SMD code search: identify a part by its marking

1 part in X2SON is printed A7

Not sure which one you have?

Answer up to 4 quick questions and these 3 parts are ranked, with a meter test that settles it. It works on a dead part too.

TPS3831G33DQNX2SONVoltage supervisor, Texas InstrumentsVoltage supervisorTexas Instruments
What it is
Voltage supervisor
Maker
Texas Instruments
Package
X2SON
Pins
4
Details
150-nA, Ultralow Power, Supply Voltage Monitor
Source
From the manufacturer's 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.
Datasheetfor TPS3831G33DQN, opens in a new tab
2 more parts have no package on record. Nothing rules them out, so they stay.
- S1JMRectifier, Taiwan SemiconductorRectifierTaiwan Semiconductor
  What it is
  Rectifier
  Maker
  Taiwan Semiconductor
  Package
  Not recorded
  Pins
  Not recorded
  Source
  From the manufacturer's datasheet
  Is it dead?
  Diode range, part lifted or one leg off the pad. Red probe on the anode.
  Working, it reads
  About 0.5 to 0.8 V anode to cathode, and open the other way. Small switching diodes read about 0.6 to 0.7 V; large rectifiers can read a little lower.
  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: failed open.
  A reading the wrong way round as well: 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 three-pin body can hold two diodes. With a common pin they read two junctions from that pin, just like a transistor; in series they read two drops end to end. Test each pair the datasheet names.
  A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
  Datasheetfor S1JM, opens in a new tab
- S1JMHRectifier, Taiwan SemiconductorRectifierTaiwan Semiconductor
  What it is
  Rectifier
  Maker
  Taiwan Semiconductor
  Package
  Not recorded
  Pins
  Not recorded
  Source
  From the manufacturer's datasheet
  Is it dead?
  Diode range, part lifted or one leg off the pad. Red probe on the anode.
  Working, it reads
  About 0.5 to 0.8 V anode to cathode, and open the other way. Small switching diodes read about 0.6 to 0.7 V; large rectifiers can read a little lower.
  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: failed open.
  A reading the wrong way round as well: 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 three-pin body can hold two diodes. With a common pin they read two junctions from that pin, just like a transistor; in series they read two drops end to end. Test each pair the datasheet names.
  A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
  Datasheetfor S1JMH, opens in a new tab

6 more parts are printed with a code easy to misread as A7: 1 in X2SON, 5 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.

TLV70725PDQNprinted ATX2SONLDO regulator, Texas InstrumentsLDO regulatorTexas Instruments
Printed AT on the part. Easy to misread as A7. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.
What it is
LDO regulator
Maker
Texas Instruments
Package
X2SON
Pins
4
Details
200-mA, Low-IQ, Low-Noise, Low-Dropout Regulator for Portable Devices
Source
From the manufacturer's 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.
Datasheetfor TLV70725PDQN, opens in a new tab
5 more parts have no package on record. Nothing rules them out, so they stay.
- BFP540printed ATRF transistor, InfineonRF transistorInfineon
  Printed AT on the part. Easy to misread as A7. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.
  What it is
  RF transistor
  Maker
  Infineon
  Package
  Not recorded
  Pins
  Not recorded
  Source
  From the manufacturer's datasheet
  Is it dead?
  Diode range, part lifted or its base leg off the pad.
  Working, it reads
  From the base, one probe colour reads about 0.6 to 0.75 V to the emitter and to the collector, and open the other way round. Collector to emitter reads open both ways.
  Dead, it reads
  Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted. The commonest failure.
  The base the same both ways to another pin, near 0 V or a middling value: a shorted junction.
  Only one junction reads, or none: a junction has failed open. It then looks like a diode.
  A reading the wrong way round, where it should be open: 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 pair of diodes with a common pin reads just like a transistor, and some transistors carry a built-in diode or resistor. The datasheet says which.
  A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
  Datasheetfor BFP540, opens in a new tab
- BZX884B8V2Lprinted ATZener diode, VishayZener diodeVishay
  Printed AT on the part. Easy to misread as A7. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.
  What it is
  Zener diode
  Maker
  Vishay
  Package
  Not recorded
  Pins
  Not recorded
  Details
  8.2 V Zener diode
  Source
  From the manufacturer's 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.
  Datasheetfor BZX884B8V2L, opens in a new tab
- MSMP8.5Aprinted ATTVS diode, VishayTVS diodeVishay
  Printed AT on the part. Easy to misread as A7. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.
  What it is
  TVS diode
  Maker
  Vishay
  Package
  Not recorded
  Pins
  Not recorded
  Details
  150 W TVS diode, unidirectional
  Source
  From the manufacturer's datasheet
  Is it dead?
  Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
  Working, it reads
  A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
  Dead, it reads
  From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
  A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
  A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
  On the board
  , a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
  Compare:
  The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
  Watch for:
  A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
  A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
  Datasheetfor MSMP8.5A, opens in a new tab
- SMBG8.5Aprinted ATTVS diode, VishayTVS diodeVishay
  Printed AT on the part. Easy to misread as A7. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.
  What it is
  TVS diode
  Maker
  Vishay
  Package
  Not recorded
  Pins
  Not recorded
  Details
  600 W TVS diode, unidirectional
  Source
  From the manufacturer's datasheet
  Is it dead?
  Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
  Working, it reads
  A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
  Dead, it reads
  From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
  A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
  A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
  On the board
  , a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
  Compare:
  The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
  Watch for:
  A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
  A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
  Datasheetfor SMBG8.5A, opens in a new tab
- VESD05A6A-HAFprinted ATESD protection diode, VishayESD protection diodeVishay
  Printed AT on the part. Easy to misread as A7. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.
  What it is
  ESD protection diode
  Maker
  Vishay
  Package
  Not recorded
  Pins
  Not recorded
  Details
  6-Line ESD Protection Diode Array in LLP75
  Source
  From the manufacturer's datasheet
  Is it dead?
  Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
  Working, it reads
  A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
  Dead, it reads
  From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
  A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
  A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
  On the board
  , a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
  Compare:
  The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
  Watch for:
  A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
  A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
  Datasheetfor VESD05A6A-HAF, opens in a new tab

