To My Readers



If this is the first time you're visiting my blog, thank you. Whether you're interested or just curious to find out about PCB reverse engineering (PCB-RE), I hope you'll find something useful here.

This blog contains many snippets of the content in my books to provide a more detailed overall sampling for my would-be readers to be better informed before making the purchase. Of course, the book contains more photos and nice illustrations, as evidence from its cover page. Hopefully, this online trailer version will whet your appetite enough to want to get a copy for yourself.

Top Review

I started doing component level repair of electronics with (and without) schematics more than 40 years ago, which activity often involves reverse-engineering of printed circuit boards. Although over the years my technical interests have shifted into particle beam instrumentation, electron microscopy, and focused ion beam technology fields, till this day——and more often than not——PCB repairs have returned multiple multi-million-dollar accelerators, FIB, and SEM instruments back to operation, delivering great satisfaction and some profit.

Many of the methods described by Keng Tiong in great details are similar to the approaches I've developed, but some of the techniques are different, and as effective and useful as efficient and practical. Systematic approach and collection of useful information presented in his books are not only invaluable for a novice approaching PCB-level reverse engineering, but also very interesting reading and hands-on reference for professionals.

Focus on reverse engineering instead of original design provides unique perspective into workings of electronics, and in my opinion books by Keng Tiong (I've got all three of them) are must-read for anybody trying to develop good understanding of electronics——together with writings by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill, Phil Hobbs, Jim Williams, Bob Pease, Howard Johnson and Martin Graham, Sam Goldwasser, and other world's top electronics experts.

Valery Ray
Particle Beam Systems Technologist

Friday, May 6, 2022

Nostalgic Fontasy

When I wrote my first engineering book on the PCB-RE subject, I was more focused on the content than the presentation, and took little notice of the font type and style. As a result, some would-be buyers were turned away by the 10-point Calibri typeface which, though not a bad font, is rather uncomfortable to read for those with myopia issue. (To be honest, this fact had been bugging me for quite a while but I just did not have the time to address it and put it to rest.)

Subsequently, when I wrote the sequel and trilogy, I changed the font to a 12-point Franklin Gothic Book typeface which is easier on the eyes for those preferring printed copies. But I still retain the old format for 'The Art' book out of nostalgic sentiments. After all, it is my very first piece of work. Seven years down the road, I decided that a facelift is due so without much fanfare, I did a revamp and changed the font type to Franklin Gothic Book as well. This will ensure consistency for all my PCB-RE series. Here is a side-by-side comparison sample page:

I have also re-done the book cover (front and back):

Those who bought my original edition can take comfort in knowing they now own a 'limited edition' that is no longer in circulation. (Heck, it might become a collector's item in a few years time, who knows?) For those who have yet to get a copy of 'The Art' book, this change might just be the nudge you need.

Now I can finally put this behind me and get back to writing my next engineering book...

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