does a reverse-engineering EDA tool exist?

[Jon Elson]

On 10/25/2018 12:44 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> On 10/24/18 8:06 PM, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:
>
>> Hmmm, you COULD actually use a schematic tool to do this!  Maybe create
>> the components to look like DIPs.  I know I could do this in Protel 99
>> without a great deal of trouble.  Then, just draw in all the wires.
>> I suspect a few other good schematic entry tools could also do this.
> I know that I've asked about this on one of the EDA boards and got
> nowhere.  It seems that it would be possible to construct a schematic
> from a netlist, but I've never seen such a tool.
>
> I wonder if such a beast exists.
>
>
Well, not totally automatic, but many EDA systems have "back 
annotation", where changes to the PCB are taken back to the 
schematic.  This is generally used to allow easy 
reassignment of the identical sections in multi-gate 
packages, but at least some of them can do MUCH more.  I 
know Protel 99 essentially turns the whole board into a 
spreadsheet, where everything is available for 
reassignment.  I suspect that if you laid out all the chips 
and then provided the interconnect info, it would create a 
VERY messy schematic, which you could then reorganize by 
hand.  You could also make a PCB design, draw in the wiring, 
and it would then be able to make a netlist and take that 
back to the schematic.

Jon