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Beginners guide to building a hardware hacking lab
- softfalcon 3y agoIs anyone else having a terrible time navigating this on mobile? I can’t scroll up or down properly at all, the page is weirdly scaled to mobile with text being cut off on both left and right, and there is an odd modal up top that doesn’t work properly as it resizes itself constantly.
- dvh 3y agoWorks fine in reader mode.
- nfin 3y agoon chrime mobile: desktop mode is also helping out
- anon_cow1111 3y agoAlso has an unnecessary 12 megabyte gif halfway down, presumably as a middle finger to people using a data plan. (oh and another 7mb gif below with extremely poor optimization)
- a1o 3y agoErh, is the scrolling of that website weird to everyone? I think you don't need all that, but you can start simple with less, like a simple Arduino kit. Also you can get some Tektronix or similar if you get used. I know I would love some old used HP or Agilent bench multimeters.
- bvan 3y agoWhat happened to jtagulator? I would have thought this would have been included as a go-to JTAG tool.
- wrongbaud 3y agoI decided to leave that out mainly because it has been discontinued, but I could add it as a reference!
- bpye 3y agoThe Glasgow Interface Explorer [0] is starting to ship out now as well. I got mine a couple weeks back. It’s a neat option for a multi-purpose debug tool. [0] - https://www.crowdsupply.com/1bitsquared/glasgow https://www.crowdsupply.com/1bitsquared/glasgow
- mikewarot 3y agoWhen you get up to buying meters, the main advantage of Flukes is that you can accidentally put 500 volts into them, and they survive it. When soldering, it's important to wear Jeans, or other heavy non-plastic full length pants.
- rtkwe 3y agoI've never had solder come anywhere near my clothes when soldering electronics.
- ChuckMcM 3y agoYet :-)
- syntaxing 3y agoI’ve seen more than once people tinning their solder irons by add some solder and flicking the solder onto the floor hard.
- JohnFen 3y agoI did that for many years, and even hit my bare legs or feet a few times. But the solder cools really fast, and doing that doesn't cause a great deal of pain or damage. Just enough to remind you to be more careful. These days, I flick the solder onto my soldering mat instead.
- syntaxing 3y agoI’ve fried my 3D printer board once because of using a cheap meter. My good meter was out of reach so I grabbed a closer dirt cheap one to measure the output of the 24V bed. Instantly shorted my board and welded the leads to the screw. Long story short, don’t cheap out on multimeters.
- fest 3y agoWhat exactly happened there, and why do you think it wouldn't happen with a more expensive meter?
- hyperman1 3y agoI'd suggest adding a few boxes of common resistors/capacitores/leds and a simple power supply.
- JohnFen 3y agoI agree. For initial stock, anyway, those cheap large variety packs are awesome. They'll also train people to check values and not assume that the markings on the parts accurately reflect what they are. > a simple power supply. Old computer PSUs can often be had for free, and a great first project for someone at a hardware lab would be to build a PSU breakout box to make it safe and convenient to use as a bench supply.
- cdcarter 3y agoSurprised not to see a recommendation for the Rigol DS1054 series, which is another good beginner scope and generally slightly cheaper than the Sigilent.
- wrongbaud 3y agoI can definitely add this, it's by no means a definitive list, and I'm hoping to get more insight to add to it over the years
- T3OU-736 3y agoAnd upgradeable, in more ways than one. :)
- ProZsolt 3y agoThey just came out with a new model: Rigol DHO800/900 Dave's review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8jrpCoZyx8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8jrpCoZyx8
- edrxty 3y agoYes but can you trivially hack it to enable all the software locked features?
- rasz 3y agoobsoleted by DHO800
- willis936 3y agoLots of talk about soldering irons but none on lead. If you do use lead solder please treat the area as contaminated, don't touch your face, and wash your hands afterwards. Lead poisoning is a quiet and long term thing. A little bit of care upfront will prevent a sad end for your loved ones in decades.
- analog31 3y agoThe earliest lead-free solders were definitely not beginner-friendly. Things have improved. I prefer an alloy called Kester K100, which is lower melting and more solder-like. Others might chime in on alloys that work for beginners. Also worth considering are solder pastes that you can apply to the joint and then heat up with an iron. And flux pen.
