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Dedicated Monero Hardware Wallet

michael posted this 6 years ago

michael | 6 years ago

Version: 1.0
Date: 15 September 2017
Name: RFC-HWALLET-1
Author: Michael Schloh von Bennewitz
Contact: [email protected]
IRC-contacts: msvb-lab, msvb-mob
Title: Dedicated Monero Hardware Wallet
Related to: RFC-HWALLET-2, RFC-HWALLET-3, RFC-HWALLET-4
Location: https://forum.getmonero.org/8/funding-required/88149/dedicated-monero-hardware-wallet/
Crosslink: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/6urao7/ffs_for_dedicated_monero_hardware_wallet/  
Crosslink: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/6zm56g/new_version_of_proposal_88149_taking_feedback/
Crosslink: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/comments/70bpul/proposal_88149_entered_funding_required/

Get Monero Hardware Wallets

"There are currently no hardware wallets available at this time. Please check back for updates."
- https://getmonero.org/downloads/#hardware, August 2017

It's time for the Monero community to come together and realize the goal of a hardware wallet!

Status

The status of this proposal is:

PENDING FUNDING PLEDGES

Change Log

In reverse cron order.

20170915  Publish version 1.0
          Added sketchy RF integration
          Explained schedule of procurement
          Clarified work to reverse engineer
          Mentioned possible Shmoocon promotion
          Removed nonhardware based requirements
          Detailed role of microscopy in workflow
          Included more secure element details
          Zero sum corrected budget for lab
          Added plan column for FFS release

20170913  Publish version 0.9
          Added copyright statement
          Added airgap feature option
          Clarified choice of License
          Slight changes to the budget
          Slight changes to requirements
          Added related project content
          New Defunding Option section
          New Proposal Ownership section
          New Legal Summary section
          New requested Intention section
          Documented outreach to Gemalto
          Emphasized hardware focus and license

20170912  Publish version 0.8
          Nonfunctional Requirements additions
          Requirements 'note' reminder
          Time floor function removed
          Secure Element development
          New Scope Creep section
          Project plan adjustment
          Budget detailed design
          XMR rate changed to 67
          Workflow development

20170830  Publish version 0.7
          Functional Requirements additions
          Budget clarification
          New Workflow section

20170818  Publish revision 0.6

20170816  Proposal creation

20170801  DefCon Genesis

Monero Hardware Wallet

Requirements

Note: PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE DELIVERABLE (SEE SECTIONS 'DELIVERABLES' AND 'SCOPE CREEP') IS A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD DESIGN. Other efforts exist to produce related deliverables like bootloader, firmware, enclosures, branding, modding, and derivatives.

Nonfunctional Requirements

  • Quality: The project is bodacious (bold and audacious)
  • Usability: Simple and intuitive, one hour learning time
  • Availability: Build your own and commercial models supported
  • Accessibility: One (of two total) button operation
  • Verification: Standard on board private display
  • Legal clarity: Avoidance of NDA and closed source terms
  • Legal freedom: Patent treaty via Open Invention Network
  • Open natured: All assembled parts ship with datasheets
  • Regulatory compliance: Attention to RoHS certification
  • Invulnerability: Prohibitive intrusion effort or time
  • Data integrity: Selective verification by SE cryptoanalysis
  • Reliability: MTBF to be determined and documented
  • Operating constraints: High firmware compatibility
  • Size constraints: To be determined after enclosure research
  • Resilience: Broad degree (voltage and temperature) of operation
  • Interoperability: Provision to interface with software wallets
  • Capacity: Balance between feature storage size and transistor constraint
  • Supportability: Supported through existing (forum, IRC, Reddit) channels
  • Privacy: Timer equipped for dimming, and narrow viewing angle
  • Documentation: Camera ready collection of developer documents
  • HW testability: Unpopulated debug (JTAG or similar) headers
  • FW testability: Bootloader and sample firmware templates
  • Extensibility: Open design with a common EDA CAD application
  • Marketability: Support for product design and management efforts
  • Derivability: Variation by unpopulating an overextended design
  • Portability: Portions of design forked from other projects

