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SMD code search: identify a part by its marking

2 parts are printed 1A18. 5 printed with a similar-looking code.

2 parts are printed 1A18

Not sure which one you have?

Answer up to 4 quick questions and these 2 parts are ranked, with a meter test that settles it. It works on a dead part too.

  • MT501SOT-23LED driver, 3 pins, Mos-TechLED driverSOT-233 pinsMos-Tech
    What it is
    LED driver
    Maker
    Mos-Tech
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Source
    Published code list

    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.

  • 1 more part has no package on record
    • XC6217A182DRLDO regulator, TorexLDO regulatorNot recordedNot recordedTorex
      What it is
      LDO regulator
      Maker
      Torex
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Details
      VR-IC: LDO, -CE, Sdwn, 1.8V±2%, 200mA
      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.

5 more parts are printed with a code easy to misread as 1A18

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.

  • LP2985IM5-2.7printed LALBSOT-23-55 pinsNot recordedSOT-23-55 pinsNot recorded

    Printed LALB on the part. Easy to misread as 1A18. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Not recorded
    Maker
    Not recorded
    Package
    SOT-23-5
    Pins
    5
    Details
    VR-IC: LN, Ultra-LDO, 2,7V, 150mA
    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.

  • LP2985IM5-3.5printed LAIBSOT-233 pins, Texas InstrumentsNot recordedSOT-233 pinsTexas Instruments

    Printed LAIB on the part. Easy to misread as 1A18. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Not recorded
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Details
    VR-IC: LN, Ultra-LDO, 3,5V, 150mA
    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.

  • XC6219A11ADRprinted L A1BUSP-6BLDO regulator, 6 pins, TorexLDO regulatorUSP-6B6 pinsTorex

    Printed L A1B on the part. Easy to misread as 1A18. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Torex
    Package
    USP-6B
    Pins
    6
    Details
    VR-IC: LDO, CE, int. pull-dwn res., 1.15V±2%, 150mA
    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.

  • XC6219A182DRprinted L A18USP-6BLDO regulator, 6 pins, TorexLDO regulatorUSP-6B6 pinsTorex

    Printed L A18 on the part. Easy to misread as 1A18. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Torex
    Package
    USP-6B
    Pins
    6
    Details
    VR-IC: LDO, CE, int. pull-dwn res., 1.8V±2%, 240mA
    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.

  • 1 more part has no package on record
    • XC6217A11ADRprinted 1A1BLDO regulator, TorexLDO regulatorNot recordedNot recordedTorex

      Printed 1A1B on the part. Easy to misread as 1A18. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

      What it is
      LDO regulator
      Maker
      Torex
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Details
      VR-IC: LDO, -CE, Sdwn, 1.15V±2%, 200mA
      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.

1 more part has a code that begins with 1A18

Codes that begin with 1A18

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

  • P1801FAPprinted 1A180SOD-123F2 pins, JieJieSOD-123F2 pinsJieJie

    Printed 1A180. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    Not recorded
    Maker
    JieJie
    Package
    SOD-123F
    Pins
    2
    Source
    Manufacturer datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Diode range and ohms range, part lifted.

    Working, it reads

    Depends on what it is. The datasheet, or an identical part, says.

    Dead, it reads

    • Between two pins, the same reading both ways, near 0 V with a continuous beep: shorted.
    • Open between every pair of pins: failed open, or a part that reads open when working.
    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.

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

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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.

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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.

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