Hardware Hacking Projects for Geeks

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Preface

I’ve researched the Web looking for

some of the legendary hardware

hacks that I’ve heard about. After col-

lecting the material for these hacks in

cooperation with the original develop-

ers, I tried to organize the informa-

tion in a way that will help you do

the hack yourself. At the beginning

of each chapter, I acknowledge work

and materials provided by other

developers.

Over the years I have continued to build new and fun toys for personal

enjoyment. More than half the fun is getting my hands dirty at a bench.

I’ve also come across a number of other projects that I consider fun and

interesting. This book contains an eclectic mix of my own hacks as well as

improvements upon other hacks that intrigued me. Although some of the

projects may not seem practical at first glance, the knowledge gained by

building each project can easily be applied to your own projects. The core

equipment from each project can easily be adapted for other uses.

If you have no background in electronics, you may want to first read through

Part I, Basic Hacks, Tools, and Techniques. It will help you become familiar

with the tools of the trade and some basic soldering techniques, which are

core to many of the hacks in the chapters that follow. I also present a list

of basic tools required for most projects. If you don’t have a hacking bench

set up already, you should review the list of basic tools and begin gathering

these items.

Goals of This Book

This book is your guide to the world of hardware hacking. The goal of this

book is to allow people with no formal electronics- or hardware-engineer-

ing skills to hack real hardware. Various pieces of consumer electronic

equipment can be modified according to the instructions in this book to do

things they were never intended to do. Each chapter includes step-by-step

instructions that will allow even a novice hacker to successfully construct

that project. At the conclusion of each chapter is a “Bill of Materials” sec-

tion for the project it covers, including verified suppliers; where appropriate,

there are also photographs and diagrams of each step in construction.

Today, almost every appliance we use has some electronics inside of it. After

reading this book and trying a few of the hacks, take a look around you and

see which of your appliances or electronic gadgets needs “upgrading.”

It is my hope that this book will inspire you to become a hacker, and will

serve as a jumping-off point for new and clever hacks.

Audience for This Book

This book is intended for several audiences:

• Electronics hobbyists interested in getting their hands dirty and learn-

ing by doing.

• Software hackers who want to see what it’s like to handle and modify

hardware. Many of the projects include interfaces to standalone or net-

worked computers. Once the hardware is built, there is ample opportu-

nity to expand on the simple software projects covered in this book.

Goals of This Book

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