I've had acids that can absolutely wreak havoc on anything...... Even some fairly resilient ferritic stainless alloys. Even when you think it's stored properly..... I cannot tell you the nightmares I've had in my shop and lab back before I knew better. A precision machine shop is not the place you want to have corrosion fumes wafting through the air. Literally overnight rust within the matter of a few hours on EVERYTHING. I thought I was going to puke when I realized what happened
I've never used acids to remove the package. But I have used an engraving laser to vaporize the package off a few nanos per pass until the silicon is exposed. When done carefully, it even exposes intact contents of NVRAM cells. I think these bits could be optically scanned and their data digitally reconstructed (with better equipment than I have, lol). The method might be useful for forensic data recovery from failed flash drives.
Having done some of this in the past for a passive RFID system I am blown away at your production quality and documentation of this process. Major kudos.
Thanks! I really want to make this stuff appeal to a wider audience. I think more people would jump in and experiment if they saw how much fun we have!
I am that guy that reverse engineers without taking notes and has to do the same things over and over because I forgot I already.did it, or the steps I took to get where I was.
@@RECESSIM Excellent, I will be awaiting the notification! I should add, this video reminds me of the 00's when, when tv card hackers were sampling signals from wires of tv cards to get access to the chip and to break the encryption of the tv cards.
So what happened to the rest of this video, you left us hanging. What were the chips, how did they work, what did they do, what was the code and what did it do, what was the rf signal, so many questions.@RECESSIM
I made many of the round parts on your microscope workstation @ 6:14 . I worked at MM in the 90s. In all my random viewing of microchip related content, this is the first time I've seen one anywhere outside the factory.
As someone who works on test /metrology equipment full time.....nothing excites me more that DIY test gear, metrology equipment and/or photonics lab stuff. There's such a need for more content like this. And I hope to see more!
Also....for test gear and laser/photonics diy stuff....check out "les's lab" youtube channel. Some of the greatest diy stuff on RUclips. Making really exotic high profile experiments attainable to the home lab. And at a very high/refined level
Yea, lots of great research papers and open source projects I’ve seen that need to be publicized more so people realize it’s attainable. Thanks for commenting
my dream is to own a workshop that offers engineering classes although I understand a lot of liability comes under that sort of endeavor I think there are a lot of people that would never try to get into science because they don't know where to start
Excellent work. This is all great info, and making your own acid is impressive. You sir are in need of a small mill. Milling caps off of components precisely (without needing to use that hacksaw) is worth its weight in gold.
@@RECESSIMA Bridgeport knee mill or just “Bridgeport” will be something to do exactly what you want to do. Think of it as a really badass drill press. These mills have been around for a long ass time and are available in analog or CNC versions (analog can be upgraded to CNC if needed) and are capable of doing just about any sort of milling or machining work imaginable. There are tons of different tool pieces and accessories out there for them but to just pop the caps and lids off of electronics parts I would say you wouldn’t need much variety in tooling bits. One useful bit would be an end mill. End mill bits are a multi fluted bit with a flat end on it designed for precise, flat material removal. The end mill bits come in sizes as small as 0.005” and as large as 1.25” diameter so if you decided that the end mill bit was a good choice it is available in a wide range of sizes. Thanks for all the awesome content! I hadn’t been in your channel for a little while and all the sudden found your “Dr. Frankenstein” deep dive home rev-engineering lab. Within 20 seconds or so of the footage rolling I noticed that I left my jaw on the floor and needed it put back where it belongs. Lol Keep it up bro! You’re inspiring me to dig into some refrigeration controllers and boards I have with every new video you put out. Doubtful I would need to go to the extent of acid burning caps off of SOC’s or anything like that as most of the interesting stuff looks to have JTAG pads. The main controller boards normally use RS-485 MODBUS or RS-232 network communication to other remote mounted I/O boards, etc. Anyway, keep it up and keep it safe! We need more videos showing successful experiments from your garage lab!! 👍
@@RECESSIM hells ya! I’m sure for certain “targets” (victims) it might be beneficial to use the mill vs the acid technique. I will admit tho, the acid technique is one wicked way of getting someone’s attention, it’s pretty eye catching. I found out after digging into the video and noticing the increase in production quality that you have really been working dialing that in. Well at least thats my opinion. I noticed right away that you have been refining and tweaking things for the better (I enjoyed older video releases too so don’t get me wrong). So ya, I don’t mind trying to help someone out by posting up pointers or tips to make things better if I know something that can actually help. It’s the only convenient option to use at the moment. 😁 Can’t wait for the next one! I’m digging around on your Patreon page rn as I’ve been toying around with the idea of supporting the YT creators that I get a lot of really solid info or entertainment from on a regular basis. I just hate subscriptions of any kind as I tend to forget about them. So once I get over that issue I’ll prob pull the trigger. Lol Stay safe Hash!
when i thought this couldnt get any better i find this.... mind blown. Love watching what you come up with as its a deep dive on things i had been thinking about for a along time. Keep up the awesome work its inspiring the next generation!
