motherfucker god damn it im all "oh ill add a thermal printer to the #PoloroidBadge then it will like an actual fucking poloroid and then i come to find that the thermal print head components are like some big fucking secret and theres an even a hackaday project long abandoned to make an open source controller board for them and there are just countless usb/ttl controller boards for them but no specs or schematics anywhere and im like fuck it.

ill do it myself, give me the fucking datasheet

ill add this motherfucker directly onto the board on my camera design AND ill make an open hardware controller board for it for you motherfuckers too.

#DirtCheapHackingTools progresses

#Glitchy - still struggling with fw on every platform i try, mostly because im stupid and cant solve problems by making it more expensive - still aiming to have this be a $20 galvanic bootloader flash glitch automation tool and mass produced for wide availability

#PoloroidBadge - first time doing 4-layer board, but layout is underway - this will be a $300 badge, im sorry, but its fancy and the point is to fundraise for the cheaper hacking hardware by making expensive blienkenlights to sell at defcon. im not sorry for how fucking gorgeous its going to be.

#PayphoneBackpack - its really a lot of projects, but the main bit is just getting the clear housing made finally, which i hesitate to do and keep fiddling with it in fusion instead. once the housing is here i can assemble it and start adding in all the cute mods. this will never be for sale. this will be a flex, and will double as the enclosure for the pirate casino server.

secret work project 1 - just need to redo the layout with proper design rules and then its ready to order. i dont know that this will ever see the light of day but if it does it will almost certainly be free and open source

secret work project 2 - one more breadboard prototype to make, give a work presentation, do some testing and tuning, do a board layout, order a prototype - seems like a real invention tbh ngl and my work doesnt sell hardware so theres a good chance ill be allowed to also make and sell them through DCHT - this will be a fairly expensive product, not exorbitant, but if sold it will most likely be marketed as a flipper zero hat or whatever the fuck they call the addons for that, so, think those price ranges. i cannot wait to flex on this, im very pleased with myself about it.

usb otg landline adapter, use a fun old phone as your cellphone without using BTLE! - waiting til the payphone is done since they go together, but code and hardware design are along already. trying to decide if i want to design the enclosure (it needs one, the hardware on here would probably zap you maybe idk) to have the magnet ring to click onto iphone cases or not. i personally would like that, but maybe i should not make that a default feature?

gray / red / blue box combo badge - same, honestly theyre not that different, pots/slic is like the foundation and FXS is like... a wrapper. once you make a pots and slic phone, and and FXS phone... interfacing the FXS to a USB host is like... theres like tutorials for that part, its ez. this motherfucker will be so god damned cute.

#DirtCheapProbesV2 - backburner, no one wants these

#ESP32anza - backburner, no one will want these

#GlitchyV2 - still concepts, but good ones.

#FediMMO - im not really working on this but i wish it existed, if anyone would give this a loving home and make it really happen feel free to assume control of the idea

im always open to hearing ideas too but if you give them to me i might turn around and sell objects made from them so youll have to accept that.

#DirtCheapHackingTools progress updates

#PoloroidBadge: PCB layout
#LIDARDetector: Breadboard prototyping, given to work
#Glitchy: countless prototypes made, still mired in fw issues, working through it but it sucks at this point so its what im taking a break from by doing these other things lmao
Secret Project: schematic complete
#PayphoneBackpack: minimal version is ready, just waiting to order the resin housing until i have a reason to celebrate
#GlitchyV2: concept phase
#ESP32anza: concept phase
#DirtCheapProbes: first drop all but sold out, gone forever
#DirtCheapProbesV2: design phase nearly complete, will come in larger sets so as to do jtag and such

i am aiming to complete glitchy, poloroidbadge, lidardetector, and secret project within the year, and hope to have the former two available for sale and the former third used as marketing swag by my employer by next summer. the rest... meh, well see. i have other shit to do too, the output of this right now is little more than an hour or two of my days.

in the week before defcon i took my wifes #PoloroidBadge idea from concept to dev board prototype, and in the week after defcon ive completed the first draft of the schematic for the production version

i cloned espressifs ESP32 S3 dev board and adafruits powerboost 1000c with some modifications to add the usb data, add usb-only power, and make the usb plug C.

new to the original design are a lot more LEDs, cap touch for fun reasons, way more buttons (testing, toggle between resistors, etc) in addition to 3 more UI buttons and motherfucking haptic feedback, and shitload of debug indicator LEDs

almost no time until #DEFCON

were busy down in the dirt cheap dungeon packing up pickups, deploying demos,
and preparing previews

follow us on bluesky and mastodon for drops, discounts, and sneak peeks of
upcoming releases like #Glitchy and
#PoloroidBadge

https://www.dirtcheaphackingtools.com

the #PoloroidBadge - ov2640 camera, 4.2" epaper display, mpu6050 accelerometer, 9 rgb leds, sd card to store and re-display photos

come and find us, check out the prototype at #DEFCON