EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
Electronics => Beginners => Topic started by: dds on September 16, 2013, 08:53:52 am
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Is that possible? If yes, can somebody describe the process?
Thanks! :)
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You hire a shady company in eastern Europe or Asia, send them the board, pay the price and if you are lucky you get gerbers and schematic back. Google something like "pcb reverse engineering service china".
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Is that possible? If yes, can somebody describe the process?
If all components can be identified and all component pins are accessible, then use a multi-meter, do pin-pin measurements to see what is connected. And bring a lot of patience.
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Or use JTAG boundary scanning if there are ICs with JTAG support on the board:
EEVblog #499 - What is JTAG and Boundary Scan? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlWlLeC5BUs#ws)
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What I've heard, they scan the PCB, mill away a layer so the next layer is exposed, then scanned... rinse and repeat until done. Some software to process the scans et voila.
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What I've heard, they scan the PCB, mill away a layer so the next layer is exposed, then scanned... rinse and repeat until done. Some software to process the scans et voila.
'Cause that solves the problem of packages where you can't get at all the contacts (e.g. BGA).
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If you don't want to remove components and go through sandpaper-wash-scan process using Cheap (~$500 off ebay), used dental x-ray machine with film pressed to the PCB (~$30 box of Fujifilm). Developed film should have low granularity and can be scanned and magnified to great extent later. Some people tried to use SLR cameras with these dental machines, but I think film gives better results especially with those cheap x-ray machines. I guess I don't have to mention that you should pint machine down and be like 5meters away in another room when you push the button (they usually come with remote).
With sanding it is easy to go wrong and remove just a bit too much and it is very dusty and hard to remove layers of PCB evenly.