Functional Requirements

  • Power supply
    • 5V USB connection
    • 3V3 Battery housing
  • Security design criteria
    • Crypto: Private key in secure element¹
    • Potting: Epoxy compound (optional²)
    • Production: Non-RST debug removal
    • Airgap: Disconnected media option³
  • CPA and glitch defense
    • Dual MCU comparison circuit⁴
    • ...or external secure element⁴
  • Invasive border search protection
    • Passphrase plausible deniability
    • 48V supercap discharge circuit
    • ...or puncture destruction kit⁵
  • Intrusion detection criteria⁶
    • Ambient light interruption
    • Mechanical switch interruption
  • Physical stability
    • High rated semiconductors
    • Moisture ingress nanocoating
  • Developer friendliness
    • Development: JTAG breakout
    • Pogo pin harness option
  • User friendliness
    • Replaceable battery
    • Replaceable optional media⁴
    • Screen sized to allow QR
    • Possible RF integration³
      ...unless we want to avoid BlueBorne

¹ Depending on availability of supporting IC
² How to apply potting is documentation only
³ Research prone feature, may yield suboptimal
⁴ Depending on results of cost and size analysis
⁵ Destruction by puncture is documentation only
⁶ Independent circuit for optional model extension

Secure Element

A secure element (SE) serves to verify firmware at boot via standard DSA or ECDSA, and hopefully a vendor of hardware key storage is found that supports Monero's ED25519 elliptic curve. A private key in a real (with lock features) secure element means that even rogue firmware cannot access the key.

It seems this would be the first design to ever implement such a high degree of wallet security, but unfortunately ECDSA support depends on the hardware vendor. This is a formidable challenge.

Degree of Success

Several weeks of research will determine which of the desired secure element supported implementations are realistic. A worst case scenario is that ED25519 is completely unsupported and must be processed by firmware in SRAM, the same thing that Ledger and Trezor do. Preliminary research suggests the possibility that ARM CryptoCell circuits support hardware ED25519 calculations with a unknown (possibly no locking supported) key deployment method.

Vendor Proposal

Discussion (even before this proposal concludes) is ongoing with Microchip, Atmel, and Gemalto. We want them to produce integrated circuits according to the very easy to meet requirements.

Other Requirements

  • Review of requirements from the existing designs of Ledger, Trezor, and KeepKey
  • Blend of features from peripheral devices like Opendime, Mooltipass, and Cryptosteel

Deliverables

The Monero hardware wallet is a printed circuit board design resembling the Ledger or Trezor wallet PCBs. It may be slightly larger in size and composed of fewer (broader reach) or more (optimal electronic density) substrate layers.

Please see related RFC-HWALLET-X proposals for product design, firmware implementation, and other non hardware design work.

Scope Creep

The project is particularly vulnerable to scope creep. Votes or attempts at consensus on how to react to changing requirements are not planned. Rather, a compromise (maintaining pace of progress) is reached by attending nearly all Monero development meetings and reporting accordingly.

If contributors are interested in applied agile methods to track scope, then this can be arranged once agreement is reached in meetings.

Author

Michael is a computer scientist undergraduate with 15 years of industry (software, telecom, embedded systems) experience. He trains groups at Black Hat [1] and produces (not for sale) hardware in his circuits lab. He worked with the inventor of mod_ssl at Cable & Wireless, collaborates with WolfSSL on Atmel/Microchip IC to low powered ESP8266 platform porting, as well as MbedTLS on Atmel secure element provisioning.

He is a cryptocurrency novice of Ethereum, Bitcoin, and now Monero. He has earned the trust of his students using custom derivatives of Bus Pirate, FRDM, and NodeMCU shield devices, as well as larger companies (references on request) assigning first generation SBC hardware shield extensions on contract.