Fun stuff. Uncle Sam had needs back in the day to discard a bunch of IRFNA. This was handled in tank truck sized loads. The first contractor spilled some out of the tank truck. It set the asphalt parking area on fire, the truck tires burned, then all hell broke loose. We were contractor #2 and we had concrete parking areas and Uncle Sugar liked that. We had a different approach to the problem and worked out a good method to getter done without getting dead. I had three tiny holes in my protective gear. I still have three small scars from wearing that gear while I sample the red stuff.
Your videos, the production quality and content is of a very high standard. I just wanted to say this. You deserve way more subscribers and views. Thanks man.
Noooooo, I just tapped the screen to see how much time was left because I was enjoying this video so much & it stopped as soon as I did. I really needed the 40 minute version. Man what great content as usual. Home run
Isn't it funny how the older meters were so reliable? When's the last time you heard someone complaining that their power metre failed and needed to be replaced? I wonder what's the oldest meter that is still in service today? It just goes to show that it's totally possible to make a product that will be reliable and do whatever it's supposed to do extremely well, especially when it benefits them! I have never heard of a power metre failure!
The meter in my house (in the garage) is original when the house was built in 1960. The reason why the meter is inside the garage is because there was an addition next to the garage in 1966. Works perfectly- refused smartmeter & pay x-tra every month not to have a smartmeter.
Please do more videos and bring back weekly news. You can easily make a living off of RUclips. Today's video format is super food for growing your channel and ou're perfect for it!.
Those small capacitors on the circuit board eventually leak electrolyte (famously) which means these meters must be eventually changed out at some point before they cause faulty operation with the meter. Just an observation.
I'm thinking about going into electrical engineering. This was a great video very fascinating. I was friends with someone years ago that programed these meters.
2 questions: a) how does one typically clean the inside surfaces of those globe shaped glass flasks? to insure they are completely clean for next use? b) one moment of your video showed a rigid small diameter metallic probe bent at 90 degrees at the end to act as a 'long distance probe'. Might you have the formal name of those probes and how they are mounted? As that type of rig could be helpful for me to supply power to small boards in a hands off manner. But I dont know what to search for... Thanks. And for your attention to detail. ps - final question... where do you think these 'receivers' are to capture the rf output of the meters? Do you feel with the current roll out phase of these they are supposed to all be read in real time? Or more so, when a vehicle drives by to get readings from the meters? Its just an interesting thing to know...
Thanks for the comment, happy to answer your questions. 1. Cleaning the inside of a boiling flask (globe shaped ones) depends on what was inside. Generally some other liquid is heated inside like an acid to dissolve material and then rinsed with water. I am not an expert in this though, so I would watch other videos or read some chemistry material. 2a. The probe came with my hot plate, called a "PT1000 external temperature probe" but external temp probe or thermocouple probe is what you want. The mount I used isn't a formal mount for them, I just rigged something up. 2b. What I rigged up made use of a machinist tool, on Amazon you could search for "Noga DG61003 Regular Duty Dial Gage Holder Mag Base w/Metal Fine Adjust" but the articulating arm is the important part. A similar thing is used for holding lights in video work, called a "Adjustable Magic Arm." 3a. The receivers in the case of Landis+Gyr GridStream meters are installed on power poles, they are called Collectors and you can in another video of mine where I take one apart. 3b. The power meters in my area are read every 15 minutes fully automated, no one drives around. In some areas depending on the meters used a truck drives around once a month to gather data. The water meters I have in my area are like that, a truck drives around my neighborhood slowly once a month with an antenna on it collecting data.
First time here. Finally some good reverse engineringvideos. I did not know I liked it so much. Thank you for vital information. I am impressed indeed by your work.
It would be great if there was a tutorial somewhere on how we can use these pictures to practically reverse engineer a chip. Many people focus on getting the pictures, but what can you actaully do with them? I know Ken Shiriff has a lot of writeups on his reverse engineering endeavours, but I am not aware of ay guide to learn to actually do this. Plus, are there different RE methods, depending on the family, or decade that the IC was designed?
Your content is so cool! ...and inspirational! Ive collected most of the parts but still have to work on a project you presented a while ago about looking through plastic encased chips with infrared light. Im retired, but slow as a turtle. I'll get there - the journey is half the fun. Thank you for what you do (even if i shy away from working with acid!)