- jazzyjackson 3y agosolder paste is awesome. At a FabLab I worked at we got pretty proficient at grinding 2-layer circuit boards with a CNC machine (1/64" bit), cutting solder masks with a craft vinyl sticker cutter, applying solder paste over the mask and then baking in a toaster oven. Great process for making 10 of something.
- JohnFen 3y agoI still haven't found a lead-free solder that I am willing to use on a hobbyist level. I'm sticking with the leaded variety. People get paranoid about the lead, but it is a very manageable risk.
- m-ee 3y agoNever verified but I was always told the fumes from lead free are more noxious than the leaded counterparts, maybe because of the higher temp requirements. Should be using a fume extractor regardless but I’ve always been more conscious of it when working with lead free.
- gnopgnip 3y agoFumes from leaded solder, rosin, flux, are on the order of 100x more harmful than lead free
- ChuckMcM 3y agoIts a good list, the only thing I would change is that I like a deeper workbench (30" is good 32" deep is even better) because I'll put a shelf in the back so that the test equipment can be vertical from the surface (and yet the probes can still reach the surface easily). For RF work, I've got a spectrum analyzer, vector signal generator, and an oscilloscope that are pretty much always there, and a network analyzer that I bring out when I'm trying to get debug RF networks. And while modern (expensive) equipment is light and not so deep, if you're buying stuff used or surplus you'll end up with older gear that can be 18 or 19" deep and on a 24" deep bench that gets a bit crowded.
- cushychicken 3y agoI finally shelled out for the Proline 32 inch deep benches and man do I love them. The overhead shelf and light are great, as is the French cleared rail.
- ChuckMcM 3y agoThis will be one of the signs that I've won the lottery, all my benches will be from Proline :-). The radio lab at work had them and I was quite impressed both with the fit and finish and the flexibility.
- gdynamics 3y agoAs an aside, I'm not paid or associated or anything, but I did the hardware hacking class with this company and it was pretty good. If you're looking to get into the space it's not a bad place to start.
- LanternLight83 3y agoI learned to solder while building a keyboard and flashing IOT devices earlier this year, and can't recommend Pine64's Pinecil Soldering Iron highly enough (just be sure to pick up a capable power-source while you're there). > The Pinecil is a smart mini portable soldering iron with a 32-bit RISC-V SoC featuring a sleek design, auto standby and it heats up to an operating temperature in just 12 seconds when paired with a sufficiently powerful power supply unit. > -- https://www.pine64.org/pinecil/ https://www.pine64.org/pinecil/
- culopatin 3y agoWhy do I need a soldering iron with processing power?
- rhn_mk1 3y agoTo let it turn off when you're not using it. It uses an inertial sensor.
- JohnFen 3y agoThat doesn't explain it, though. You don't need a microcontroller for that. I suspect the real answer is "to minimize parts count".
- rhn_mk1 3y agoIs there a fixed-function circuit that can read a digital value out of a sensor and compare it with a threshold? I'm not dounting it's possibly, but I'd be surprised if it's available without involving a Turing-complete computer.
- JohnFen 3y agoYes, there are tons of these sorts of circuits. It's something that is often needed, and these sorts of circuits have been used before ultra-cheap microcontrollers were a thing. A turing-complete computer is serious overkill for this sort of application. I'm not sure if there is a single-chip solution (although I'd be a bit surprised if there isn't), but the fundamental circuit isn't that ambitious. Using a very low-end microcontroller is likely less expensive, though.
- timmaxw 3y agoAs a beginner, I've been a big fan of the Digilent Analog Discovery. This guide lists it under "logic analyzers", but it's also a passable oscilloscope if you don't need more than 30MHz bandwidth. Because the target market is undergraduates learning electrical engineering, it's designed to be inexpensive, doesn't take up much space, is easy to get started with, etc.
- T3OU-736 3y agoAs a fellow beginner, I have always been a fan of Salee https://www.saleae.com/ https://www.saleae.com/] stuff, for much the same reasons you describe.
- wrongbaud 3y agoThe problem with Saleae IMO is that their current price point is way out of reach for beginners. The software is wonderful (as is the hardware), but it's hard to justify as a newcomer to the hobby at that price point
- T3OU-736 3y agoEek. I have not looked at their prices in too long! You are absolutely right. My memory suggested Saleae based on prices like this: https://www.adafruit.com/product/378 https://www.adafruit.com/product/378 ($USD 149. Very clearly, no longer the case! Appreciate the pointing out the staleness.
