chinese counterfeitng

@mr_m 
exactly why we proof test all that sort of stuff before usage and then put a tooling or equipment tag on it with a retest interval....expensive to say the least but as you know and appreciate safety is everything

which is one reason why the firm I worked for on the really critical stuff did our own chips w IBM foundry in usa.....

@whart there is a city in China w unsavory sectors that specializes in the washing of chips and restencil w aerospace grade part numbers.....faking the provance of the chip is much more difficult and time consuming...

so for example in orbit under low G solder w tin grows whiskers, which in fairly short order, pardon the pun, shorts the chip....
running special batches with no tin for low volume is expensive, hence the incentive to cheat....

Audioquest will check this for free, have your seller ship to them before payment and IF good they issue certificates of authenticity, then you pay
IF counterfeit, AQ destroys cables....,
IF your seller puckers, consider that....,,

@whart having worked in that industry space, defense and commercial it is a known problem with much invested to keep those products out of the supply chain..... but they try and sometimes especially in Maintenance/ repair / overhaul get far along.... most get caught....