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9 parts are printed L2. 18 printed with a similar-looking code.

9 parts are printed L2

Not sure which one you have?

Answer up to 4 quick questions and these 9 parts are ranked, with a meter test that settles it. It works on a dead part too.

  • BAT42WSOD-123Schottky diode, 2 pins, Panjit
    What it is
    Schottky diode
    Maker
    Panjit
    Package
    SOD-123
    Pins
    2
    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 0.15 to 0.45 V anode to cathode, roughly half a silicon diode, and open the other way.

    Dead, it reads

    • The same reading both ways round, near 0 V with a continuous beep or the same middling value: shorted.
    • A reading the wrong way round as well: leaky.
    • Open both ways: failed open.
    On the board:
    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 large Schottky can read about 0.1 V forward and beep like a short, and leaks a little the wrong way when good, more when warm. It is shorted only if it reads the same both ways. Measure it cold, beside an identical cold one.

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

    Datasheetfor BAT42W, opens in a new tab
  • BAT42W-AUSOD-123Schottky diode, 2 pins, Panjit
    What it is
    Schottky diode
    Maker
    Panjit
    Package
    SOD-123
    Pins
    2
    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 0.15 to 0.45 V anode to cathode, roughly half a silicon diode, and open the other way.

    Dead, it reads

    • The same reading both ways round, near 0 V with a continuous beep or the same middling value: shorted.
    • A reading the wrong way round as well: leaky.
    • Open both ways: failed open.
    On the board:
    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 large Schottky can read about 0.1 V forward and beep like a short, and leaks a little the wrong way when good, more when warm. It is shorted only if it reads the same both ways. Measure it cold, beside an identical cold one.

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

    Datasheetfor BAT42W-AU, opens in a new tab
  • BAT42WSSOD-323Schottky diode, 2 pins, Panjit
    What it is
    Schottky diode
    Maker
    Panjit
    Package
    SOD-323
    Pins
    2
    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 0.15 to 0.45 V anode to cathode, roughly half a silicon diode, and open the other way.

    Dead, it reads

    • The same reading both ways round, near 0 V with a continuous beep or the same middling value: shorted.
    • A reading the wrong way round as well: leaky.
    • Open both ways: failed open.
    On the board:
    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 large Schottky can read about 0.1 V forward and beep like a short, and leaks a little the wrong way when good, more when warm. It is shorted only if it reads the same both ways. Measure it cold, beside an identical cold one.

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

    Datasheetfor BAT42WS, opens in a new tab
  • BZD17C75PSOD-123FZener diode, 2 pins, Vishay
    What it is
    Zener diode
    Maker
    Vishay
    Package
    SOD-123F
    Pins
    2
    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:
    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 BZD17C75P, opens in a new tab
  • BZX384-B6V2SOD-323Zener diode, 2 pins, Nexperia
    What it is
    Zener diode
    Maker
    Nexperia
    Package
    SOD-323
    Pins
    2
    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:
    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 BZX384-B6V2, opens in a new tab
  • CESDLC5V0K5SOT-363ESD protection diode, 6 pins, JSCJ
    What it is
    ESD protection diode
    Maker
    JSCJ
    Package
    SOT-363
    Pins
    6
    Details
    ESD protection diode, VRWM 5 V
    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:
    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 CESDLC5V0K5, opens in a new tab
  • CESDLC5V0M5SOT-563ESD protection diode, 6 pins, JSCJ
    What it is
    ESD protection diode
    Maker
    JSCJ
    Package
    SOT-563
    Pins
    6
    Details
    ESD protection diode, VRWM 5 V
    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:
    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 CESDLC5V0M5, opens in a new tab
  • F-CESDLC5V0M5SOT-563ESD protection diode, 6 pins, JSCJ
    What it is
    ESD protection diode
    Maker
    JSCJ
    Package
    SOT-563
    Pins
    6
    Details
    ESD protection diode, VRWM 5 V
    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:
    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 F-CESDLC5V0M5, opens in a new tab
  • 1 more part has no package on record
    • BCR402UDigital transistor (resistors built in), Infineon
      What it is
      Digital transistor (resistors built in)
      Maker
      Infineon
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      Not recorded
      Source
      From the manufacturer's datasheet

      Is it dead?

      Ohms range, part lifted. The datasheet gives the built-in resistors: R1 in series with the base, R2 from base to emitter.

      Working, it reads

      Base to emitter reads about R1 plus R2 either way round, about 20 kΩ on a 10 k and 10 k part, give or take their wide tolerance. Collector to emitter reads open. A part with no R2 reads a junction behind R1 one way instead.

