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

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

An Author's Thought

Not everyone loves to write, and fewer still take writing as a calling. In a world where literacy is on the rise, more and more people are able to read. This is especially true now that mobile technology has become an indispensable part of our modern lifestyle.

What does it take to be an author? Besides the ability to put into words what you wish to convey, passion and determination are two necessary qualities. To be honest, these days it's getting harder to become a successful author, even if you have a writing style that is engaging and can produce books that are enjoyable to read. So, why do I still want to go on writing? Perhaps, Anais Nin said it best:


Life passes on too quickly and many experiences we have are either quickly forgotten because our brains start to fail, or lost when we are gone. That's why it's important to put these precious memories into words while we still can, and in the process leave a legacy for future generations to learn and remember us. And I suspect that those who carry on writing believe in this fact:


I'm now into my 60s and I don't know how much time I have left. One thing is for sure: when it's time to go, I don't want to look back with regrets to have live in vain when I could make a difference in someone's life, or impact others for the better by sharing my life's experiences and the invaluable knowledge I gained.

So yes, I will keep on writing, until the day I breathe my last.

 

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