FAQs

Q: Why would anyone want to learn how to reverse engineer a printed circuit board?

A: Some of the reasons I can think of are:

1. The PCB is obsolete and no longer supported by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or in some cases, the OEM is out of business and supply of the PCB is unavailable in the market. In such instances, the only recourse is to reverse engineer and re-produce the PCB in sufficient quantity to extend the useful life of the system.

2. The PCB you're working on has no schematic diagram and you need to do a partial or complete reverse engineer to help you get the board repaired.

3. Modification to the original PCB design is required to extend the system's capabilities but due to nature of confidentiality, the OEM cannot be involved or have foreknowledge of such changes, in which case obtaining the OEM's design files will be out of the question.

Q: Isn't reverse engineering a PCB illegal and a violation of copyright laws?

A: Whilst copyright laws exist to discourage or keep at bay would-be competitors (or even pirates) from stealing the designs and ideas for their own commercial gains, PCB reverse engineering services are still very much sought after, more as a desperate attempt to resolve the genuine problems of obsolescence or lack of support, and in such cases the PCBs reproduced are usually intended for internal consumption and not external circulation. 

It's a fine line we're treading when we do reverse-engineering of any sort. We need to ask ourselves why we're doing what we're doing, and whether we're doing it out of necessity on a personal capacity to get our job done, or out of curiosity when a certain PCB design so intrigued and interests our engineering senses that we couldn't pass it by without knowing what makes it tick. Frankly, troubleshooting and diagnosing PCBs without documentation invariably involves some degree of reverse-engineering, albeit in a less systematic and perhaps haphazard way. Prior to taking up reverse-engineering using Visio, I did what many repair technicians or engineers would do when stumped with a PCB without schematics—create partial sketches of the circuits I was analyzing, hand-drawn or with the help of primitive graphics editor.

Having said that, I personally do not endorse PCB reverse engineering to be used as a tool for anti-competition or theft of design, in which the end result is the financial lost of the rightful designer or company concerned. I believe that as an engineer, there is a code of honor to live by and uphold, by which personal enrichment and knowledge can be gained and shared, but not at the expense of others.

Q: Is it easy to learn PCB reverse engineering?

A: I'll be honest with you; Reverse engineering a PCB is by no means an easy task. Often, it is laborious because of the repetitive nature in finding and ascertaining the electrical connections between components. Also, being able to constantly visualize the schematic diagram that is slowly taking shape and having to realign the various portions of the circuitries to ensure readability requires certain artistic affinity—a skill that can usually be picked up and refined only with practice.

So my answer is no, it isn't easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it and there'll be no need for me to write my book in the first place! The good news is, it is a skill that can be learned and refined through practice. I'm a good example with about 15 years of experience, and there are others out there who are just as good as I am, if not better. But I suppose I'm the first to put into a book this coveted knowledge about doing PCB reverse engineering the manual way. You might want to go over to Amazon and take a peek at what my book has to offer to decide if it's worth your investment in time and money. :)

Q: Can't I use an EDA tool I'm familiar with or learn one to do reverse engineering instead of Visio?

A: Of course you can if you happen to be good at using an EDA software, but if you don't know or have experience with one, then I would suggest that you choose Microsoft Visio because it's easier to learn and use. 

EDA tool is usually limited to just that: designing printed circuit boards, and different EDA software has its own quirks and peculiarity you need to adapt to in order to use it effectively. Microsoft Visio on the other hand, is a general diagramming tool that can be used for all sorts of drawing, illustration and presentation works. Learning it is an advantage because you'll be able to do organizational flowchart, work process flow, networking and IT-related diagrams, floor plan layout, electrical wiring diagram, plus a whole lot more. Best of all, it is integrated with Microsoft Office so you can import and export data between Word, Excel, Access database, etc. and if you know VBA programming you can even extend the capability of your Visio drawings further.

Q: How do I go about learning Visio?

A: For starters, go to Microsoft's website to download a trial copy of Visio (which comes with a 60-day trial period) and install it on your PC. You can then do the following, in no particular order:

1. Run the Visio application and play around to familiarize yourself with its workspace environment and shape templates. Visio is very much a Windows program with the standard interfaces and features which you should have no problem finding your way around. You can always press F1 to get the Help menu with its step-by-step guide on how to perform a certain task.

2. Google online for tutorials, from basic getting started guides, to intermediate level instructions on shape creation and manipulation, on to the more advanced VBA programming for customized solutions.

3. Get a good book on Microsoft Visio. There are plenty of them (I've included four in the Visio section), so read the reviews and recommendations before you part with your cash.

4. Join a forum where you can interact with fellow Visio users, ask questions and in the process make a friend or two who'll be able to share their knowledge and experience with you.

There you go, it's not that difficult, is it?