The Final Lap...

I'm into the final lap of writing my seventh engineering book—the three R's of Solutions to Obsolescence. These include Appendices (Comparison Matrices, Glossary of Terms, and Strategy Selection Card), Acknowledgements, and a comprehensive Index for better reference.

I intend to just release a full-color, hard cover edition. It will not be as "affordable" as the other engineering books but I will keep the price below $100, if possible. Color printed books are not cheap to begin with, and for Amazon KDP it can come up to 3-4 times that of plain black and white print edition.

But I assure you, my readers, that it will be worth every cent to get a copy of this book when it is ready. The amount of work put in to ensure quality content and images are definitely not mesasured in dollars and cents.

I look forward to your support, through purchase and by word-of-mouth recommendations. It's been a grilling yet rewarding journey for the past couple of months. I believe there will be more engineering books to follow, if things work out for my collaborations with ASTER and the Singapore Army.

So stay tune for new updates.

Release Announcement!

(Click on book cover to order)

For readers who have been following the progress of my memoir, I'm happy to annouce that the final draft has been completed and submitted for publication on Amazon KDP. It will be available for order on March 23, 2026.

It has been an emotional journey retracing the steps I took from a boy of nine whose first exposure to electronics led to a career which, if I may put it succinctly, brought not only immeasurable joy and fulfillment but a treasure trove of knowledge that resulted in a legacy of six engineering books to the PCB-RE community.

Now that the snapshots of my memories have been put into print, there is no more regret as far as I can honestly attest. The only hope I have now is that readers around the world will be inspired by my words to go farther and do better in their own journeys.

I look forward to your support and reviews in the days ahead. Take care and stay safe, my friends!

 

The Urge to Write

Being able to live a fulfilling life is one thing. Being able to pass on what you know to posterity is entirely another.

The urge to write had been growing for years. Quietly at first, then more persistently. It whispered to me during quiet moments at the workbench. It nudged me when I explained a concept to a junior engineer and saw understanding dawn in their eyes. It tapped me on the shoulder when I read technical books and thought, I could do this. I have something to say.

The urge to document. To capture what I had learned. To share it with others who might need it. But stepping out of my comfort zone—leaving a well-paid, promising career—was something most people would think twice about. Three times. Forever.

I was no different. I thought about it constantly.

I talked to Bernice about my dream of writing books. At first, she was taken aback. Her mind went to the obvious places: problems at work, burnout, the nine-to-five grind finally getting to me.

But after understanding where I was coming from, she advised that I take small steps instead of plunging headlong into it. I heeded her advice and arranged with my company to work part-time while attempting my first book.

This was another transitional phase of my career life. I looked forward to it with excitement and anticipation.

Will the dream of authoring my own book materialize? Or will it just be a temporary distraction—something I dabbled in and then abandoned when the reality of writing proved harder than the fantasy?

Only time would tell.

 

A Personal Thread

Through all these years, through all the work and teaching and quiet accumulation of expertise, another story was unfolding.

I had joined the Air Force to support my family after my father's heart attack. That commitment never ended. Even after my siblings graduated, found their jobs, married, and moved away, I remained. As the eldest son, I took on the role of caregiver for my aging parents.

After father passed on, I continued to care for my mum, to be present, to fulfill the role I had accepted so many years before.

It wasn't easy staying single all those years.

My mother, like mothers everywhere, would often bring up the subject of starting my own family. Gently at first, then more persistently as the years passed. She worried. She wondered. She hoped.

I would just smile and tell her, "When it comes, it comes."

And then, in my early forties, it came.

Through the help of a friend, I got to know this wonderful woman. Her name was Bernice. She was kind, intelligent, patient—all the qualities one hopes for in a life partner. We connected in ways I hadn't expected, hadn't even realized I was missing.

A little late, perhaps. Most people start families earlier. Most people have decades together before retirement approaches.

But as they say: better late than never.

 

The Black Art of PCB-RE

Every trade has its expert, and every master craftsman has his tools.