      Dead, it reads

      • Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 Ω with a continuous beep: shorted.
      • From the base, open or far above R1 plus R2: R1 has failed. Static damage shows here most often.
      • Base to emitter near 0 Ω: failed short.
      On the board:
      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:
      The readings depend on the resistor values, so an identical part elsewhere on the board is the surest reference. Measure it the same way.
      Watch for:
      On the diode range a good part with 10 kΩ resistors reads open on every pair, so a good part looks dead there. Use the ohms range.

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

      Datasheetfor BCR402U, opens in a new tab
18 more parts are printed with a code easy to misread as L2

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.

  • 2N7002printed 12SOT-23N-channel MOSFET, 3 pins, Nexperia

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    N-channel MOSFET
    Maker
    Nexperia
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Details
    N-channel enhancement mode Field-Effect Transistor (FET), 60V, SOT-23
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

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

    Working, it reads

    Red probe on the source, black on the drain: about 0.4 to 0.9 V, the body diode. Open the other way. The gate reads open to both other pins, both ways.

    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. Often all three pins end up shorted together.
    • No body diode at all: failed open.
    On the board:
    On the board the gate usually has a resistor to the source, so gate to source reads that resistor, which is not a fault. A drain short can be the load. 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.

    Datasheetfor 2N7002, opens in a new tab
  • BC846printed 1ZSOT-23NPN transistor, 3 pins, Infineon

    Printed 1Z on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    NPN transistor
    Maker
    Infineon
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Details
    65 V, 100 mA NPN general-purpose transistor
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Diode range, part lifted or its base leg off the pad.

    Working, it reads

    Red probe on the base 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:
    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 BC846, opens in a new tab
  • BZD17C4V3Pprinted I2SOD-123FZener diode, 2 pins, Vishay

    Printed I2 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Zener diode
    Maker
    Vishay
    Package
    SOD-123F
    Pins
    2
    Details
    4.3 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:
    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 BZD17C4V3P, opens in a new tab
  • CESD5V0J4printed 12SOT-353ESD protection diode, 5 pins, JSCJ

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    ESD protection diode
    Maker
    JSCJ
    Package
    SOT-353
    Pins
    5
    Details
    ESD protection diode, VRWM 5 V
    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:
    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 CESD5V0J4, opens in a new tab
  • DTA123EE3printed 12SOT-416Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in), 3 pins, ROHM

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in)
    Maker
    ROHM
    Package
    SOT-416
    Pins
    3
    Details
    PNP digital transistor (bias resistor built-in); R1 = 2.2kOhm, R2 = 2.2kOhm
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Ohms range, part lifted. The datasheet gives the built-in resistors: R1 in series with the base, R2 from base to emitter.

    Working, it reads

    Base to emitter reads about R1 plus R2 either way round, about 20 kΩ on a 10 k and 10 k part, give or take their wide tolerance. Collector to emitter reads open. A part with no R2 reads a junction behind R1 one way instead.

    Dead, it reads

    • Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 Ω with a continuous beep: shorted.
    • From the base, open or far above R1 plus R2: R1 has failed. Static damage shows here most often.
    • Base to emitter near 0 Ω: failed short.
    On the board:
    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:
    The readings depend on the resistor values, so an identical part elsewhere on the board is the surest reference. Measure it the same way.
    Watch for:
    On the diode range a good part with 10 kΩ resistors reads open on every pair, so a good part looks dead there. Use the ohms range.

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

    Datasheetfor DTA123EE3, opens in a new tab
  • DTA123EEBprinted 12SOT-416Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in), 3 pins, ROHM

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in)
    Maker
    ROHM
    Package
    SOT-416
    Pins
    3
    Details
    PNP digital transistor (bias resistor built-in); R1 = 2.2kOhm, R2 = 2.2kOhm
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Ohms range, part lifted. The datasheet gives the built-in resistors: R1 in series with the base, R2 from base to emitter.

    Working, it reads

    Base to emitter reads about R1 plus R2 either way round, about 20 kΩ on a 10 k and 10 k part, give or take their wide tolerance. Collector to emitter reads open. A part with no R2 reads a junction behind R1 one way instead.

    Dead, it reads

    • Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 Ω with a continuous beep: shorted.
    • From the base, open or far above R1 plus R2: R1 has failed. Static damage shows here most often.
    • Base to emitter near 0 Ω: failed short.
    On the board:
    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:
    The readings depend on the resistor values, so an identical part elsewhere on the board is the surest reference. Measure it the same way.
    Watch for:
    On the diode range a good part with 10 kΩ resistors reads open on every pair, so a good part looks dead there. Use the ohms range.

