KenoMeter Pro-USB / Eagle Eye™ Development Project

The Kenometer PRO and Kenometer USB
Data Logging Upgrade Project

Yes... as usual... we've been busy.

Legal

It should be noted that J.BAUER Electronics is the copyright holder for this
LUM-B-GON Firmware/Hardware design and Eagle Eye™ Software Code.
It was written entirely from scratch by J.BAUER Electronics and/or it's agents.
The Hardware design and Firmware and Source Code remains the Intellectual
Property of :- J.BAUER Electronics.

Required reading....
Digital Millennium Copyright Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Introduction

This project was born out of need to add more advanced Data Logging functions
to our own Kenometer PRO and by the requests of Kenometer owners that
have contacted us in the past.
Using the original Data Logging software was just not cutting it for us with the
incessant multiple mouse clicks required just to record a session. There was also
a Zeroing problem that had been discussed on the Forum in another Thread that
would requiring rebooting to get ride of the erroneous readings of the original
Software. I'm not sure if that issue has been addressed.

We had many requests to have our Full Featured Eagle Eye™ Windows PC
Data Logging software run on the Kenometer PRO and Kenometer USB LPMs.

Since we own a Kenometer Pro... we did not want to change the Firmware of
our Kenometer to be able to use our Eagle Eye™ Software nor did we want
to Design new software at an increased cost to us and eventually
the end user.


Contributions

We always get into a project on our own steam. We are after all professionals.
We never ask for contributions or financing up front. The quality and useability
and worthiness of the end work product should speak for itself...


Improvements

Just being able to use our full featured Eagle Eye™ Software has made significant
progress in improving the ease of use of our Kenometer PRO with the full access
Data Logging features of Eagle Eye™.

No more locking up of the original Data Logging software when using its baffling
Software Zero Reset instead of a Firmware Zero Reset function.

To accomplish this project we merely read the rather simplistic and unnecessary
in in our opinion.. 2 way communication protocol between our Kenometer PRO
and the original 2 way Data Logging software.

We then designed a small prototype board with 2 small ICs... 1 Transistor...
1 Resonator... 1 transistor... 2 caps and 7 resistors.

All that needs to be connected is 4 wires to the Arduino and the output of
our prototype LUM-B-GON connects to the Eagle Eye™ software by RS232
or USB.
The complete circuit draws a mere 3.2mA from the 5V buss and is
powered by the Arduinio PCB in the Kenometers.

It can be built small enough to fit right inside the Kenometers without SMD
parts.


To Do

Produce Pics and Schematics to share with Kenometer owners and the Forum...

Nothing else.... It is a functioning interface between any Kenomerter PRO or
Kenometer USB LPM.


Features

Makes Data Logging simple and Full Featured for the Kenometer PRO and USB.
Allows you to use our full featured Eagle Eye™ Data Logging software.


Conclusion

This project has come to fruition...
I'll post some pics and a schematic of the circuit in the near future.

There is a programmed (by J.BAUER Electronics) Microcontroller used to do all the
hard work.
It intercepts the Kenometer Unlock data and then takes the Laser Power Reading
Data from the Kenometer once unlocked and translates it to useable code for our
Eagle Eye™ software.
That Hardware and Firmware and source codes remains the Intellectual Property
of and belongs solely to J.BAUER Electronics.



Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

Sounds like a rather convoluted way to do things. An entire board with an MCU on it just to "override" the handshake and allow for a firmware level zero? Why not just write new firmware like you had originally said you were going to do? This would eliminate the need for another board to be soldered into the LPM.

The original handshake protocol was not exactly top secret or encrypted in any way. A simple sending of one character via serial is all that is needed to "unlock" the data stream.

Cheaper and easier to just implant the handshake inside your pc software and not have another mcu. Seems like a waste of extra hardware and extra costs for no reason.

MarioMaster said:

Sounds like a rather convoluted way to do things. An entire board with an MCU on it just to "override" the handshake and allow for a firmware level zero? Why not just write new firmware like you had originally said you were going to do? This would eliminate the need for another board to be soldered into the LPM.

The original handshake protocol was not exactly top secret or encrypted in any way. A simple sending of one character via serial is all that is needed to "unlock" the data stream.

Click to expand...

It is because we decided to respect your Intellectual Property not Hack
the original Kenometer since it was your IP design not ours.
It didn't seem ethical to Hack your Intellectual Property.. (IE Firmware) .
So we did the intefaceing outside of any duirect IP Hacking..

