PCB Copy in Lyon: Complete Board-to-File Service
PCB copy in Lyon works through a straightforward remote workflow. You ship your physical circuit board from Lyon to our reverse-engineering lab via DHL or FedEx, and we return a complete design package—Gerber files, bill of materials, and schematic—within 5–8 working days. No local lab visit is needed. Every project runs under a signed NDA, and your original board is returned with the deliverables.
Why Lyon-Based Engineers Need Remote PCB Copy
Lyon is France’s second-largest industrial hub, home to biomedical device firms along the Rhône corridor, automotive Tier-1 suppliers in the Techlid cluster, and a growing base of IoT startups around Part-Dieu. Many of these companies maintain legacy products where the original design files were lost, never transferred from a former contractor, or locked to a defunct CAD platform. A PCB copy recovers those files from the physical board itself.
Local PCB fabrication houses in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region can produce boards, but few offer reverse-engineering services—cross-section analysis, impedance extraction, or multi-layer de-lamination. Shipping one board internationally costs less than €45 with DHL Express and eliminates the need to source a local specialist who may not have the equipment for boards above 6 layers.
What You Receive in a PCB Copy Package
| Deliverable | Format | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Gerber files | RS-274X / Gerber X2 | All copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen, drill files, board outline |
| Bill of materials | Excel / CSV | Manufacturer part numbers, package types, values, reference designators |
| Schematic | PDF + editable (Altium / KiCad / OrCAD on request) | Net-verified against physical board; hierarchical sheets for designs >200 components |
| Centroid / pick-and-place | CSV | X-Y coordinates, rotation, side—ready for SMT assembly |
| Stackup report | Layer thicknesses, dielectric constants, impedance targets (boards ≥4 layers) |
If your Lyon project requires only Gerber extraction without a full schematic, we offer that as a reduced-scope option at a lower price point. Specify your needs in the quote request so we can scope accurately.
How the Remote Workflow Operates from Lyon
Step 1 — Request a Quote
Upload photos of both sides of the board, state the layer count (or “unknown”), and note any ICs you need identified. We respond within one business day with a fixed-price quote. Time-zone difference between Lyon (CET, UTC+1) and our lab means you typically have a quote waiting by morning.
Step 2 — Ship the Board
Pack the PCB in anti-static wrap inside a rigid box. DHL Express from Lyon-Saint Exupéry (LYS) to our lab averages 2–3 transit days. Declare as “electronic circuit board sample, no commercial value” for smooth customs clearance. We provide the shipping label and customs documentation template.
Step 3 — Engineering & Review
Our engineers photograph, scan, de-layer (if multi-layer), and digitize the board. A mid-project review is sent for your confirmation on component identification—especially useful for custom or house-marked ICs common in French industrial controls. Typical engineering time is 5–8 working days for boards up to 8 layers and 400 components.
Step 4 — Delivery & Return
Files are delivered via encrypted link. The original board ships back to your Lyon address by DHL Express, insured and tracked. The complete round-trip—board out, files back—usually takes 10–14 calendar days.
Turnaround and Pricing Signals
| Board Complexity | Layers | Components | Typical Turnaround | Price Range (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | 1–2 | <80 | 3–5 days | $350–$700 |
| Moderate | 4 | 80–250 | 5–7 days | $700–$1,500 |
| Complex | 6–8 | 250–500 | 7–10 days | $1,500–$3,500 |
| High-density | 10–16+ | 500+ | 10–15 days | $3,500–$8,000+ |
Prices depend on BGA count, blind/buried via structures, and whether impedance-controlled stackup extraction is required. Rush service (50% surcharge) can compress turnaround by roughly 40%.
Handling Lyon-Specific Industry Boards
Lyon’s industrial mix creates some recurring board types in our queue:
- Biomedical instrumentation: Boards from Rhône-Alpes medtech firms often use mixed-signal designs with tight analog routing. We capture impedance-matched differential pairs and annotate sensitive analog ground zones in the schematic.
