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Reverse Engineering
WHAT is Reverse Engineering?
Reverse engineering (RE)
is the process of taking
something apart and
analyzing its workings in
detail, usually with the
intention of understanding
its structure, function, and
operation.
Microsoft Office clipart
WHY is Reverse Engineering Used?
• Documentation
• Discovery
• Investigation
• Product Improvement
©iStockphoto.com
WHY is Reverse Engineering Used?
• Documentation
– No existing documentation
– Interoperability
– Maintenance
©iStockphoto.com
WHY is Reverse Engineering Used?
• Discovery
– Academic/research/learning
– Curiosity
©iStockphoto.com Source: Wikimedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Karyotype.png
Modified from Human Genomne Project
Reverse-engineer the brain
Human Genome Project
WHY is Reverse Engineering Used?
• Discovery
– Academic/research/learning
– Curiosity
– Military or commercial intelligence
Sourde:Wikimedia, author BBC
Source: Wikimedia - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/B-29_in_flight.jpg
B-29 RQ-170
WHY is Reverse Engineering Used?
• Investigation
– Analysis and testing
– Document patent infringement
– Forensics: Design failure
Source: Wikimedia, author: Dr. Lee Lowery Jr., PE
Source: Wikimedia, author: Dr. Lee Lowery Jr., PE
WHY is Reverse Engineering Used?
• Improve or redesign a product
– Increase efficiency
– Improve reliability
– Improve manufacturing techniques
– Eliminate failure mode
– Reduce cost
– Increase ease-of-use
– Reduce negative environmental impacts
– Recycle parts
– Etc.
Reverse Engineering Tools
Insert Picture of 3D laser
scanner or image of scan
Source: Wikimedia, author: Splarka
Micrometers
Source: Wikimedia, author: Christophe
Cattelain.
Caliper
©iStockphoto.com
Optical Probe
Medical Imaging
Source: U. S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter
Interactive Visualization
Source: National Center for Computational Sciences
Stages of Reverse Engineering
• Visual Analysis
• Functional Analysis
• Structural Analysis
Functional Analysis
After a product has been selected, a non-
destructive functional analysis is
performed.
• First, the product’s purpose is identified.
• Next, observations are made to determine
how the product functions. These
observations are recorded in detail.
• Lastly, the system’s inputs and outputs
are listed.
Functional Analysis Example
Purpose
The purpose of a
toothbrush is to clean
teeth and gums to
prevent tooth and gum
decay. Water and a
cleansing paste are used
in conjunction with the
brush.
Functional Analysis Example
Function
An annotated sketch, with
all visible components
labeled, is created.
A hypothesis is devised to
describe (in detail) the
sequential operation or
function of the device
using the sketch as a
reference.
Black Box Systems Model
A black box systems model is used to
identify what goes into and out of the
product in order to make it work as a
system.
Product
Function
Output
Inputs
Black Box Systems Model
The “black box” is used to represent the
product’s internal components or
processes, which are deemed unknown at
this point.
Product
Function
Output
Inputs
Functional Analysis Example
Product
Function
Output
Inputs
• Hand Motion
• Toothpaste
• Water
• Energy
• Sound
• Heat
• Waste
• Clean teeth
and gums

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U10_ReverseEngineering.pptx

  • 2. WHAT is Reverse Engineering? Reverse engineering (RE) is the process of taking something apart and analyzing its workings in detail, usually with the intention of understanding its structure, function, and operation. Microsoft Office clipart
  • 3. WHY is Reverse Engineering Used? • Documentation • Discovery • Investigation • Product Improvement ©iStockphoto.com
  • 4. WHY is Reverse Engineering Used? • Documentation – No existing documentation – Interoperability – Maintenance ©iStockphoto.com
  • 5. WHY is Reverse Engineering Used? • Discovery – Academic/research/learning – Curiosity ©iStockphoto.com Source: Wikimedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Karyotype.png Modified from Human Genomne Project Reverse-engineer the brain Human Genome Project
  • 6. WHY is Reverse Engineering Used? • Discovery – Academic/research/learning – Curiosity – Military or commercial intelligence Sourde:Wikimedia, author BBC Source: Wikimedia - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/B-29_in_flight.jpg B-29 RQ-170
  • 7. WHY is Reverse Engineering Used? • Investigation – Analysis and testing – Document patent infringement – Forensics: Design failure Source: Wikimedia, author: Dr. Lee Lowery Jr., PE Source: Wikimedia, author: Dr. Lee Lowery Jr., PE
  • 8. WHY is Reverse Engineering Used? • Improve or redesign a product – Increase efficiency – Improve reliability – Improve manufacturing techniques – Eliminate failure mode – Reduce cost – Increase ease-of-use – Reduce negative environmental impacts – Recycle parts – Etc.
  • 9. Reverse Engineering Tools Insert Picture of 3D laser scanner or image of scan Source: Wikimedia, author: Splarka Micrometers Source: Wikimedia, author: Christophe Cattelain. Caliper ©iStockphoto.com Optical Probe Medical Imaging Source: U. S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Julianne Showalter Interactive Visualization Source: National Center for Computational Sciences
  • 10. Stages of Reverse Engineering • Visual Analysis • Functional Analysis • Structural Analysis
  • 11. Functional Analysis After a product has been selected, a non- destructive functional analysis is performed. • First, the product’s purpose is identified. • Next, observations are made to determine how the product functions. These observations are recorded in detail. • Lastly, the system’s inputs and outputs are listed.
  • 12. Functional Analysis Example Purpose The purpose of a toothbrush is to clean teeth and gums to prevent tooth and gum decay. Water and a cleansing paste are used in conjunction with the brush.
  • 13. Functional Analysis Example Function An annotated sketch, with all visible components labeled, is created. A hypothesis is devised to describe (in detail) the sequential operation or function of the device using the sketch as a reference.
  • 14. Black Box Systems Model A black box systems model is used to identify what goes into and out of the product in order to make it work as a system. Product Function Output Inputs
  • 15. Black Box Systems Model The “black box” is used to represent the product’s internal components or processes, which are deemed unknown at this point. Product Function Output Inputs
  • 16. Functional Analysis Example Product Function Output Inputs • Hand Motion • Toothpaste • Water • Energy • Sound • Heat • Waste • Clean teeth and gums