I've had acids that can absolutely wreak havoc on anything...... Even some fairly resilient ferritic stainless alloys. Even when you think it's stored properly..... I cannot tell you the nightmares I've had in my shop and lab back before I knew better. A precision machine shop is not the place you want to have corrosion fumes wafting through the air. Literally overnight rust within the matter of a few hours on EVERYTHING. I thought I was going to puke when I realized what happened
Great video by the way and I am well impressed how tooled up you are. I however am perplexed at how these manufacturers make these items. The joins, the information or 'gagetery' that is within these chips are microscopic! What machines do they use then?
I’m speechless as to the incredible level of intelligence you possess. You’re the real character from the movie paycheck with Ben Affleck where he reverse engineers products for a company. So cool!!!
Just found your channel. I wish I lived next door to you and every night we would smoke weed on the back porch and I would pick your brain. Your genre is original, that's hard to do in 2024. Great job
I am disappointed that the smart meter does not have a better standby battery. Inherent problems with a battery can easily be envisioned. He is surely a better lawyer than me, and his legal opinion clearly states that he has the right to confiscate data being transmitted by any smart meter. What he does with that information might be another can of worms. I respect his technical abilities and his media skills. Scary stuff with background music. Municipal water services use radio-meters also. Surely if you flush a toilet this man can detect it. Some people might be disturbed by this intrusive technology while sporting a smart phone in their pocket.
There are NO meter readers anymore, and EVERY service on your house has a smart meter. Electric, natural gas, water, they have ALL had smart meters for at least a decade. The ONLY thing a smart meter does is allow the companies to get rid of their meter reader jobs. They are NOT part of some BIG conspiracy, out to get YOU.... 🙄
I just spent time learning how to use what I have, glad you like them! I felt I needed to up my game a bit instead of pumping out more videos. Now they can ALL be better!
Did you try the method of de-capping that Curiousmarc posted a while ago? You just heat the chip until the epoxy gets soft, then you use 2 pliers and bend the chip, and the die comes out of the epoxy - no acid required, and a lot cleaner overall.
Yea, I like this method because the part will still function afterwards. But if all you want to do is look at the silicon, heating it is a great way. Takes a bit of practice and an open space for the epoxy fumes.
@@RECESSIM Yeah, heating and bending isn't going to preserve the bond wires, but if you're just looking for ID marks on the silicon, it's a quick mess free way to go. Heat also doesn't work too good on ceramic packages 😛. I've been meaning to try the heat and bend method on any old chips I have laying around - especially large chips like chipsets on old motherboards. I imagine the chance of cracking the die goes up significantly as the die size gets bigger, and in that case, it'd be back to nitric acid again
Most people usually do, or laser it off. I found I only need a very small amount of nitric acid even when I don’t sand it though. But if I was doing this at an industrial scale it would save a lot of money in wasted acid I’m sure
Where are you finding these data sheets for components on a circuit board??? Iv looked up dozens of different components for dozens of different things and have never once found any dats sheet for anything that wasint a transformer
Wow, really cool video. Great work! That Faraday cage/box, with the gloves and window, did you build it yourself, or can it be bought? I think they are called investigation-boxes, but unsure.
Not sure, I took a look at the datasheet for that part (or very similar) but they don’t mention any details like that. Great question though, never heard of paramagnetic material before. www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/209/joytech_06262018_RBS310912T-12_en-1374914.pdf
I built software to handle the data coming from smart meters. One of the anomalies I saw was that when it rained too much, it loses signal. Or when a truck Parks over the meter we can lose signal for days. They might be able to be high-tech but the systems capturing the data are not necessarily there
Very cool man! I'm not so much interested in nitric acid as much as I am reverse engineering and maybe learning things that should be kept secret. I'll definitely be looking at some of your other videos.
a llittle dissapointed that the chip whisperer or other non destructive tools for hardware analysis (forgot the name of recent logic analyer style toy that probes all pins and logs data from all at once to determine likely usage of each, and references database to give probable chip).. that should be used before decapping weren't mentioned
I was already 99% sure this was some kind of analog chip so I went the decapping route. Generally though I experiment in random directions. I might decap at the same time as trying a chipwhisperer on an unknown part just to see what ideas I might get along the way. Thanks for commenting!
Its been a few years since ive priced HNO3, but the price for fuming nitric acid around 90% concentration should be at least half what was shown here. That's still pricey and why many chemists make their own, but that's a crazy mark up. So the price tells me that its risen recently across the whole market, and that particular suppier probably prefers to deal with bulk orders for industrial applications. Plus very few chem suppliers even list SO3 as a product let alone a suggested item, so i think you this place had soecial pricing.
