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"Anticounterfeiting" technology

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    "Anticounterfeiting" technology

    I've got a gizmo that uses a pair of coils to detect the presence of an "authorization" device that ensures it is only used with "genuine" products (think: toilet paper dispenser; you want to make sure only YOUR toilet paper can be used in it! Or, toner cartridges or...)

    The coils are about 3/8" diameter, stacked one atop the other (small gap). Three conductors so think of the coils as one, larger "center-tapped".

    The portion of the "replacement cartridge" that fits inside this coil effectively limits the volume of the "magic bean" to roughly that of a 1W carbon-comp resistor (i.e., there's a fair bit of plastic packaging involved that eats up much of the volume).

    I don't have an example of a genuine product (cartridge) to examine. And, the circuitry is completely integrated -- just three wires from the coils heading off to an ASIC -- so no way to see what's going on in the "accepted" case (nor any way to jumper around the "authenticator mechanism").

    I suspect the design must recognize "no cartridge present" as well as "wrong cartridge present" -- which implies there are multiple "identities" that the gizmo has to be able to detect/differentiate.

    Before pulling out a DSO, I figure the things that the circuit could likely look for would be the amplitude of a "sensed" AC signal fed back from one coil (while the ASIC drives the other coil). This would work if a small diameter pair of coils was inserted between these (i.e., provide a particular gain in the windings ratios)

    I'm sure other aspects could be used (alter the phase of the sensed signal, etc.). But, the space limitation (AND the cost -- note that you are making a disposable item!) is an issue.

    Ideas as to what they may be doing? Or, suggestions as to most fruitful way to proceed?

    #2
    Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

    Originally posted by Curious.George View Post
    I've got a gizmo that uses a pair of coils to detect the presence of an "authorization" device that ensures it is only used with "genuine" products (think: toilet paper dispenser; you want to make sure only YOUR toilet paper can be used in it! Or, toner cartridges or...)
    Sounds like something the Bush Jr. era Motorola would do, they would have seemed to think that it was cool to crack down on consumers using chargers on the go...

    It also reminds me of what I would expect, or find to be plausible, with OEM vehicle anti-theft systems, as well... (Usually in the housing of a standard key, and at least since the later-2010s, push-button start became a regular thing, thus, just tiny boxes with buttons that you carry instead...)
    Last edited by RJARRRPCGP; 02-09-2018, 04:40 PM.
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      #3
      Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

      With printer cartridges, the companies are basically fuelling the problem, and I have seen printers on sale at prices worth more than the cartridges from time to time which would highlight the pricing problem.
      My first choice in quality Japanese electrolytics is Nippon Chemi-Con, which has been in business since 1931... the quality of electronics is dependent on the quality of the electrolytics.

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        #4
        Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

        RFID tag?

        Sounds hard to reverse engineer without a known working cartridge.
        "Tantalum for the brave, Solid Aluminium for the wise, Wet Electrolytic for the adventurous"
        -David VanHorn

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          #5
          Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

          Yeah it does sound like some type of RFID tag.
          Originally posted by PeteS in CA
          Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
          A working TV? How boring!

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            #6
            Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

            most likely it's sweeping the frequency range and reading the reflection - then comparing it to en eeprom.

            that's how modern coin validators scan and identify coins.

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              #7
              Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

              Need antifleecing.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

                Originally posted by RJARRRPCGP View Post
                Sounds like something the Bush Jr. era Motorola would do, they would have seemed to think that it was cool to crack down on consumers using chargers on the go...
                It is fairly common for manufacturers to "lock down" their products -- with or without "just cause" (e.g., you can argue that only certified reagents should be used in the operations performed by a medical instrument; OTOH, its kinda hard to claim that there is a valid reason -- in the customer's interest! -- to restrict the types of rolls that can be installed in a toilet paper dispenser!)

                I know a medical device manufacturer that sells "chipped" 2 oz bottles of "distilled water" for use with their product (really? what's so magical about distilled water? Or, are you fearful that someone will use NONdistilled water??).

                [Of course, the price of these specially designed bottles isn't $0+cost of chip!]

                Printer cartridges used to just be chipped for "authentication". Then, folks figured they could just refill "genuine" cartridges and get around that measure -- so, now they incorporate "fuel gauges" so they stop working after a "typical number of copies".

                Phasers had specialty shaped ink blocks to ensure the correct color was placed in each slot. Then, addressing the correct model number forced even more varied shapes.

                Laptop manufacturers added whitelisting to keep folks from installing aftermarket wireless cards. Then, when this was beaten by BIOS patchers, they decided to encrypt and sign the BIOS...

                Toilet paper rolls are either too narrow, too wide, "oblong" or modified in some other manner to make them incompatible with "other" toilet paper products.

                In each case, though, the aspect that makes something harder to CASUALLY counterfeit is of very low cost. E.g., cutting the toilet paper wider/narrower as you roll it onto its core, molding the ink into a different shape, etc. Adding any real RECURRING cost is a bad idea as it drives up the cost of your "genuine" product relative to potential competitors -- esp if (when!) someone figures out how to subvert your protections!

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                  #9
                  Re: "Anticounterfeiting" technology

                  I have always tried to base my purchase decisions, well printer wise anyways upon it being laser, second hand, multi function with duplex and most importantly the availability of cheap after market toners. Not that I get through a lot of toner anyway, I have a samsung scx 4500 still on its original toner cartridge and they are cheap enough to replace.
                  Last edited by llonen; 02-10-2018, 07:41 PM.

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