PCB Reverse Engineering in Ukraine — Full Remote Service
PCB reverse engineering in Ukraine works through a straightforward international shipping workflow. You send the physical board from Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, or any Ukrainian city via DHL or UPS. Our engineering team images every layer, traces the netlist, and returns production-ready Gerber files, a verified schematic, and a component-level BOM — typically within 5–8 working days for boards up to 6 layers. No local lab visit required; every deliverable arrives digitally under NDA.
Why Ukrainian Engineers Need Remote PCB Reverse Engineering
Ukraine has a strong electronics sector — defense electronics, industrial automation, agricultural IoT, and a growing EMS base. But certain reverse-engineering capabilities demand equipment that most in-country labs lack: high-resolution X-ray tomography for buried-via mapping, precision micro-sectioning for HDI stackup verification, and automated optical inspection calibrated for 3-mil trace/space extraction.
Shipping a single board internationally costs far less than equipping a lab. A DHL Express parcel from Kyiv to our facility typically arrives in 2–3 business days. The total project cycle — shipping both ways plus engineering — runs 8–12 working days for a standard 4-layer FR-4 board and 12–18 days for complex 8–12 layer designs with blind/buried vias.
Common Scenarios From Ukrainian Clients
- Legacy industrial controllers: Soviet-era or early-2000s PLCs where the OEM is defunct and no documentation survives.
- Agricultural equipment boards: GPS guidance and sensor modules from imported machinery that need local spare production.
- Defense-adjacent maintenance: Authorized recovery of board data for equipment the end-user owns, under strict NDA.
- EMS production support: A Ukrainian contract manufacturer receives a customer board with no Gerber package and needs files to quote or produce.
How the Remote Workflow Operates
The process is designed for zero ambiguity. Every step has a defined output and a client approval gate before we proceed.
| Step | What Happens | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inquiry & NDA | You describe the board (layer count estimate, dimensions, component density). We sign a mutual NDA. | 1 day |
| 2. Shipping | You send the board via DHL/UPS/FedEx from Ukraine. We provide a customs-friendly packing guide. | 2–3 days |
| 3. Intake Inspection | Board is photographed, measured, and X-rayed. We confirm layer count and quote accuracy. | 1 day |
| 4. Layer Imaging | Each copper layer is scanned at 1200+ DPI. Inner layers use controlled chemical de-lamination or X-ray CT. | 1–3 days |
| 5. Netlist & Schematic | Traces are digitized into CAD, netlist is extracted, schematic is drawn and verified against the physical board. | 2–4 days |
| 6. BOM Generation | Every component is identified by manufacturer part number, package, and value. Cross-referenced against distributor databases. | 1–2 days |
| 7. Delivery & Review | Gerber (RS-274X), ODB++, schematic (PDF + editable), BOM (Excel) delivered. One revision round included. | 1 day |
Total for a 4-layer board: roughly 8–12 working days door-to-door. For boards above 8 layers or with impedance-controlled stackups, add 3–5 days for stackup characterization and controlled-impedance verification.
What You Receive — Deliverable Specifications
| Deliverable | Format | Detail Level |
|---|---|---|
| Gerber Files | RS-274X / Gerber X2 | All copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen, paste, drill files (Excellon) |
| Schematic | PDF + Altium/KiCad/OrCAD editable | Hierarchical sheets, net names, component references matched to BOM |
| Bill of Materials | Excel (.xlsx) | MPN, manufacturer, package, value, quantity, distributor cross-reference |
| Stackup Report | Layer thicknesses, dielectric constants, impedance targets (if controlled) | |
| Assembly Drawing | PDF / DXF | Component placement, polarity marks, mechanical keep-outs |
If you need the output in a specific EDA format — Eagle, PADS, or Cadence Allegro — state it upfront. Conversion between formats is included at no extra charge for standard projects.
Shipping From Ukraine — Practical Notes
International parcel shipment from Ukraine is fully operational through DHL Express, UPS, and FedEx. A few specifics matter:
- Customs declaration: Declare as “electronic circuit board sample for engineering analysis, no commercial value.” We provide a template.
- Packaging: Anti-static bag, bubble wrap, rigid outer box. Boards with tall components or connectors should be packed in custom-cut foam.
- Insurance: For boards valued above $500, insure the shipment. We are not liable for carrier damage, but we do photograph every board on arrival.
- Restricted items: Boards containing radioactive components (some Soviet-era smoke detectors, certain military sensors) cannot be shipped internationally. Contact us for alternatives.