That was strangely, mesmerising and hypnotic, I wonder if he can come and read Harry Potter to my kids at bedtime. I feel a binge day coming on. Regards All
What do you think about these smart meters and radiation poisoning? The electric company that hosts the network wants to put in new digital meters, apparently not smart meters. I suspect there will be a radio signal out to reach the road either way. I'm wondering now about faraday cage solutions. I was thinking to tell the installer, that if i find a signal higher than 3g, I'm putting a cage around the box, as it's in the main room of the house. Even 3g might be concerning, especially if it's going to be on constantly, like a digital trip wire...
With those tamper resistant devices it really helps to have a high res. Inspection xray device. It is amazing what security mechanisms can a bunch of motivated nerdy idiots come up with:) been on both sides design/analysis it is always fun:) just the financial guys can spoil the fun, but on the othes side makes the challenge real:)
It would be nice to mention that fumes of nitric acid are toxic and you at least need a respirator or ideally a fumehood
Thanks, I mention that HEAVILY on my Patreon post for those who plan to attempt it. This is entertainment and life has enough warnings.
Ger some glycogen and sulfuric acid and you have magic
Bro if you see the smoke and universal skull symbol and still inhale it...
A garage setup like that seeme super dangerous. Even explosions and fire seems scared of the stuff.
I've had acids that can absolutely wreak havoc on anything...... Even some fairly resilient ferritic stainless alloys. Even when you think it's stored properly..... I cannot tell you the nightmares I've had in my shop and lab back before I knew better.
A precision machine shop is not the place you want to have corrosion fumes wafting through the air. Literally overnight rust within the matter of a few hours on EVERYTHING. I thought I was going to puke when I realized what happened
You can tell that so much effort, expense and time has gone into this 15-minute piece. Just brilliant!
+1
Facts. So we’ll done.
45 seconds in and I just remembered how much I love this channel.
I've never used acids to remove the package.
But I have used an engraving laser to vaporize the package off a few nanos per pass until the silicon is exposed. When done carefully, it even exposes intact contents of NVRAM cells. I think these bits could be optically scanned and their data digitally reconstructed (with better equipment than I have, lol).
The method might be useful for forensic data recovery from failed flash drives.
Having done some of this in the past for a passive RFID system I am blown away at your production quality and documentation of this process. Major kudos.
Thanks! I really want to make this stuff appeal to a wider audience. I think more people would jump in and experiment if they saw how much fun we have!
I agree. I helped design smart meters for decades and very few of our engineers and technicians were as careful and thorough as our host.
@@RECESSIM - some of us realize we are better off just being voyeurs ;)
You got a full time student..! Thanks from 🇮🇪
I am that guy that reverse engineers without taking notes and has to do the same things over and over because I forgot I already.did it, or the steps I took to get where I was.
If this video was 10 hours long, I would have cleared my day to watch it. Excellent video.
It was going to be 20 but I trimmed to 16… Next time I’ll extent to 60 😁
@@RECESSIM Excellent, I will be awaiting the notification! I should add, this video reminds me of the 00's when, when tv card hackers were sampling signals from wires of tv cards to get access to the chip and to break the encryption of the tv cards.
So what happened to the rest of this video, you left us hanging. What were the chips, how did they work, what did they do, what was the code and what did it do, what was the rf signal, so many questions.@RECESSIM
Wat a nice person u are to write a comment like that!💯✊️😁
I made many of the round parts on your microscope workstation @ 6:14 . I worked at MM in the 90s. In all my random viewing of microchip related content, this is the first time I've seen one anywhere outside the factory.
It was a lot of fun using it when I was with John McMaster, we can finally afford to buy them on eBay! 😀
As someone who works on test /metrology equipment full time.....nothing excites me more that DIY test gear, metrology equipment and/or photonics lab stuff.
There's such a need for more content like this. And I hope to see more!
Also....for test gear and laser/photonics diy stuff....check out "les's lab" youtube channel.
Some of the greatest diy stuff on RUclips. Making really exotic high profile experiments attainable to the home lab. And at a very high/refined level
Yea, lots of great research papers and open source projects I’ve seen that need to be publicized more so people realize it’s attainable. Thanks for commenting
I saw his Bayer filter removal video, it was EPIC! Like you said, he makes some amazing stuff at home.
@@RECESSIM that's exactly the project I had in mind and thought you would find it especially interesting
I really enjoyed this video! It's relieving to see other metrology nerd haha!
Pure, unstoppable curiosity.. you sir are a true example of not giving up and not making excuses - respect!
One day I will have a shop like you have. All the learning, set up, tooling, crafting, Building, and experimenting looks like so much fun.
It’s a blast! Thanks a lot for watching
my dream is to own a workshop that offers engineering classes
although I understand a lot of liability comes under that sort of endeavor I think there are a lot of people that would never try to get into science because they don't know where to start
Excellent work. This is all great info, and making your own acid is impressive. You sir are in need of a small mill. Milling caps off of components precisely (without needing to use that hacksaw) is worth its weight in gold.
