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Frequently asked questions about reverse engineering and printed circuit boards

What is reverse engineering?
Reverse engineering means taking your existing printed circuit board and developing a structurally identical, functionally identical, operationally identical PC board using current technologies, techniques, and materials.

What’s the difference between reverse engineering a printed circuit board, and simply cloning it?
Cheap PCB-cloning services do exist. But … copying your PCB that way could restrict your parts sourcing, expose you to liability, and cost you more money in the long run. For more details, see our article, Copying a Printed Circuit Board.

Is reverse engineering an existing PC board legal?
Yes, for two reasons.

First, you already own the board.

Second, reverse engineering produces a PC board that is electronically identical, but not a copy. The trace route, for instance, is almost always different.

Can reverse engineering be used to update old circuit board designs?
Yes, absolutely – we’ve done numerous projects in which an existing circuit board was simultaneously reverse engineered and upgraded, to take advantage of more-common components or to integrate more-efficient technologies.

How soon can you get started and how long does it take?
How soon can you get us your project specs and existing circuit board? We’re ready whenever you are.

The whole process typically takes 4-6 weeks, although if you’re in a hurry we do offer rush service.

Once my PCB is reversed, can I use your drawings and specifications to manufacture offshore?
We provide all the manufacturing files you need to have your circuit board manufactured anywhere in the world: fully detailed schematics, industry-standard Gerber files, drill files, bill of materials, and more. See the article on our Thoughts on Reverse Engineering PCBs offshore.

My current printed circuit board (PCB) supplier has gone bankrupt, how do I proceed?
We can reverse engineer from the board itself. Please see How to get started.

Our engineer has left the company and no one on staff knows what to do with all of our files.
We can work with the information you have and turn it into industry standard formats. We can also produce prototypes and production quantites of new boards for you.

We have purchased the assets of a company but none of the electronics information survived.
We can recreate the original electronic schematic, bill of materials and gerber file data for you and we can also update the designs saving you time and money.

How do I get started?
Please click here for specific information on how to get started, call us or contact us with your project details!

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