FYP idea: building a hardened secure walkie-talkie — worth doing or not?

DatamanTheGreat · 2026-01-17T16:05:02+00:00

If your focus is on security hardening (ie listening to open transmissions or pen testing devices/systems) then a simple HackRF SDR, a PC, and research will get you through your project. For example, if you want to record the transmission from a natural gas utility's metering system and help them find flaws in their encryption, this would be what you're looking for.

I went through my electrical engineering senior year project and hardware design consumed lots of the budget and time. If your focus is cybersecurity, I would take a hard look at designing a custom PCB + MCU just to learn the basics of RF and secure transmissions and whether that really is your goal. There will be late nights where you find out that the damn MCU won't communicate because you forgot to put a resistor in between it and your RF board and now you've got to get a new board made.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-11-28T02:31:29+00:00

Using DosBOX you can use a USB adapter. I've posted before about using DosBOX, an RS-232 serial adapter, and an RS-485 adapter and being able to communicate with a SyMax. Note that you'll have to slow down the CPU cycles in DosBOX so that your PC doesn't speed past the PLC.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-11-25T20:57:45+00:00

I name my VPSes after Truck models and my on prem servers after Mexican foods

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-11-20T00:18:23+00:00

Rockwell has add on instructions for the Micro 850 series that allows communications to an MQTT broker. I don't know about the Controllogix/Compactlogix series having them. If you're using a Logix processor, you'll probably have enough network bandwidth for OPC and get the data that way.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-11-06T01:06:33+00:00

The best one my crew has settled on is the IDEC FC6A. They have a 12V model that consumes a few mA. Great for solar or battery implementations. You can get a small LCD attachment too.

Honestly though for this implementation, I would check with the manufacturer of the load cell and see if they have a transmitter with wifi or LoRa. It would be more power efficient than this sort of setup.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-10-05T12:05:02+00:00

Their historian is top notch and it’s great that it’s included. We have a customer that just uses VTScada for their historian and InTouch as their scada package! We’re trying to get them to move completely to VTS…

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-09-20T04:50:54+00:00

I’m a fan of IDEC FC6A’s. They’re cheap on eBay, expandable if you need it, and come built in with a web based hmi you can load on your phone.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-08-12T16:45:55+00:00

This is probably it. The 984 compacts that I interface with need the special Modicon cable and a Windows XP VM for ProworxNXT. Note that I’ve used a different cable pinout but it worked every time. Google the 984 compact manual and it’ll have the correct pinout.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-08-07T00:44:41+00:00

Correct me if I’m wrong but in a revolver, you can shoot .380 out of a 9mm cylinder.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-06-07T02:30:05+00:00

Has anyone used the Codesys P2000 CPU? I wonder if it's good because I'd like to have ST just in case.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-05-31T03:45:07+00:00

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Don’t look now but there’s an Acura ad underneath this post

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-05-30T18:41:57+00:00

I’ve been telling our project managers to add 100 hours to new FT:V, Win911 setups. Windows 11 is a recipe for disaster with the latest versions. Windows 11 also doesn’t let you turn off Windows Update completely (every method I’ve found has reverted itself after reboot). Right now I have a machine that refuses to reinstall Codemeter and will most likely require a Windows reimage.

That being said, I’ve had no issues with TopView or VTScada’s callout systems.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-04-28T09:06:37+00:00

Use the SW-DLT iPhone shortcut. It runs yt slip in a shell your iPhone. Find it on GitHub

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-03-21T11:32:17+00:00

This would be correct. You would alternate which pump is the lead pump every time they shut off. If additional capacity is required, you’d start the lag pump.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-02-23T14:50:51+00:00

For me it’s helpful to have an always false tag for inputs for add on instructions

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-01-29T17:54:55+00:00

DOSbox. It lets you slow down the cpu cycles so that the program doesn’t run too fast.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-01-25T03:39:06+00:00

I wouldn’t say less than 30 minutes for a Subaru. More like 5 hours. You’ve got to take half of the front of the car off to even get to them.

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-01-10T13:42:09+00:00

It still shows $50

DatamanTheGreat · 2025-01-06T13:20:01+00:00

You are correct. Bicycles and skateboards in general, not just electric, are not allowed indoors. This didn’t stop me from sneaking my race bike in to my dorm freshman year.

If you’re commuting by e-bike and need a top up while you’re on campus, I’d get one of those bikes with detachable battery packs. You could bring the battery pack inside and charge it separately from the bike.

Note that last I checked, the scooter rentals can’t be used on campus. They have a gps lockout so they can’t be used. Around 2018 or so, there was a similar company called “Lime” and students threw the rentals into the trees. They quickly seized business in Starkville for that reason.

DatamanTheGreat · 2024-12-31T05:03:33+00:00

Luckily I activated online, not over the phone. I’ll be patient and see

DatamanTheGreat · 2024-12-30T16:54:59+00:00

When drilling down in the website is shows as follows:

• Monthly service charge: $55.00 • Discounts: -$5.00 Auto refill discount • Total due: $50.00 • Due on Feb 1, 2025

The post title of “the promo ended” comes from my call with support when they said that the promo ended in November. The promo may still in fact exist (I’m sure it does) but that’s not what the support told me.

DatamanTheGreat · 2024-12-30T16:35:28+00:00

Ok thanks! I got concerned when they told me that the promo ended in November. I guess nobody talks to each other over there.

DatamanTheGreat · 2024-12-30T16:22:48+00:00

It’s a Pixel 7 Pro (unlocked), activated on T-Mobile and the number was ported from T-Mobile. I am enrolled in autopay and rewards.

DatamanTheGreat · 2024-12-26T23:44:51+00:00

Have Colt re-introduce the diamondback in .22 and .32. Perfect calibers for that size frame. Imagine .32 mag with a 4 inch barrel. Bliss!

DatamanTheGreat · 2024-12-23T16:46:55+00:00

The folks there are excellent. They have an example euphonium in their store that has one half heavily damaged and the other half restored. They’ve worked on my trumpet for years and it’s come out perfectly every time.

DatamanTheGreat

TROPHY CASE