Reverse engineering the mystery machine...
When the Greek Railways presented us with a challenge, we were ready to dive in. The task? Reverse engineer a vital product originally designed in the 1980s – long before CAD revolutionised the design process. Back then, circuit boards were crafted using acetate sheets, stick-on dots, and black tape for tracks. Talk about old school.
What did the machine do? Honestly, we didn’t know! For reverse engineering projects like this, understanding the function isn’t always essential to reproducing the circuit board. In fact, not knowing can sometimes be an advantage, letting us focus on faithful replication without overthinking why certain peculiar (but important) design choices were made all those years ago.
Original PCB Layout
Reverse engineering without schematics
Reverse engineering without schematics is more difficult, but we make it work. For this machine, we at least had a drawing, so we started by carefully looking at every part. We then mapped out the connections, piece by piece, and used our experience to rebuild the design.
Oh, and we also had a photo of this machine, which also helped us with the mapping process. We could see certain parts written on the machine, and after a few phone calls to Greece, we created a new set of schematics.
The drawing supplied to us.
The original machine installed in Greece!
The final build
Once we had the new schematics ready, we dove straight into assembling the board. We soon after completed the build – a much neater and more reliable product than the original – so we shipped it off to Greece for testing. Now, they have a fully functioning machine, complete with the detailed drawings and schematics we created. If they ever need another, replicating it will be a breeze.
As far as we know, this mysterious train machine is now up and running at full capacity, doing whatever it was meant to do – still a bit of a mystery to us!
Why reverse engineer?
For tech-driven industries relying on bespoke or outdated systems, reverse engineering is often the most practical path to innovation. It bridges the gap between legacy technology and modern performance, extending the life of critical machinery while introducing new efficiencies – and having no drawings or schematics won’t stop us at Winter and Smith!
At Winter & Smith, we thrive on solving complex challenges and turning outdated tech into reliable, future-proof solutions. Whether it’s breathing new life into essential machinery or designing innovative systems from scratch, we’re here to keep your operations running smoothly.
