Author Topic: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?  (Read 78143 times)

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Offline GromBeestje

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #125 on: February 09, 2020, 08:37:50 pm »
I've been playing around with the STM32F103 GD32F103 CS32F103 and APM32F103. I've written some code that can tell them apart. I use the content of the ROM TABLE to tell them apart. There is no fancy user interface, it puts its result in the USB string of the Interface.

The USB ID is DEAD:BEEF, so to capture the output, you can do something like this
Code: [Select]
[andre@8570w ~]$ lsusb -d dead:beef -v | grep iInterface
can't get device qualifier: Resource temporarily unavailable
can't get debug descriptor: Resource temporarily unavailable
      iInterface              4 STM32 Cortex-M3 r1p1  V:1 CONT:  0 ID: 32 PART: 410 REV:  0

The iInterface string will contain
  • STM32/GD32/CS32/APM32
  • Cortex M3 rnpn : The ARM Core used: STM32 uses r1p1, clones usually r2p1
  • Content of the PID in the ROM TABLE (JP106 Identifier)

I'm curious about those fake STM32F103 chips, what they will output with this little test. I wonder whether they're relabelled CS32/APM32 or something completely different.

Source code: https://github.com/a-v-s/ucdev/tree/32F103Detect/demos/usbd/stm32f1
Details about the ROM TABLE content: https://www.blaatschaap.be/?p=166
 
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Offline techman-001

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #126 on: February 10, 2020, 12:18:39 am »
I've been playing around with the STM32F103 GD32F103 CS32F103 and APM32F103. I've written some code that can tell them apart. I use the content of the ROM TABLE to tell them apart. There is no fancy user interface, it puts its result in the USB string of the Interface.

The USB ID is DEAD:BEEF, so to capture the output, you can do something like this
Code: [Select]
[andre@8570w ~]$ lsusb -d dead:beef -v | grep iInterface
can't get device qualifier: Resource temporarily unavailable
can't get debug descriptor: Resource temporarily unavailable
      iInterface              4 STM32 Cortex-M3 r1p1  V:1 CONT:  0 ID: 32 PART: 410 REV:  0

The iInterface string will contain
  • STM32/GD32/CS32/APM32
  • Cortex M3 rnpn : The ARM Core used: STM32 uses r1p1, clones usually r2p1
  • Content of the PID in the ROM TABLE (JP106 Identifier)

I'm curious about those fake STM32F103 chips, what they will output with this little test. I wonder whether they're relabelled CS32/APM32 or something completely different.

Source code: https://github.com/a-v-s/ucdev/tree/32F103Detect/demos/usbd/stm32f1
Details about the ROM TABLE content: https://www.blaatschaap.be/?p=166

I'm curious also and is where I am so far on V2 of my STM32F103 diagnostics. It now prints a short summary, with some observations, and a optional XML table with just the data as collected.

The "DUID" is the Derived Unique Identifier to be used a as filename for any XML files for records, stats and further analysis.

Sample output from my genuine STM32F103C8:

Device Short Summary
--------------------
duid: $D43BA754
Flash bytes, declared: 65536
Debug_idcode: Not readable, candidates:STM32F1x
scb_cpuid: STM32F1 series
udid[95:64] $87042957 |..)W|
udid[63:32] $55507150 |UPqP|
udid[31:00] $066FFF53 |.o.S|


<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<DEVICE xs:noNamespaceSchemaLocation='STM32F103_DIAGNOSTICS_V2.0.XSD'>
 <DEBUG>
   <IDCODE>0 </IDCODE>
 </DEBUG>
 <DERIVED>
   <DUID>$D43BA754 </DUID>
   <FLASH-SIZE>65536 </FLASH-SIZE>
 </DERIVED>
 <EXTERNAL-MARKINGS>
   <STM32F103C6>0 </STM32F103C6>
   <STM32F103C8>0 </STM32F103C8>
   <STM32F103CB>0 </STM32F103CB>
   <CKS32F103C8T6>0 </CKS32F103C8T6>
   <GD32F103C8T6>0 </GD32F103C8T6>
   <OTHER>0 </OTHER>
 </EXTERNAL-MARKINGS>
 <FLASH>
   <SIZE-REGISTER>$FFFF0040 </SIZE-REGISTER>
   <SECOND-64KB-BLOCK>0 </SECOND-64KB-BLOCK>
 </FLASH>
 <SCB_CPUID>
   <BITS-31:24>$41</BITS-31:24>
   <BITS-23:20>$1 </BITS-23:20>
   <BITS-19:16>$F </BITS-19:16>
   <BITS-15:4>$C23 </BITS-15:4>
   <BITS-3:0>$1 </BITS-3:0>
 </SCB_CPUID>
 <UNIQUE-DEVICE-ID-REGISTER>
   <BITS-95:64>
     <HEX>$87042957 </HEX>
     <ASCII>..)W</ASCII>
   </BITS-95:64>
     <BITS-63:32>
     <HEX>$55507150 </HEX>
     <ASCII>UPqP</ASCII>
   </BITS-63:32>
   <BITS-31:0>
     <HEX>$066FFF53 </HEX>
     <ASCII>.o.S</ASCII>
   </BITS-31:0>
 </UNIQUE-DEVICE-ID-REGISTER>
</DEVICE>
 

