Chip · Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering and firmware recovery
Undocumented protocols, unsupported devices and firmware that needs recovering: I analyze them so they work again or integrate with your systems.
Who it is for
- Owners of devices the manufacturer no longer supports.
- Integrators who need two systems to talk.
- Workshops and makers with boards that no longer boot.
What is included
- Protocol capture and analysis: USB, MIDI, serial and Wi-Fi.
- Custom tools to configure or control the device.
- Bootloader and firmware recovery over ISP or UART.
- Replacing dead modules with modern microcontrollers.
- A technical report with the documented protocol.
How I work
How I work
- 01
Observe
I capture what the device does under normal conditions, without altering it.
- 02
Form hypotheses
I compare captures with controlled changes to isolate each field.
- 03
Verify on hardware
A hypothesis only counts if it reproduces what the device does, byte for byte.
- 04
Document and build
A written protocol and a tool that uses it.
Cases
- An undocumented MIDI controller: I decoded its protocol and checksums, validated against 384 real blocks, and built a web editor. See the case.
- A “bricked” Arduino Mega: I restored both chips using an ESP32 as the programmer. See the case.
- Wi-Fi modules from Tuya devices: an automatic flasher to free them with open firmware and, when the chip is beyond saving, an ESP32-C3 replacement. See the flasher.
Method over luck
Reverse engineering is not trying things at random until something works. It is measuring, forming a hypothesis, designing the test that could disprove it and verifying on the real device. That way, when I say something works, I can prove it.
Related cases
Related cases
Reverse engineering · Web · Audio
JamJum JP-1 Studio: reverse engineering a MIDI controller
I decoded the undocumented configuration protocol of a MIDI controller and built my own web app to edit it: pads, knobs, buttons, RGB color and effects.
Hardware · Firmware · Reverse engineering
A smart switch brought back: from a burnt Tuya chip to an ESP32-C3
A smart wall switch with a dead WiFi chip comes back to life with an ESP32-C3 soldered onto its original board, custom firmware and restart diagnostics.
Reverse engineering · Hardware · Firmware
Automatic flasher for BK7231N modules
A Python + Arduino Mega tool that automates flashing open firmware (OpenBeken) onto BK7231N WiFi modules by controlling their power with a transistor.
Firmware · Hardware · Reverse engineering
Bringing an Arduino Mega back with an ESP32 as the programmer
An ESP32 acts as an ISP programmer to restore both chips of an Arduino Mega 2560 altered with HoodLoader2, without buying a programmer.
FAQ
Is it legal?
I work on devices you own or with the owner’s permission, for repair and interoperability. I do not remove copy protection, license checks or carrier locks.
How fast can it be done?
It depends on the device. I start with a bounded analysis phase and tell you what I found and how feasible it is before committing more time.
Shall we talk?
Tell me what you need and I will tell you how I would solve it, no strings attached.