Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

[afterburn188]

So the idea was thrown out there and I liked it so much that I'm running with it and seeing where it goes. I would like to try to organize a list of parts/tools/equipment/suppliers/etc that one might use to build their own hardware hacking kit. I know last year a few guys showed up with fishing boxes and other things filled with parts that they used to mod their badges. It could range from suggesting a certain cheap multimeter to suggesting where one could purchase parts from cheaply. I've made a page for it on the HHV wiki (http://hhv.udarknet.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=hackit) where people can contribute. I have been really busy with getting ready for Shmoo and recovering from the extravaganza that it was so expect to see my postings in the next several weeks.

Also please keep in mind that there will be kits for sale by the HHV and that this thread and contributions have nothing to do with the separate kit. This is meant to if anything augment this as I don't see the parts kit containing multimeters and such (but what would I know?). You help and contribution is much appreciated! If someone thinks this is a bad idea feel free to flame it down.

[LosT]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

Burn, let's talk off line . Hit me up with an email .

[HighWiz]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

While not totally what you're looking for, this may be able to save you a few bucks:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Free...ronic_Samples/

[g3k_]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

While not totally what you're looking for, this may be able to save you a few bucks:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Free...ronic_Samples/

Hah! I was just gonna post that, I saw it on lifehacker earlier today :(

[afterburn188]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

While not totally what you're looking for, this may be able to save you a few bucks:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Free...ronic_Samples/

Actually that is one thing that is exactly along the lines of what I was looking for. This makes creating a list of sample providers a lot easier. Samples are pretty sweet but should be used carefully.

A warning I will make: one mistake I know people make is to not know what type of package they are ordering. I did this before and instead of the DIPs I was expecting, little surface mount chips came hoping out. On the other hand it does create an excuse to learn/figure out how to solder surface mount chips. I do however suggest DIPs for beginning out even if this limits a lot of your selection.

[Rover]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

Someone new to HH would benefit from knowing what to include in their tackle box before heading off to the Con. I'm thinking it would be useful to recommend Good, Better, and Best starter tool kits like Lady Ada describes here:
http://www.ladyada.net/library/equipt/kits.html

This gives a few options based on level of interest and how much cash they want to lay out before deciding if its really for them.

[valkyrie]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

Someone new to HH would benefit from knowing what to include in their tackle box before heading off to the Con. I'm thinking it would be useful to recommend Good, Better, and Best starter tool kits like Lady Ada describes here:
http://www.ladyada.net/library/equipt/kits.html

This gives a few options based on level of interest and how much cash they want to lay out before deciding if its really for them.

Yeah, to anyone who wants to do some serious stuff to electronics, stay away from a Cold Heat. It's great for repairing things around the house, but don't dare touch it to your precious circuit boards. Get an old fashioned swivel ended iron and learn with that.

Learn from my experience...

Regards,

Valkyrie
__________________________________________________ _________
sapere aude

[afterburn188]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

Yeah, to anyone who wants to do some serious stuff to electronics, stay away from a Cold Heat. It's great for repairing things around the house, but don't dare touch it to your precious circuit boards. Get an old fashioned swivel ended iron and learn with that.

Learn from my experience...

Regards,

Valkyrie
__________________________________________________ _________
sapere aude

I for one have also made this mistake. Then I got spoiled when I used a Metcal it was like night and day! The power meter on them is also good for telling when you've finally heated something up while trying to disassemble

[streaker69]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

Yeah, to anyone who wants to do some serious stuff to electronics, stay away from a Cold Heat. It's great for repairing things around the house, but don't dare touch it to your precious circuit boards. Get an old fashioned swivel ended iron and learn with that.

Learn from my experience...

Regards,

Valkyrie
__________________________________________________ _________
sapere aude

I agree with this as well. I have one, and I would only use it in an emergency repairing wire connections that don't have anything connected to the other end.

Their commercial showed them using it on circuit boards, and after I got it and saw how it worked I figured it was pretty much crap for that kind of work. The last time I used it was at a remote station to jump a pair of pins on a DB9 connector.

I've considered getting one of those little butane irons for use in the field when electricity isn't handy.

[DCFluX]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

I'd recommend the inclusion of some of the Atmel AVR series of micro controllers.

Specifically:
ATTINY45
ATMEGA8
ATMEGA644P

All of these can run with the internal oscillator and can be programed with a parallel port.

For transistors I like the 2N2222, TO-92 version, MMBT2222 for surface mount.

Some resistors, to keep it simple use 100 ohms, 1K, 10K and 100K, maybe also include the half steps of 47, 470, 4.7K and 47K, all 1/4 watt

some caps, lots of 0.1uF non polar, couple of 0.01 and .001, 1uF 10uF and 100uF aluminum electrolytic.

Also some 78L05s and or 1N5231B 5.1V zener diodes for power regulation.

[bombnav]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

I agree with this as well. I have one, and I would only use it in an emergency repairing wire connections that don't have anything connected to the other end.

Their commercial showed them using it on circuit boards, and after I got it and saw how it worked I figured it was pretty much crap for that kind of work. The last time I used it was at a remote station to jump a pair of pins on a DB9 connector.

I've considered getting one of those little butane irons for use in the field when electricity isn't handy.

I have one of those butane ones and you have to be real careful as most have some kind of exhaust port on the side and you will burn stuff up fast.

I guess the best protable solution is a small gas generator to power a good iron. The small 1WK ones for under $200.

As for the kits, this year I am going to clean out my "lab" and bring what I can in the way of parts and used circuit boards since they were so popular last year. BTW what happened to the left overs.. was there a disposal issue with them? Just wondering as I had to leave before DC was over.

[A]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

BTW what happened to the left overs.. was there a disposal issue with them? Just wondering as I had to leave before DC was over.

I think that if we check enough cabinets in the skyboxes they might still be there this year. I don't think a hotel employee knows about ewaste and rhos, so I think we were fine leaving it with the other trash.

[bombnav]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

I think that if we check enough cabinets in the skyboxes they might still be there this year. I don't think a hotel employee knows about ewaste and rhos, so I think we were fine leaving it with the other trash.

Yea after living in California for 7 years I forget sometimes how the rest of the world operates.

[afterburn188]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

Just to clarify as there may have been some confusion. I am not looking to build kits or market them at the HHV in any way. My idea was that many people may be looking to assemble kits for the HHV but more importantly hardware hacking in general. The idea can be compared to BackTrack. You could go around and research all the hot programs, compile them, and install them on top of whatever distro you run. Or you could download BackTrack (or just get their list of packaged software which is what I did in the past). My idea is to give people a place to come look at and go "okay i want to build a kit, what should I have in it?" The ideas being listed here are great! Now let's transfer some of them to the wiki!

[Rover]

Re: Hardware Hack Kit Ideas

OK, I started a high-level tools list in the wiki with some potential suppliers. Feel free to make suggestions for specific models of irons, etc. at different price levels.