A hack with happy ending - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Scrts
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2011, 04:36:17 pm
content: Hi,I've seen the Han/Tekway thread for hacks and people there telling that the manufacturers knows everything about the hack. Indeed, here is the story about Intronix Logicport.I was able to use Intronix LA @ uni, so decided to check, if it is possible to clone it. The design inside is really good, although the FPGA is quite old, but I really liked it. I've started a new thread in one forum to check if other engineers had the same ideas like mine, so posted some photos and eeprom contents. The thread became dead, because it was impossible to do anything without removing FPGA, so I've forgot about it. A few months later, the LA was dead. HowThe support quickly answered the question, including all information about me, my posts, etc, ending everything with a sentence, that providing EEPROM contents is illegal and I have broken EULA agreement.Inserting LA to the USB finds the device, but the software declines to work, dropping an error that the device is in use/doesn't work/etc and starts in DEMO mode. A dead end.However, I have deleted the thread from that forum, said sorry to the Intronix support and they gave me a 15 steps manual + a key, how to make the LA alive. Seems like that 389$ price for LA is overpriced? Maybe, but the support is fantastic. I thought, I had to buy a new LA for the uni, but they gave me another chance. I believe they wouldn't if they had any thoughts, that the LA could be hacked/cloned. They knew that this is impossible.Finally:1. Some hardware/software manufacturers use talkbacks for their devices. Connect to the internet and You're done.2. Be careful - think twice what are You doing.3. Check if it is worth of hacking.EDIT:People PM'ing me for information how to hack it - don't. It is unhackable and I don't have any information regarding this. It is too well developed. BUY IT!

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 27, 2011, 01:33:48 pm
content: Getting into the guts of a device is potentially illegal, and depending on how its phrased in the EULA, releasing hidden functionality without paying for it can be labeled as theft, if laws by which the manufacturer protects their rights apply to your country.Chinese companies have been ripping off technology for some time while the owners can do little about it in Chinese courts. So, the rest of the world that provided those technologies are returning that attitude back to them, particularly if its engineered bad enough to make hacking relatively easy.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 27, 2011, 01:55:36 pm
content: Adding to, or rephrasing what saturation said, you can have as many legal deterrents in place as you want, but that doesnt prevent people reverse-engineering your product/IP and copying it.Having 'hard' measures helps, but not for long. Using code protect on your PIC will not stop someone from etching away the package and erasing the code protect bits. You must constantly keep hackers on their toes with soft and hard measures that change on a regular basis.