Then why even use it.....:thinking:

BTW... that is not the way to unlock the Kenometers...

spyrorocks said:

Cheaper and easier to just implant the handshake inside your pc software and not have another mcu. Seems like a waste of extra hardware and extra costs for no reason.

Click to expand...

We hired a company to develop our EagleEye software.. It was
not cheap. I can't see the need for hundreds of these circuits to
invest in modifying a working Data Logging platform.

This is a much cheaper solution. Our Total cost of parts was about
$3.00

Thanks for your input just the same....:beer:


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

I think your knowledge of IP and relating laws and ethics are greatly flawed.

Writing software for something you own and bought with your hard earned cash is completely ethical.

"Hacking" doesn't need to have a negative connotation to it. It leads to great discoveries, innovation, and education.

Hacking != Illegal.

The pursuit of knowledge is amazing.

spyrorocks said:

I think your knowledge of IP and relating laws and ethics are greatly flawed.

Writing software for something you own and bought with your hard earned cash is completely ethical.

"Hacking" doesn't need to have a negative connotation to it. It leads to great discoveries, innovation, and education.

Hacking != Illegal.

The pursuit of knowledge is amazing.

Click to expand...

Sharing that specific Hacked Knowledge is not...

We may be selling our modified Kenometer Pro...and/or the
extra programmed Arduino MCUs we purchased from Trevor
in perhaps two other one-of-a kind "PRO type" LPMs that will
incorporate this circuit to be used with our Eagle Eye™
Software.

But we will not stoop so low and openly share the direct Data
we gained from reverse engineering the 2 way "security"
communications of the Kenometer Pro/USB.

This circuit is a way of using our full featured Eagle Eye™
data logging Software without revealing the exact process in
decoding the 2 way protocol or Reverse Engineering the PRO
or USB Kenometers.

We feel that is the right thing to do....:beer:


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

So... your saying that the right thing to do is to decode it using propitiatory hardware, so you can sell it for profit, and not tell anyone else how to so that you can sell your board. That seems more unethical than sharing knowledge freely, to me.

lasersbee said:

It didn't seem ethical to Hack your Intellectual Property.. (IE Firmware) .
So we did the intefaceing outside of any duirect IP Hacking..

Click to expand...

So... in your opinion:

Software hacking = unethical/illegal/disrespectful
Harware hacking = fine

I must admit, there seems to be a little bit of logic FAIL here..but anyway..

spyrorocks said:

So... your saying that the right thing to do is to decode it using propitiatory hardware, so you can sell it for profit, and not tell anyone else how to so that you can sell your board. That seems more unethical than sharing knowledge freely, to me.

Click to expand...

No... I guess I didn't make myself clear enough....
If you had actually read what I posted post I stated that I
would share the Schematic so that any member could build
their own. I'll even supply a parts list..

Where did I say I will sell the this for profit.... Your putting
words in my mouth that I didn't say...

Where is sharing with the Forum community proprietary...:thinking:

@ Cyp....

Yup... that's my opinion...
It's like designing a stand to put your TV on rather
than have it sit on the floor....


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

So is the code also available for the MCU?

MarioMaster said:

So is the code also available for the MCU?

Click to expand...

No... that protects you guys (the Kenometer Team) and our
Intellectual Property (Firmware)...
I'll be offering pre-programmed MCUs at a modest cost to
cover our work product part cost and shipping.
All you need to do is plug it into the circuit you build using
our schematic and your parts....:beer:


Jerry

You can contact us at any time on our Website: J.BAUER Electronics

lasersbee said:

It's like designing a stand to put your TV on rather than have it sit on the floor....

Click to expand...

How is software hacking any different?

Cyparagon said:

How is software hacking any different?

Click to expand...

^^ Was thinking the same question. The only difference I see is since this is software he will get to make a profit off of selling it to you preprogrammed on an MCU all in the name of protecting someone else's IP. :beer:

Cyparagon said:

How is software hacking any different?

Click to expand...

jcranmer said:

^^ Was thinking the same question. The only difference I see is since this is software he will get to make a profit off of selling it to you preprogrammed on an MCU all in the name of protecting someone else's IP. :beer:

Click to expand...

It's really simple... because we don't modify or
Hack the "TV" to acomplish this project..

If it doesn't interest you there are many other
projects on the Forum that may...:yh:


Jerry

http://laserpointerforums.com/attac...tt-usb-only-data-logging-stock-now-lbusb1.jpg

lasersbee said:

It's really simple... because we don't modify or
Hack the "TV" to acomplish this project..

Click to expand...

Is the meter different after the modification, or is the meter different after the modification?

If I add a cable-descrambler chip to the TV, is the TV different, or is the TV different?