Break IC, Recover MCU, Microcontroller Reverse Engineering

Posts Tagged ‘circuit card reverse engineering’

PCB Reverse Engineering Rationale is to extract wiring diagram from existing printed circuit board which has been out of production or not easy to get access to the new purchasing due to various reasons;

One method of controlling the high costs of replenishment spares is by pcb reverse engineering.

PCB Reverse engineering is the process of duplicating an item, functionally and dimensionally, by physically examining and measuring existing parts to develop the technical data (physical and material characteristics) required for competitive procurement. 

The PCB reverse engineering process may be performed on specific items which are currently purchased sole-source. This may be due to limited data rights, in inadequate TDP, a diminished or non-existent source of supply, or as part of a Product Improvement Program (PIP).

Normally, PCB card cloning will not be cost effective unless the items under consideration are of a high dollar value or are procured in large quantities. Such items may be reverse engineered if an economical savings over their acquisition life cycle is demonstrated, and if other methods of acquiring the necessary technical data for competitive reprocurement are either more costly or not available.

Article quote from MLK-HDBK-115A(ARMY)

PCA Reverse Engineering, also known as printed circuit board redesigning, is using clone technology onto the PCA which was designed and manufactured by others, it is to use PCB with mounted components related software to copy someone else’s PCA and then manufacture it by yourself.

This is the tradditional explanation for circuit card reverse engineering. with the PCB reverse engineering technology development, the impact and scope of this industry continues to expand rapidly, and the definition of PCB board reverse engineering also extend from the narrow sense that: PCB card clone only refers to extraction of PCB file from electronic circuit board and then restore it;

To the wide sense that pcb clone not only include PCB file extraction, Circuit Board Reverse Engineering and other related technical aspect, but also modify PCB file, the shape of the mold for electronic products, extraction of 3-dimensional model data on a variet of electronic products, compile the components list assembled on the PCA as well as individual data sheets on each component where available, decrypt microcontroller on the circuit board, crack encrypted IC on the PCB, moreover, inverse assemble the firmware of PCA Board and etc, a whole set of circuit board restoration technology.