Sounds like I know what I need to show in my next video… 🙃
And maybe a cheapish fiber laser while you're at it
@@RECESSIMA Bridgeport knee mill or just “Bridgeport” will be something to do exactly what you want to do. Think of it as a really badass drill press. These mills have been around for a long ass time and are available in analog or CNC versions (analog can be upgraded to CNC if needed) and are capable of doing just about any sort of milling or machining work imaginable.
There are tons of different tool pieces and accessories out there for them but to just pop the caps and lids off of electronics parts I would say you wouldn’t need much variety in tooling bits. One useful bit would be an end mill. End mill bits are a multi fluted bit with a flat end on it designed for precise, flat material removal. The end mill bits come in sizes as small as 0.005” and as large as 1.25” diameter so if you decided that the end mill bit was a good choice it is available in a wide range of sizes.
Thanks for all the awesome content! I hadn’t been in your channel for a little while and all the sudden found your “Dr. Frankenstein” deep dive home rev-engineering lab. Within 20 seconds or so of the footage rolling I noticed that I left my jaw on the floor and needed it put back where it belongs. Lol
Keep it up bro! You’re inspiring me to dig into some refrigeration controllers and boards I have with every new video you put out. Doubtful I would need to go to the extent of acid burning caps off of SOC’s or anything like that as most of the interesting stuff looks to have JTAG pads. The main controller boards normally use RS-485 MODBUS or RS-232 network communication to other remote mounted I/O boards, etc.
Anyway, keep it up and keep it safe! We need more videos showing successful experiments from your garage lab!! 👍
@@orlandotech thanks for the comment and suggestions! I have a small Taig CNC mill that I need to use more, perhaps in an upcoming video?? 🤔
@@RECESSIM hells ya! I’m sure for certain “targets” (victims) it might be beneficial to use the mill vs the acid technique. I will admit tho, the acid technique is one wicked way of getting someone’s attention, it’s pretty eye catching. I found out after digging into the video and noticing the increase in production quality that you have really been working dialing that in. Well at least thats my opinion. I noticed right away that you have been refining and tweaking things for the better (I enjoyed older video releases too so don’t get me wrong).
So ya, I don’t mind trying to help someone out by posting up pointers or tips to make things better if I know something that can actually help. It’s the only convenient option to use at the moment. 😁
Can’t wait for the next one!
I’m digging around on your Patreon page rn as I’ve been toying around with the idea of supporting the YT creators that I get a lot of really solid info or entertainment from on a regular basis. I just hate subscriptions of any kind as I tend to forget about them. So once I get over that issue I’ll prob pull the trigger. Lol
Stay safe Hash!
This is the best channel on RUclips, no competition
when i thought this couldnt get any better i find this.... mind blown. Love watching what you come up with as its a deep dive on things i had been thinking about for a along time. Keep up the awesome work its inspiring the next generation!
Thanks a lot! Really glad you enjoyed it
I don't say this often, but this is really good video. Content, production, sound and video quality, everything, even some humor.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the work that went into it
Fun stuff. Uncle Sam had needs back in the day to discard a bunch of IRFNA. This was handled in tank truck sized loads. The first contractor spilled some out of the tank truck. It set the asphalt parking area on fire, the truck tires burned, then all hell broke loose. We were contractor #2 and we had concrete parking areas and Uncle Sugar liked that. We had a different approach to the problem and worked out a good method to getter done without getting dead. I had three tiny holes in my protective gear. I still have three small scars from wearing that gear while I sample the red stuff.
Impressive
Holy crap. This is now my favourite video from you.
Your videos, the production quality and content is of a very high standard. I just wanted to say this. You deserve way more subscribers and views. Thanks man.
Glad you like it! Means a lot hearing that after all the work that goes into it
I have really missed this channel! glad to see you back in a great way!
Noooooo, I just tapped the screen to see how much time was left because I was enjoying this video so much & it stopped as soon as I did. I really needed the 40 minute version. Man what great content as usual. Home run
Thanks! I wanted a GREAT 16 mins vs a Good 25 😀
well you knocked it out of the park!@@RECESSIM
He's back at what he does best.... ❤
Isn't it funny how the older meters were so reliable?
When's the last time you heard someone complaining that their power metre failed and needed to be replaced?
I wonder what's the oldest meter that is still in service today?
It just goes to show that it's totally possible to make a product that will be reliable and do whatever it's supposed to do extremely well, especially when it benefits them!
I have never heard of a power metre failure!
The meter in my house (in the garage) is original when the house was built in 1960. The reason why the meter is inside the garage is because there was an addition next to the garage in 1966. Works perfectly- refused smartmeter & pay x-tra every month not to have a smartmeter.
