Great work! I just picked up my first droid a few days ago. Are you thinking about posting your methods for extracting the code (or the code itself)? Or the contents of the personality module SPI flash?
I won't be posting the contents of the stock personality chips and the droid code. I worry there would be potential legal ramifications. I might do a video on how to access the personality chips' content and the droid code, but I'm not sure how useful it'd be. Here are some references for those who want to try. This page documents the flaw in the nRF58122 that allows reading of the chip's flash even if read protection is enabled: blog.includesecurity.com/2015/11/NordicSemi-ARM-SoC-Firmware-dumping-technique.html Here's a rig that uses a CH341A (US$10-15 on Amazon) to read personality chips: imgur.com/a/eA9zgyJ
@@Ruthsarian thanks for that info. I understand about not posting the code. I have some SPI flash chips and a programmer. I might try writing my own. If you decide to sell some of your PCBs, let me know.
it's the only way to put custom sounds on an otherwise stock droid. check out the galaxy's edge discord server. there's a channel dedicated just to droids where people share their mods. swgediscord.com
Thank you I think I'll make a master chip 🤣 now I just need to program a blue tooth transmitter with all the beacons to selectively broadcast. That being said maybe the second blue led is for Bluetooth handshakes. Looking for improvements to my BB the side wheels look like the should be bearings and not wheels the one currently installed is causing unecessary vibration. But in a better motor and replace the magnets for the head and I bet my BBe will be running like new.
I’m surprised you haven’t started selling custom chips, too difficult maybe? I know there are a Lot of Droid builders out there that come up with crazy ideas. To be honest though, I’m not much different with my idea to take an R3 unit and make it like Analyzer from Star Blazers.
i've thought about it. i've sold a few to test the waters. the biggest issue is that people usually want copyrighted material (clips from TV shows or movies) and I don't want to risk the wrath of copyright lawyers. if i were to sell them i'd need to have something copyright free to offer; i'd need to craft another 5 or so custom personalities so people would have some variety to pick from. i haven't done that yet. but i am working on it.
Ruthsarian *noding* I hear ya. . . . You could sell blanks, letting the buyer add their own choice. Far as I know, copyright doesn’t apply if one makes for themselves...
When you were replacing the bluetooth module chip and copying the programming across, did you see where the stock droid affiliation is stored? Is it possible to alter a droid's affiliation without using a personality chip?
not really, no. the affiliation is part of the personality chip. if you don't have a personality chip installed then the personality chip that's stored in the rom of the audio controller is used. the audio controller chip is different from the bluetooth chip. i haven't been able to access its contents. i suppose it might be possible to patch the firmware of the bluetooth chip to use a fixed value for affiliation rather than querying the personality chip, but that gets into ARM assembly and I'm not well versed in that type of stuff.
yes, do a factory reset and then pair the remote and droid like normal and you will hear the droid play the activation noise it makes only when first activated at droid depot. ua-cam.com/video/gKocbzvLSUg/v-deo.html
the issue with selling personality chips is i would only be able to sell chips with personalities that i've designed using my own audio. i couldn't use any copyrighted material such as audio clips from movies or TV shows. i've created one "personality" so far and were I to start selling them I'd want to have a library of at least 5 or 6 for people to pick from.
@@thehambonetelevision that would require development of custom hardware (to plug the chip into) and software (to encode and write the audio clips to the chip). i don't think it'd be worth the effort. it'd be easier (and cheaper) to program the chip the regular way. if you haven't already, see this playlist of videos showing how to do all this using existing hardware you can buy off amazon and software that you can download for free: ua-cam.com/play/PL1LWtA1iy9htxbn6YRiQPNZSwZlszt2Kj.html
yes, there is an iOS version of the nRF Connect app I'm using in this video. -- EDIT BELOW -- I'm completely wrong. The iOS version of nRF Connect does NOT allow creating custom beacons. it appears this is an intentional limitation of iOS; custom beacons are not possible on iOS devices.
That is really amazing. I don't know why I'm getting starwars recommendations but this is really something.
Keep up the awesome work! I would love to do some mods to my BB unit when the methods become more robust!
I admire your skills!
Incredible work!
You're a legend
You are a king among men.
Grate videos. Love them all. Think maybe the potentiometer is related to sensing the upright position of the bb8?
i think the pot is for adjusting power to the wheel so the BB drives straight.
Great work! I just picked up my first droid a few days ago. Are you thinking about posting your methods for extracting the code (or the code itself)? Or the contents of the personality module SPI flash?
