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!

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!

ScanCAD News Update

Readers who bought my sequel book, PCB-RE: Tools & Techniques, will be familiar with the ScanCAD product featured in one of the chapters, The Art of Perfect PCB-RE. The contributors, Bill Loving (CEO) and Jeff Rupert, presented many aspects of this niche skillset and weighted the pros and cons of the various industry practices. It's a comprehensive eye-opener for those beginning on this engineering endeavor and provides a concise summary for amateurs and professionals alike.

Recently, I was alerted to a new update on ScanCAD's core software release version 8.80 which spots a much improved interface that promises a far better user experience and workflow.

I believe the basic process involved using different tool or equipment with this software should still be similar, but with a more simple, intuitive and streamlined workspace as stated. Readers interested to find out more can visit their web page here.

Have a great weekend!

Intermission Interview

For readers who wondered about the ScanCAD edition of PCB-RE: Tools & Techniques, it's not been formally published but wholly reserved as a marketing and distribution material for ScanCAD's use. If you managed to get your hands on a copy at one of these exhibitions the company participated, count yourself lucky!

Still, I would like to fill my readers in on a rare email interview I had with the CEO, Bill Loving, the details of which was recorded in the said edition. Here is the transcript:

It's not often you get the chance to talk to someone in the PCB-RE industry with a wide portfolio in terms of exposure and experience, much less to share what they know about their tools and trades. So when I was fortunate enough to get in contact with William Loving, the CEO of ScanCAD International Inc., I was tempted to ask him a few questions:

Me : Why is PCB-RE fast becoming an important and indispensable industry?

Bill : PCB-RE is a respected and much needed business activity in the world today. The tools and processes covered in this book are used globally by many companies and even governments to keep legacy systems running and to recover design data that has been lost.

Me : Do you think PCB-RE tools are susceptible to abuse for piracy purpose?

Bill : Any tool or process can be used for good or bad——it's a function of the user. We like to think that our family of customers are working for the good of all concerned. Sure, there will be some bad apples in the group, but we think it's very, very rare in our crowd. Like your good self, we do not condone illegal or unethical activity that will hurt the interest of any individual, company or organization.

Me : How do you think ScanCAD can benefit the PCB-RE community or companies?

Bill : Having been in the business for 27 years, I see PCB-RE as having a greater impact and positive influence not just on a community or company. Having worked with over 1000 companies across 48 countries, I dare say that our products contribute to the overall well-being of our environment. How, you ask? By keeping legacy systems running, we are extracting more value from our earth's limited resources that have already been used to produce existing electronics and systems. Keeping them out of landfills and in operation is a good steward thing to do. This helps on several levels: reduces the waste, extends use of resource and productivity, reduces air and water pollution since new systems do not need to be made to replace the old, etc. In some cases, a PCB may represent only a fraction of the mass of a large system, yet this PCB can cause the entire system to be scrapped if it can't be replicated. Now, that's a big multiplier effect!

Me : Do you foresee yourself and your team doing PCB-RE for the next 30 years?

Bill : ScanCAD will be around for a long time for sure. Like my colleague Jeff said, we have a dedicated and very capable team, with very good people who strive to be a positive influence in the world and do what's right. If I might add, they are also fun to work with! PCB-RE is a strange little niche——one that we enjoy doing——and one that your book has given us some interesting perspective to look at too.

There you have it! End of intermission.

Trilogy Controversy (Part 3)

The rocky mountains of Colorado are not only a majestic sight to behold, situated in the midst of this scenic setting is the office of a remarkable company that has as its mission to help other companies manage the precious resources of our planet by means of PCB-RE. If you haven't guess it, ScanCAD International is what I'm talking about.

I had not the faintest idea what I was getting myself into when I posted my request via the company's online portal, without any particular expectation that it would get read or answered. Just one day after ScanCAD auto acknowledgement of my request, I received a courtesy email from Jeff Rupert, the director of sales and business development of the company. Wow... did I strike gold or what...? I went into overdrive and wrote a reply with a more formal and detailed introduction of myself and the sequel book I was writing, indicating the areas of interest for the PCB-RE subject.

Jeff, as I began to call him, became interested and got his CEO, Bill Loving, into the picture. Before the dust settled, I was already corresponding with these two heavy weights of the company that has a long history in the PCB-RE practice, with businesses spanning 1000 companies in 48 countries. That's pretty mind boggling to say the least.