The downside being they are susceptible to hacking, tampering and fraud...
I've NEVER had ANY meter fail, smart or not, in half a century.
So, who cares?? 🤷🏻
@@dianecernak7130😂 Then you are paying MORE than I do WITH my smart meter...
🤪
@davelowets yes, my choice
Please do more videos and bring back weekly news. You can easily make a living off of RUclips. Today's video format is super food for growing your channel and ou're perfect for it!.
That’s the plan! Just wanted to work on video quality a bit over the holidays. Thanks for watching!
Great video Hash! it's nice to see some smart meter stuff again. I enjoy the RE News videos but really like to see you doing your own thing.
Those small capacitors on the circuit board eventually leak electrolyte (famously) which means these meters must be eventually changed out at some point before they cause faulty operation with the meter. Just an observation.
The scary part is there are people that think their social status has improved by allowing this "smart meter" to be installed on their house.
Nah, ONLY you do... 🙄
@@davelowets Mogged hard bro !
You earned yourself a sub, this video was thouroughly enjoyable for a manufacturing nerd like me!
I'm thinking about going into electrical engineering. This was a great video very fascinating. I was friends with someone years ago that programed these meters.
2 questions: a) how does one typically clean the inside surfaces of those globe shaped glass flasks? to insure they are completely clean for next use? b) one moment of your video showed a rigid small diameter metallic probe bent at 90 degrees at the end to act as a 'long distance probe'. Might you have the formal name of those probes and how they are mounted? As that type of rig could be helpful for me to supply power to small boards in a hands off manner. But I dont know what to search for... Thanks. And for your attention to detail. ps - final question... where do you think these 'receivers' are to capture the rf output of the meters? Do you feel with the current roll out phase of these they are supposed to all be read in real time? Or more so, when a vehicle drives by to get readings from the meters? Its just an interesting thing to know...
Thanks for the comment, happy to answer your questions.
1. Cleaning the inside of a boiling flask (globe shaped ones) depends on what was inside. Generally some other liquid is heated inside like an acid to dissolve material and then rinsed with water. I am not an expert in this though, so I would watch other videos or read some chemistry material.
2a. The probe came with my hot plate, called a "PT1000 external temperature probe" but external temp probe or thermocouple probe is what you want. The mount I used isn't a formal mount for them, I just rigged something up.
2b. What I rigged up made use of a machinist tool, on Amazon you could search for "Noga DG61003 Regular Duty Dial Gage Holder Mag Base w/Metal Fine Adjust" but the articulating arm is the important part. A similar thing is used for holding lights in video work, called a "Adjustable Magic Arm."
3a. The receivers in the case of Landis+Gyr GridStream meters are installed on power poles, they are called Collectors and you can in another video of mine where I take one apart.
3b. The power meters in my area are read every 15 minutes fully automated, no one drives around. In some areas depending on the meters used a truck drives around once a month to gather data. The water meters I have in my area are like that, a truck drives around my neighborhood slowly once a month with an antenna on it collecting data.
@@RECESSIM thanks much ill research more about the parts you suggested!
The best "Do It YOURSELF" videos always tell you to "NOT do it YOURSELF". I will totally not do this myself.
wow your filmmaking skill is soooo good man! such a brilliant piece! keep up the great work!
Can't wait until next time. Your videos are not only getting more interesting but also more entertaining 👍
First time here. Finally some good reverse engineringvideos. I did not know I liked it so much. Thank you for vital information. I am impressed indeed by your work.
Well, I have pulled a lot of things apart, but this is on another level. A much deeper one!
An absolute delight to watch. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into your videos. Thank you.
It would be great if there was a tutorial somewhere on how we can use these pictures to practically reverse engineer a chip. Many people focus on getting the pictures, but what can you actaully do with them? I know Ken Shiriff has a lot of writeups on his reverse engineering endeavours, but I am not aware of ay guide to learn to actually do this. Plus, are there different RE methods, depending on the family, or decade that the IC was designed?
This channel has just enhanced a new subscriber.
Pretty cool stuff What is all the precaution and security about with power meaters are that many people able to steal electricity.
I get excited when I see a new video from RECESSIM!
You did a fantastic job on this - nice work!!!
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it
What is that watch at 12:08. I neeeeeed it
Oscilloscope Watch!
www.gabotronics.com/products/102/oscilloscope-watch-details.html
@@RECESSIM Awesome, I've just bought one
Your content is so cool! ...and inspirational! Ive collected most of the parts but still have to work on a project you presented a while ago about looking through plastic encased chips with infrared light. Im retired, but slow as a turtle. I'll get there - the journey is half the fun. Thank you for what you do (even if i shy away from working with acid!)