PCB-RE engineers are no exception. More so, when it comes to doing this work manually—by hand, by eye, by patience and persistence. In my fifteen years of reverse engineering printed circuit boards and modular electronic units, I've come to appreciate the importance of having a good set of tools on hand. Not just the basic toolkit, but the essential ones. The ones that make the difference between frustration and flow.

Tools alone aren't enough. You also need strategy. Different types of PCBs require different reversing strategies.

Analog PCBs deal with continuous signals—voltages that vary smoothly, like audio or sensor readings. Digital PCBs deal with ones and zeros—logic levels, binary signals, data buses. Mixed-signal PCBs combine both worlds. They have analog sections, digital sections, and the circuits that connect them—analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, and their supporting components. 

Power PCBs are their own beast. They handle higher voltages and currents, and their design is driven by different priorities—heat dissipation, efficiency, safety.

Here's something important to understand:

PCB-RE is not just about finding the connectivity of a circuit board to recreate its schematic diagram. That is the primary focus, yes. But it's not the whole story.

A lot goes into figuring out circuit topologies and functionalities. You need to arrive at a logical understanding of how the components are related, how they work together, why the designer chose this arrangement over that one. Only then can you achieve accuracy and reliability in the reversing process.

A traced connection tells you that two points are connected. It doesn't tell you why. It doesn't tell you what signals flow across that connection, or what those signals mean, or how they interact with other parts of the circuit.

That deeper understanding comes from study. From reading datasheets. From recognizing common circuit patterns. From asking, over and over: Why did they do it this way?

Learn from others, yes. Absorb their methods, their insights, their hard-won wisdom. But then develop your own technique. Find ways to surpass your own limitations. And if possible, surpass the authors who taught you.

That's how the art advances. That's how each generation builds on the last.

 

The Seasons of Life

In setting out to write a memoir of my life, I have pondered on the paths I've taken. Not every one of them are by choice, but each has had its own share of challenges and surprises. From a boy watching his father fixed things around the house, to a student learning electronics, to an apprentice in the military and established engineer in the commerical sectors, until today as a self-published author sharing my thirty years of experiences, I have walked through my own seasons of life.

And this is precisely how I will frame my lifestory—as a four-part narratives:

1. The Academic Years
2. The Air Force Years
3. The ST Electronics Years

4. The Author Years

Nothing fanciful, really. Just authentic and personal. There are valuable life lessons that I am still able to recall, for now, and these anecdotes will interweave with the work experiences I will be sharing with my readers.

Hopefully, it will inspire more engineers to embrace their work as a calling, and not just a career. At least that's what I hope my memoir will achieve, if nothing else.

 

Dear Reader

The Preface is an introductory section that explains the story behind a book's creation, and is written by the author. In all my engineering books, I always include one with my motivation for writing, the scope of the subject covered, and sometimes the relevance of my experience.

In writing my own memoir, I decided to use the personal address "Dear Reader" in place of the usual term. And there are good reasons. Firstly, it is about my life story. Secondly, it is directed to my readers. And thirdly, it is meant to be a gift—an impartation of something personal and dear to me—the memories of a journey forged in adversities, uncertainties, yet much to be grateful about.

Here is a fragment of what I have written, a foretaste if you may:

Dear Reader

The book you hold in your hands began not as a book at all, but as a series of moments—small decisions, unexpected turns, challenges faced and overcome. For much of my life, I did not think of my journey as remarkable. I was simply doing what needed to be done: learning my craft, supporting my family, solving the problems that landed on my workbench.

It was only later, after thirty years in the engineering trenches, after I had written six technical books and begun to reflect on the path that brought me there, that I realized my story might have value beyond the circuits and schematics.

This is a book about electronics. But it is also a book about life. The two, I have come to understand, are not so different.

A circuit is a system of connections. Components linked by traces, signals flowing along paths designed for purpose. When the system works, we barely notice it. When it fails, we must face and resolve the issue—tracing the broken connection, identifying the failed component, understanding why the expected behavior has stopped.

Life is the same. 

