Why Obsolete Sourcing Is Different
When a part is in production and in stock at an authorized distributor, the supply chain is transparent: the manufacturer made it, the authorized distributor received it, you bought it. The provenance is clear and the quality system behind it is auditable.
When a part goes obsolete, that chain breaks. The manufacturer stops producing it. Authorized distributors sell through their last inventory. What remains enters the independent market — and the independent market has no built-in quality filter. Parts sourced from the open market can be:
- Legitimate overstock — surplus from other manufacturers, distributors, or end-users who over-bought
- Remarked parts — genuine lower-grade or out-of-spec parts with altered markings to pass as higher-value devices
- Recycled parts — removed from scrapped circuit boards, cleaned, and repackaged as new
- Cloned or counterfeit parts — non-genuine devices manufactured to look like the real thing
The risk is highest exactly where the need is greatest: old, hard-to-find devices that are irreplaceable in long-lifecycle systems.
Step 1: Start With a Distributor's Quality Credentials, Not Their Price
The first question about any independent distributor is not "what's the price?" It's "do they have a quality system?" Before you send an RFQ:
- ISO 9001:2015 certification — a documented quality management system certified by an accredited body. Not a self-declaration; a verifiable third-party audit.
- ERAI membership — the world's largest database of suspect-counterfeit components. An active member receives live intelligence on flagged part numbers and suppliers. Verifiable at ERAI.com.
- GIDEP participation — the DoD's Government-Industry Data Exchange Program for reporting suspect and confirmed counterfeit components. Participation is listed publicly at gidep.org.
- A counterfeit control plan — a documented procedure (aligned to AS5553 or AS6081) for how suspect parts are identified, quarantined, and reported. Ask for it.
Step 2: Understand What Inspection Actually Means
Every independent distributor says they inspect parts. What matters is what that inspection covers and where the limits are.
Visual and documentation inspection is the baseline: checking markings, date codes, lot traceability, and packaging against known-good references and supplier documentation. A distributor with a good quality system does this on every lot.
Lab testing — XRF (X-ray fluorescence for material analysis), X-ray imaging, decapsulation and die verification, FTIR (material identification), and electrical testing — goes deeper and can detect remarked and cloned parts that pass visual inspection. Not every lot needs lab testing, but a distributor should have a documented process for when it's required and which accredited labs they use.
Ask specifically: "What does your incoming inspection cover, and when do you send parts to a lab?" A vague answer is a red flag.
Step 3: Trace the Lot
For obsolete components, lot traceability is the primary authentication tool. Ask for:
- The supplier's documentation — who did the distributor buy this lot from?
- Date code — does it fall within the manufacturer's known production window for this device?
- Original packaging — is it in manufacturer packaging, or has it been repackaged?
- Quantity on hand — a suspiciously large quantity of a discontinued part is a yellow flag worth investigating
Cross-referencing the date code against the manufacturer's known production history for a discontinued part is one of the most reliable authentication checks available. A date code that post-dates the last known production run is strong evidence of a remarked device.
Step 4: Get a Certificate of Conformance
A Certificate of Conformance (CoC) documents the part number, quantity, lot information (when available), and the distributor's quality statement. It's your paper trail if a problem surfaces later. Any reputable independent distributor provides one with every shipment. If a distributor won't provide a CoC, don't buy from them.
Step 5: Consider Independent Lab Testing for High-Stakes Lots
For components going into defense, aerospace, medical, or safety-critical applications — or for high-value lots of devices known to be heavily counterfeited — independent laboratory testing is worth the cost. Accredited labs can perform XRF, X-ray imaging, decapsulation, and electrical verification that definitively establishes whether a device is genuine.
The cost of lab testing is small relative to the cost of a field failure in a safety-critical application. For a $50,000 lot of legacy mil-spec microprocessors, a $500 lab test is inexpensive insurance.
The Short Version
Buy from distributors who can show you an ISO 9001:2015 certificate, an active ERAI membership, and a documented inspection process. Ask for lot traceability and a CoC on every purchase. For high-stakes applications, add independent lab testing. Price should be the last variable you optimize.
RH Electronics has been sourcing obsolete components since 1982 under ISO 9001:2015, as an ERAI member since 1998, and as a GIDEP participant. Submit a quote request or read about our inspection process.