Two things make extracting the data more complex than something like a QR code or punchcard. First, the image quality from a die usually isn't perfect. There ar

Two things make extracting the data more complex than something like a QR code or punchcard. First, the image quality from a die usually isn't perfect. There are often a few spots where it's hard to figure out visually, let alone with software. Second, the ROM layout isn't documented and there are a lot of possibilities. Big-endian or little-endian? Is a transistor a 1 or 0? What direction does the layout go? Are columns or rows more significant bits? So you end up with 2×2×2×... possibilities for interpretation. And that's assuming the ROM layout doesn't have something entirely unexpected, which happens quite often.