- nxobject 3y agoI think Saleae's made way in the low-end market to Chinese Saleae clones that have similar software and hardware to their original models – at similar prices, too.
- zw123456 3y agoExcellent! I could quibble over details of this or that brand but that would be silly. The only category I would add is a ventilation system, especially if you have a 3D printer but even soldering and de-soldering can generate a lot of noxious fumes. Of course it depends on the environment your lab is in but assuming it's a basement or some closed in area, having a good exhaust system can be a godsend.
- wrongbaud 3y agoGreat point! I will add a small paragraph on fume extraction this week
- redprince 3y agoThe microscope recommendations are a bit problematic, except for the mantis. When you can afford it, get yourself a binocular stereo microscope with sufficient viewing distance from the work piece. In contrast to USB microscopes, those will have no image delay, which can make hand-eye coordination difficult, allow for depth perception and have way superior image quality. When buying a trinocular it should be a simul-focal one where the stereo microscope and the camera are focused and available all at the same time (no switching of the light path to the camera). Example for such a trinocular microscope: AmScope SM-4NTP. A bincular microscope with matching specs will be slightly cheaper. Louis Rossmann explaining in more detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_eQrbop-J4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_eQrbop-J4
- wrongbaud 3y agoThat is definitely the segment that I have the least hand-on experience with. I've always used the mantis in my shop and not used much else for soldering. Feel free to toss on a PR with some reccomendations/updates!
- analog31 3y agoA stereo microscope is a prominent fixture on my bench. It's on an arm so I can swing it into place. Can't recommend a brand, since mine was a dumpster dive. I also like having a magnifying visor, so I don't have to move something to the scope. McMaster-Carr has a selection.
- cushychicken 3y agoI have a stereo Amscope that I really love.
- iamricks 3y agoFor SWEs what is a good way to get an intro into hardware?
- wrongbaud 3y agoI think the best approach is to start taking things apart that interest you, and learn along the way. For example - on my blog I use things like arcade cabinets and home routers to introduce some hardware reversing concepts: https://wrongbaud.github.io https://wrongbaud.github.io There is also nothing wrong with getting some of the arduino starter kits on amazon and using those to learn how to interact with various peripherals, etc.
- jazzyjackson 3y agoAdafruit tutorials and Neopixels can be fun with a very low barrier to entry. Get into sensors and networking from there. The RP2040 by Raspberry Pi is a great chip to start learning with micropython.
- rasz 3y agoLocal hackerspace, just show up.
- JohnFen 3y agoI second this. Also, cheap electronics kits can be a great way to get your sea legs, especially if you take the time to work out why the circuits are designed as they are.
- mhb 3y agoJim Williams' workshop: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mightyohm/sets/72157629444825281/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/mightyohm/sets/721576294448252...
- JKCalhoun 3y agoHa ha, that looks like mine.
- jareklupinski 3y ago> ESD Protections > The last thing that you want to happen is for you to accidentally destroy a device with static electricity, In order to avoid this, it is always a good idea to get an ESD wrist strap or an ESD protective mat. Work is a different story, and maybe it's because I've only ever done electronics work on the relatively humid east coast, but I've personally never have taken special ESD precautions during my hobby time (such as grounding my desk at home or wearing a strap), yet have never discharged static electricity through any one of my personal circuits. Am I doing it wrong?
- GravitasFailure 3y ago>Am I doing it wrong? If you're not killing anything, then probably not. It's not a bad thing to be conscientious of, but if static just isn't a problem for you and you aren't handling super sensitive components, stressing about it isn't terribly productive.
- mcshicks 3y agoOnly if you want to sell it.
- analog31 3y agoStuff has gotten a lot more robust, except for specialized things such as laser diodes. Also, once an IC is soldered onto a circuit board, it's not invincible, but less prone to damage because the capacitance on the board limits the voltage spike. The only time I ever damaged IC's was when I had my office chair on one of those plastic mats that lets you roll your chair around on a carpeted floor. That was a static electricity generator. If you're regularly getting static zaps during dry winter weather, on things like doorknobs, it's a sign that you need to be more careful with your electronics.
