Re: [EE] Reverse engineering a product

I know some of it as I know one of the people here.
However, we found a company who specializes in this.

-Neil




On 7/26/2025 10:03 AM, smplx wrote:
>
>
> On Sat, 26 Jul 2025, Clint Jay wrote:
>
>> They're trying to avoid telling a major client the design has changed 
>> (it
>> has, it's been RE)
>> Their design house has refused to handover the files
>> All they have is a sample.
>>
>> Would not poke with a long stick, sounds dodgy as hell and like a huge
>> liability trap
>
> I've got to agree with Clint and all the other negative posts.
>
> You don't know what went on between this "entity" and the "CEM/design 
> house". There are many reasons why the designer might not want to 
> supply the files. Ranging from "failure to pay" to using the product 
> in an unsafe or prohibited manor. Even if everything goes well with 
> your client you could still end up wasting a lot of time and money 
> defending yourself for loss of earnings or patent infringment with the 
> designer.
>
>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 26 Jul 2025 at 06:50, Neil <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I'm in discussion with an entity who wants a couple products reverse
>>> engineered. It's actually their products (and have their brand), but
>>> they've parted ways with their CEM/design house who now doesn't want to
>>> hand over the design & assembly files. And they need to be the same as
>>> they are currently, else it may re-trigger a re-evaluation/approval by
>>> one of their major clients. What they need is gerbers, BOM, and 
>>> assembly
>>> files so they can continue to make the product.
>>>
>>> For one product, I have a schematic, list of component part numbers 
>>> (not
>>> calling it a BOM as there are no quantities), copper layout for all
>>> layers, and a sample assembled product.
>>> For the other product, all I have is the copper layout for all layers,
>>> and a sample assembled product.
>>>
>>> I'm trying to figure out what methods are available to reverse-engineer
>>> these products back to gerber and assembly files so they can 
>>> continue to
>>> have it made by another CEM.
>>> For one product I can pretty much re-design the board from the
>>> schematic, but not sure how to figure out the component parameters (not
>>> just values like 0.1uf, but also tolerances, thermal characteristics,
>>> etc). One is a very tight board with lots of mosfets so thermal design
>>> will be important.
>>> For the other product, I can come up with a non-valued schematic (so I
>>> know where say capacitors and resistors would be), but won't easily 
>>> know
>>> what the values are. Can all of these be measured?
>>>
>>> The products may be able to be re-engineered, but I expect 
>>> re-interating
>>> prototypes to finalize the design would be somewhat different and would
>>> take longer.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions here? Are they any design houses that specialize in 
>>> this?
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>> -Neil.
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
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>>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Clint. M0UAW IO83
>>
>> *No trees were harmed in the sending of this mail. However, a large 
>> number
>> of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.*
>> -- 
>> http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
>> View/change your membership options at
>> https://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
>>