Skip to content

SMD code search: identify a part by its marking

1 part in SOD-80 is printed 20V. 2 printed with a similar-looking code.

Not sure which one you have?

Answer up to 4 quick questions and these 5 parts are ranked, with a meter test that settles it. It works on a dead part too.

  • MZ0.5GN20VSOD-80Zener diode, 2 pins, Master Instrument Corporation of ShanghaiZener diode2 pinsMaster Instrument Corporation of Shanghai
    What it is
    Zener diode
    Maker
    Master Instrument Corporation of Shanghai
    Package
    SOD-80
    Pins
    2
    Details
    Zener diode: 20V+-5%, Zzt=48, Izt=20mA, 500mW
    Source
    Published code list

    Is it dead?

    Diode range for the forward check, part lifted, red probe on the anode. A bench supply for the Zener voltage.

    Working, it reads

    About 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse on the diode range. Its Zener voltage shows only on a supply: feed it through a resistor that sets about 5 mA, cathode to positive, read quickly, and it should hold near its rated voltage.

    Dead, it reads

    • The same reading both ways round, near 0 V with a continuous beep or the same middling value: shorted.
    • Open both ways, forward too: failed open.
    • Holds well off its rated voltage on the supply test: drifted.
    • A soft knee, or a voltage that creeps on the supply test: leaky.
    On the board
    this is a first look only: the meter reads every path between those pins, and a short can be a neighbour. Lift one leg before you condemn it.
    Compare:
    If an identical part sits elsewhere on the board, measure it the same way: that is what this one should read.
    Watch for:
    A meter's diode range stops at about 2 to 3 V, so almost every Zener reads open in reverse on it, good or bad; a 3 V meter may just show a 2.4 or 2.7 V part. Above about 3 V the meter cannot tell a Zener from a plain diode.

    A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

  • 4 more parts have no package on record. Nothing rules them out, so they stay.
    • LDP3415EDT2AGMOSFET, LRCMOSFETNot recordedLRC
      What it is
      MOSFET
      Maker
      LRC
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Details
      MOSFET, Dual-P(with ESD), VDSS 20 V, VGS 8 V
      Source
      Manufacturer datasheet

      Is it dead?

      Diode range, part lifted. Test drain to source first, then short gate to source and test again.

      Working, it reads

      One way between drain and source reads about 0.4 to 0.9 V, the body diode, and the other way open. The gate reads open to both other pins.

      Dead, it reads

      • Drain to source the same both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep, and still so after shorting gate to source: shorted. The classic failure.
      • The gate reads low to source or drain: gate shorted.
      • No body diode at all: failed open.
      On the board
      the gate usually has a resistor to the source, which reads as that resistor and is not a fault. Lift a leg to be sure.
      Compare:
      If an identical part sits elsewhere on the board, measure it the same way: that is what this one should read.
      Watch for:
      The diode range can charge the gate enough to turn the part on, and then drain to source reads near 0 both ways on a good part. Short gate to source and test again before you condemn it.

      A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

    • IXD1216B272QR-GIXYSNot recordedNot recordedIXYS
      What it is
      Not recorded
      Maker
      IXYS
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Details
      Linear voltage regulator IC: 2.7V±2%, 150mA, +CE
      Source
      Published code list

      Is it dead?

      Voltage, board powered, black probe on ground. Then ohms with the power off.

      Working, it reads

      Input pin at the supply, output pin at its rated voltage, and the enable pin high if it has one.

      Dead, it reads

      • Output equal to the input: the pass element has shorted. Everything after it may have taken the full input.
      • Input present, enable high, no output: failed open, or holding itself off into a shorted load. Power off and measure output to ground.
      • Power off, input to output near 0 Ω: shorted.
      On the board:
      An output at 0 V is often a shorted load with the regulator in current limit. Lift the output pin: if the short stays on the board, the regulator may be fine.
      Compare:
      The same regulator on another rail or another board shows the right voltages and the right resistances.
      Watch for:
      Makers put input, output and ground on different pins in the same package, so take them from this part's datasheet. Diode or ohms readings between its pins say little; check it powered.