[1] https://www.blackhat.com/us-17/training/analyzing-an-iot-empire.html

Privacy

If you look carefully, you will find the privacy sensitive software development Michael has done for high profile groups.

Motivation

Michael is motivated to complete this project in order to have a Monero hardware wallet of his own, improve PCB design skills using a secure element, contribute to Monero enthusiasm, and become more active in the Monero community (by owning coins and IRC communicating frequently.)

Rejection

If all related FFS proposals are rejected, then Michael will probably be a Monero currency owner but cannot afford to contribute software, firmware, or hardware logic.

Defunding

Portions of the production machinery budget may be defunded, leading to the following added risk:

  • Unexpected scope reverse creep
  • Loss of miniaturization requirements
  • Loss of component choice requirements
  • Reduction or cancellation of samples distribution
  • Reduction or cancellation of promotion deliveries
  • Fewer test generations leading to reduced QA work
  • Introduction of new budget items to fund assembly
  • Failure of any process requiring quick or accurate manufacturing

The actions and features at risk would still be worked on a best effort basis. To be clear, this proposal has no defunded budget items and production machinery will be procured in the most expedient and inexpensive way.

Relations

Some RFC-HWALLET-X proposals are complementary and others mutually exclusive. In the best case, this pilot project will serve to launch and support other (conference badge, sponsored swag, product integrations, university research) related projects.

Budget

Production machinery

XMR Item
5 Qinsi QS-5100 reflow oven
45 Analog stereo microscope
150 NeoDen4 Pick and Place
200 Total machinery

Research equipment

XMR Item
1 Trezor
1 KeepKey
4 Ledgers
6 Chipwhisp
2 Launchpad
<1 Opendime
15 Total research

Passive and IC components

XMR Item
20 Total components

Consumable materials

XMR Item
25 Paste, substrate, nozzles

Facilities and services

XMR Item
2 Makerspace entry
68 Workspace rental
12 Datacenter, telco
80 Total facilities

Travel and promotion

XMR Item
0 Included in other items

Trips to manufacturing locations (Shenzhen or Hangzhou) will not be taken unless necessary, for example when a flight is cheaper than postal shipping or acting as a courier yields a customs free import. In those cases, trip cost is absorbed by the budget stated resource price (with nothing new to add.)

Worktime reimbursement

XMR Item
490 Lost contracts reimbursement⁷

⁷ Estimated by crossing vectors (6 months lapse, proximity obligation, hour loss) and considering used nonworktime procurements.

XMR Volatility

A 20% buffer is in place to lower risk of production loss or delay. This is partly due to Michael's lack of crypto trading experience and partly due to natural monetary fluctuation.

Total budget

XMR Item
996 Fulfillment of requirements

Note: The base rate is recalculated (95 € + 40 €) ÷ 2 resulting in 1XMR = 67EUR €. The previous base rate was 40EUR € before fluctuation and the current price is 80EUR €.

Existing Resources

A number of machines is already available including a Voltera V-One substrate printing machine, JND-983A solder dispenser, industrial air compressor, dedicated circuit production computer, and solder rework station.

The total value of already acquired machinery is estimated at 8000EUR € (120XMR.) These resources will be used but require no budget.

Nonexistent Resources

Any tools needed (see 'Production machinery') should be purchased in the first month (see 'Project Plan'), in order to avoid postponement of milestones.

Time Estimate

Ten to twenty hours per week six months long, scheduled at the author's discretion. This variability is to accommodate lack of sync in PCB printing, parts ordering, potential firmware integration, and test revisions, logistics which may take weeks to order and ship.

Time will be spent in a:

  • In house circuit lab
  • Local hacker space
  • Remote maker space

Workflow

Work is transparently carried out according to typical distributed Opensource practices. The degree of in house production is maximized to shrink the attack surface introduced by contract manufacturing as well as increase the turn around time of generational testing.