We are all systems of connections: to family, to work, to dreams and duties and the people who depend on us. Life's circuit has a way of completing itself—not always as we expected, not always along the path we would have chosen, but in ways that can surprise us with their wisdom and their grace.

I hope this glimpse will create an anticipation for the upcoming memoir, just like the six engineering books before it, one that is engaging and filled with words of inspiration to learn from my trade, but this time, from my own life. For the past ten years, I have found much joy in writing and sharing my knowledge in electronics, whether it's reverse engineering a PCB, deciphering a schematic, or diagnosing a failure. I hope you, my readers, have found the joy of reading them too.

In gratitude.

 

A Memoir in the Works

It's been almost three years since I wrote "PCB Diagnostics", the last of my engineering books. After diverting to writing sci-fi and other genre of faith-related books, I felt it's time to retrace my life's journey from a high school electronic hobbyist to a full-fledge engineer. 

Few engineers write their own memoirs and I can understand why. Writing is hard, Writing about your engineering knowledge (and expertise) is harder. But writing about your own life's journey on this aspect? Believe me, it's much, much harder.

So what prompted me to write my own biography? Well, age is catching up on me and my health isn't as good as it's used to be. So before I pass off the scene, I thought, "Heck, why not tell the story of my life and how I arrive at where I am now?" I'm sure readers of my engineering books would love to know the intricate details of those personal anecdotes which I mentioned in passing in several of my works.

Here is the book cover concept and back blurb:

As most readers are aware, I have the habit of creating the book cover and blurb to give me a handle before I start out to write the content. It helps me focus on my task better——in this case, my life story.

This work is of a different nature, though. It will have a mixed of engineering and emotional stuff weaved into a personal narrative. Readers who enjoyed my engaging style of writing will most certainly not want to miss out on this opportunity to know, really know the author behind the books they found helpful in learning the black art of PCB-RE.

So keep a look out for the progress. And leave a comment if you are a fan of my books. I would love to hear from you and be inspired to write more, if health permits.

Stay well and safe, my friends!

Sci-Fi Extravaganza!

(Click on picture above to go to the blog)

I've been away from this blog for quite a while, but I'm not completely disengaged from it, nor do I have the intention of abandoning it. Truth is, I've been busy with something else——writing a book of a totally different genre. As the post title suggests, I am currently writing a hard sci-fi romance novel. And now that I'm near finishing, I thought it is time to announce it to my readers who're following this blog. 

This is my first attempt at sci-fi narrative. Readers may wonder why I chose this seemingly unrelated path in my writing endeavor. Well, for one thing, this has also been my dream all along. But being an engineer by trade, my interest and focus is in passing on my knowledge to the engineering community, to leave a legacy if you will for future generations of engineers who want to take up this niche skillset of PCB reverse engineering.

But after finishing my sixth and last engineering book (PCB Diagnostics) some time last year in February, I felt quite burned out on this genre of writing. Not that I do not have any other skillset or knowledge to impart, but eight years writing the same kind of related stuff can be quite stifling even for any prolific writer, much less an indie author like me. 

Recent years have seen advancements in the fields of AI, quantum computing, and neurosciences. I've kept myself abreast on these development and wonder if there is a way to integrate these elements into a coherent sci-fi narrative. That's when I suggested to my wife and she seemed quite excited at the prospect. So, after some deliberation, I decided to give it a go.

The result——HAVAH, a love that transcends the metaphysical realm. Readers who bought my engineering books would have been familiar with my writing style. The novel will be no exception, except (pun intended) that you can expect more of my creative demeanor in the storyline and the colorful characters. And it's not just a sci-fi romance. Through engaging dialogues in the novel, readers will be exposed to a plethora of issues and questions accompanying these technologies that are shaping and changing the world we're living in.

My primary purpose for writing this novel then, is to create awareness of the changing landscapes and encourage healthy, constructive discussions that will prepare us to embrace the inevitable future, and not be caught off-guard and find ourselves being left behind. 