      A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

    • XC6216B272QR-GTorexNot recordedNot recordedTorex
      What it is
      Not recorded
      Maker
      Torex
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Details
      Linear voltage regulator IC: 2.7V±2%, 150mA, +CE
      Source
      Published code list

      Is it dead?

      Voltage, board powered, black probe on ground. Then ohms with the power off.

      Working, it reads

      Input pin at the supply, output pin at its rated voltage, and the enable pin high if it has one.

      Dead, it reads

      • Output equal to the input: the pass element has shorted. Everything after it may have taken the full input.
      • Input present, enable high, no output: failed open, or holding itself off into a shorted load. Power off and measure output to ground.
      • Power off, input to output near 0 Ω: shorted.
      On the board:
      An output at 0 V is often a shorted load with the regulator in current limit. Lift the output pin: if the short stays on the board, the regulator may be fine.
      Compare:
      The same regulator on another rail or another board shows the right voltages and the right resistances.
      Watch for:
      Makers put input, output and ground on different pins in the same package, so take them from this part's datasheet. Diode or ohms readings between its pins say little; check it powered.

      A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

    • XC6216B2728R-GTorexNot recordedNot recordedTorex
      What it is
      Not recorded
      Maker
      Torex
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Details
      Linear voltage regulator IC: 2.7V±2%, 150mA, +CE
      Source
      Published code list

      Is it dead?

      Voltage, board powered, black probe on ground. Then ohms with the power off.

      Working, it reads

      Input pin at the supply, output pin at its rated voltage, and the enable pin high if it has one.

      Dead, it reads

      • Output equal to the input: the pass element has shorted. Everything after it may have taken the full input.
      • Input present, enable high, no output: failed open, or holding itself off into a shorted load. Power off and measure output to ground.
      • Power off, input to output near 0 Ω: shorted.
      On the board:
      An output at 0 V is often a shorted load with the regulator in current limit. Lift the output pin: if the short stays on the board, the regulator may be fine.
      Compare:
      The same regulator on another rail or another board shows the right voltages and the right resistances.
      Watch for:
      Makers put input, output and ground on different pins in the same package, so take them from this part's datasheet. Diode or ohms readings between its pins say little; check it powered.

      A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

2 more parts are printed with a code easy to misread as 20V: none in SOD-80, 2 with no package on record

Printed with a code easy to misread

One character differs, and it is one that is easy to confuse under a lamp. The odd one out is marked on each.

2 parts have no package on record. Nothing rules them out, so they stay.

  • S-13R1D33-A4T2U3printed 2DVLDO regulator, ABLICLDO regulatorNot recordedABLIC

    Printed 2DV on the part. Easy to misread as 20V. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    ABLIC
    Package
    Not recorded
    Pins
    Not recorded
    Source
    Manufacturer datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Voltage, board powered, black probe on ground. Then ohms with the power off.

    Working, it reads

    Input pin at the supply, output pin at its rated voltage, and the enable pin high if it has one.

    Dead, it reads

    • Output equal to the input: the pass element has shorted. Everything after it may have taken the full input.
    • Input present, enable high, no output: failed open, or holding itself off into a shorted load. Power off and measure output to ground.
    • Power off, input to output near 0 Ω: shorted.
    On the board:
    An output at 0 V is often a shorted load with the regulator in current limit. Lift the output pin: if the short stays on the board, the regulator may be fine.
    Compare:
    The same regulator on another rail or another board shows the right voltages and the right resistances.
    Watch for:
    Makers put input, output and ground on different pins in the same package, so take them from this part's datasheet. Diode or ohms readings between its pins say little; check it powered.