I've had acids that can absolutely wreak havoc on anything...... Even some fairly resilient ferritic stainless alloys. Even when you think it's stored properly..... I cannot tell you the nightmares I've had in my shop and lab back before I knew better.
A precision machine shop is not the place you want to have corrosion fumes wafting through the air. Literally overnight rust within the matter of a few hours on EVERYTHING. I thought I was going to puke when I realized what happened
Agreed, storage is the worst part.
This must be the coolest video on the whole youtube!
I remember examing microchips with my microscope as a child. I thought it was the coolest thing. Great work on this.
Great video by the way and I am well impressed how tooled up you are. I however am perplexed at how these manufacturers make these items. The joins, the information or 'gagetery' that is within these chips are microscopic! What machines do they use then?
I've rarely or so quickly subbed to a channel. Love thus!
I’m speechless as to the incredible level of intelligence you possess.
You’re the real character from the movie paycheck with Ben Affleck where he reverse engineers products for a company.
So cool!!!
Glad you enjoyed it, that’s a great movie BTW!
Just found your channel. I wish I lived next door to you and every night we would smoke weed on the back porch and I would pick your brain. Your genre is original, that's hard to do in 2024. Great job
I am disappointed that the smart meter does not have a better standby battery. Inherent problems with a battery can easily be envisioned. He is surely a better lawyer than me, and his legal opinion clearly states that he has the right to confiscate data being transmitted by any smart meter. What he does with that information might be another can of worms. I respect his technical abilities and his media skills. Scary stuff with background music. Municipal water services use radio-meters also. Surely if you flush a toilet this man can detect it. Some people might be disturbed by this intrusive technology while sporting a smart phone in their pocket.
I have a choice in using a smart phone though. Not the best example.
There are NO meter readers anymore, and EVERY service on your house has a smart meter. Electric, natural gas, water, they have ALL had smart meters for at least a decade. The ONLY thing a smart meter does is allow the companies to get rid of their meter reader jobs. They are NOT part of some BIG conspiracy, out to get YOU.... 🙄
Did you upgrade your camera or lens setup? Some of these shots are seriously incredible!
I just spent time learning how to use what I have, glad you like them! I felt I needed to up my game a bit instead of pumping out more videos. Now they can ALL be better!
I'm assuming the sphere in the vibration sensor isn't ferritic?
Did you try the method of de-capping that Curiousmarc posted a while ago? You just heat the chip until the epoxy gets soft, then you use 2 pliers and bend the chip, and the die comes out of the epoxy - no acid required, and a lot cleaner overall.
Yea, I like this method because the part will still function afterwards. But if all you want to do is look at the silicon, heating it is a great way. Takes a bit of practice and an open space for the epoxy fumes.
@@RECESSIM Yeah, heating and bending isn't going to preserve the bond wires, but if you're just looking for ID marks on the silicon, it's a quick mess free way to go. Heat also doesn't work too good on ceramic packages 😛. I've been meaning to try the heat and bend method on any old chips I have laying around - especially large chips like chipsets on old motherboards. I imagine the chance of cracking the die goes up significantly as the die size gets bigger, and in that case, it'd be back to nitric acid again
Did they eliminate the acid sellers to cut back on those acid attacks out in Asia? I thought I recalled hearing about that in the past.
I might see if I can find out why, that seems like a plausible reason.
Awsome video, love the content and attention to details all in a small package!!!👍👍👍
I might be mowing your lawn right after you did but i would sand down most of the epoxy before using the acid
Most people usually do, or laser it off. I found I only need a very small amount of nitric acid even when I don’t sand it though. But if I was doing this at an industrial scale it would save a lot of money in wasted acid I’m sure
Where are you finding these data sheets for components on a circuit board???
Iv looked up dozens of different components for dozens of different things and have never once found any dats sheet for anything that wasint a transformer
Wow, really cool video. Great work!
That Faraday cage/box, with the gloves and window, did you build it yourself, or can it be bought? I think they are called investigation-boxes, but unsure.
I got mine used from eBay and replaced the RF gaskets around the lid. Much cheaper that way. Search for “Ramsey RF” there.
Wow. I have a new favorite channel!
Great video. Very informative, Bravo on a job well done.
What a high quality video.. It's getting better and better 😛
My biggest takeaway is that i also need an oscilliscope watch 😁
You only live once, would be a shame to die without one on your wrist 😁
Tell us more about it please! And how you probably plan on improving it, where to get it, etc.
Man I was locked inn! Felt like it was 5min. You got your self a subscriber!
Great piece of work! Thank you for sharing ;D
Could a smart meter be externally hacked to over amp the wiring system and igniting a home ?
You think you can shield it so it doesnt send any information over the antenna?
Definitely, but the power company will know and pay you a visit to troubleshoot the issue
Wardriving the Kraken! Nice end touch.