Editor's Notes

  1. Documentation. Sometimes, the documentation for a product, machine, or building has been lost, destroyed, never formalized, or must be transferred to a new form – such as a computer 3D model. It is often helpful to have detailed documentation of existing conditions or products readily accessible, so RE is performed in order to provide that documentation. In order to create a device or system that will work together with another device or system (interoperability), it is essential to understand the components, function, and operation of the existing device or system. For example, integrated circuits are often designed on obsolete, proprietary systems. Therefore, if they are to be used in a new device, the IC must be analyzed. Detailed documentation of the components and operation of existing equipment, software, or systems is often necessary in order to perform routine maintenance and repair.
  2. Discovery. Sometimes, learning or simple curiosity is a motivation for RE. The National Academy of Engineering lists Reverse-engineer the brain as one of the Grand Challenges for engineering which can have huge implications in the design of artificial intelligence. The key to reverse-engineering the brain is decoding and simulating the cerebral cortex. The human cortex has about 22 billion neurons and 220 trillion synapses. The Human Genome Project was complete in 2003. It was a 13 year project that was coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. The project identified the genes and sequenced the 3 billion chemical base pairs in human DNA. In addition, the project involved storing this data and improving tools for the analysis of the data.
  3. Taking possession of enemy equipment or weapons or a competitor’s product and identifying the components, function, and operation of new technology can provide a military or commercial advantage. In 1944 during World War II, three American B-29s made emergency landings in the Soviet Union after bombing raids over Japan. The Soviets were neutral in the Pacific War. In accordance with the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact, the Soviets took possession of the bombers despite U.S. demands for the return of the aircraft. One of the B-29s was used for flight tests and training. One of the B-29s was left intact for reference. The third was reverse engineered. As a result, the Soviets built the Tu-4 as a nearly identical copy of the B-29. The Soviet engineers were under pressure to recreate an exact replica of the B-29. In fact, a small hole that was mistakenly drilled by a Boeing engineer was reproduced in every Tu-4. But some changes to the design were approved. The Tu-4 used a different engine. Because the Soviets used the metric system, the 1/16 inch aluminum sheet metal was not available. It was replaced with a thicker corresponding metric gauge metal. Therefore, the Tu-4 was more than 3000 pounds heavier than the B-29. The RQ-170 Sentinel is an unmanned drone developed by Lockheed Martin and used by the US Air Force. The RQ-170 uses a flying wing design and is powered by a single engine that is classified. The U.S. military has released little information on the drone. They were unofficially reported to have been used to collect intelligence on enemies in Afganistan, Pakistan, and Iran, and may have provided intelligence before and during the operation which led to the death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011. In December 2011, an RQ-170 was captured by Iranian forces. The same process is used by commercial entities to discover the components, function, and operation of a competitor’s product.
  4. Investigation. A product can be reverse engineered with the intent of modeling it for analysis and testing. If a competitor releases a product that appears to included patented work, reverse engineering can be used to verify patent infringement. If a design fails, reverse engineering is often performed to investigate the as-built conditions and to identify the mode of failure. Reverse engineering the product allows a comparison between the product design and the manufactured product. In some cases, it is discovered that the final product was improperly designed or not built to the design specifications. In other cases the cause of failure is found to be sub-standard material, fatigue, or improper use of the product. The images show the aftermath of the Hyatt Regency walkway collapse which occurred in a Hyatt hotel in Kansas City in 1981. The disaster killed 114 people and injured more than 200. The disaster site was investigated and the structure was reverse engineered. Upon investigation it was discovered that the contractor had installed the walkway using a hanger design other than the original engineered design. Further investigation uncovered that the contractor had proposed the alternate design, which was approved by the original designer, because the original design was impractical. The alternate design did not meet building codes and was shown to be structurally inadequate.
  5. Reverse engineering is often used to assess a product in an effort to improve the product in some way or to avoid mistakes made by previous designers – increase efficiency, improve reliability, increase product life, eliminate a failure mode, reduce cost, increase ease of use, etc.
  6. If a high degree of precision is not necessary, precision instruments such as micrometers and calipers can be used by individuals. A coordinate measurement machine (CMM) is a device used to make 3D measurements of the geometrical coordinates of an object. Often the machine can be manually controlled or computer controlled. The probes that measure the geometry can be mechanical (touch), optical, laser, or use another mode. The measurements are used to determine the position of multiple points on the object and are recorded in X, Y, and Z coordinates. Interactive Visualization tools helps scientists and engineers understand very large and very small structures. This is a visualization of a synthetic flow field. Many types of medical imaging devices are in use, including CT, MRI, and X-ray.