While experienced developers are likely already familiar with microcontroller security, this information may not be new to them. However, this FAQ is intended for the many engineers and consumers who are unfamiliar with these protection mechanisms and wish to understand the inner workings of a device or create a similar one.

Many manufacturers of electronic devices try to protect their device from the possibility of simply copying it by another manufacturer. To meet this need, microcontroller manufacturers have integrated copy protection for the firmware contained in the device's memory. Using this protection against firmware reading, manufacturers of electronic devices can protect their product from simple copying by another manufacturer.

Typically, copy protection is installed during the programming of the microcontroller by setting a special security bit or several bits in the microcontroller configuration word. Physically, these bits are located in special memory cells on the microcontroller chip. Sometimes other methods of protection are used, for example password protection, but the principle is preserved. To remove protection, it is usually necessary to change the value of this bit or several bits, although other methods of reading the contents of the microcontroller program memory can often be used. This cannot be done with conventional tools like a programmer; it requires complex and expensive equipment that a typical developer does not possess. Therefore, with our specialized equipment, knowledge, and experience, we offer these services.

Suppose you have a device that you purchased from one of the manufacturers of electronic devices and you want to produce the same, but a modified device. But you do not have the source code of the firmware or the finished firmware, and you will need to completely and from scratch design and debug the firmware. This, in comparison with copying the electronic component of the device (circuit), will have to spend a lot of money and time. Using our professional services, you will save both money and time for developing the device. Given access to the device or its schematics, we can fully restore its operational algorithm and the text of the firmware in the programming language C or Assembler.

All firmware we read on the order of the customer for the purpose of repairing his device, or to familiarize himself with the algorithm of the firmware. All further responsibility for the illegal distribution of the microprogram or other actions with it or with its help lies entirely with the customer.

Our company operates on the territory of the Russian Federation, so here's a quote from the law below. Legislation of other countries declares a similar position.

Article 1280 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. "Free reproduction of computer programs and databases." Decompiling software. "

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2. A person who lawfully owns a copy of the computer program has the right to study, investigate or test the functioning of such a program without the consent of the right holder and without payment of additional remuneration in order to determine the ideas and principles underlying any element of the computer program by implementing the actions provided for in subparagraph 1 of paragraph 1 of this article.

3. Person lawfully in possession of a computer program copy may, without the consent of the owner and without payment of additional remuneration, reproduce or convert the object code into the source code (decompile the computer program) or entrust other persons to perform these actions, if they are necessary to achieve interoperability of independently developed this person software with other programs that can interact with the decompiled program. ...

Additional three-level protection is designed to make reading the firmware by known methods impossible. It can include from one to three levels of protection: protection from opening the case, a hidden internal cut of the pin used by the programmer for reading, a hidden intracrystallic removal of the logic of the pin control used for reading.

The first level is resistant to acids and solvents refractory polymer, which does not allow to get to the crystal.

The second level makes it impossible to read the programmer without special expensive tools.

The third level performs the same function as the second, but at the same time, intra-crystal restoration of the control logic on the inner layers is practically impossible, or it requires very expensive equipment.

Standard factory-level security can often be circumvented, making additional protection an essential measure for high-value electronic devices. It serves as a critical defense against intellectual property theft, preventing the significant financial losses that can result from it.

In this case, before installing our additional protection, you can flash only the bootloader without the main program. After we install additional protection, you can already program the main memory. And the bootloader for loading the main program should use any other interface than the main interface used for standard programming, since the main interface will be disabled after installing our additional protection. Usually the bootloader itself does not represent any interest for copying. As a bootloader, you can use your own, or modified from the examples from the manufacturer of the microcontroller.

That is not a concern. We guarantee the confidentiality of your data. We never transfer extracted firmware or restored source code to anyone, nor do we store it or use it for our own purposes.