- JohnFen 3y ago> Stuff has gotten a lot more robust It has, yes. But even back when things weren't as robust, I never got into the habit of using a wrist strap. Just remembering to touch something grounded before poking at things seems to have done the trick. I don't think I ever fried a device through ESD.
- nullc 3y agoFor electronics work a video microscope is the way to go: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803915366071.html https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803915366071.html I have the 180x, though I mostly use it zoomed out. Perhaps some would prefer the 120x for more working distance. Be sure to get a kit with the light. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2251832167751376.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2251832167751376.html (I'm told the stand can be found on ebay with lower shipping cost). For oscilloscopes, Check out the new Rigol DHO800/900 series. They're super compact and USB powered, but basically have the 5000 series features and are 12-bit. The lower bandpass ones are fairly inexpensive and they're hackable to higher bandpasses (craftily, instead of eliminating hackability Rigol has made features like the logic analyzer only exist in higher end models). I'd like to see some inexpensive options for sidechannel analysis, I've tried varrious things with SDRs monitoring shunt resistors and really had any interesting signals blasted out by LDO noise and USB noise. Back when I worked on libsecp256k1 I really wanted to setup a CI rig that ran blind side channel analysis on a commit by commit basis, e.g. by looking at the cross correlation of aligned traces with different secret material, but I wasn't able to get something working.
- inamberclad 3y agoHah, I'm surprised he mentioned Lauterbach at all. It's ruthlessly powerful, but not remotely hacker / user friendly.
- cushychicken 3y agoLauterbach is much beloved in many hacker / reversing communities, largely for its power and wide compatibility. Not an easy thing to start with, I'll certainly grant you that.
- cvccvroomvroom 3y agoDuring the pandemic, I bought a Chinese JBC clone that takes real JBC tips. Temperature calibration was possible and it heated up fast enough, but not like a real JBC station. For 15% of the price, it's a steal and close enough. Also got a 100 Mhz oscilloscope with paid options but hackable to 200 MHz, WiFi (COTS USB), and a 16-channel IIRC logic analyzer. Picked up an Agilent PSU with a bad fan. That was an easy fix. Will have to calibrate it but it's already pretty close. Then I spent too much money on a Fluke 289 DMM. The price went up significantly now, I wouldn't recommend it now. In general, buy used, repair, and recycle.
- Namidairo 3y agoThe CH341A requires a somewhat large warning on it, given there are still many floating around that'll happily push 5V data lines still when supposedly configured for 3.3V Later revisions supposedly fixed this, but the reviews on the Amazon link seem to indicate it may be of older stock. This can be fixed with fairly simple modifications luckily.
- cushychicken 3y agoIt's very straightforward to modify to run at 3.3V. There's a few good guides online. It's one cut trace and a short wire tack.
- lormayna 3y agoFor RF low cost tooling I suggest Evilcrow RF v2 (https://github.com/joelsernamoreno/EvilCrowRF-V2 https://github.com/joelsernamoreno/EvilCrowRF-V2) instead of Yard Stick One.
- ofrzeta 3y agoThe price on the "MisVision Trinocular Microscope" (it's "MinsVision" on Aliexpress) is a copy and paste error, I guess? I could only find devices like this for around 370 dollars/euros.
- c_o_n_v_e_x 3y agoThis is a related question but how do mere mortals or scrappy hardware startups afford to work on devices with USB4? Outright purchases of USB4 capable scopes are outrageous. Rentals aren't cheap either.
- parski 3y agoA few notes: - For soldering stations I think used Hakko's are very worth considering. The recommended KSGER unit is known to have design issues on older iterations such as ground issues. It can be a bit of a mixed bag whereas the high end Hakkos are a very safe bet so if you can find one at a good price I would recommend that over a KSGER-like. - Fume extractors might be a waste of money from what I hear. I know people who do a ton of soldering that don't use them at all and I took part in a soldering course about a year ago where they said that there are a lot of regulations on what can go into the solder and the flux core so they are pretty harmless under normal circumstances. I use a kitchen fan when cooking on the stove to avoid breathing all the VOCs that get suspended in the air but when I solder I just avoid inhaling when the evaporated flux plume comes.
- Doxin 3y agoFume extractors are nice for not getting the smoke all up in your face at minimum. Any filtering they may do is a bonus.