This method outlines the requirements, capabilities, and limitations associated with the application of Design Recovery for the detection of counterfeit electronic parts including: Operator training; Sample preparation; Imaging techniques; Data interpretation; Design/functional matching; Equipment maintenance and; Reporting of data. The method is primarily aimed at analyses performed by circuit delayering and imaging with a scanning electron microscope or optical microscope; however, many of the concepts are applicable to other microscope and probing techniques to recover design data. The method is not intended for the purpose of manufacturing copies of a device, but rather to compare images or recover the design for determination of authenticity.

If AS6171/11 is invoked in the contract, the base document, AS6171 General Requirements shall also apply.