Engineers in neighboring countries follow a similar remote process. Clients shipping boards from Warsaw or sending PCBs from Bangladesh use the same DHL workflow with comparable transit times.
Capabilities and Realistic Limits
We handle boards from single-sided through 24-layer HDI with stacked microvias. But honesty matters — here is what affects complexity and cost:
- Layer count above 12: Requires X-ray CT or sequential de-lamination. Adds 3–5 days and increases cost 40–60% over a 4-layer job.
- Flex and rigid-flex: Polyimide substrates are harder to de-laminate cleanly. Expect 1–2 extra days and a higher scrap risk on the sample board.
- BGA-only components: Pad mapping under BGAs requires X-ray. If the board has >10 BGA packages, imaging time increases noticeably.
- Trace/space below 3 mil (75 µm): Achievable but requires our highest-resolution scanning mode. Confirm before shipping.
- Embedded components: Resistors or capacitors buried inside the laminate stack — rare but present on some automotive boards — require destructive cross-sectioning. The sample board will not survive.
If your board falls into an edge case, request a feasibility review before shipping. We assess photos and X-ray images you can take locally to confirm the project is viable.
Pricing Signals for Ukraine-Based Projects
Exact pricing depends on layer count, board size, and component density. Indicative ranges for standard FR-4 boards:
| Board Complexity | Typical Price Range (USD) | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 layers, ≤100 components | $300–$600 | 5–7 working days |
| 4 layers, 100–300 components | $600–$1,200 | 8–12 working days |
| 6–8 layers, 300–600 components | $1,200–$2,500 | 10–15 working days |
| 10–16 layers or HDI | $2,500–$5,000+ | 15–20 working days |
Shipping costs (Ukraine → lab → Ukraine) typically add $80–$150 round-trip via DHL Express. Payment is accepted via wire transfer (SWIFT), PayPal, or Wise — all common for Ukrainian businesses transacting internationally.
How PCB Reverse Engineering in Ukraine Compares to Local Options
Several Ukrainian electronics labs offer basic PCB copying — photographing outer layers and manually tracing routes. The gap shows on multi-layer boards. Without X-ray CT or precision de-lamination equipment, inner-layer extraction is guesswork. A 6-layer board “reversed” from outer-layer photos alone will have incorrect inner routing, wrong impedance, and missing ground/power plane splits.
Our process images every layer individually, verifies the netlist against a physical continuity check, and delivers files that a fabricator can use directly — no manual cleanup needed on your end. Engineers across Europe use the same service, from Milan to Stockholm.
Intellectual Property and Authorization
We require proof of board ownership or written authorization from the IP holder before starting any project. This protects both parties. Typical acceptable documentation includes a purchase invoice, a letter from the equipment OEM authorizing maintenance-related reverse engineering, or a statutory declaration of ownership.
All projects are covered by a mutual NDA. Files are delivered through encrypted transfer and deleted from our servers 90 days after project completion unless you request extended storage.
Can I ship a PCB from Ukraine during current logistics conditions?
Yes. DHL Express, UPS, and FedEx maintain active pickup and delivery networks across major Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa. Transit to our lab averages 2–3 business days. We provide a customs declaration template to avoid delays.
What if my board is damaged or partially burned?
We regularly work with damaged boards. If at least 80% of the copper layers are intact, full recovery is usually possible. Burned or corroded sections may require interpolation from surrounding routing patterns — we flag every interpolated trace in the deliverables so you can verify.
Do you extract firmware from microcontrollers on the board?
Firmware readout is a separate service and requires proof that you own the IP or have authorization from the rights holder. Not all MCUs can be read — many STM32, PIC, and Renesas parts have active read-protection. We assess feasibility before quoting. IC-level services follow a dedicated workflow.
How accurate are the Gerber files you produce?
Trace position accuracy is ±1 mil (25 µm) for standard-resolution boards and ±0.5 mil for high-density designs. Drill locations are verified against X-ray data. Every file set includes a dimensional comparison report overlaying our output against the original board scan.
Can you also produce a small batch of cloned boards?
Yes. Once the Gerber and BOM are finalized, we can quote fabrication and assembly. Typical minimum order is 5 pieces. Turnaround for a 4-layer PCBA with standard components is 10–15 working days after file approval. Clients ordering board copies from Bangalore and other regions use the same production pipeline.
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 reviewWorking 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