Author Topic: Strategy for reverse engineering a simple PCB  (Read 1399 times)

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Offline NivagSwerdnaTopic starter

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Strategy for reverse engineering a simple PCB
« on: December 22, 2018, 06:11:14 pm »
Please see attached image

I would like to draw a schematic for the following PCB (I also have a scan for the bottom layer)...

It is a simple 2 layer board from the 1980s which replaces some custom Konami silicon which is now unobtainium

Are there any tools that allow me to draw a PCB but then go backwards to the schematic?

Thanks in advance
 

Offline helius

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Re: Strategy for reverse engineering a simple PCB
« Reply #1 on: December 22, 2018, 06:24:54 pm »
Are there any tools that allow me to draw a PCB but then go backwards to the schematic?



More seriously, I think some EDA programs do have the ability to link layout and schematic editors, but they are not designed to be used to infer a schematic from a layout.
 

Offline soldar

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Re: Strategy for reverse engineering a simple PCB
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2018, 07:51:41 pm »
I have successfully done this by taking photos or scans of both sides and then working with them with a graphics program like Photoshop but you still have to do a lot of manual work confirming paths, connections, etc. It is very time consuming but it can be done.
All my posts are made with 100% recycled electrons and bare traces of grey matter.
 

Offline amyk

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Re: Strategy for reverse engineering a simple PCB
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2018, 07:55:45 pm »
Post both sides, someone may help. ;)

What I do is put the parts in the same relative position in a schematic editor, then draw the traces in the same way.

Besides the top left component (which appears to have been sanded), everything else there looks like standard TTL.
 

Offline NivagSwerdnaTopic starter

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Re: Strategy for reverse engineering a simple PCB
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2018, 08:04:07 pm »
Thanks.  Maybe DaveCAD is a good approach.

The circuit should be logically divided into three... but I haven't worked out the detail yet
 


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