PCB Schematic Software

looking for a program that will do this:

plug in a usb adapter like a usb memory stick or wifi adapter and it reads and inmports the pcb circuit layout graphically and it can show you what everything is on the board.

 

are you talking about converting a schematic circuit diagram into a printed circuit board diagram, or circuit simulation software?

 

no just the reverse of that. i need a program that will read a pcb that has all components soldered to board and display them in a diagram.

 

actually I should say yes, something with the same functions of how that type of program would normally work plus the ability to reverse the normal process. So instead of starting from scratch making a diagram of what you to have on your pcb simulating it and then phisically adding those components to the pcb. You would have an already completed pcb with components installed plug it into say a usb port the program would read that device and map out the various components that are on that board.

I'm trying to modify an existing board to add something to it instead of starting over from scratch.

 

i doubt very much tnat you can get software that does that, for instance, many transistors are physically identical but their parameters are completely differrent, i dont know how a computer would be able to distinguish them. I have been involved in electonics for 30 years and the only software i can find is for either circuit simulation or converting schematics to pcb, there are programs that convert pcb to schematics but you have to draw the pcb and components on your pc.

 

how would you connect the pcb to a usb port, which connections from the pcb would you use? you have input, output powersupply and many other connections.

 

that is what i was afraid of, it would seem that someone would make a program like this. i can imagine that it would make things easier on people who do this kind of thing regularly.
man this is gonna be a lot of work to try to manually diagram this. can you give me a few pointers on where to start. are there any easier methods out there to achieve this?

 

what is the pcb for, if you know what the pcb is and the manufacturer you may be able to down load the schematic, also what mods are you trying to achieve?

 

it already has usb. it is a usb wifi adapter. what im trying to do is find on the board where i can solder on a U. FL to N Female Pigtail to attach a dipole antenna to get longer range on my card.

 

yeah i have maybe i didn't digg deep enough will keep searching

 

you need to find the manufacturer of the board then see if you can down load the schematic, if you can, send me the schematic and i will try and advise you,

 

ok thanks man i will see what i can find.

 

cant find schematic diagram anywhere using google. its a netgear wg111v2

 

could you send me an image of the pcb, i may be able to work out where you can solder the pigtail

 

looked on the net and found this site- www.instructables.com/id/usb-wifi-antenna/ hope this will be of some use

 

this image of my old usb dongle may help

 

Top side:





Bottom:

 

Now this thread just yells: GEEK!!!

 

:-D lol

 

yeh already messed around with that didnt get the results i wanted. so instead i am using a dish but my adapter dont have enough signal strength so if i can get this pigtail soldered on here i will next figuring out a way to incorporate that into the dish i have.

 

i think this may be the antenna grimmer

 

this may be the antenna

 

i think your right. i soldered wire to point 1 and wire sheilding to point 2. aimed it at satellite dish and was able to pick up about 14 new ap's i wasn't seeing before. i have an antenna hooked up from an old router, wonder if hooking a higher gain antenna up will get any more range. trying to reach coffee shop about a mile away.

 

try connecting point 1 to the flag pole shaped copper strip directly underneath the print XWOOB-0.8mm

 

trying now

 

bingo that was the sweat spot. gonna attach to dish sometime today and see how much better it is. it already picks up 2 more ap's just aiming it toward window, where before i was getting 1 maybe 2. and the signal is steady at 68%

 

btw tyvm

 

finished:




can't wait to hook to dish and see what this thing can do

 

exellent,glad to be able to help, i might try that mod myself. please post your results with the dish

 

The antenna I used can't be more than 2 dbi and considering interference and it is wireless g it's not too bad. I think with the proper antenna and adapter I could increase range quite a bit. This is deff. directional results vary quite a bit when aiming in different directions.

 

can you get a signal from the coffee shop?

 

no i adjusted the antenna a little bit to aim more towards center of dish and was able to get a stronger signal picked up prolly another 10 ap's at least. but no coffee shop yet. next thing is enclosing this so it's waterproof and attaching to mounting bracket on roof. maybe then i will be able to reach.

 

just making that minor adjustment to antenna to make it point as close to the center of dish i could makes all the difference.

 

that's right,the slightest movement can make all the difference with high frequency antenna, good luck with your quest grimmer.

 

thanks man and thanks again for the help. would have been stuck scratching my head for hours without your help.

 

any time, my friend.

 

i think the layout editor in Cadsofts Eagle software can do this.
........oops, sorry, just noticed that the thread is not actual any more.