What files do I receive from a PCB duplication project?

Typical deliverables include an editable schematic, Gerber and NC drill files, a pick-and-place file, a complete bill of materials, and a verified physical sample. You can also order individual outputs, such as PCB to schematic or PCB to Gerber only.

Reverse engineering · Board to design files

PCB Duplication

Q: Is PCB duplication legal?

PCB duplication is commonly used for boards you own or have the rights to: maintaining legacy hardware, creating a second manufacturing source, or upgrading obsolete designs. You are responsible for ensuring you hold the rights to copy a given board. We can sign an NDA before any work begins.

Q: How much does PCB duplication cost?

Cost depends on the board's complexity rather than a flat fee. The main drivers are layer count, board size and component density, whether the board is assembled or bare, the presence of obsolete or custom parts, the deliverables you need, and turnaround time. Each board is quoted individually.

Turn a finished board back into editable design files.

PCB duplication is the engineering process of reverse engineering an existing printed circuit board to recover its schematic, Gerber files, BOM and a working 1:1 copy — even when the original CAD data is long gone.

Start a PCB duplication enquiry → See how it works

Layer count

1 – 20+ layers

Single, double & multilayer

You receive

Schematic · Gerber · BOM

Editable, fab-ready files

Verification

1:1 functional copy

Form, fit & function tested

Confidentiality

NDA on request

Your IP stays yours

Definition

What is PCB duplication?

PCB duplication — also called PCB cloning or PCB reverse engineering — is the process of analyzing a physical printed circuit board and reconstructing the full set of design and manufacturing data needed to reproduce it.

Starting from a bare or assembled board, engineers extract the copper layout layer by layer, rebuild the netlist and schematic, regenerate Gerber and drill files, and compile a complete bill of materials. The result is a data package you can manufacture, modify or maintain — even when the original design files are lost, locked, or were never handed over.

It is the practical answer to a common hardware problem: you have a working board, but not the files behind it. Duplication recovers those files so production can continue on your terms.

Obsolete / legacy boards Lost design files Second-source manufacturing Design upgrades Failure analysis

Responsible use: duplication is intended for boards you own or have the rights to copy. You remain responsible for respecting third-party intellectual property; an NDA is available before any files are shared.

The process · 6 steps

PCB duplication steps

A duplication project follows a repeatable engineering workflow. Each board moves through the same six stages, from the bench to a verified copy.

Inspect & scan the board

High-resolution imaging and precise measurement of the physical PCB. We record every component, the board dimensions, and the layer count to build an accurate baseline.

Extract the copper layers

Multilayer boards are carefully de-layered or X-rayed so every copper layer and via is captured. Each trace is digitized into a clean vector layout.

Rebuild the netlist & schematic (PCB to schematic)

Connectivity is traced into a complete netlist and reconstructed into a readable, fully editable schematic — so the design can be understood, documented and changed.

Regenerate Gerber & drill files (PCB to Gerber)

The layout is recreated and exported as manufacturing-ready Gerber, NC drill and pick-and-place files that any board house can fabricate.

Compile the bill of materials

Every component, value and footprint is identified. Where parts are obsolete, we source verified equivalents so the design stays buildable.

Prototype & verify

A sample is fabricated and assembled, then tested 1:1 against the original to confirm form, fit and function before you scale to production.

Core outputs

PCB to schematic & PCB to Gerber

Need the full copy, or just the files? Each deliverable can be ordered on its own.

Service · SCH

PCB to Schematic

Recover a clean, hierarchical schematic from a physical board. We trace every net and rebuild a fully editable design so you can understand, document and modify it with confidence.

Complete, verified netlist
Altium · KiCad · OrCAD output
Readable, labelled, hierarchical sheets

Service · GBR

PCB to Gerber

Regenerate complete Gerber, NC drill and fabrication files from an existing PCB, so it can be re-manufactured by any board house with no original CAD data on hand.

All copper, mask & silkscreen layers
NC drill & pick-and-place files
Multilayer stack-up reconstruction

Pricing

How much does PCB duplication cost?

PCB duplication cost depends on the board's complexity, not a flat fee. Six factors shape every quote.

01
Layer countSingle and double-sided boards are quickest; each added internal layer adds work.
02
Board size & component densityMore parts and tighter routing mean more nets to trace and verify.
03
Assembled vs. bare boardA populated board needs components identified, removed and re-fitted.
04
Obsolete or custom partsSourcing equivalents for end-of-life components takes extra engineering.
05
Deliverables requiredCopy-only is lower than a full schematic + Gerber + BOM package.
06
Turnaround timeStandard scheduling costs less than rushed, expedited delivery.

Simple

1–2 layer board, low component count, bare or lightly populated. Fastest turnaround, lowest cost.

Standard

4–6 layers, moderate density, assembled board with mainstream parts and full file deliverables.

Complex

8+ layers, high density, BGAs, obsolete or custom components, and full verification.

Every board is quoted individually. Send your board details for an exact, no-obligation price — it's the fastest way to a real number.

Get a duplication quote →

Questions

PCB duplication FAQ

What is PCB duplication?

PCB duplication is the process of analyzing a physical printed circuit board and reconstructing the design and manufacturing data needed to reproduce it — schematic, Gerber files, drill data and bill of materials — so the board can be re-manufactured, modified or maintained.

Is PCB duplication legal?

It is commonly used for boards you own or have the rights to: maintaining legacy hardware, creating a second manufacturing source, or upgrading obsolete designs. You are responsible for ensuring you hold the rights to copy a given board. We can sign an NDA before any work begins.

How long does PCB duplication take?

Turnaround scales with complexity. A simple 1–2 layer board moves quickly, while dense multilayer boards with obsolete parts take longer. Share your board and we'll give you a realistic timeline alongside the quote.

What files do I receive?

Typical deliverables include an editable schematic, Gerber and NC drill files, a pick-and-place file, a complete BOM, and a verified physical sample. You can also order individual outputs — for example PCB to schematic or PCB to Gerber only.

Can you duplicate multilayer boards?

Yes. Multilayer boards are de-layered or X-rayed so every internal copper layer and via is captured and digitized, then reassembled into accurate Gerber data and a faithful copy.

How is my intellectual property protected?

Your boards, files and project details are handled confidentially and an NDA is available on request. Deliverables are shared only with you.

Start your project

Send your PCB duplication enquiry

Share a few details about your board and our engineers will come back with a clear scope and quote. Need to copy a board now? Our pcb duplication service handles the full clone, end to end.

No-obligation quote on every board
Schematic, Gerber, BOM or full copy
NDA available before files are shared

Open the PCB duplication service →