    A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

  • SGM41012ALYUHE6Gprinted 2QVBattery protection IC, 6 pins, SG MicroBattery protection IC6 pinsSG Micro

    Printed 2QV on the part. Easy to misread as 20V. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Battery protection IC
    Maker
    SG Micro
    Package
    Not recorded
    Pins
    6
    Details
    Battery Protection IC for 1-Cell Pack
    Source
    Manufacturer datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Voltage with the board powered; ohms from each pin to ground with it off.

    Working, it reads

    Supply pin at its voltage and the output doing what the datasheet says. Readings between pins depend on the part.

    Dead, it reads

    • A pin near 0 Ω to ground or to the supply pin where an identical part does not read that: failed short.
    • Supply present, output stuck: failed, or its load has.
    On the board:
    A pin shorted to ground on the board can be anything on that net. Lift the pin to be sure.
    Compare:
    The surest reference is the same IC on a working board, measured pin by pin.
    Watch for:
    Its protection diodes can read like junctions between pins, even like a transistor. That proves nothing either way.

    A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

4 more parts have codes that begin with 20V: 1 in SOD-80, 3 with no package on record

Codes that begin with 20V

For a marking with its end worn or burnt off. Each one shows its full printed code.

  • MZO.5GN20V-6.2printed 20V-6.2SOD-80Zener diode, 2 pins, Master Instrument Corporation of ShanghaiZener diode2 pinsMaster Instrument Corporation of Shanghai

    Printed 20V-6.2. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    Zener diode
    Maker
    Master Instrument Corporation of Shanghai
    Package
    SOD-80
    Pins
    2
    Details
    Zener diode: 20V+-5%, Zzt=25, Izt=23mA, 500mW
    Source
    Published code list

    Is it dead?

    Diode range for the forward check, part lifted, red probe on the anode. A bench supply for the Zener voltage.

    Working, it reads

    About 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse on the diode range. Its Zener voltage shows only on a supply: feed it through a resistor that sets about 5 mA, cathode to positive, read quickly, and it should hold near its rated voltage.

    Dead, it reads

    • The same reading both ways round, near 0 V with a continuous beep or the same middling value: shorted.
    • Open both ways, forward too: failed open.
    • Holds well off its rated voltage on the supply test: drifted.
    • A soft knee, or a voltage that creeps on the supply test: leaky.
    On the board
    this is a first look only: the meter reads every path between those pins, and a short can be a neighbour. Lift one leg before you condemn it.
    Compare:
    If an identical part sits elsewhere on the board, measure it the same way: that is what this one should read.
    Watch for:
    A meter's diode range stops at about 2 to 3 V, so almost every Zener reads open in reverse on it, good or bad; a 3 V meter may just show a 2.4 or 2.7 V part. Above about 3 V the meter cannot tell a Zener from a plain diode.

    A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

  • 3 more parts have no package on record. Nothing rules them out, so they stay.
    • MMSZ20VBW-Cprinted 20VBZener diode, SeCoSZener diodeNot recordedSeCoS

      Printed 20VB. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

      What it is
      Zener diode
      Maker
      SeCoS
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Source
      Manufacturer datasheet

      Is it dead?

      Diode range for the forward check, part lifted, red probe on the anode. A bench supply for the Zener voltage.

      Working, it reads

      About 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse on the diode range. Its Zener voltage shows only on a supply: feed it through a resistor that sets about 5 mA, cathode to positive, read quickly, and it should hold near its rated voltage.

      Dead, it reads

      • The same reading both ways round, near 0 V with a continuous beep or the same middling value: shorted.
      • Open both ways, forward too: failed open.
      • Holds well off its rated voltage on the supply test: drifted.
      • A soft knee, or a voltage that creeps on the supply test: leaky.
      On the board
      this is a first look only: the meter reads every path between those pins, and a short can be a neighbour. Lift one leg before you condemn it.
      Compare:
      If an identical part sits elsewhere on the board, measure it the same way: that is what this one should read.
      Watch for:
      A meter's diode range stops at about 2 to 3 V, so almost every Zener reads open in reverse on it, good or bad; a 3 V meter may just show a 2.4 or 2.7 V part. Above about 3 V the meter cannot tell a Zener from a plain diode.