Offline techman-001

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #127 on: February 10, 2020, 11:16:42 am »
I've been playing around with the STM32F103 GD32F103 CS32F103 and APM32F103. I've written some code that can tell them apart. I use the content of the ROM TABLE to tell them apart. There is no fancy user interface, it puts its result in the USB string of the Interface.

The USB ID is DEAD:BEEF, so to capture the output, you can do something like this
Code: [Select]
[andre@8570w ~]$ lsusb -d dead:beef -v | grep iInterface
can't get device qualifier: Resource temporarily unavailable
can't get debug descriptor: Resource temporarily unavailable
      iInterface              4 STM32 Cortex-M3 r1p1  V:1 CONT:  0 ID: 32 PART: 410 REV:  0

The iInterface string will contain
  • STM32/GD32/CS32/APM32
  • Cortex M3 rnpn : The ARM Core used: STM32 uses r1p1, clones usually r2p1
  • Content of the PID in the ROM TABLE (JP106 Identifier)

I'm curious about those fake STM32F103 chips, what they will output with this little test. I wonder whether they're relabelled CS32/APM32 or something completely different.

Source code: https://github.com/a-v-s/ucdev/tree/32F103Detect/demos/usbd/stm32f1
Details about the ROM TABLE content: https://www.blaatschaap.be/?p=166

"There is no fancy user interface, it puts its result in the USB string of the Interface."

That's a bit low rent, aren't we paying you enough ;-)

"Interface              4 STM32 Cortex-M3 r1p1  V:1 CONT:  0 ID: 32 PART: 410 REV: "

That has to be the easiest way to get data out with C, short of using Morse Code via a User LED  :-+

According to my doc and chips, PART: 0x411 is also valid "0x411FC231 (STM32F1 series)" and is what I get with my STM32F103C8's with the hidden extra 64kB Flash

 

Offline Jul8

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #128 on: February 14, 2020, 12:23:01 pm »
I've been playing around with the STM32F103 GD32F103 CS32F103 and APM32F103. I've written some code that can tell them apart. I use the content of the ROM TABLE to tell them apart.
Thanks! I would like to include your code (stm_romtable() an dependents) into a project of mine. What license does your code have? libhalglue is MIT, but ucdev doesn't tell.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2020, 10:57:59 pm by Jul8 »
 

Offline GromBeestje

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #129 on: February 14, 2020, 05:21:06 pm »
ucdev is a container project with a number of submodules containing external repos.

As the code in that branch is a testing / proof of content, I haven't labeled it yet, but that code will be MIT was well.
 
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Offline GromBeestje

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #130 on: February 23, 2020, 02:59:17 pm »
I've been playing around with the STM32F103 GD32F103 CS32F103 and APM32F103. I've written some code that can tell them apart. I use the content of the ROM TABLE to tell them apart.
Thanks! I would like to include your code (stm_romtable() an dependents) into a project of mine. What license does your code have? libhalglue is MIT, but ucdev doesn't tell.

The ROMTABLE parser is now part of libhalglue ( https://github.com/a-v-s/libhalglue/blob/master/common/arm_cpuid.c )
And the demos in ucdev have been updated to include a license header.
 

Offline Noopy

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #131 on: February 29, 2020, 10:57:34 pm »
Send it to noopy  :)

or zeptobars https://zeptobars.com/en/ , or electronupdate https://www.youtube.com/user/electronupdate/videos?disable_polymer=1

Got one!  ;D

https://www.richis-lab.de/STM32.htm

Now a genuine one would be interesting to see...

