Pat, I might be on the dark side: I do like proprietary hardware, for example, ASIC always run faster than off the shelf programmable chip (provide you have a good design team for ASIC), low power, efficient foot print, package to tailor specific environment... if you have volume to justify the design time and cost, I would take an ASIC in a heart beat. as for guard the secret to prevent reverse engineering, i think it is definitely needed in current environment: copycat just ripe off all the good engineering work easily. In addition, there are fakes around - deal with in the past with a control chip that provides user timing/feedback control of voltage/ current adjusted output. The "fake" actually went into the field to collect the chip and mount on the unit sell them at a knock out price (of course the reliability and calibration is completely off... but there are cheapy chaps actually return some of faulty fake units for R and O to the company ...), not until we figure out hard pot the IC on to the unit in such a way it was almost impossible to take it off without damage the unit.... The sales went up right after the implementation of the anti-reverse engineering... from my 1st hand experience, i would say the anti-reverse engineering is necessary, it should be part of design review/marketing scheme to ensure your tech leadership is not compromised. my 1.78 cents.. (By the way, as for high price of replacement parts, I agree with you... extended warrantee or service contract is much better if you have a critical equipments fall into R and O requirement - like aircraft). jk On Oct 15, 2014, at 7:53 PM, Patrick Goodyear wrote: > As a technician I detest companies that provide proprietary > hardware, the reason I don't own Apple products. Hp did this with > their early test equipment, but the would annually publish a cheat > sheet with their part numbers and a cross reference for products 5 > years old. > If a company is so dang tight-a--ed that they need to guard the > secret, let them custom order the part with their part number or > whatever on it, Westinghouse did this in the '70's with a lot of > the equipment they ordered custom from Burr-Brown, so they made > sure you ordered their replacement part at their $$$$$$ price, case > in point OP amp modules designated A1 labeled JT-21. > > Usually unless the part is unique as long as one has knowledge of > how it works it is easy to substitute a suitable replacement. > > Just my opinion. > > Pat Goodyear semi-retired control tech > > > On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 12:03 PM, Craig Sullivan wrote: > >> I have a customer requirement to "apply an electronics grade epoxy >> over >> component x that will obscure part the part marking." They are >> trying to >> prevent reverse engineering of their product. There are of course a >> multitude of epoxies, but dispensing onto small ICs, etc., can be a >> challenge. >> >> I know about micro abrasion processes and such but I'm curious how >> others >> would handle this requirement? >> >> >> Craig Sullivan >> >> Manufacturing Engineer / IT Administrator >> >> Phone: +1.607.266.0480 x115 >> >> Fax: +1.607.266.0482 >> >> Email: <mailto:[log in to unmask]> [log in to unmask] >> >> Web: <http://www.mplinc.com/> www.mplinc.com >> >> >> MPL, Inc. >> >> 41 Dutch Mill Road | Ithaca | NY | 14850 >> >> P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. >> >> >> _____ >> Confidentiality Notice: >> This e-mail contains privileged and confidential information which >> is the >> property of MPL Incorporated, intended only for the use of the >> intended >> recipient(s). Unauthorized use or disclosure of this information is >> prohibited. 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