Corelis launches semiconductor validation tool

Testing and measurement specialist Corelis has launched a new software tool - called the JTAG Interrogator - that can be used to identify counterfeit semiconductors.

Using IEEE-1149.1 standard on-chip electronic identification techniques, the tool is bundled with a USB hardware adaptor, and is being marketed receiving inspection and quality assurance departments in electronics manufacturers.

While the safest way to avoid counterfeit parts being used in products is to purchase items only from original component manufacturers (OCMs) "circumstances often require procurement from other component sources, opening the supply chain up to the risks of inauthentic parts," said Ryan Jones, Corelis' senior technical marketing engineer.

Semiconductor counterfeiting can be as simple as re-marking a genuine component to indicate it is new or offers better performance, says Corelis,

It may also be as complex as manufacturing exact clones that offer the same form, fit, and function as a genuine device, while discretely hiding additional malicious circuitry to gather data or disable a system without warning.

"The increased sophistication in counterfeit re-marking techniques has reduced the effectiveness of visual inspection, making it critically important to include electronic verification in the detection process," says the firm.

The JTAG Interrogator software and hardware bundle has a list price of $550.