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 29, 2026

Is Refurbishing Viable?


Refurbishing is not suitable for every product. The table above summarizes the sweet spot. The rule of thumb is simple: If a product's value is more than 3-5 times the cost of common replacement parts, and safety does not depend on its exact original tolerances, refurbishing is viable. 

However, refurbishing is not a panacea. Engineers and asset managers must recognize its boundaries. Refurbishing does not reset the fatigue life of mechanical components. A refurbished fan motor with new bearings still has an aged stator winding. Intermittent faults or degraded components (e.g., capacitors near end of life) may not be detected. Also, a refurbished product typically lasts 30-60% as long as a new one, and refurbished items usually have shorter warranties with added conditions.

Always do your homework and be realistic in your expectations.

 

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