You should do a video on the HackRF+PortaPack
I haven’t played with mine in a while, I should see if they’ve added anything new to it recently.
@@RECESSIM I'm one of the lead devs on it. We have added a ton of stuff. If you join the Discord I can show you through all the updates
I joined the Discord, message me there
Thanking you from England
Would that little ball in the vibration sensor happen to be a paramagnetic material?
Not sure, I took a look at the datasheet for that part (or very similar) but they don’t mention any details like that. Great question though, never heard of paramagnetic material before.
www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/209/joytech_06262018_RBS310912T-12_en-1374914.pdf
Such an awesome video. A lot of care has been put to this video making. Many thabks for sharing
Personal opinion, but, your narration style is 'magnificent', and as for the overall production quality, that's an A* .
The kind of systems that are on these things make me think they're completely nefarious..
they are.
100%
Dude this is killer!! Really makes this feel achievable at home
Absolutely!
I built software to handle the data coming from smart meters. One of the anomalies I saw was that when it rained too much, it loses signal. Or when a truck Parks over the meter we can lose signal for days. They might be able to be high-tech but the systems capturing the data are not necessarily there
dude, this is some legit incredible content!! congrats
Thanks man!
Do companies inform house owners that their meters have radio transmitters inside?
Very cool man! I'm not so much interested in nitric acid as much as I am reverse engineering and maybe learning things that should be kept secret. I'll definitely be looking at some of your other videos.
Soooo what did you tell the power company when they asked what happened to your meter? =P
He was clever enough to not use the one on his house, and instead bought some online to tinker with.
a llittle dissapointed that the chip whisperer or other non destructive tools for hardware analysis (forgot the name of recent logic analyer style toy that probes all pins and logs data from all at once to determine likely usage of each, and references database to give probable chip).. that should be used before decapping weren't mentioned
I was already 99% sure this was some kind of analog chip so I went the decapping route.
Generally though I experiment in random directions. I might decap at the same time as trying a chipwhisperer on an unknown part just to see what ideas I might get along the way.
Thanks for commenting!
you have a better lab than most security firms.
What would happen if you surrounded the smart meter in a faraday cage wouldn’t that negate any microwave signaling
Oh my god this is all I ever want in my youtube feed
Its been a few years since ive priced HNO3, but the price for fuming nitric acid around 90% concentration should be at least half what was shown here. That's still pricey and why many chemists make their own, but that's a crazy mark up. So the price tells me that its risen recently across the whole market, and that particular suppier probably prefers to deal with bulk orders for industrial applications.
Plus very few chem suppliers even list SO3 as a product let alone a suggested item, so i think you this place had soecial pricing.
Shipping it is also quite challenging, freight-only from what I’ve heard which also adds to the cost.
I couldn't find the high resolution images of ic website
siliconpr0n.org
Wouldn't the simple application of a homemade faraday cage(aluminum foil)
disable it's phone home signal?
@LordmonkeyTRM, They seem to have made them faraday proof.
Is the song at 12:50 free to use?
All of the music is from the RUclips creator studio, and free. You’d have to check what other platforms you can use it on, but no problem on RUclips
Thanks 🙏🏻
Thank you.
That was strangely, mesmerising and hypnotic, I wonder if he can come and read Harry Potter to my kids at bedtime.
I feel a binge day coming on.
Regards All
you got my sub for reverse engineering and fuming nitric acid
Another excellent video, do you have a favourite movie list ?
😱noooooooo. That was way to exciting to leave it open ended like this.
liked and subscribed 😀
What do you think about these smart meters and radiation poisoning?
The electric company that hosts the network wants to put in new digital meters, apparently not smart meters.
I suspect there will be a radio signal out to reach the road either way.
I'm wondering now about faraday cage solutions.
I was thinking to tell the installer, that if i find a signal higher than 3g, I'm putting a cage around the box, as it's in the main room of the house.
Even 3g might be concerning, especially if it's going to be on constantly, like a digital trip wire...
really, top content!!!
The lathe spinning up got me 😂
Love your Videos , and i do miss Reverse Engineering News. Are you planning to bring it back?
Yea, only took a break over the holidays so I could improve my video skills and visit with family. Reverse Engineering News will be back soon!
@@RECESSIM cool editing btw.
And looking forward to upcoming Reverse Engineering News
Excellent detailed video.
really cool video m8. i had no idea you had all this equipment and skills lol :)
With those tamper resistant devices it really helps to have a high res. Inspection xray device. It is amazing what security mechanisms can a bunch of motivated nerdy idiots come up with:) been on both sides design/analysis it is always fun:) just the financial guys can spoil the fun, but on the othes side makes the challenge real:)
You sir, are my hero!
Stunning, nicely done.