- Automotive ECUs: Tier-1 suppliers near Lyon ship multi-layer boards with CAN/LIN transceivers and proprietary house-marked MCUs. We cross-reference package and pin-count databases to identify replacements or confirm OEM part numbers.
- Industrial controls: Legacy Schneider, Crouzet, and regional PLC boards frequently arrive with through-hole components on single- or double-sided FR-4. These are fast turnarounds—often under 4 working days.
Shipping and Customs from France
France is an EU member, so shipments to labs outside the EU require a CN23 customs declaration. Key points for Lyon shippers:
- Declare HS code 8534.00 (printed circuits) with a declared value under €50 for samples.
- Mark “Return to sender after analysis” on the waybill to simplify re-import.
- DHL Express from Lyon typically costs €35–€45 for a small parcel under 0.5 kg.
- No French export license is required for commercial-grade PCBs. ITAR/EAR-controlled boards require prior authorization—contact us to discuss before shipping.
What Can Go Wrong—and How We Handle It
Transparency matters. Here are realistic constraints:
- Damaged boards: Corroded or fire-damaged PCBs may have unreadable traces on inner layers. We photograph and report unrecoverable areas before proceeding; success rate on heavily damaged boards is roughly 85–92% trace recovery.
- Potted or conformal-coated boards: Conformal coating adds 1–2 days for chemical removal. Potting compound (common in French defense/aerospace subcontracting) can be destructive to remove—we’ll assess feasibility before committing.
- House-marked ICs: If a component has been sanded or laser-etched to hide its identity, functional testing may be needed. This extends turnaround by 2–3 days and may incur an additional fee.
How European Engineers Use Our Service
Lyon is one of several European cities where our remote PCB copy workflow is well-established. Engineers in Barcelona ship boards for copy and reverse engineering using the same DHL pipeline, as do teams in Zurich requiring PCB copy services and Warsaw-based hardware companies. The process is identical regardless of origin city—fixed pricing, NDA coverage, and the same deliverable set.
For teams in the Asia-Pacific region, we also serve Tokyo and Sydney with adjusted shipping routes and customs documentation.
Check feasibility for your project
Send the chip marking or board details and tell us what you need to recover. Add clear photos if available.
Request a feasibility reviewDo I need to send the actual board, or can I send photos?
Photos are sufficient for a quote, but the physical board is required for accurate PCB copy work. Inner-layer extraction, via mapping, and component identification all require hands-on analysis. High-resolution photos help us pre-scope the project and give you a faster, more accurate estimate before you ship from Lyon.
Is my board safe during international shipping from Lyon?
Yes. We provide packing instructions and recommend anti-static bags inside rigid boxes with foam inserts. DHL Express shipments from Lyon are fully tracked and insured. In over a decade of receiving boards internationally, shipping damage has occurred in fewer than 0.2% of cases—and those were packaging failures, not carrier issues.
Can you copy a board if I don’t know the layer count?
Absolutely. We determine layer count through via inspection, edge examination, and if necessary, controlled cross-sectioning. Many Lyon clients send boards from legacy equipment where documentation is completely absent. Identifying the stackup is a standard part of our process at no extra charge.
What file formats can I request for the PCB copy output?
Standard delivery is Gerber RS-274X plus Excellon drill files. We also provide native CAD files in Altium Designer, KiCad, or OrCAD/Allegro format on request. Schematics are delivered as PDF plus an editable format. Specify your preferred EDA tool when requesting a quote so we match your Lyon team’s workflow.
How do you protect my intellectual property?
Every project begins with a mutual NDA. All files are stored on encrypted servers and permanently deleted 90 days after delivery unless you request extended retention. We never reuse, resell, or share client board data. For Lyon companies subject to French IP law, our NDA is enforceable under international commercial arbitration terms.
Working on a board like this?
Send the chip marking or two photos. You get feasibility, lead time and price within 24 hours, and the check costs nothing.
Get a free quote