2 replies to this topic

[Bishop]

Let say there is a system, some kinda software. I want to know how it works. Is there any work done in past about cracking idea of how system performs one or another task, without having source code?

For example:

There is video of robot performing some kinda task. I have same robot, and want to make him do the same task, but lets say I and nobody else have clue how to write an algorithm, and my idea is analyse that robot (which already is able perform task that bothers me) behaviour. But now I am looking for some kinda guidelines for doing such things.

PS. I am not having problems with making robot to perform particular task, that was just and example.

[WingedPanther]

It's called reverse-engineering, and is done on a regular basis. Basically, it involves analyzing input-output behaviors in a systematic way and then writing code that will emulate each of those behaviors. There is a group of people that is doing this with Windows to reproduce every system in Windows XP to produce an open-source version. It's called ReactOS.

[pickle3]

Addind probes to microcontroller data lines is a good way to understand its inputs and outputs.

Can be tricky to do though