PCB Reverse Engineering

How ABL Circuits Reverse Engineers a Board

We start by removing every component from the board and calculating its value.

This is usually the hardest and most time-consuming part of the job, since components are often obsolete and we need to source a working alternative.

Once we've compiled a full Bill of Materials, we move on to the board layout itself. For a single or double-layer board, we measure and redraw the layout directly on our CAD software. For multi-layer or more complex boards, we x-ray the board first to get an exact reading of the internal layout before reconstructing it in CAD.

That CAD data is then used to photo-plot and manufacture new boards, without the cost and delay of sourcing obsolete original components. The new board is built to function the same, or often better, than the original.

Why the New Board Isn't an Exact Replica

Copying a board exactly would mean tracking down the same components originally used, many of which are no longer in production. Instead, we substitute in readily available, improved components where needed, so the new board performs the same job, sometimes better, without the cost and delay of hunting down obsolete parts.

Depending on the components involved, there may be very slight differences in layout, though this doesn't affect how the board performs.

Where a board design is protected by copyright, we won't reproduce another company's work.