Microsoft Visio 2016

When I wrote my first engineering book on PCB-RE back in 2014-15, I was using Microsoft Visio 2007 for illustration. The current book which I'm writing will feature Visio 2016, which is a much improved and streamlined version. Here is a two-page sample:

Since coming across Visio twenty years ago when it was sold by Shapeware, I have never looked back or considered any other drafting tool for my work. As far as I'm concern, Visio is still the best 2D CAD program for its ease of use and powerful features. And I'm sure my readers would readily agree after going through those beautifully created diagrams found in my PCB-RE trilogy books.

If you have not tried it, I suggest that you download an evaluation copy from the Microsoft site and give it a go. You'll not regret it.

PCB-RE Preparation Checklist

There are things that often bear repetition. This is especially true if you are doing PCB reverse engineering which requires not just the skillset but also the supporting information and trade tools. As I mentioned in The Art of PCB-RE, there are four basic consideration when beginning a PCB-RE project:

1. Accessibility of the probe points
2. Bill of Materials
3. Conformal coating
4. Datasheets

I termed them the ABCD of PCB-RE preparation work which in a nutshell summarizes the key areas to help you decide whether to proceed or call off the attempt. Of course, as most readers would realize, there are more to the above involved in real-world PCB-RE practice. This is just the appetizer, not the main dish. Nevertheless, it is still an important serve.

Perhaps there are those who work best with a kind of standard checklist. Well, your wish is granted! I've just completed the chapter on preparation work for my upcoming book, Manual PCB-RE: The Essentials and included the following checklist:

I'm releasing it here for the benefit of my readers and hopefully it will be useful for your PCB-RE preparation work just as it did for me. It's free for personal use but if you intend to put it in your article or blog, please respect an author's copyright and either make mention of the source or include a link to this post.

Take care and stay safe, my readers.

Some Statistics

This blog began in February of 2017. Less than four years into its run, it has garnered over 24,000 views by readers from 117 countries worldwide. That's exactly 60% of the countries in the world based on the 195 figure given by Wikipedia. Of these countries, the top 10 have over 100 readers and the leader, which is US, has over 1000.

It would be nice to have more engineers interested in this niche topic visiting and finding information that will help them in their PCB-RE journey. This can only happen if current readers help spread the word in electronic forums and social media to create greater awareness.

With the current CoVid-19 situation and many staying and working from home, perhaps it's a good way to spend time reading up on this subject and preparing yourself with a new skillset that will prove invaluable to your career when the lockdown or restriction is finally lifted.

Think about it and invest your time wisely, my friends.

Preface to Book IV

Since completing the trilogy to the PCB-RE subject, I had thought that my mission in writing this niche topic is done. The idea of a fourth book, an essential guide to the manual PCB-RE approach, was hatched in the midst of writing my third book, but I shoved it aside due to other commitments. It was only during the CoVid-19 circuit breaker period that had given me the time to re-visit it and pondered over a suitable candidate for the book.

Here is the preface to book 4:

Manual PCB-RE was given a basic treatment in my first book, The Art of PCB Reverse Engineering, using a simple network adapter card to illustrate the steps involved using Microsoft Visio 2007. Besides the detailed instructions on how to create the layout and schematic diagrams, there is also a chapter on Advanced techniques to tap into the power of Visio's Smartshapes.

In the trilogy, PCB-RE: Real-World Examples, I showcased a more complex board that is through-hole with some SMD components, applying the mixed-signal methodology to solve the connectivity puzzle and produce a complete 3-page schematic diagram. This, along with other practical examples, should be enough to get readers new to PCB-RE to a fresh start.

However, I am aware that there are those who just want a no-frills guide to quickly launch them into the deep waters, with the essential know-how to handle surface mount PCBs with all the trappings and real challenges these boards present. After looking into my inventory, I came upon and decided on an Nvidia GeForce 8600GT graphics board which has all the making of an interesting PCB-RE project to work on.

It's by no means an easy PCB but I thought why not give it a try and re-live some of the good moments I had? So here I am, spending at least 3-4 hours a day with this graphics card in front of me while typing away on my keyboard, and drawing the illustrations using Visio 2016. The good news is, I have just completed three out of the five chapters outlined in my preface, including a smashing great chapter on the layout diagram. The fourth chapter is currently in the works but the real challenge will be to reverse engineer the board itself, which I foresee will take up more time and effort than the other chapters put together.

Of course, there will be two introductory chapters that cover the tools of the trade as well as knowledge and skillsets of PCB-RE, additional resources to enable an apprentice to go further, and also tons of information in the appendices for reference. So stay tune and look out for more news.

Charity vs Piracy

It is a sad fact that book piracy is rampant and unstoppable in this internet age. Illegal downloading of books might not cost the person downloading them or the scumbag who stole the content in the first place, but it costs the one person who should really be rewarded for his or her months of hard work, the author.

Increasingly, though, it seems that those who are looking for free copies of pirated books are falling victims to phishing scam sites that ask gullible users to hand over their credit card information before proceeding to download their ostensibly free copies. It begs the question: is it worth the risk and trouble just to 'steal' a meager amount from a hardworking full-time author who spent so much time and effort to produce a book?

Granted, there are authors who made millions from their best-selling titles; but these are the rare breed amongst the sea of writers, many of whom are driven by a desire to share their valuable knowledge and invaluable experience through printed materials or electronic mediums. Surely they deserved to be treated with respect and dignity, not plundered and deprived of their means to keep them writing.

For me, being an indie author, I have stated before that a percentage of my book's earnings (which is not really much since I'm a non-US resident or citizen, I'm subject to a further 30% withholding tax) goes to charity. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, I was able to contribute to two organizations, namely the cancer society and the kidney foundation; but the present crisis has hit the world economy really hard and book authors are not spared either. After some deliberation, I had to cut down to just supporting one.

I'm not sure if there are readers out there who manage to get an illegal copy of my book(s). If you do, I do not intend to pursue the matter. All I ask is that you buy a meal for the poor or homeless around your neighborhood and that will be enough. A kind heart is what makes us all human, and what goes around... comes around. You never know when you'll need a helping hand.

Take care and stay safe, my friends.

Ps: For those who own illegal copies of my book, I would appreciate that you do not proliferate the piracy further by sharing with others or putting them online for free download, else you will be no different from the scumbags who do it for ill-gotten gains at the expense of others. Thank you.