I hope to release it by end of this month. As usual, there will be a print edition to be followed by an electronic edition later on. Readers can keep track of my progress by simply clicking on the banner on top of this post to go over and take a look.

Do spread the word around to family or friends who enjoy reading science fiction. Cheers and take care in the new year!

 

Scarier Than Halloween?

For the most part of my engineering career, I performed repairs (surgeries) on countless PCBs. It didn't dawn on me that one day, I would have to undergo one myself. Warning: graphic image in this post, so be warned!

Recently I had a regular dental visit to clean my teeth. My dentist friend noticed the gum above my front top left incisor was darkened and inflamed. She did a check and found recesses of 5mm and 9mm around the affected tooth. X-ray revealed the foundation of that incisor had eroded, and she advised me to see a gum specialist.

She cautioned if I leave it untreated, the incisor would slowly loosen and ultimately come off. Moreover, periodontal disease is known to likely affect the brain and heart. After giving it some thought, I accepted her advice. She recommended me a gum specialist and I made an appointment for consultation the following week.  

The day came and I visited the specialist's clinic for a more thorough examination, after which he proposed a perio guided tissue regeneration (GTR) procedure to help secure and save the incisor and the neighboring teeth. A quick discussion with my wife and I went ahead with the surgery on the same day. The surgeon administered about ten jabs of anesthesia around the area before carrying out the procedure (I will spare you the gory details). It was over in about 45 minutes and I was prescribed two courses of antibiotics, anti-swelling medication, mouthwash, and painkillers.

The surgery set me back $1500 but in view of the risk of loosing my incisor and possibly my health, it's a price worth paying. Thankfully, the wounds are healing well and I didn't end up looking like a hamster. Will be going back for review in two weeks' time. 

Meanwhile, I'm taking baby food and resting as much as needed...

 

Steal and Escape

Two days ago, I received an email from a guy by the name Jason Richard out of the blue.  Here are his words:

A few months ago, I sent Joe a picture of the hardware hacker library I was building at work and asked him to do the same. After a few messages he felt that I needed your new books for the collection, so he sent them to me.

Things were unfamiliar, but not daunting... Until I got to page 149. That might have been scariest thing I've seen as I imagined someone asking me to RE it. After a few minutes of terror and intense imposter syndrome, I settled down and thought about it. Afterwards, I kept reading to understand how you would tackle the problem. Once again, I'm loving the information you are providing and am wondering if you ever thought someone would classify your books as a thriller? 

Don't ever say, "this is my last book"! For a 40-year-old man just getting into this subject, I need your knowledge. Thank you again. 

I was somewhat taken aback when I read that he classified my books 'as a thriller'. Who is this Jason Richard, anyway? After doing a Google search, I found a man by that name that matched his email address, and who owns the following company:

With so many online scams going on these days, I felt a need to exercise some caution. Since he mentioned he knew Joe (Grand, I suppose), I wrote an email to the Kingpin to check if he had indeed sent him my books. This morning, I received Joe's reply:

Thanks for checking - Yes, Jason is a friend of mine. I sent him a few of your books to add to his ever-growing bookshelf. He's hungry and eager for knowledge! 

Hmm... A founder of a high-tech escape room business in San Diego interested in PCB-RE? That's odd but interesting. But at least now I understand why he'd consider my books on this niche skillset 'a thriller', coming from his adventure games background. That figures. Maybe I'll write a reply and suggest to him the possibility of including reverse engineering skill into his escape room adventure. I'm sure it will be the next big hit!

Well, just a thought, anyway...

 

PCB-RE: A Niche Skillset

A novice starting out to learn PCB reverse engineering usually begins with a multimeter and the simple notion that it's all about finding the interconnection points between components on the circuit board. In truth, it's not entirely correct. If it were that simple, electronic engineers the world over would be doing it.

