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[DeepDive] Hardware lab, hardware hacking, electronics, soldering, arduino, etc #91

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[DeepDive] Hardware lab, hardware hacking, electronics, soldering, arduino, etc#91
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deep-diveA research deep dive/link dump of various things related to a topic. May eventually become a blog.
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@0xdevalias
0xdevalias
opened on Sep 7, 2020

Hardware Lab: Tools, Equipment, etc

'Best' choices tend to depend on your budget, what you are working on, etc. I personally tend to look at a number of recommendations, see what comes up commonly, and then do further research based on that.

  • https://www.yamanelectronics.com/equipment/
  • https://labs.bishopfox.com/tech-blog/how-to-set-up-your-hardware-lab
    • Soldering equipment and gear
    • Desoldering Equipment
      • Hot Air Station, Desoldering Hand Pump, Desoldering Braid, Kapton Tape, Silicone Mat
    • Test equipment
      • Multimeter
        • Brymen BM235
        • Innova 3320
        • Fine-tip needle probes for making measurements on tiny pins and test points
      • Logic analyser
      • Oscilloscope
        • Siglent SDS1204X-E
        • Rigol DS1054z
        • Rigol DS1102E

        • If you have the space and patience, good deals for used, older digital oscilloscopes can be had on eBay

      • Serial Protocol Adapters

        • FTDI has you covered with an assortment of chips that allow you to interface with protocols like UART, SPI, I2C, and JTAG through USB

        • FTDI provides cables that serve this purpose, but there are also a couple breakout boards for the FTDI FT232H chip, including the Xipiter Shikra and a number of boards from companies like Adafruit and Sparkfun.

        • We have a Shikra in the NYC office, but many of our engineers use the Adafruit FT232H breakout board since Shikras can be hard to get.

      • JTAG/SWD Debugger

        • A working JTAG or SWD interface is the holy grail of hardware reverse engineering since they typically provides you with full hardware debugging capabilities. Even though an FT232H/FT2232H-based board like the Flyswatter2 supports working with JTAG, it’s a good idea to have a dedicated debugger because they are often easier to use and more reliable.

      • Flash Programmer

        • Grabbing firmware directly from a flash chip or modifying and rewriting firmware to a flash chip are fairly common tasks in the process of reverse engineering devices. While you could use an FTDI-based breakout board paired with open source software to read most chips, a good flash programmer with support for a wide range of chips can make the process easier by providing a convenient and reliable interface.

        • The TL866 can be purchased for about $100 with an assortment of adapters for working with various chip packages. The TL866 family of programmers also has Linux support through the open-source MiniPro utility, so you’re not locked into the software provided by the manufacturer. Alternatively, the more expensive TNM5000 programmer offers support for about 23,000 different flash chips and comes with an assortment of adapters for various chip packages.

      • For BGA package eMMC flash chips, we use an Allsocket eMMC reader. Honorary mention goes to the low-cost FlashcatUSB Classic

      • Bench Power Supply

        • You probably don’t need to go for any of the expensive, fully featured bench power supplies. A 30-volt, 5-amp adjustable power supply with one output can be had for $100 or less and is more than enough for our needs.

        • Linear supplies produce cleaner power but tend to be larger and produce more heat, while switching supplies produce noisier power but are smaller and more efficient. Either should be fine, but linear is generally preferred to switching because noise can occasionally introduce issues.

        • For our lab, we bought a Korad KA3005P because it fits all of our requirements with the added benefit of being programmable.

    • Tools and lab equipment
      • Precision Screwdriver Set
      • Spudgers

        • Since embedded systems are rarely designed to be taken apart, you’ll likely need a spudger set to pry them open without using the aforementioned technique of launching the device at a wall. A lot of precision screwdriver sets are designed with phone repair in mind, so they tend to come with spudgers. If you have to buy them independently of your screwdriver set, you should pick up a set of assorted metal spudgers as the plastic ones tend to deform after a few uses.

      • Precision Tweezers
      • ESD Wrist Strap

        • When you’re working with electronics, you want to minimize the risk of static electricity ruining whatever device you’re working on. An ESD wrist strap, when properly used, will help prevent destroying chips accidentally while you’re rooting around inside of a device.

      • Wires, Headers, and Breadboards

        • To tap into signals on a device’s PCB, you’re going to want to have an assortment of wires and headers available to you. At the very least, you will need the following:

          • A roll of 2.54 mm pitch IDC ribbon wire (multicolored) – Excellent for jumper wire because of the small pitch. You can also peel off however much wire you need for soldering to multiple pins or test points.

          • 34 AWG enameled copper magnet wire – For running your jumpers to tiny components or chips with a very small pin pitch where ribbon wire won’t cut it.

          • Multicolored Dupont wires – 2.54 mm pitch headers are pretty standard for interfacing with most adapters, devices, and breadboards. Ensure that you get Dupont wire sets including male-male, male-female, and female-female wires.

          • 54 mm single row headers – For interfacing with the aforementioned Dupont wires. These are useful for soldering directly to devices with unpopulated headers or creating an interface from scattered test points.

          • Assorted breadboards – For prototyping things or keeping connections to and from your device more organized.

        • For cutting and stripping ribbon wire, we got a Klenk 2-in-1 wire cutter and stripper (DA76070) set because it’s adept at stripping ribbon wire without having to make adjustments like you would with other wire strippers.

      • Magnification

        • Regardless of which type of microscope you go for, you should ensure that it’s capable of at least 10x magnification and has a working distance of 5+ inches. You don’t really need to zoom in very far for soldering or inspection, but working distance is extremely important because it dictates how far away the microscope can be while still being effective. The further this distance, the more space you have to work while soldering.

        • In the office, we went with a Hayear 16MP HDMI microscope with a 100x c-mount lens and a LED ring on a boom stand, mostly because we have an abundance of monitors in our office and need the portability to move the microscope around. As a bonus, the camera component of the microscope can be removed and fitted to the trinocular port if a stereoscopic microscope if we ever felt the need to upgrade our setup.

        • If you are just setting up your own home lab or don’t have a strong need for sharing your magnified view, I strongly recommend going for a stereoscopic microscope. Amscope™ offers some cheaper fixed-magnification microscopes like the SE420-LED and the SE420-XYZ that are ideal. If you really want to leave the option of a camera open, Amscope offers a ton of options for trinocular simul-focal microscopes in various price ranges.

  • https://www.fracturelabs.com/posts/2020/hardware-hacking-lab-physical-tools/
    • Workbench tools
    • Soldering and rework tools
    • Misc tools

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