init.wtf // side channel

SIDE_
CHANNEL

A 3XC supply line · Long Island

flash · test · label · hand off

▂▃▃▂▂▁▁▂▅█▆▁▁▂▃▃▃▃▁▂▁▂▅█▅▂▁▁▂▃▃▂▂▁▁▂▃▅█▅▁▂▂▃▃▂▂▁▂▃▆█▅▂▂▂▂▃▃▃
▃▄▃▁▁▂▂▃▅█▅▁▂▂▃▃▃▂▂▁▂▃▆█▅▁▂▂▃▃▂▂▂▂▂▃▃▆█▅▁▂▃▃▂▁▁▁▂▃▅█▅▁▁▂▃▃▃▂
▃▂▁▁▁▂▃▃▆█▅▂▃▃▃▂▁▁▂▂▃▃▆█▆▂▂▃▃▂▁▁▁▃▄▃▃▆█▅▂▃▃▃▁▁▂▂▃▃▆█▅▂▃▃▃▃▂▁
         ^             ^              ^            ^

[ power trace — 3 captures — the spikes give it away ]

Every machine leaks something: power, timing, heat. A side channel is how you hear it.

This is the hardware end of init.wtf. Boards I'd hand a friend: flashed, tested, and labeled with exactly what's on them, so you plug in and start instead of fighting drivers for an evening.

On the bench now

SC-01M5Stack Cardputer ADV$59 Pocket computer with a real keyboard and screen. The one people pick up first. flashed: app launcher + starter tools, SD card included Reserve one
SC-02Cheap Yellow Display (CYD)$29 ESP32 with a 2.8" touchscreen and SD slot, all on one board. A complete device for less than a lunch. flashed: touch launcher + network tools, home of the defense firmware Reserve one
SC-03M5StickC PLUS2$42 Thumb-sized ESP32 with a screen and battery. Dashboards, sensors, quick experiments. flashed: MicroPython + example scripts Reserve one
SC-04Meshtastic node$45 LoRa radio for off-grid texting over a mesh. No cell service, no license needed on 915 MHz. configured: Meshtastic, US region set, antenna attached, ready to pair with your phone Reserve one
SC-05RTL-SDR Blog V4 kit$55 Software-defined radio, receive only. Listen to aircraft, weather satellites, ham bands, and more. tested: with SDR++, quick-start card with first five things to tune Reserve one
SC-06USB logic analyzer$19 8 channels for reading what microcontrollers say to each other. tested: with PulseView, quick-start card in the box Reserve one
SC-07USB-to-UART adapter$9 The cable that gets you a serial console on almost anything. tested: driver notes included Reserve one
SC-08Pinecil V2 soldering iron$49 USB-C powered, heats in seconds, fits in a jacket pocket. tested: tip installed, firmware current Reserve one
SC-09Boot Chain Lab kit$79 Learn to read the machine from the first instruction: a board, a UART adapter, a logic analyzer, and the curriculum. includes: everything above, tested together, plus printed lab guide Reserve one
SC-10Side Channel badgesoon Custom PCB with the power trace in silkscreen. Merch that boots. status: board in design

Parts bins

Grab-and-go, priced at the trunk. Seeed XIAO boards, jumpers, breadboards, USB-C data cables, OLED modules, microSD cards.

Defense firmware

In development. Open-source firmware for the CYD and M5StickC that watches instead of attacks: finds unknown Bluetooth trackers following you, flags deauth floods and rogue access points, and spots the Bluetooth names common in card skimmers.

Keystone builds

ELF_ RMM

A pocket admin console, in the lab. Keyboard, screen, and a Rust RMM that checks your machines, patches them, and opens a shell from your jacket pocket.

Get notified

Schematics

PDF schematic library, coming online. Pinouts and wiring for everything sold here.

How to get one

Hit Reserve one. It opens an email with the item filled in.
I confirm it's flashed and set a pickup on Long Island, or bring it to the next meetup.
Pay on handoff. You see it boot before you leave.