Battelle patents system for detecting fake electronics

Battelle Memorial Institute has been awarded a US patent for a method to distinguish counterfeit from genuine electronic components.

The patent covers the authentication technology already deployed in Battelle’s commercially-available Barricade system, which uses the power consumption waveform of an integrated circuit (IC) or chip - and a classification algorithm - to identify an individual signature or fingerprint that can be checked against a secure database.

The classification can be done non-destructively, quickly, and at a low cost, says the patent, which adds: “this method can be effective provided that sources and supply chain logistics for the components are trusted and the database is immune from attacks and corruption.”

Electronic component classification

Abstract: A system and method of electronic component authentication or component classification can reduce the vulnerability of systems (e.g., satellites, weapons, critical infrastructure, aerospace, automotive, medical systems) to counterfeits. Intrinsic deterministically random property data can be obtained from a set of authentic electronic components, processed, and clustered to create a classifier that can distinguish whether an unknown electronic component is authentic or counterfeit.

Patent No. 9,759,757