[time-nuts] Prologix USB-GPIB Controller

[Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd)]

On 8 October 2016 at 02:13, Hal Murray <hmurray at megapathdsl.net> wrote:

> > They get counterfeited a *lot*.
>
> Is that true for relatively obscure things like the Prologix GPIB
> controllers
> that aren't high volume?
>

I would have thought the Prologix GPIB controllers no more obscure than the
NI GBPIB-USB controllers, but the NI ones from China have definitely been
counterfeited. There was a report here, the HP list or similar where the
latest National Instruments software reported the GPIB-USB adapters were
counterfeit! The eBay seller said send it back, and the buyer got a refund.
(Personally I would have not sent it back, and still got a refund.)

There was some even more obscure Analog devices chips that were marked as
something else - see the UK microwave list for the details reported by Andy
Talbot.

There was a design published in the latest RadCom (RSGB publication) of a
voltage reference. The sort of thing volt-nuts would make, although not
such high quality as the LTZ1000 chips. The author said it was cheaper to
buy a complete voltage reference board, than the chip. When I looked on
eBay, the board was £2.25 delivered from China. The Analog Devices website
shows the chip having a budgetary price of $7 in quantities of 1000 or
more. So if the chips are $7 (£5-£6), how can they make a complete board,
and pay the postage from China for £2.25? It seems to me highly likely
those voltage reference chips are counterfeit. If not counterfeit, they are
hardly legal devices.

Like Bob Camp said, it is better to pay more money and get a genuine
product.

Dr. David Kirkby Ph.D CEng MIET
Kirkby Microwave Ltd
Registered office: Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Althorne, Essex, CM3 6DT,
UK.
Registered in England and Wales, company number 08914892.
http://www.kirkbymicrowave.co.uk/
Tel: 07910 441670 / +44 7910 441670 (0900 to 2100 GMT only please)