Like the game of Go, the basic rules of PCB reverse engineering is easy to pick up, but mastering the skill requires time and certain know-how, if you want to shorten the learning curve and avoid costly mistakes and pitfalls. That's the reason I set out to write the sequel book PCB-RE: Tools & Techniques. To some measure, I was prompted by readers to give this niche topic a more complete treatment; also, I was driven by the desire to enhance my own learning journey by leveraging from the expertise of engineers who are willing to share their knowledge in their own peculiar field and experience using equipment and approaches I might or might not have heard of.

Here is the table of content for this book:

While it is by no means complete (which book can claim that?), it's nonetheless thorough in the fields of interest presented. As one reader aptly commented: 

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It has many chapters on all sorts of techniques to reverse engineer printed circuit boards, with the intent of either replacing them with identical boards that no longer exist or determining the schematic for debugging a faulty circuit.

So take it from the likes of renown individuals and companies like Joe Grand (aka Kingpin), John McMaster, Bill Loving and Jeff Rupert (and their remarkable team from ScanCAD International, Inc.), Bob Elder (Teel Technologies), Fraser Castle (a seasoned engineer in multiple disciplines), Dr. Sergei Skorobogatov (University of Cambridge), etc. It is my firm belief that:

The best experiences of our engineering careers and endeavors can become a lasting legacy for future generations of engineers.

If the Art of PCB Reverse Engineering is the de facto reference for PCB-RE, this book is definitely the companion supplement to it!

My Profile as an Engineer

Formerly, I worked as a test engineer in the home-grown defense industry, Singapore Technologies under the Engineering arm. I was privileged to be trained and had worked on the following automated test equipment (ATE), and developed over 30 test program set (TPS) projects:

1. Schlumberger S700 Series Testers

 a. S720 Functional Tester
 b. S730 In-Circuit Tester
 c. S750 Combinational Tester
 d. CADAT concurrent fault simulator
 e. CATS 10000 hardware modeller
 Programming language: Mediator

2. Teradyne Testers

 a. Spectrum 8851 In-Circuit
 b. Spectrum 8852 Combinational
 c. M910 Digital Test System
 d. Inline Device Programming (ILDP)
 Programming language: C

3. F5E Tiger Aircraft

 a. AITS Test System
 b. P200 Power Supply Tester
 Programming language: ATEasy and 
 PowerBasic

4. F16 Fighting Falcon

 a. DATS/2000 Test Station
 b. LASAR simulator
 Programming language: ATLAS-716

5. AS332 Super Puma

 a. Apodis SDC/CCU Test Station
 Programming language: ATEasy

Of course, no test station is standalone or self-sufficient on its own, and I had the opportunity to work on the following test and repair equipment:

 1. Data I/O 3900 Device Programmer
 2. Altera Device Programmer
 3. Acugen ATGen Test Vector Generator
 4. Pinpoint Workstation
 5. QMax QT150 and QT200 Testers
 6. Polar Toneohm 950 Short Locator
 7. Polar PFL780 Fault Locator
 8. ABI System 8 Test Systems
 9. PACE Soldering & Rework Station
10. ERSA SMT Rework Station

In retrospect, it was an exciting and fulfilling engineering career I had which allowed me to put my valuable experiences into print, though the current six engineering books cover less than half of what I knew and did. It's a shame that my seven years endeavor could not afford me the luxury of full-time writing to continue imparting my knowledge. Perhaps one day, if there is a turn of fortune, I may return to complete what I left undone. Hopefully it will not be too little, too late...

 

The Art of PCB-RE

Since it's debut in November 2015, The Art of PCB Reverse Engineering has been a consistent best seller among my books, though not the best seller on Amazon (far from it). It underscores the point of having a good textbook resource on this niche topic which sadly, is still quite lacking after nearly eight years since I penned my experiences.

While PCB-RE has not received the attention it needed, I believe that with the emphasis on 'Repair Don't Waste' to encourage recycling instead of discarding to save the earth, perhaps more people will see the importance of this special skillset in the repair and refurbish industry in the not too distant future.

