Russia Fines Its Own Lab $1.3M for Failing to Clone Analog Devices Chips

The Ministry of Industry and Trade demanded 123.5 million rubles from the Technological Center based in Zelenograd. The laboratory, which started as an offspring of the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology back in the Soviet era, signed a contract to develop a domestic alternative to American microchips.

Instead of delivering shiny prototypes of high-speed digital isolators in November 2019, the center dragged its feet for an impressive 951 days, finally hand-delivering some sort of results only in June 2022. Out of the 140.4 million rubles allocated for the project, they managed to actually perform works worth a mere 27.9 million rubles, apparently spending the rest on something far more intellectually stimulating than microchip design.

The target of this high-tech cloning operation was the legendary iCoupler ADuM series designed by the American titan Analog Devices. These chips are crucial for keeping high-voltage spikes from frying sensitive control electronics, a feature highly coveted by both industrial manufacturers and military hardware designers. The Russian clone was supposed to handle data transfers up to 150 Mbps with robust galvanic isolation, but instead, it only isolated the researchers from their state funding. This latest penalty is actually a sequel, following a prior 58.7 million ruble fine slapped on the very same team for the exact same delay.

Pouring millions into Soviet-era research institutes and expecting them to magically recreate modern global semiconductor supply chains overnight is a bold strategy. Watching state bureaucrats fine their own state scientists for failing to build a time machine back to the silicon age is peak administrative comedy.