Both boards, the Bluepill at 1st post that with the fake STM32F (with "F" at 1st line instead of 2nd), and the ST-Link V2 that has CKS32F103C8T6 are on their way to Noopy.  :P


Got them and took some pictures.


I have reworked my STM32-page to outline what I already have done:

https://richis-lab.de/STM32.htm



First the CKS32:

https://richis-lab.de/STM32_03.htm










And the Bluepill-STM32:

https://richis-lab.de/STM32_04.htm





This one was interesting. It´s not a fake like this one: https://richis-lab.de/STM32_01.htm
But it´s also no STM32, it´s a relabeled CKS32:






Interesting!  :-/O
 
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Offline BravoVTopic starter

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #132 on: March 01, 2020, 08:26:38 am »
This one was interesting. It´s not a fake like this one: https://richis-lab.de/STM32_01.htm
But it´s also no STM32, it´s a relabeled CKS32:

Thanks Noopy, really appreciate your works there.  :clap:

I guess this is it, all those 2 dollars BluePill boards and 2 dollars STMLink V2 use this CKS32.

Especially the one at the STLink V2, which they clearly labelled CKS, not as STM32, looks like they're pretty confident of their CKS32, aren't they ? (CKS chip designer)

Offline Noopy

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #133 on: March 01, 2020, 08:42:58 am »
I like opening chips!  :-/O ;D

Money makes the world go round. As Long as the CKS32 is cheaper manufaturer will place them on their boards.
And with the correct label it´s perfectly legal.
With some awareness and enough quality the (cheap) "CKS" could even be a sales argument.

Offline techman-001

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #134 on: March 01, 2020, 11:36:22 am »
I like opening chips!  :-/O ;D

Money makes the world go round. As Long as the CKS32 is cheaper manufaturer will place them on their boards.
And with the correct label it´s perfectly legal.
With some awareness and enough quality the (cheap) "CKS" could even be a sales argument.

Excellent work, I love your pics.

It looks like the CKS CS32F was sanded down in the second picture then the external markings printed.  I bet the depth of the circular indent is less in the fake STM32F103 as a result of the grinding ?

With the assistance of your work, and my diagnostics feedback it's becoming more obvious to me what the fakers are doing now.

I think the CS32F103 will never be legal, for instance no one seems to know where it comes from. The CKS website doesn't even list the part ... is it even made by CKS ?

There is no User Manual or Tech Manual for the CS32F103 either, and some people have had issues with certain peripherals that won't run code that works on the STM32F103.

I doubt any cost saving is worth it given the lack of a comprehensive data sheet listing the differences between the CS32F103 and the STM32F103 ?

I think it's only any good to scam Blue Pill buyers and pass an initial quick test. The chip is so complex that hobbyists who buy them and can't get a project to work (due to a CS32 difference) probably just think it's their lack of experience. Most wouldn't know the chip is a fake, so your pictures help here as well.

 

Offline Noopy

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #135 on: March 01, 2020, 11:47:55 am »
Excellent work, I love your pics.

Thanks!

If anyone has an other "strange looking" STM32 I can do more investigations.


Well I´m no expert regarding these STM32-clones.
I wondered why it was labeled CKS32. A lot of websites talk about "CS32*" and the die marking shows also CS32...

Offline BravoVTopic starter

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #136 on: March 01, 2020, 12:05:53 pm »
... some people have had issues with certain peripherals that won't run code that works on the STM32F103.

Have you track on what kind of specific code is that ?

Offline techman-001

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #137 on: March 01, 2020, 12:20:12 pm »
... some people have had issues with certain peripherals that won't run code that works on the STM32F103.

Have you track on what kind of specific code is that ?

No, that would be a massive task, plus I don't use the clones myself. I don't even use the STM32F103, preferring Cortex-M0 for what I do.

The pic is from somewhere on https://www.stm32duino.com

 

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #138 on: March 01, 2020, 12:29:33 pm »
Excellent work, I love your pics.

Thanks!

If anyone has an other "strange looking" STM32 I can do more investigations.


Well I´m no expert regarding these STM32-clones.
I wondered why it was labeled CKS32. A lot of websites talk about "CS32*" and the die marking shows also CS32...

Everyone wonders about that, but here in the West, no one seems to know what's going on.