For those who have yet to get their copy of this now de-facto and classic work on PCB-RE, here is a breakdown of the chapters:

To many engineers PCB-RE is a black art because of its coveted nature (not many in this field are willing to share their knowledge and know-how). However, I can assure you that it's not as difficult as you think, though some pre-requisites are essential to avoid pitfalls when you start out on the journey.

Chapters 2-4 make up the bulk of the book and teach you how to identify and organize the component data necessary to begin PCB-RE on a board without documentation. The drafting tool of my choice is Microsoft Visio, though if you are good at another 2D CAD software, it works just as well. It's the process that's important and that's what I emphasize in the book. Drawing the PCB layout and schematic diagram is really a matter of personal style, and I really encourage you to develop your own that works for you.

That said, I hope you would at least give Visio a try and see for yourself how versatile and powerful its features are. There are some things that will only connect when you learn it first hand, and I can tell you from personal experience that no other 2D drafting tools even come close to Visio. Don't believe me? Get the book and go through the examples in chapter 5 and you'll wonder why you didn't take up Visio sooner.

Then, of course, I will point you to other resources that can enrich your PCB-RE journey, one of which is the darling of the DOS era: the OrCAD suite of engineering software tools (SDT, VST, PCB, PLD, and MOD), which once sold for $4,995 but is now free for download at one of the Old DOS Communities.

The Art of PCB-RE took me almost a year to write while working part-time. It's one of the most challenging book I took on but I'm glad I did, with the support of my understanding wife. At least I know that I now have a legacy for future generations of engineers who will make a difference to the world when they apply what they learn to reduce wastage and increase the operational life of the equipment they're servicing.

Hardwear.io USA 2023

Just last Sunday, Antriksh Shah from Hardwear.io contacted me on LinkedIn and expressed interest in procuring two sets of my PCB-RE books, hoping to give them away as prizes for participants in the upcoming Security Training & Conference at Santa Clara Marriott:

I was delighted with this first encounter and readily offer the books at a discounted price, along with complimentary copies of two other books, Deciphering Schematics and PCB Diagnostics. I am sure the winners would be excited to receive these books should they come out top among the competitors.

If you have not yet signed up for the event, you can go to this link to find out more about the talks and trainings offered. Who knows, you may be one of the lucky winners!

 

A Pleasant Email Surprise

Just this morning, I received an email from someone who attended Joe Grand's Basic Hardware Hacking course and was given a signed copy of Manual PCB-RE: The Essentials:

Here's the content (partial) of the email (reproduced with permission):

Subject: Thank you for the knowledge

I received your book from Joe Grand after his "Basic Hardware Hacking" course (I'd like to think he gave it to me because I was the best) at hardwear.io 2022. I've been into hardware for quite a while (I own a tech heavy escape room that uses a large amount of Arduinos and Raspberry Pi's). I recently retired from the Navy and attended Joe’s course because I wanted a deeper understanding for my new job.

Currently I work for a small company that does RE and penetration testing. While everyone has their unique skill set, I fancied myself the "hardware hacker" of the group. In the last 10 months I have learned so much and would frequently thumb through your book for answers. It wasn't until three months ago that I brought your book home and read it from cover to cover. Then I picked up two more of your books.

To be frank your books scared me into taking anything apart...initially. I realized that although I was doing a great job on my tests, I could be doing a much better job. I lacked the methodical approach you take with your projects. The way you have written your books makes it seem as if you were sitting next to me teaching me the ways of the trade. I plan to get all your books as I create a "hardware" section for our company.

I want to sincerely thank you for making such amazing books. I find myself re-reading the same sections because there is so much information. Some of your ideas seem so simple and obvious, but I know it's because you learned them the hard way and are saving me years by not learning the same lessons through pain. 

It certainly made my day and my wife's as well.

I reckon that many readers felt the same way (the red highlighted text above), because I believe in engaging my readers on a personal level through my style of writing. This is my method of 'coaching' to transfer my knowledge as a fellow engineer and friend, not a lecturer or instructor.

As this reader told me, he had wanted to write to me earlier but could not find my email address, until he bought The Art of PCB Reverse Engineering and found it in the ending of the Preface section. So if you have something to say to me, and have a copy of this book, look it up and have your say. My wife and I would love to hear from you too!

