Thomas "StackSmashing" Roth Unveils the Raspberry Pi Pico-Powered Debug'n'Dump Board

New, more powerful debug and analysis tool includes an optional OLED display — driven, of course, by the RP2040.

ghalfacree
almost 3 years ago Debugging

Security researcher Thomas Roth, also known as "StackSmashing," is working on a debugging and glitch-attack tool powered by the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller board — and based on his earlier Debug'n'Dump Board design.

Roth unveiled the original Debug'n'Dump back in 2019 as a board designed for hardware-based security analysis and powered by the Adafruit FT232H Breakout Board. Its successor, the Pico Debug'n'Dump, is a more powerful gadget — thanks to the use of a Raspberry Pi Pico and its RP2040 microcontroller.

Powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico, the Debug'n'Dump Pico offers a range of functions - including voltage glitching. (📷: Thomas Roth)

"The Pico Debug'n'Dump board is a board for interfacing with all kinds of hardware using the Raspberry Pi Pico," Roth explains of the work-in-progress project. "It will support: Dumping SPI-flash; SWD [Serial Wire Debug] debugging; basic [voltage] glitching; UART; [Nintendo] Game Boy Game-Link etc."

"It's inspired by boards such as the [1bitsquared] Glasgow, the Tigard, and my own Debug'n'Dump board. Once the device is fully tested & working it will be open-sourced."

The board builds on Roth's earlier Debug'n'Dump design, pictured. (📷: Thomas Roth)

One upgrade over the original design is the inclusion of an optional display, a low-cost SSD1306-based OLED panel, which provides feedback on the current mode and immediate display of data. The board supports target voltages of 1.6-5V with eight level-shifted inputs and eight outputs.

Roth has opened pre-orders for the gadget on Gumroad at $25, ahead of shipping in mid-July — or earlier, if the boards arrive sooner. "Please note, Roth warns would-be buyers, "that this is not a finished device, it's a board made for experimenting with the Pico with different hardware & co."

More details are available on Roth's Gumroad page.

ghalfacree

Freelance journalist, technical author, hacker, tinkerer, erstwhile sysadmin. For hire: freelance@halfacree.co.uk.

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