. The mechanics are antiquated, lots of emailing around of PDFs and Excel spreadsheets. And after the wait and the effort you may be surprised, pleasantly or unpleasantly.

Another knot to the RFQ system is that since transparency is very low, purchasers may buy more parts than they actually need to avoid the possibility of repeating the process and risking a price increase, or worse, a shortage.

Excess Inventory

A common situation is that a contract manufacturer will buy a reel of 2500 semiconductor chips at a low price, but end up only needing 2000 chips. What happens to the excess inventory of 500 chips? They usually end up on an “excess inventory list” which gets passed along to a broker.

Brokers

Brokers match up excess inventory with demand. The partial reel of 500 semiconductor chips I just mentioned may sit on the contract manufacturer “A”’s shelf for a few years. Contract manufacturer “B” may then get a build order which uses the same chip. When the purchaser at “B” tries to buy, she may discover that the chip has been discontinued and there’s no drop in replacement. This is a major problem! The PCBs have already been fabricated to accept the discontinued chip and a redesign would be prohibitively expensive. At this point the panicked buyer calls up the broker and the negotiation begins. Brokers tend to make most of their money on a small number of highly lucrative sales such as these. Since buyers in this position are willing to pay almost anything for chips, the margins can be huge. And huge margins lead to counterfeits.

Counterfeiting

Counterfeiting has become a serious problem in the electronics industry. Counterfeits range from non-functioning chips filled with lead instead of silicon, to authentic consumer grade chips which are re-labeled to indicate that they are industrial or military grade. An entire industry has emerged to root out counterfeit chips. Samples may be x-rayed or imaged under an electron microscope to verify their authenticity. Counterfeiters have caught on to these types of testing and sometimes include authentic parts in the beginning of a reel and substitute counterfeit parts in the middle of the reel.

If a counterfeit chip ends up in finished products, the results can range from inoperable devices to catastrophic failures.

The best way to avoid counterfeits is to only purchase parts from distributors who are authorized by a component manufacturer to sell their product. Authorized distributors source parts directly from the manufacturer, eliminating the possibility of counterfeits entering their stock. Returns must be kept separated from known good stock to avoid the possibility that returns have been switched for authentic parts. The ECIA (Electronic Component Industry Association) provides good guidelines here, but keep in mind that for a distributor to be considered an “authorized distributor” by the ECIA, they have to be authorized for all manufacturers on their published linecard, but just greater than 50% of their revenues must come from the sale of components from their authorized lines. This means that it’s possible for an “authorized distributor” to sell non-authorized product, as long as it’s not from a manufacturer on their authorized linecard. Be sure that the distributors you buy from are actually authorized by the manufacturer for the components you buy.

Of course there are times where there is no authorized channel to source the required parts. Another organization, the ERAI manages a database of “non-authorized” or “independent” distributors and collects reports of counterfeit part complaints.

Buying Directly

Although buying directly from component manufacturers has traditionally been reserved for ultra-high volume production, we’re seeing a trend of component manufacturers offering products directly to the end users via the web. For example Microchip, Analog Devices and Maxim Integrated all sell directly from their websites. Distributors will always provide the value of keeping a broad range of stock on hand which can’t be replaced by individual manufacturers selling directly. But it’s interesting to see manufacturers sell in quantities traditionally sold through distribution.

Last Words

For such a technologically advanced product category, electronic components are bought and sold using techniques which seem outdated, especially the RFQ system.

If you’re interested in hearing more thoughts on purchasing, please sign up for our newsletter. We’ve only scratched the surface so far.