The use of “generic” drugs may be regular practice in the medical field, but I am sure most doctors would be screaming loudly if such ‘generic’ electronic components were being used in their medical devices. The use of poor quality alternative electronic components can cause serious problems and as such they need to be tested and in most cases replaced by the real things.

True, there are many variations of particular components made by numerous suppliers that an electronic build could choose from; but, the difference between reputable companies is not the same as counterfeiters. These sketchy companies are not following the regulations and specifications needed to make the components legitimately.

There are laws and regulations and specific requirements for most electronic component manufacturing and following them are prerequisites for good reasons. Time and government and other regulatory bodies have tested and learned what limits or expectations of operation are needed to be safe.

Sadly, many of these ‘knock-offs’ are made to look exactly like their real counterparts, but have not met the stringent requirements the real components have. This can cause serious problems when used in quality products. Shorter life spans, less accurate test results and inferior results are just some of the lesser issues.  

“More concerning still is when these components find their way into medical devices, aerospace, and military applications, or into similar equipment or devices that may have life or death implications,” Swiss manufacturer Lemo noted.

This can cause major legal and other issues for the manufacturer that uses these parts, and can be hard to track until a problem arises. Some countries do not have the laws and regulations stopping counterfeiting, but the countries the items are sold into do. 

Either way, using the right components will save money in the long run - when lawsuits, fines and legal problems have to be dealt with. All manufacturers should buy from reputable manufacturers of the components they need. This helps keep their name in good standing - just as the makers of the real electronic components have. If there are cost issues, then let the engineers look for alternatives that do not raise issues.

When buying any electronic component you should look for the Certificate of Compliance. The C of C is issued by the manufacturer claiming that it was manufactured by them and meets the published specifications for that part. The CE mark is needed to sell anything in Europe showing that it meets EU health, safety and environmental standards. The US equivalent is the UL and FCC. Canada has the CSA mark. 

“CE certification represents the CE mark that is placed on the backside of certain products sold in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Union (EU). Literally speaking, CE is an abbreviation of a French phrase that means ‘European Conformity’. When a CE stamp is placed on the backside of a product, this marking signifies that the product is able to be distributed within the EU and the EEA,” the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) stated.