I think the bottom line is "don't waste your time with fakes". I'm sure it's better to pay $10 for a STM32F779AIY6TR  with comprehensive and accurate documentation, 97 Peripherals , 2 MB flash and 500kB ram that runs up to 216Mhz than waste months on a fake 16 year old STM32F103 with zero documentation ?

One can't even get a decent meal for $10 nowadays!
 

Offline Noopy

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #139 on: March 01, 2020, 01:10:25 pm »
I think the bottom line is "don't waste your time with fakes". I'm sure it's better to pay $10 for a STM32F779AIY6TR  with comprehensive and accurate documentation, 97 Peripherals , 2 MB flash and 500kB ram that runs up to 216Mhz than waste months on a fake 16 year old STM32F103 with zero documentation ?

One can't even get a decent meal for $10 nowadays!

I fully agree!  :-+

Offline iMo

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #140 on: March 01, 2020, 01:43:47 pm »
CKS32F103 datasheet..
 
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Offline SiliconWizard

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #141 on: March 01, 2020, 02:53:24 pm »
Excellent work, I love your pics.

Thanks!

If anyone has an other "strange looking" STM32 I can do more investigations.


Well I´m no expert regarding these STM32-clones.
I wondered why it was labeled CKS32. A lot of websites talk about "CS32*" and the die marking shows also CS32...

Everyone wonders about that, but here in the West, no one seems to know what's going on.

I think the bottom line is "don't waste your time with fakes". I'm sure it's better to pay $10 for a STM32F779AIY6TR  with comprehensive and accurate documentation, 97 Peripherals , 2 MB flash and 500kB ram that runs up to 216Mhz than waste months on a fake 16 year old STM32F103 with zero documentation ?

One can't even get a decent meal for $10 nowadays!

Oh I really agree with this of course.
But this obsession for low cost, even when low cost doesn't matter, all comes down to how "greedy" we have become IMO. Whereas tracking a cent could of course matter if you're designing cheap products that you'll sell by the million, how could that ever matter, as you said, for hobbyist use? A typical hobbyist may buy a couple dev boards a year. Big deal. You spent more money just talking about it that buying genuine stuff, and it kills "local" business on top of that. And nobody fucking cares.

This attitude is mind-boggling, and I think it's here to stay.
 

Offline OwO

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #142 on: March 01, 2020, 05:46:02 pm »
I would disagree. A MCU is usually just a small part of a complete system, and if all component costs were to double, it would double the cost and thus price of the final product. In a dev board it really doesn't matter, but in a real product it does. If a STM32 costs $5, frequency synthesizers cost $5, op-amps cost $5, RF switches cost $1, then the NanoVNA wouldn't be possible. It would cost $300 and no-one would buy it (maybe a few would but most hobbyists wouldn't afford it). Btw in the V2 design I specifically chose a GD32F303 rather than a STM32F303 (even though it is not a compatible clone), because that dollar of BOM cost reduction really matters. Shave a dollar here and there, and the result is something affordable to any hobbyist and enables you to see things you would have needed a $500 instrument to see before.

"local" is relative. What you call offshore is "local" to me. If I'm designing something and local alternatives offer better bang for buck, of course I'll use that. Telling me to design in genuine STM32 is like me telling you to use some overpriced chinese piece of crap rather than your own local brand that is cheaper and better.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2020, 05:50:23 pm by OwO »
Email: OwOwOwOwO123@outlook.com
 
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Offline GromBeestje

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #143 on: March 01, 2020, 07:47:26 pm »
Excellent work, I love your pics.

Thanks!

If anyone has an other "strange looking" STM32 I can do more investigations.


Well I´m no expert regarding these STM32-clones.
I wondered why it was labeled CKS32. A lot of websites talk about "CS32*" and the die marking shows also CS32...

I have some chips here, another "STM32F103 compatible" part the APM32F103. I could send you a sample if you like. Also, I have the cs32f103c8t6 and cs32f103cbt6. I wonder if they are the same as the cks32 labelled part.
 
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Offline Noopy

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #144 on: March 01, 2020, 09:10:45 pm »
Excellent work, I love your pics.

Thanks!

If anyone has an other "strange looking" STM32 I can do more investigations.


Well I´m no expert regarding these STM32-clones.
I wondered why it was labeled CKS32. A lot of websites talk about "CS32*" and the die marking shows also CS32...