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

    Datasheetfor DTA123EEB, opens in a new tab
  • DTA123EKAprinted 12SOT-23Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in), 3 pins, ROHM

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in)
    Maker
    ROHM
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Details
    PNP digital transistor (bias resistor built-in); R1 = 2.2kOhm, R2 = 2.2kOhm
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Ohms range, part lifted. The datasheet gives the built-in resistors: R1 in series with the base, R2 from base to emitter.

    Working, it reads

    Base to emitter reads about R1 plus R2 either way round, about 20 kΩ on a 10 k and 10 k part, give or take their wide tolerance. Collector to emitter reads open. A part with no R2 reads a junction behind R1 one way instead.

    Dead, it reads

    • Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 Ω with a continuous beep: shorted.
    • From the base, open or far above R1 plus R2: R1 has failed. Static damage shows here most often.
    • Base to emitter near 0 Ω: failed short.
    On the board:
    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:
    The readings depend on the resistor values, so an identical part elsewhere on the board is the surest reference. Measure it the same way.
    Watch for:
    On the diode range a good part with 10 kΩ resistors reads open on every pair, so a good part looks dead there. Use the ohms range.

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

    Datasheetfor DTA123EKA, opens in a new tab
  • DTA123EMprinted 12SOT-723Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in), 3 pins, ROHM

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in)
    Maker
    ROHM
    Package
    SOT-723
    Pins
    3
    Details
    PNP digital transistor (bias resistor built-in); R1 = 2.2kOhm, R2 = 2.2kOhm
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Ohms range, part lifted. The datasheet gives the built-in resistors: R1 in series with the base, R2 from base to emitter.

    Working, it reads

    Base to emitter reads about R1 plus R2 either way round, about 20 kΩ on a 10 k and 10 k part, give or take their wide tolerance. Collector to emitter reads open. A part with no R2 reads a junction behind R1 one way instead.

    Dead, it reads

    • Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 Ω with a continuous beep: shorted.
    • From the base, open or far above R1 plus R2: R1 has failed. Static damage shows here most often.
    • Base to emitter near 0 Ω: failed short.
    On the board:
    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:
    The readings depend on the resistor values, so an identical part elsewhere on the board is the surest reference. Measure it the same way.
    Watch for:
    On the diode range a good part with 10 kΩ resistors reads open on every pair, so a good part looks dead there. Use the ohms range.

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

    Datasheetfor DTA123EM, opens in a new tab
  • DTA123EU3printed 12SOT-323Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in), 3 pins, ROHM

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in)
    Maker
    ROHM
    Package
    SOT-323
    Pins
    3
    Details
    PNP digital transistor (bias resistor built-in); R1 = 2.2kOhm, R2 = 2.2kOhm
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Ohms range, part lifted. The datasheet gives the built-in resistors: R1 in series with the base, R2 from base to emitter.

    Working, it reads

    Base to emitter reads about R1 plus R2 either way round, about 20 kΩ on a 10 k and 10 k part, give or take their wide tolerance. Collector to emitter reads open. A part with no R2 reads a junction behind R1 one way instead.

    Dead, it reads

    • Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 Ω with a continuous beep: shorted.
    • From the base, open or far above R1 plus R2: R1 has failed. Static damage shows here most often.
    • Base to emitter near 0 Ω: failed short.
    On the board:
    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:
    The readings depend on the resistor values, so an identical part elsewhere on the board is the surest reference. Measure it the same way.
    Watch for:
    On the diode range a good part with 10 kΩ resistors reads open on every pair, so a good part looks dead there. Use the ohms range.

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

    Datasheetfor DTA123EU3, opens in a new tab
  • DTA123EUBprinted 12SOT-323Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in), 3 pins, ROHM

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Digital transistor (PNP, resistors built in)
    Maker
    ROHM
    Package
    SOT-323
    Pins
    3
    Details
    PNP digital transistor (bias resistor built-in); R1 = 2.2kOhm, R2 = 2.2kOhm
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Ohms range, part lifted. The datasheet gives the built-in resistors: R1 in series with the base, R2 from base to emitter.

    Working, it reads

    Base to emitter reads about R1 plus R2 either way round, about 20 kΩ on a 10 k and 10 k part, give or take their wide tolerance. Collector to emitter reads open. A part with no R2 reads a junction behind R1 one way instead.

