It doesn't matter what you do it will fail in some way.
I worked on a project to reverse engineer and update a device, where more then half of the components had gone obsolete.
I dug thru the company library to find what I could. The complete blueprints for the enclosure, a partial schematic, and I could download the source code from the prototype (different from a production model) without comments, of course.
I had to document everything just to keep my sanity, because the previous engineer from 20 years ago, didn't document anything and he hotdogged it so bad he was harming the devices we connected to.
After lots of distractions I finally had a complete documentation package and a new device that worked. Of course, I got the ax, but I was nice and saved copies of everything and placed them in several places.
6 months later I got a call asking if I had any documentation.
I asked if he had looked on the computers, I had copied all the docs to all the computers. They'd been upgraded.
I put hardcopies in all the desks. They'd moved.
The office file cabinets. Purged for the move.
The company document repository had two copies, one as a complete package and one spread through the library by "type". There was one of them still there.
I did have a copy but they were only going to hire me back for my old salary, which was less then I was making. Oh well. Sorry I don't have anything for you.
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It doesn't matter what you do it will fail in some way. I worked on a project to reverse engineer and update a device, where more then half of the components had gone obsolete. I dug thru the company library to find what I could. The complete blueprints for the enclosure, a partial schematic, and I could download the source code from the prototype (different from a production model) without comments, of course. I had to document everything just to keep my sanity, because the previous engineer from 20 years ago, didn't document anything and he hotdogged it so bad he was harming the devices we connected to. After lots of distractions I finally had a complete documentation package and a new device that worked. Of course, I got the ax, but I was nice and saved copies of everything and placed them in several places. 6 months later I got a call asking if I had any documentation. I asked if he had looked on the computers, I had copied all the docs to all the computers. They'd been upgraded. I put hardcopies in all the desks. They'd moved. The office file cabinets. Purged for the move. The company document repository had two copies, one as a complete package and one spread through the library by "type". There was one of them still there. I did have a copy but they were only going to hire me back for my old salary, which was less then I was making. Oh well. Sorry I don't have anything for you.