BoardMapper

🛠️ PCB placement map generator

BoardMapper is an open-source tool designed to automatically generate PCB layout. It labels component references (e.g. U1, R1, C1) directly on the circuit image, facilitating component identification for reverse engineering purposes.

🎯 Purpose

  • 🤖 Automation: Eliminates the need for manual placement annotation on PCB layouts.
  • ⏱️ Efficiency: Saves time for engineers and makers working on PCB assembly and debugging.
  • 🔍 Clarity: Provides a clear visual reference for debugging, testing, and manufacturing.
  • 💻 Cross-Platform: Works on Windows, Linux, and macOS systems.

📝 Annotation

Position Original Annotated
Top
Bottom

📋 Requirements

  • Python: Version 3.6 or higher
  • Required Libraries:
    • opencv-python (for image processing)
    • lxml (for XML parsing)

🚀 Installation Instructions

🛠️ Setup

  1. Clone the repository or Download the project to your local machine.

  2. Labeling the PCB:
    • Step 1: Take a photo of both the top and bottom layers of the chosen PCB.
    • Step 2: Place the top.png and bottom.png images into the input folder.
    • Step 3: Install the latest version of LabelImg.
    • Step 4: Open top.png in LabelImg and draw bounding boxes around each component. Label each component according to its type:
      • R: Resistor
      • C: Capacitor
      • L: Inductor
      • F: Fuse
      • POT: Potentiometer
      • D: Diode
      • LED: LED
      • Q: Transistor (BJT, MOSFET)
      • U: Integrated Circuit (IC)
      • J: Connector
      • K: Relay
      • SW: Switch
      • Y: Quartz / Resonator
      • SP: Speaker
      • ANT: Antenna

      LabelImg Shortcuts:

      • ✏️ W: Draw a new rectangular bounding box (RectBox)
      • ❌ D: Delete the last drawn bounding box
      • 💾 Ctrl + S: Save the annotation as an XML file
      • ⏪ Ctrl + Z: Undo the last action
      • 📋 Ctrl + C: Copy a bounding box
      • 📏 Ctrl + V: Paste a copied bounding box
      • 🔍 Ctrl + A: Select all bounding boxes
      • 🔄 Ctrl + R: Rotate the image (for better labeling)
      • 🚫 Esc: Cancel the current operation or close a dialog box
    • Step 5: After labeling the top.png, save the annotation as top.xml.
    • Step 6: Repeat the labeling process for the bottom.png and save it as bottom.xml.
    • Step 7: Place both top.xml and bottom.xml into the input folder.
  3. Running the Tool:
    • Windows: Double-click on setup_and_run.bat to automatically run the script. The tool will read the XML annotations, draw bounding boxes on the images, and save the annotated images.
    • Linux/macOS: You can run the script from the terminal: 
      chmod +x script.sh
./script.sh
  4. 📂 Output:
    • After the script has executed, navigate to the output folder to find the resulting annotated images:
      • top_annotated.png
      • bottom_annotated.png

🤝 Contributions

If you’d like to contribute to the project, please follow these steps:

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Create a feature branch
  3. Commit your changes
  4. Push to the branch
  5. Open a pull request

We welcome any contributions to improve BoardMapper! 🎉