    Dead, it reads

    • Collector to emitter the same both ways, near 0 Ω with a continuous beep: shorted.
    • From the base, open or far above R1 plus R2: R1 has failed. Static damage shows here most often.
    • Base to emitter near 0 Ω: failed short.
    On the board:
    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:
    The readings depend on the resistor values, so an identical part elsewhere on the board is the surest reference. Measure it the same way.
    Watch for:
    On the diode range a good part with 10 kΩ resistors reads open on every pair, so a good part looks dead there. Use the ohms range.

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

    Datasheetfor DTA123EUB, opens in a new tab
  • ESD5Z12printed 12SOD-523ESD protection diode, 2 pins, Diotec

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    ESD protection diode
    Maker
    Diotec
    Package
    SOD-523
    Pins
    2
    Details
    ESD Protection Diodes in SMD
    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:
    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 ESD5Z12, opens in a new tab
  • MM3Z8V2printed 1ZSOD-323Zener diode, 2 pins, Diotec

    Printed 1Z on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Zener diode
    Maker
    Diotec
    Package
    SOD-323
    Pins
    2
    Details
    SMD Planar Zener Diodes
    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:
    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 MM3Z8V2, opens in a new tab
  • SMBJ24Aprinted LZSMBTVS diode, 2 pins, Vishay

    Printed LZ on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    TVS diode
    Maker
    Vishay
    Package
    SMB
    Pins
    2
    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:
    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 SMBJ24A, opens in a new tab
  • SML4742printed 12SMAZener diode, 2 pins, Vishay

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Zener diode
    Maker
    Vishay
    Package
    SMA
    Pins
    2
    Details
    12 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:
    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 SML4742, opens in a new tab
  • TSM2312CXprinted 12SOT-23MOSFET, 3 pins, Taiwan Semiconductor

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    MOSFET
    Maker
    Taiwan Semiconductor
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Source
    From the manufacturer's 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:
    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.

    Datasheetfor TSM2312CX, opens in a new tab
  • EIA-96:12printed 120603Precision resistor (EIA-96 code), 2 pins

    Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

    What it is
    Precision resistor (EIA-96 code)
    Maker
    Not recorded
    Package
    0603
    Pins
    2
    Details
    EIA-96 precision chip resistor, significand 13; the printed mark adds a multiplier letter (12A = 130 Ohm, 12B = 1.3 kOhm)
    Source
    Added by hand from a published table

    Is it dead?

    Ohms range, across it, power off.

    Working, it reads

    Its marked value, within tolerance. On the board it reads the same or lower, because everything around it sits in parallel.

    Dead, it reads

    • Open: burnt, cracked, or eaten through by sulphur. The commonest failure.
    • Well above its marked value: drifted high.
    • On the board, clearly higher than its marked value: it has failed, since the board can only pull a reading down.
    On the board:
    A reading lower than marked on the board proves nothing; lift one end. A reading higher than marked is a fault even on the board.
    Compare:
    The same position on another channel usually carries the same value, and so does the matching part on another board.
    Watch for:
    A burnt resistor usually means the part it feeds pulled too much. Find that before fitting a new one, or it burns too. The marking, not the reading, says what to fit.

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

    Datasheetfor EIA-96:12, opens in a new tab
  • 2 more parts have no package on record
    • TLV809EA26DPWprinted IZVoltage supervisor, 5 pins, Texas Instruments

      Printed IZ on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

      What it is
      Voltage supervisor
      Maker
      Texas Instruments
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      5
      Details
      Low Power 250-nA IQ and Small Size Supply Voltage Supervisors
      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 TLV809EA26DPW, opens in a new tab
    • TLV74012PDQNprinted 12LDO regulator, 4 pins, Texas Instruments

      Printed 12 on the part. Easy to misread as L2. Check that character with a loupe before you order anything.

      What it is
      LDO regulator
      Maker
      Texas Instruments
      Package
      Not recorded
      Pins
      4
      Details
      300mA, Low-Dropout Regulator With Foldback Current Limit
      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 TLV74012PDQN, opens in a new tab
23 more parts have codes that begin with L2

Codes that begin with L2

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

  • BAS31printed L21SOT-23Switching diode, 3 pins, Diotec

    Printed L21. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    Switching diode
    Maker
    Diotec
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Details
    SMD Small Signal Diodes
    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:
    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 BAS31, opens in a new tab
  • BAS35printed L22SOT-23Switching diode, 3 pins, Diotec

    Printed L22. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    Switching diode
    Maker
    Diotec
    Package
    SOT-23
    Pins
    3
    Details
    SMD Small Signal Diodes
    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:
    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 BAS35, opens in a new tab
  • CJL2013printed L2013SOT-23-6Dual N-channel MOSFET, 6 pins, JSCJ

    Printed L2013. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    Dual N-channel MOSFET
    Maker
    JSCJ
    Package
    SOT-23-6
    Pins
    6
    Details
    MOSFET, dual N-channel, 20 V, 6 A
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Diode range, part lifted. Test drain to source first, then short gate to source and test again. Test each MOSFET on its own pins, as the datasheet's pinout gives them.