I won't be posting the contents of the stock personality chips and the droid code. I worry there would be potential legal ramifications. I might do a video on how to access the personality chips' content and the droid code, but I'm not sure how useful it'd be.
Here are some references for those who want to try.
This page documents the flaw in the nRF58122 that allows reading of the chip's flash even if read protection is enabled:
blog.includesecurity.com/2015/11/NordicSemi-ARM-SoC-Firmware-dumping-technique.html
Here's a rig that uses a CH341A (US$10-15 on Amazon) to read personality chips:
imgur.com/a/eA9zgyJ
@@Ruthsarian thanks for that info. I understand about not posting the code. I have some SPI flash chips and a programmer. I might try writing my own. If you decide to sell some of your PCBs, let me know.
Can you sell them and make a program to program them
Is this the only way to put custom sounds? I'm trying to find a modding community for these droids
it's the only way to put custom sounds on an otherwise stock droid.
check out the galaxy's edge discord server. there's a channel dedicated just to droids where people share their mods.
swgediscord.com
I'd love to know how it works.
Thank you I think I'll make a master chip 🤣 now I just need to program a blue tooth transmitter with all the beacons to selectively broadcast. That being said maybe the second blue led is for Bluetooth handshakes.
Looking for improvements to my BB the side wheels look like the should be bearings and not wheels the one currently installed is causing unecessary vibration. But in a better motor and replace the magnets for the head and I bet my BBe will be running like new.
How did it all turn out?
I’m surprised you haven’t started selling custom chips, too difficult maybe? I know there are a Lot of Droid builders out there that come up with crazy ideas. To be honest though, I’m not much different with my idea to take an R3 unit and make it like Analyzer from Star Blazers.
i've thought about it. i've sold a few to test the waters. the biggest issue is that people usually want copyrighted material (clips from TV shows or movies) and I don't want to risk the wrath of copyright lawyers. if i were to sell them i'd need to have something copyright free to offer; i'd need to craft another 5 or so custom personalities so people would have some variety to pick from. i haven't done that yet. but i am working on it.
Ruthsarian *noding* I hear ya. . . . You could sell blanks, letting the buyer add their own choice. Far as I know, copyright doesn’t apply if one makes for themselves...
When you were replacing the bluetooth module chip and copying the programming across, did you see where the stock droid affiliation is stored? Is it possible to alter a droid's affiliation without using a personality chip?
not really, no. the affiliation is part of the personality chip. if you don't have a personality chip installed then the personality chip that's stored in the rom of the audio controller is used. the audio controller chip is different from the bluetooth chip. i haven't been able to access its contents.
i suppose it might be possible to patch the firmware of the bluetooth chip to use a fixed value for affiliation rather than querying the personality chip, but that gets into ARM assembly and I'm not well versed in that type of stuff.
how dose the droid know when it is being powered up for the first time and is there a way to activate it like that
yes, do a factory reset and then pair the remote and droid like normal and you will hear the droid play the activation noise it makes only when first activated at droid depot.
ua-cam.com/video/gKocbzvLSUg/v-deo.html
Wow!
i wanna buy one
plz
the issue with selling personality chips is i would only be able to sell chips with personalities that i've designed using my own audio. i couldn't use any copyrighted material such as audio clips from movies or TV shows. i've created one "personality" so far and were I to start selling them I'd want to have a library of at least 5 or 6 for people to pick from.
@@Ruthsarian what if it came blank and there was like a dock for the chip that plugs into ur computer and alows you to drag and drop files
@@thehambonetelevision that would require development of custom hardware (to plug the chip into) and software (to encode and write the audio clips to the chip). i don't think it'd be worth the effort. it'd be easier (and cheaper) to program the chip the regular way. if you haven't already, see this playlist of videos showing how to do all this using existing hardware you can buy off amazon and software that you can download for free:
ua-cam.com/play/PL1LWtA1iy9htxbn6YRiQPNZSwZlszt2Kj.html
@@Ruthsarian fair point
Can you do this with an iPhone?
yes, there is an iOS version of the nRF Connect app I'm using in this video.
-- EDIT BELOW --
I'm completely wrong. The iOS version of nRF Connect does NOT allow creating custom beacons. it appears this is an intentional limitation of iOS; custom beacons are not possible on iOS devices.
Well I have since found out you can’t do this with the IOS app because it doesn’t let you make custom signals. Thanks though.
@@davisbenecke3623 You're right. I'm sorry. I had assumed they would have the same functionality across platforms, but they do not.
@@Ruthsarian do you happen to know if this functionality has been implemented for iOS? Is there a different app that has this functionality? Thanks