Identifying Fake STM32

AScha.3 · ‎2025-04-02

Split from Black Pill: Debugging STM32F103RCT6 in Keil Fails to Enter main()

just about your "not genuine" statement:

>- No "ARM " marking

Same here on a F103 by STM , should be genuine, because its st-link on a F3-discovery board !

>- There is a notch and a hole-like on one of the corners.

Exactly same "problem" for many users, using the chip in a rotated position, because they took the "big" point as pin 1 indication. Exactly this is on many H743ZI and H7A3Z chips , we have here.

Same on the F303 on the disco board, also " a notch and a hole-like on one " in the cornes.

So maybe all these are "fakes", also on the discovery board i have here, or

you take a little time and look at the products of the company you working at.

Then decide, what is fake or genuine...

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mƎALLEm · ‎2025-04-02

@AScha.3 wrote:

Hi @mƎALLEm ,

Same on the F303 on the disco board, also " a notch and a hole-like on one " in the cornes.

hole-like -> the circle looks like a hole and deeper than it should be. Nothing to do with STM32 packages:

No "ARM" but at least a QR code (already mentioned before)

In any case we don't support these Blue/Black pill boards as , by history & experience, don't feature a genuine STM32.

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AScha.3 · ‎2025-04-02

@mƎALLEm ,

so just a pic from one of the boards i just see around here in office:

has:

- no ARM logo (and for sure is big enough, LQFP144 )

- deep small hole , at pin 1; even 2 (!) others, a flat big and a flat, with extra plateau in center.

+ made in TWN , obviously.

Now: fake or not ???

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mƎALLEm · ‎2025-04-02

Here we are talking about STM32F1. You can open a new thread for this picture F4. <-- split to separate thread

Each product has its own marking and it's continuously changing.

@AScha.3 wrote:

- deep small hole

Not the same hole. The one he shared has a hole with a prominent cylinder from the bottom.

For the picture he shared I'm 99.99% it's fake.

Look at the the corners of the chip image he shared it has a notch in the bottom left of the corner. STM32 doesn't have a such particular "cut" in the corner.

And we know that STM32F1 was the most one targeted by the counterfeit.

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