IBM LPFK reverse engineering

[Ethan Dicks]

On Sun, Aug 17, 2008 at 01:08:57PM +0100, Philip Pemberton wrote:
> Philip Pemberton wrote:
> >I don't think there's much that can be done with the LPFK without 
> >desoldering the 8051 chip and reading out the program. Catch is, the 
> >chip has probably had its encryption table programmed, and probably the 
> >lock bits as well...
> 
> I was right.
> The 8051 has both lock bits programmed. Zero activity in program mode, all 
> outputs Hi-Z.
> 
> :(

Bummer, but thanks for checking that.
 
> Any experienced reverse engineers in the audience, or IBM collectors with 
> information / drivers / docs for the LPFK?

No, I wish I did, though.  I have two LPFKs waiting for me at home when I
get back in a few months, and I had been expecting that codeninja's stuff
was going to work.

I suspect that if PC drivers are unearthed, it will be a simple matter
to throw a serial analyzer on the line and look for traffic - I'd do that
myself with an HP4951, but, again, that will months from now.

I wish I could provide help, but without hardware, I'm reduced reading
this thread and hoping to learn from it.

Thanks,

-ethan

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Ethan.Dicks at usap.gov            http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html