Incredibly, Jeff took on the challenge to write the chapter dedicated to ScanCAD's diverse approaches with Bill overseeing the progress. There were discussions back and forth as we exchanged ideas and views on the content and presentation. When the first draft was done, Bill roped in his team of staff to do a thorough proofreading, listing out grammatical and typos so meticulously and stringently you'd thought we were doing audit on a major contractual document! When we were finally done and satisfied, the chapter had not only become the largest in the book but also the most informative on their product ever assembled. It's a win-win situation which both parties could walk away with a great sense of satisfaction.

As usual, I included Bill and Jeff's bios to give them credit with acknowledgement to their staff as well for doing a fantastic job. At my request, they submitted the following portfolio photos:

In appreciation for their tremendous contribution to my sequel book, I produced a ScanCAD edition featuring their chapter as a promotional material which they are free to reproduce and distribute to customers and at international exhibitions.

Bill was kind enough to pen the Foreword to both books and even bulk ordered my books as additional giveaway gifts and bonuses. What set out as a humble request from an obscured author ended up as a windfall that rekindled my passion in writing and confidence in knowing there are people who not only believed in what I do but went further to support my works. I felt deeply indebted to these wonderful people who made writing the book worth every bit of toil and sweat.

And if I may add, they ARE the motivational force behind my writing the trilogy book...

(To be continued)

Foreword - Going Forward...?

Waiting. Still waiting. Not just for me, but for many of my readers and those who are following this blog as well. So when will Michael Dunn come back to me on his review of my book, or pen the Foreword that I reserved the honor for him? I have no idea.

Just the other day, I entertained the thought of getting an alternative choice: William Loving, the CEO of ScanCAD International, who has been very supportive of my work since it's inception. So I wrote an email to him and asked if he would be interested to put in a word for the Foreword. He readily agreed and here it is:

I would very much like to hear from my readers whether to continue waiting for Michael's response, or to go ahead and incorporate this Foreword into the book so it can be released for publication. Of course, I will still keep the option open for Michael should he decide to come back at a later date. After all, it's not uncommon to have two persons writing the Foreword.

So please leave your comments in this post so I can proceed from here. Thanks!

DMC/DMSMS 2017

Bill Loving, the CEO of ScanCAD International, just sent over a photo to inform me that my books are on display at ScanCAD's Booth for the exhibition event in Tampa, Florida:

Just last month, they were at Productronics 2017 in Munich, Germany. Bill told me he had given away a box of the books to his distributors in Europe. Interesting news indeed...

Well, you may want to drive over to the Tampa Convention Center to take a look. The Exhibition is on until December 7. Who knows, you might be able to secure a free copy... while stocks last!

ScanCAD Edition

As mentioned in my previous post, I've come up with an interim edition for ScanCAD International Inc. while writing the chapters for the full version of the book. This special edition is now in the final works and will be delivered to ScanCAD in 1-2 weeks time. Below is a 2-page sample:

It gives a rough evaluation of the chances of doing PCB-RE using different approaches for a medium complex 4-layer board. Besides the table and charts, there's also further explanations given for the FPT, X-ray and delayering techniques (not shown). As a bonus, I have included a rare interview with the CEO of ScanCAD on his views about PCB-RE too!

Their next stop will be at Productronica 2017 in Munich, Germany on November 14-17. Interested readers in Europe who are going to this exhibition, do keep a look out for ScanCAD's booth...

Good News, Bad News

First the bad news:

My upcoming book, PCB-RE: Tools & Techniques, will be further delayed due to the non-committal attitude of the last contributor on the FPT and JTAG chapters. This is an unfortunate turn of event and I felt bad for the other contributors who have put in their time and effort, though it was not my fault entirely. In the end, I decided it is better that I write the chapters myself than to depend on someone who keeps playing the delaying game with me.

Like I put it in advance at the ending of the book:

I'm not a person who gloss over details on a subject or task I set my mind to learn or undertake, which is why contributors to the various chapters in this book can appreciate my editorial expectations on their works to ensure readers have the best overall reading experience.

And now the good news:

Bill Loving and Jeff Rupert of ScanCAD International, Inc. have been strong supporters for my book and in view of the delay, I have proposed a special ScanCAD edition to the book for their upcoming exhibitions:

They will be giving away free copies of this book and also my first engineering book The Art of PCB Reverse Engineering to existing and potential customers. So keep a lookout for ScanCAD's booth at these events:

SMTA Guadalajara 2017 - Guadalajara, Mexico - October 18-19, 2017 - USM Reps

Productronica 2017 - Munich, Germany - Nov 14-17,2017

DMC/DMSMS 2017 - Tampa FL, USA - Dec 4-7, 2017 - ScanCAD Booth 501

IPC/APEX 2018 - San Diego, CA, USA - February 27- March 01 ,2018 - ScanCAD Booth

That's all for now. Stay tune for more updates...