As noted by Fraser, many of these parts cannot even be programmed properly, or even run code as simple as the universal ‘blinky’ example. These forgeries aren’t always fully functional. The forgeries carry the same marks on the packaging as the genuine STM32 parts, but can often be identified by the pattern of dimples on the packaging, or by the quality of the silkscreen. Anatomy of a forgery Good STM32 IC on the left, clone on the right, with extra dimples.Įarlier this year, Keir Fraser posted an informative summary of some fake STM32F103 ICs as found on so-called ‘Blue Pill’ and similar boards on their Github. Let’s take a look at which fakes and imitations are around, and what it means if you end up with one.
That would be the sincerest form of flattery. For the imitations and clones that carry their own markings, things are a bit more fuzzy, as one could reasonably pretend that those companies just so happened to have designed MCUs that purely by coincidence happen to be fully pin- and register compatible with those highly popular competing MCU designs. The fakes are probably the most problematic, as those chips pretend to be genuine STM32 parts down to the markings on the IC package, while compatibility with the part they are pretending to be can differ wildly. Hence it should come as no surprise that ST’s highly successful ARM-based series of microcontrollers (MCUs) has seen its share of imitations, clones and outright fakes. Yet it also drives the world of electronics. This phenomenon is the primary reason why so many terrible toys and video games have been produced over the years. Whenever a product becomes popular, it’s only a matter of time before other companies start feeling the urge to hitch a ride on this popularity.
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