Recently I needed to reverse engineer a simple populated-PCB. I have read this a

Question

Recently I needed to reverse engineer a simple populated-PCB. I have read this article.

My process is simple:

Photograph the underside of the PCB.
Edit it in GIMP and draw lines over the tracks.
Save the layer as a png.
Run 'autotrace' and generate a SVG file.
Edit the SVG and insert component symbols and hook them up to the traces.

I'm having trouble with the last step in Linux. I tried using 'Dia' as suggested but the tool sucks (you can't connect components easily to the trace-lines, and you can't draw straight lines easily, you can't rotate components in my version, and you can't scale the entire diagram - you can zoom).

Is there some tool that one can use to edit a SVG file which has the traces already inserted, and just draw straight lines and insert circuit symbols and hook everything up quickly? I don't mind if it's a windows only tool.

Explanation / Answer

You can use EAGLE Freeware. Freeware got some limitations like:

The usable board area is limited to 100 x 80 mm (4 x 3.2 inches).
Only two signal layers can be used (Top and Bottom).
The schematic editor can only create one sheet.
Support is only available via email or through our forum (no fax or phone support).
Use is limited to non-profit applications or evaluation purposes.

Some features of its schematic editor are:

Automatic generation of contact cross references
Simple copying of parts
Replace function for parts without loss of consistency between schematic and layout
Online Forward&Back Annotation between schematic and board
Automatic generation of supply connections
Automatic board generation
Electrical Rule Check (error check in the Schematic and consistency check between Schematic and Layout)
User Defined Net Classes for Via Size, Wire Width and Clearance

I used EAGLE and Labcenter Electronics - Proteus around a year ago. Unfortunately Proteus is Windows only. I don't know if you can run it through WINE and it's not free. I felt it was easier in Proteus than EAGLE. But in this 12 months many things must have been changed.

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