Take care and stay safe, as always.

hardwear.io USA 2022

It's an exciting time at the Delta Hotels in Santa Clara as the much awaited hardwear.io USA 2022 event kick-started. Below is the schedule of the two-day programmes:

Many experts from various fields of hardware hacking will be giving their talks, demonstrating their tools and techniques, and answering questions from participants. Among them are keynote speakers Joe Grand and Window Snyder, and invited speakers Andy Nguyen, Cristofaro Mune, Damien Marion, Duy-Phuc Pham & Annelie Heuser, Daniel Genkin & Roei Schuster, David Kaplan, Derek & Ryan Chow, Francesco Restuccia, Karim Abdellatif, Laura Abbott, Sick Codes, Steffen Robertz, Steve Povolny & Sam Quinn, Jay Cox & Nic Watson, John McMaster, and Marcus Richerson.

A day or two before the event, speakers and hardwear.io staff could be seen setting up their wares and equipment to impress the participants:

Of course, such a large-scale event could not have happen without strong support from sponsors like Google, Leviathan Security Group, Quarkslab:

I'm certain those who made it to this event will have a smashing time learning new skills and winning some prizes, not to mention meeting these hardware legends in person.

hardware.io PCB-RE Book Giveaways

I seldom receive more than three notifications on my Twitter account, simply because I'm quite careful who I follow to prevent being overwhelmed with indiscreet posts. However, today I received 20 post notification from a single thread started by hardwear.io featuring Joe Grand aka 'Kingpin':

Was wondering what's causing the buzz and realized there was a book giveaway promotion featuring my latest work, Manual PCB-RE - The Essentials:

This is certainly one effective way to create interest and draw a following to an event, much like ScanCAD who give out two of my books at their exhibition booth in-country and across Europe, with much fanfare and success in attracting potential customers to link up with their businesses. Another company that give away my books is Teel Technologies which specializes in providing training workshops on Mobile Forensics.

If you're running a seminar, workshop or exhibiting your business at a trade fair, maybe you want to consider this idea as well. Take it from the pros and see your sales improve!

The Chameleon

What has a chameleon got to go with PCB-RE? Observant readers will notice that a colorful chameleon is featured on the bottom right side of my fourth book, Manual PCB-RE: The Essentials:

The chameleon is an interesting species of the reptilian family. Besides its ability to change skin color to match the surrounding environment, it has a pair of pinhole–sized eyes that can pivot and focus independently, allowing it to observe two different objects simultaneously with a 360-degree arc of vision around its body. It also possesses a sticky long tongue over twice its body length that enables it to catch its prey at a distance with precision and speed.

Similarly, a PCB-RE engineer must possess the ability to adapt to different types of PCB technology, with eyes for expansive and miniscule details, as well as the resourcefulness to grow beyond present limits with each project undertaking. In other words——be like the Chameleon!

This fourth and final book on PCB-RE gives you all the essentials on how to master the manual method of PCB reverse engineering. Using a Gigabyte GeForce 8600GT as a teaching aid, readers are introduced to several technologies involved in the design of today's graphics card, from the PCI-e bus, PWM controller chips, RGB-DVI video interfaces, dual data rate (DDR2) memories, to Nvidia's  illusive G84 series GPU and proprietary SLI bus, as well as HDCP ROM and GPU BIOS Flash——all within one single book!

So if you want a fast-lane, no-frills introduction to these interesting topics (besides picking up one of the ultimate methodology I developed over 15 years of doing PCB-RE), then grab a copy of the book by clicking on the front cover above to order. Joe Grand's endorsement is your surest guarantee!

Joe Grand's Foreword

After three months of waiting, Joe Grand's Foreword to my book, Manual PCB-RE: The Essentials is finally done and incorporated. Here's the announcement from the 'kingpin' himself in his Grand Idea Studio website:

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. But I'm sure you can be confident about the content of a book by the kind of person who endorsed it!