Is Bus Pirate’s 5+ case/materials set in stone at this point?
If not, it would be great if alternative case materials might be considered at some point, e.g. a clear acrylic type or similar (seeing electronics/PCBs through cases is a gorgeous sight amongst many in tech), or some sort of brushed/matte composite, e.g. (no affiliation):
Of course, function over form, always; the BP’s function and capabilities are what really matters. I’m just saying, if there’s ever any spare time left for design input, IMO the BP’s current white casing gives a sort of “prototype”/3D-print vibe to it. And having a more sleek case/profile would help it, and also help sell itself, particularly to those who don’t already have one or aren’t yet familiar with it yet.
Likewise, a slightly elongated/rectangular shape would also be helpful, too, as uniform squares aren’t as easily/comfortably wielded due to the shape of the hand. It appears that there is empty space in the outer shell (between the LEDs) that could potentially be trimmed down.
Of course, I’m not any sort of expert, and am out of place to making feedback like this.
Nice ideas, and good suggestion about the square shape. It would be nice to have just a bit more space around the 10P connector.
Some time in the fall we need to make new enclosure tooling. This time it will be professionally designed, instead of cobbled together in KiCAD. The previous injection molding factory was an absolute nightmare and we won’t work with them again. We have a new factory we’re super eager to work with, the boss has already helped us a lot.
I haven’t even looked into the coil requirements to optimize the rf work I’ve been doing with the Bus Pirate on the side, but MAYBE something to consider would be a groove inside that an rf antenna could be inlayed into for future development if there isn’t anything implemented or complete when you do re-tool. Just a thought to consider.
Currently I am looking at utilizing the debug jig from the other thread as a model to test for potential interference or other issues with locating the antenna below the BusPirate, but I have only just begun working through this on paper and havent printed or modified anything to expand further. I need to first determine the frequency and antenna requirments best suited for the most common use cases.
I love that you’re experimenting with RF and the BP.
In my opinion, the BP is the wrong tool to use for RF research, at least because of the low cost (~$30USD) of the PM3Easy devices and the Iceman firmware’s depth of support for both LF (125kHz and 134kHz) and HF (13.xxx MHz)tags. Note that, to have this broad support, the PM3 uses both an FPGA (for real-time stuff) as well as an ARM cpu, and can emulate cards (not just read them). A PM3Easy is likely about the same price as what a low-volume RFID plank would go for…
Because of this, while I love the possibility of a plank that adds HF tag reading, I would wonder at the wisdom of modifying the common case for what would be a corner case.
That said, perhaps you could take the existing case STL and 3D print a replacement? If you find your coil works “well enough” for your purposes when around the BP5 board, hot glue is still an acceptable low-stress option for affixing your custom coils inside (and removes easily with rubbing alcohol) … whether it’s the existing case or one you’ve modified with a channel for your coil(s).
Please do share when you get something working! It’s always great to see and encourage RFID research!
I will integrate the components on a daughterbourad or similar. Not really to far from a cellphone nfc reader circuit. I’ll utilize a tank circuit, similar to what you see in the link, and print a modified case to recess the tank circuit.
@ian ,can you close the current rfid channel on here. @henry is not incorrect in his statement with the proxmark3 easy. It doesnt fit my particular use case, therefor, this may be a corner or edge case and unnecessary to pursue.
I’ll share photos once complete.
If anyone is interested in knowing more about the project, I may set up a website to share the progress or I may offer invites to a discord server. Until i decide,here’s a bit of my thoughts:
The 2nd stage goal that may not be comleted is to embed the bus pirate into the “palmrest” of a laptop where the smart card reader is. I may have to remove the reader in order to see the project through, but I haven’t modeled it up.
I’ve been working on a sketch in my head as I take these laptops apart and examine the setup the determine which likely be the best candidate for the implant. Ill try to actually sketch something up or just cut into one and do it this week depending on how things go. This is the busy time of the year with the kids, and you only get that once. If time does allow before the holidays come around, I’d love to complete it and post an article. But I can’t commit to that with the way things are going at work and all the aforementioned. I’ll do my best.
It’s been nice to spend a little time on a side project that I enjoy and getting to disconnect from work. Its been a long time since I’ve been able to do that. And the community around the Bus Pirate is amazing!
Thanks @ian for the Bus Pirate! It’s actually a project Im interested in enough to give me that mental reprieve! When you are doing what you love, it’s no longer work and you shall be happy!