9 more parts have codes that begin with A7: none in X2SON, 9 with no package on record

Codes that begin with A7

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

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

AOZ2231CQI-01printed ATC1DC-DC converter, Alpha & Omega SemiconductorDC-DC converterAlpha & Omega Semiconductor
Printed ATC1. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
DC-DC converter
Maker
Alpha & Omega Semiconductor
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
Synchronous buck regulator
Source
From the manufacturer's 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.
Datasheetfor AOZ2231CQI-01, opens in a new tab
AOZ2231CQI-21printed ATCPDC-DC converter, Alpha & Omega SemiconductorDC-DC converterAlpha & Omega Semiconductor
Printed ATCP. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
DC-DC converter
Maker
Alpha & Omega Semiconductor
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
Synchronous buck regulator
Source
From the manufacturer's 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.
Datasheetfor AOZ2231CQI-21, opens in a new tab
AOZ2231CQI-23printed ATCSDC-DC converter, Alpha & Omega SemiconductorDC-DC converterAlpha & Omega Semiconductor
Printed ATCS. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
DC-DC converter
Maker
Alpha & Omega Semiconductor
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
Synchronous buck regulator
Source
From the manufacturer's 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.
Datasheetfor AOZ2231CQI-23, opens in a new tab
TA6F12Aprinted ATPTVS diode, VishayTVS diodeVishay
Printed ATP. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
TVS diode
Maker
Vishay
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
600 W TVS diode, unidirectional
Source
From the manufacturer's datasheet
Is it dead?
Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
Working, it reads
A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
Dead, it reads
From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
On the board
, a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
Compare:
The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
Watch for:
A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
Datasheetfor TA6F12A, opens in a new tab
TA6F12CAprinted ATPTVS diode, VishayTVS diodeVishay
Printed ATP. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
TVS diode
Maker
Vishay
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
600 W TVS diode, bidirectional
Source
From the manufacturer's datasheet
Is it dead?
Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
Working, it reads
A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
Dead, it reads
From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
On the board
, a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
Compare:
The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
Watch for:
A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
Datasheetfor TA6F12CA, opens in a new tab
TA6L12Aprinted ATLTVS diode, VishayTVS diodeVishay
Printed ATL. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
TVS diode
Maker
Vishay
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
600 W TVS diode, unidirectional
Source
From the manufacturer's datasheet
Is it dead?
Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
Working, it reads
A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
Dead, it reads
From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
On the board
, a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
Compare:
The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
Watch for:
A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
Datasheetfor TA6L12A, opens in a new tab
TA6L12CAprinted ATLTVS diode, VishayTVS diodeVishay
Printed ATL. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
TVS diode
Maker
Vishay
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
600 W TVS diode, bidirectional
Source
From the manufacturer's datasheet
Is it dead?
Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
Working, it reads
A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
Dead, it reads
From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
On the board
, a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
Compare:
The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
Watch for:
A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
Datasheetfor TA6L12CA, opens in a new tab
TPSMA6L8.5Aprinted ATATVS diode, DiotecTVS diodeDiotec
Printed ATA. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
TVS diode
Maker
Diotec
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
SMD Transient Voltage Suppressor Diodes
Source
From the manufacturer's datasheet
Is it dead?
Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
Working, it reads
A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
Dead, it reads
From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
On the board
, a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
Compare:
The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
Watch for:
A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
Datasheetfor TPSMA6L8.5A, opens in a new tab
TPSMP12Aprinted ATPTVS diode, VishayTVS diodeVishay
Printed ATP. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.
What it is
TVS diode
Maker
Vishay
Package
Not recorded
Pins
Not recorded
Details
400 W TVS diode, unidirectional
Source
From the manufacturer's datasheet
Is it dead?
Diode range, from the protected line to ground, part lifted if you can.
Working, it reads
A one-way part reads about 0.6 to 0.8 V forward and open in reverse. A two-way part reads open both ways. Arrays with several lines read as the datasheet's diagram draws them.
Dead, it reads
From the line to ground, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
A reading both ways on a one-way part: leaky.
A one-way part open both ways: failed open.
On the board
, a line reading shorted to ground can be this part or anything else on that line. Lift it: if the short goes with it, it has failed.
Compare:
The same part on the next line or connector pin is the healthy reading to compare with.
Watch for:
A two-way part reads open both ways when it is good, exactly like one that has failed open. The meter cannot tell them apart; an identical part on the next line can.
A dead part still carries its marking. A short or an open says it has failed, not that it is a different part.
Datasheetfor TPSMP12A, opens in a new tab

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 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.

SMD code search: identify a part by its marking

What’s printed on it?

1 part in X2SON is printed A7

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Printed with a code easy to misread

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Codes that begin with A7

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

Is it dead?

One code, several parts

When more than one is left

When you cannot read it