I have some chips here, another "STM32F103 compatible" part the APM32F103. I could send you a sample if you like. Also, I have the cs32f103c8t6 and cs32f103cbt6. I wonder if they are the same as the cks32 labelled part.

I like!  :)
I´ll write you a PN...


Offline techman-001

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #145 on: March 01, 2020, 10:47:28 pm »
CKS32F103 datasheet..

Thanks, but this is just the CKS32F103 'electrical' doc, there is no information on the registers and so on.
 

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #146 on: March 02, 2020, 12:44:04 am »
I would disagree. A MCU is usually just a small part of a complete system, and if all component costs were to double, it would double the cost and thus price of the final product. In a dev board it really doesn't matter, but in a real product it does. If a STM32 costs $5, frequency synthesizers cost $5, op-amps cost $5, RF switches cost $1, then the NanoVNA wouldn't be possible. It would cost $300 and no-one would buy it (maybe a few would but most hobbyists wouldn't afford it). Btw in the V2 design I specifically chose a GD32F303 rather than a STM32F303 (even though it is not a compatible clone), because that dollar of BOM cost reduction really matters. Shave a dollar here and there, and the result is something affordable to any hobbyist and enables you to see things you would have needed a $500 instrument to see before.

"local" is relative. What you call offshore is "local" to me. If I'm designing something and local alternatives offer better bang for buck, of course I'll use that. Telling me to design in genuine STM32 is like me telling you to use some overpriced chinese piece of crap rather than your own local brand that is cheaper and better.

Remember this thread is about fake STM32's which are a plague in the West, illegal by our laws and have caused a massive distrust of Chinese sellers as a result.

Do Chinese vendors consider the short term gains of ripping of their Western buyers in this way a good idea ?

Do they not care that people so affected will probably never buy from China again ?

 

Offline OwO

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #147 on: March 02, 2020, 04:37:08 am »
CKS/gigadevice aren't doing that. Random ebay sellers sell relabelled crap, what do you expect? Don't vet your vendors properly and you will get relabelled chips regardless of country. Why don't you just raise a dispute with the seller?

GD32 is a legit brand with an official store on taobao. If I want true genuine chips with no chance of fakes, I can buy GD32 at reasonable price from their official store, but to buy genuine STM32 would require paying extortionate prices at one of the big 3 distributors. GD32 has already displaced STM32 in real (end user) products here, not relabelled ones but ones with "GD32Fxxx" printed on the chip.
Email: OwOwOwOwO123@outlook.com
 

Offline OwO

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #148 on: March 02, 2020, 04:48:45 am »
Part numbers are not generally considered trademarks here. If I produce a transistor that adheres to all 2n3904 specifications, I can sell it as a 2n3904, even if some characteristics not on the datasheet are a bit different. Similarly if I make a chip that functions just like a STM32 and runs most code unmodified (except maybe for very few corner cases), it's generally considered a-ok to sell it as a STM32. The generics mindset here is strong, and it's not considered ok for one manufacturer to monopolize a part number, especially when compatible substitutes are produced. "STM32" is a generic name for a MCU with these peripherals in this layout, just like U.FL is a generic name for a connector with these dimensions. If that's a problem for you just buy from the big distributors.
Email: OwOwOwOwO123@outlook.com
 
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Offline techman-001

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Re: Cheap Bluepill, very likely it has fake STM32 right ?
« Reply #149 on: March 02, 2020, 05:26:10 am »
CKS/gigadevice aren't doing that. Random ebay sellers sell relabelled crap, what do you expect? Don't vet your vendors properly and you will get relabelled chips regardless of country. Why don't you just raise a dispute with the seller?

GD32 is a legit brand with an official store on taobao. If I want true genuine chips with no chance of fakes, I can buy GD32 at reasonable price from their official store, but to buy genuine STM32 would require paying extortionate prices at one of the big 3 distributors. GD32 has already displaced STM32 in real (end user) products here, not relabelled ones but ones with "GD32Fxxx" printed on the chip.

I'm not trying to persuade YOU to buy STM32, why is this STILL unclear to you ?

I'm suggesting Western buyers avoid Chinese products with "STM32F103 chips" because of all the ripoff's.

People have raised counterfeit disputes with the Chinese vendor and have been utterly ignored, even when supplying proof of forgery. please see the picture below.

 


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