    Working, it reads

    Red probe on the source, black on the drain: about 0.4 to 0.9 V, the body diode. Open the other way. The gate reads open to both other pins, both ways.

    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. Often all three pins end up shorted together.
    • No body diode at all: failed open.
    On the board:
    On the board the gate usually has a resistor to the source, so gate to source reads that resistor, which is not a fault. A drain short can be the load. 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.

    Datasheetfor CJL2013, opens in a new tab
  • CJL2016printed L2016SOT-23-6Dual N-channel MOSFET, 6 pins, JSCJ

    Printed L2016. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    Dual N-channel MOSFET
    Maker
    JSCJ
    Package
    SOT-23-6
    Pins
    6
    Details
    MOSFET, dual N-channel, 20 V, 6 A
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Diode range, part lifted. Test drain to source first, then short gate to source and test again. Test each MOSFET on its own pins, as the datasheet's pinout gives them.

    Working, it reads

    Red probe on the source, black on the drain: about 0.4 to 0.9 V, the body diode. Open the other way. The gate reads open to both other pins, both ways.

    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. Often all three pins end up shorted together.
    • No body diode at all: failed open.
    On the board:
    On the board the gate usually has a resistor to the source, so gate to source reads that resistor, which is not a fault. A drain short can be the load. 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.

    Datasheetfor CJL2016, opens in a new tab
  • CJL2019printed L2019SOT-23-6Dual N-channel MOSFET, 6 pins, JSCJ

    Printed L2019. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    Dual N-channel MOSFET
    Maker
    JSCJ
    Package
    SOT-23-6
    Pins
    6
    Details
    MOSFET, dual N-channel, 20 V, 5 A
    Source
    From the manufacturer's datasheet

    Is it dead?

    Diode range, part lifted. Test drain to source first, then short gate to source and test again. Test each MOSFET on its own pins, as the datasheet's pinout gives them.

    Working, it reads

    Red probe on the source, black on the drain: about 0.4 to 0.9 V, the body diode. Open the other way. The gate reads open to both other pins, both ways.

    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. Often all three pins end up shorted together.
    • No body diode at all: failed open.
    On the board:
    On the board the gate usually has a resistor to the source, so gate to source reads that resistor, which is not a fault. A drain short can be the load. 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.

    Datasheetfor CJL2019, opens in a new tab
  • LP2980IM5-3.8printed L21BSOT-23-5LDO regulator, 5 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L21B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    SOT-23-5
    Pins
    5
    Details
    Micropower, 50mA, Ultra-Low Dropout Regulator in SOT-23 Package
    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 LP2980IM5-3.8, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSD-1.8printed L256BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L256B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSD-1.8, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSD-2.5printed L257BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L257B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSD-2.5, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSD-3.3printed L258BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L258B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSD-3.3, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSD-5.0printed L259BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L259B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSD-5.0, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSDX-1.8printed L256BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L256B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSDX-1.8, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSDX-2.5printed L257BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L257B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSDX-2.5, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSDX-3.3printed L258BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L258B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSDX-3.3, opens in a new tab
  • LP38691QSDX-5.0printed L259BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L259B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38691QSDX-5.0, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSD-1.8printed L260BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L260B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSD-1.8, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSD-2.5printed L261BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L261B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSD-2.5, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSD-3.3printed L262BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L262B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSD-3.3, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSD-5.0printed L263BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L263B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSD-5.0, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSDX-1.8printed L260BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L260B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSDX-1.8, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSDX-2.5printed L261BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L261B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSDX-2.5, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSDX-3.3printed L262BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L262B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSDX-3.3, opens in a new tab
  • LP38693QSDX-5.0printed L263BWSONLDO regulator, 6 pins, Texas Instruments

    Printed L263B. Only the start matches what you typed, so this fits only if the rest of the marking is worn off.

    What it is
    LDO regulator
    Maker
    Texas Instruments
    Package
    WSON
    Pins
    6
    Details
    LP3869x/-Q1 500-mA Low-Dropout CMOS Linear Regulators Stable With Ceramic Output Capacitors
    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 LP38693QSDX-5.0, opens in a new tab
  • 1.5SMC12Aprinted 12ASMCTVS diode, 2 pins, Vishay

    Printed 12A. 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
    SMC
    Pins
    2
    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:
    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 1.5SMC12A, 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.