https://cdn.pcbdirectory.com/news/Untitled_design_9__639177037037394133.webp712370
ScanCAD International, a provider of PCB reverse engineering, inspection, measurement, and data recovery solutions, offers PCB reverse engineering services to generate circuit board design data for the replication or re-creation of existing products. The service is used to rebuild design information from physical circuit boards and supports industries including consumer electronics, aerospace and defense, medical, automotive, and telecommunications.
The company notes that original PCB design data can become lost or damaged over a product’s lifecycle due to factors such as storage failures, natural disasters, or human error. Reverse engineering enables organizations to recover the information needed to control product designs and reproduce existing assemblies.
ScanCAD also uses reverse engineering to address incomplete circuit assembly data packages. When only a bill of materials and a physical PCB are available, the company can generate bare-board design data and schematic information from the existing board.
PCB Reverse Engineering Methods
ScanCAD uses two primary methods for PCB reverse engineering:
Imaging and Data Reconstruction
ScanCAD International Provides PCB Reverse Engineering Services for Design Data Recovery and Product Re-Creation
Contact ScanCAD International, Inc. to learn more.
The first method uses a proprietary milling and imaging process to capture high-resolution, NIST-calibrated images of each circuit layer within a PCB. These images are used to reconstruct vector or Gerber data, which serves as the foundation for generating additional design information.
Using this process, ScanCAD can recreate:
- Gerber and fabrication data
- Component pick-and-place information
- Centroid data
- Netlists
- Schematic data
The company states that the method reproduces exact copper geometries and matches the original PCB’s form, fit, and function for every layer, including internal layers.
Flying Probe Test Method
The second method is a non-destructive approach based on Flying Probe Test (FPT) equipment and is used for connectivity-only reverse engineering. This process requires depopulation of the PCB, resulting in loss of board functionality, while preserving the bare board structure. ScanCAD notes that this method does not capture internal copper geometries.
Engineering Outputs
ScanCAD generates bare board fabrication data, including Gerber RS274X, Excellon II Drill, ODB++, and IPC-2581 files. The company also provides component and assembly data such as ASCII Pick and Place files, component centroid information, and IPC netlists, along with supporting documentation including bills of materials and schematics.
According to ScanCAD, these deliverables support the recreation, documentation, and continued manufacture of existing electronic products when original design records are unavailable or incomplete.
Click here to learn more about the PCB reverse engineering services.