      A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

    • MMSZ20VCW-Cprinted 20VZZener diode, SeCoSZener diodeNot recordedSeCoS

      Printed 20VZ. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

      What it is
      Zener diode
      Maker
      SeCoS
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Source
      Manufacturer datasheet

      Is it dead?

      Diode range for the forward check, part lifted, red probe on the anode. A bench supply for the Zener voltage.

      Working, it reads

      About 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse on the diode range. Its Zener voltage shows only on a supply: feed it through a resistor that sets about 5 mA, cathode to positive, read quickly, and it should hold near its rated voltage.

      Dead, it reads

      • The same reading both ways round, near 0 V with a continuous beep or the same middling value: shorted.
      • Open both ways, forward too: failed open.
      • Holds well off its rated voltage on the supply test: drifted.
      • A soft knee, or a voltage that creeps on the supply test: leaky.
      On the board
      this is a first look only: the meter reads every path between those pins, and a short can be a neighbour. Lift one leg before you condemn it.
      Compare:
      If an identical part sits elsewhere on the board, measure it the same way: that is what this one should read.
      Watch for:
      A meter's diode range stops at about 2 to 3 V, so almost every Zener reads open in reverse on it, good or bad; a 3 V meter may just show a 2.4 or 2.7 V part. Above about 3 V the meter cannot tell a Zener from a plain diode.

      A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

    • SGM37866YGprinted 20VYGLED driver, 12 pins, SG MicroLED driver12 pinsSG Micro

      Printed 20VYG. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

      What it is
      LED driver
      Maker
      SG Micro
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      12
      Details
      Dual 2A Current Source Camera Flash LED Driver
      Source
      Manufacturer datasheet

      Is it dead?

      Voltage with the board powered; ohms from each pin to ground with it off.

      Working, it reads

      Supply pin at its voltage and the output doing what the datasheet says. Readings between pins depend on the part.

      Dead, it reads

      • A pin near 0 Ω to ground or to the supply pin where an identical part does not read that: failed short.
      • Supply present, output stuck: failed, or its load has.
      On the board:
      A pin shorted to ground on the board can be anything on that net. Lift the pin to be sure.
      Compare:
      The surest reference is the same IC on a working board, measured pin by pin.
      Watch for:
      Its protection diodes can read like junctions between pins, even like a transistor. That proves nothing either way.

      A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.

Did you find your part?

Try Tech free for 30 days. You need a card to start. Unless you cancel during the trial, Tech then costs €12.00 a month plus VAT. See the plans

One code, several parts

Marking codes are not unique. In the standard code book, 6H on a SOT-23 is an NPN transistor, a varicap, an N-channel JFET, two digital transistors, a 3.6 V voltage detector: six parts from five makers. So a search on WhatSMD (What SMD) shows the parts we hold under that code and under codes easily misread as it, with only the columns that tell them apart.

6Hon a SOT-23, in the code book
  • NPN transistor
  • Varicap
  • N-channel JFET
  • Digital transistor ×2
  • 3.6 V voltage detector

When more than one is left

Tap Help me choose. Up to 4 quick answers: whether the part has failed, then what separates the parts left. Those get ranked with the reasoning and a test that settles it. That uses one identification: 2 a month are free without an account, and 3 with a free account.

When you cannot read it

Tap the camera in the field. We read the characters, keep the ones we are unsure of, and search every reading. A photo too soft to read is turned back on your phone first; if it is the only one you can get, you can still send it.

Get the app

The same search on your phone, and a camera with a light, zoom and tap to focus for a marking you cannot read. Sign in with your email address to use the same account.

  • Get WhatSMD on Google Play
  • Coming soon to the App Store