This document discusses being a hack engineer and provides an overview of hardware hacking. It defines hacking as finding simple solutions to complex problems and addresses questions about the ethics of hacking. It then provides guidance on getting started with hardware hacking, including recommended tools and components for setting up a home laboratory. Finally, it discusses progressing to microcontrollers and open hardware platforms and provides examples of DIY hardware projects.

1. Being a Hack Engineer
Vinay V. Surendran
Nukelabs

2. What attracted you to this talk?
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3. a. Hack
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4. b. Engineer
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5. c. Free Attendance
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6. A few questions to be answered before
delving into the topic
• What is Hacking?
• Is Hacking “ethical” or “unethical”?
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7. Hacking
Finding a simple solution for a
complex problem
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8. Now what about the ETHICS.??
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9. Let’s begin the day with a
‘Hacked-up’ thought !!
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10. A question for you guys!
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11. Hacking
Software or Hardware?
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12. Software + Hardware
How about this ?! ;-)
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13. And you think this gives you power
over everything else?!
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15. Embedded = Hardware +
Software
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16. Hardware Kickstart
• Why hardware?
• Why design your own hardware?
• Isn’t it tough?
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17. But how do I get to learn about
electronics?
• Internet
• A very good source for learning the basics and
also some advanced stuff, in an interesting
way - http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/
• Join Hackerspaces
• Join related forums, mailing lists
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18. Setting up your Home Laboratory
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19. Stuff you must have
• Digital Multimeter
• BreadBoard
• Wire Stripping Pliers
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20. Stuff you must have (contd..)
• Jumper Wires
• Needle-Nose Pliers
• Screwdrivers
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21. Stuff you must have (contd..)
• Soldering Iron and Solder
• Utility Knife
• Wire (Multi-stranded as well as single
stranded)
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22. Stuff you must have (contd..)
• Power Source
(either a 9V battery or get a bench power
supply)
Or
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23. Stuff you must have (contd..)
• LEDs (Light Emitting Diode)
• Resistors
• Capacitors
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24. Stuff you must have (contd..)
• A small Loudspeaker
• A few ICs (integrated circuits)
• And few other components as and when the
need arises
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25. Stuff you must have (contd..)
• General purpose PCB (printed circuit board)
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26. Now what to do in my lab?
• Start building simple circuits like tone
generators, basic audio amplifier, blinking
lights, etc.. on the breadboard
• That will help you learn how to place the
components before wiring them together and
troubleshooting techniques
• Learn soldering; practise it
• Implement the same old circuits on a general
purpose PCB (printed circuit board)
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27. Done with the basics!!
So what’s next!?
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28. How about some
Microcontrollers ?
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29. Highlights
• The ‘software’ FUN of hacking, kicks in here
• Amazing things possible
• Your imagination is the only limit to what you
can build with microcontrollers
• Gives you the SUPREME POWER of controlling
real world parameters
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30. Platforms available in the market
today
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31. Nukelabs AVR Development Platform v 1.0
www.nukelabs.in
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32. Arduino
www.arduino.cc
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34. Texas Instruments Launchpad Series
• MSP430 Launchpad
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35. ST Microelectronics
• STM8L - Discovery
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36. High performance Open Source
hardware platforms
Commonly called SBC – Single Board
Computers
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37. Beagle Board
http://beagleboard.org
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38. Beagle Bone
http://beagleboard.org/bone
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39. Raspberry Pi – the credit card sized computer
http://www.raspberrypi.org
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40. Raspberry Pi Super-Computer
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~sjc/raspberrypi/pi_pictures.htm
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41. The D-I-Y Culture
Do It Yourself
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42. Rep-Rap 3D printer
http://reprap.org/wiki/Main_Page
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43. Twittering plants
http://www.botanicalls.com
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44. Wave Bubble – Open source RF Jammer
http://www.ladyada.net/make/wavebubble/index.html
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45. Peggy – Open source LED board
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/2008/peggy-version-2-0/
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46. Designing a hardware product by
yourself
Using OSS tools
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47. KiCAD – the Open Source PCB Design Suite
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48. For more info
• Homepage : http://www.kicad-
pcb.org/display/KICAD/KiCad+EDA+Software+
Suite
• Getting Started PDF : http://www.kicad-
pcb.org/download/attachments/1212538/Get
ting_Started_in_KiCad.pdf
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49. Nukelabs designs with KiCAD!!
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51. The PCB layout!
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52. Our product design in 3D
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53. Manufactured! Finally!!
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54. A pile of them!!
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55. Places online which have some good
info for beginners:
• Sparkfun Tutorials :
https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials
• Beginning Embedded Electronics (lecture
series)
https://www.sparkfun.com/tutorials/57
• LadyAda Tutorials :
http://www.adafruit.com/index.php?main_page=tut
orials
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56. A great read
• Open source hardware 2008 – The definitive
guide to open source hardware projects in
2008
http://blog.makezine.com/2008/11/25/draft-
open-source-hardwa/
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57. Any Questions?!
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58. Thank you then!
From Nukelabs
This slide available at :
http://www.slideshare.net/Nukelabs
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59. Time for a Nukelabs demo!!
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