components ID'd as something else?

[jessenator]

Has anyone found a rhyme or reason for a component tester identifying a device as something it isn't?

I was going through some new NPNs and occasionally it will ID it as a thyristor. No matter what pin config I use in the test, it comes back as a thyristor. Does that suggest that the part in question is in some ways faulty, and would not be good to use in a circuit?

edit:
e.g. I have both 3904 and MPS6512 NPNs showing as Thyristors. Small number, but curious about it all the same.

[jwin615]

It could be faulty as thyristors are of NPNP construct, but I've also had issue with mis-ID when I seated them in the clamps poorly and a leg got between the sidewall and clamping mechanism.

Edit: just making sure you went through the calibration procedure for the new meter...
Short all 3 and long press iirc.

[jessenator]

It could be faulty as thyristors are of NPNP construct, but I've also had issue with mis-ID when I seated them in the clamps poorly and a leg got between the sidewall and clamping mechanism.

Edit: just making sure you went through the calibration procedure for the new meter...
Short all 3 and long press iirc.

Yeah, that's what got me thinking about it—being EE-lite, I looked up thyristor to see.\

I tried every bit in the ZIF clamp with the legs, and then moved on to the probes, mixing them around, seeing if it would change. Nope :/ 

I did run through the self-test (and then did it again once I ran into these NPNs), but nope. oh well. it was only a total of 6, but still that's 6 more i'd like in the collection