Integration

External and prior logic is researched for possible integration. This may include reverse engineering of contending designs by Opensource documentation or closed source (to the legal extent) microscopic inspection.

Design

A schematic diagram is designed using KiCad or equivalent Opensource software. A layout is derived from the schematic and integration work.

Printing

Two layer FR4 (flame retardant) substrate is printed according to the prior layout. Four layer substrate may be used, but a external contract manufacturer like Aisler or OSH Park is required for that.

Pasting

An Sn63Pb37 alloy is applied to the substrate with an injection based solder printer.

Assembly

The board is populated (stuffed) with components in a standard pick and place procedure. Manual placing is avoided due to error and delay concerns.

Reflow

The board is baked according to a timed temperature curve yielding a ready to test PCB. An experimental two sided approach may allow for extra density.

Rework

Bridged solder pads, air wires, and other mistakes are corrected.

Testing

Electrical and optical tests are manually done to identify manufacturing problems. This may include stereoscopic magnification or controlled destruction.

Programming

MCU and external flash programming applies primitive bootloader and firmware interface images.

Generation

The PCB is ready for use, and a new generation of correction and improvement follows. Start from the beginning (integration step) to optimise the existing design and fulfill more requirements.

Samples

Production samples are mailed to investors, testers, and promoters identified during Monero meetings.

Project Plan

Date Milestone FFS Payment
October Initialisation work (platform, communication, and procurement) 314XMR
Early November Tool configs, project documentation, Opendime research 168XMR
Late November Set of PCBs employing secure elements from ST and Atmel
Early December Trezor and Ledger hardware (clone) production 120XMR
Mid December Trezor and Ledger firmware (fork) programming
Late December Mock or prototype demonstration at 34C3 [2]
Early January Midterm report on Trezor and Ledger findings 120XMR
Mid January Custom design and recent feature tailoring
Late January Midterm remix in favor of Monero features
Early February New prototype demonstration at FOSDEM [3] 154XMR
Late February Correlation power analysis, glitch attack trials
Early March PCB generations (schematic and layout improvements) 120XMR
Late March Size and complexity (less or more layers) optimizations
End of term⁸ Demonstration video of a release grade⁹ manufactured board

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_Communication_Congress
[3] https://www.fosdem.org/2018/

⁸ Six month conclusion
⁹ Post prototype

Funds are asymmetrically distributed, due to terms of machinery procurement and facilities use. Some correction (not receiving work time reimbursement the first month) attempts to balance this asymmetry.

Progress Reports

Progress is reported in bimonthly Monero developer meetings on the IRC developer channel.

Continuation Plan (Pending New RFC and Revote)

Date Milestone
April First viable wallet with hello world firmware
May Invitation documents produced with instructions
June Virtual community event for alpha testers, demo
August Official release at Black Hat and DefCon

Ownership

The Monero Project owns this (Opensource) proposal, the blueprint-like result of a month's careful deliberation and research. The author contributed it by uploading content to the forum. Readers are free to print and hand it to investors, colleagues, university professors, or whoever else, in order to start a hardware project of their own.

Copyright

Source files (text and binary) of all work state Copyright (c) 2017-2018, The Monero Project.

License

CERN Open Hardware License 1.2

Being a hardware project, no software license is used. Instead, a open hardware license is applied whose terms resemble the other Monero projects' (BSD|MIT) licenses. Patents are more relevant to hardware projects so to counter risk of conflict the CERN OHL is used.

Note: While deliberating between TAPR and CERN, online chats led to a preference for CERN due to its:

  • Poison pill
  • Conciseness
  • Bodaciousness
  • Lack of lame conditions
  • Lack of Eric Raymond complaints
  • Adoption by other like minded projects

Legal Summary

The legal terms mentioned in this text are chosen with the intent of maintaining free and open access to the work. Some call this intellectual property (IP) and others consider deliverables (see section 'Deliverables'.)

These intentions are no different than other Monero projects, and the community is unified in encouraging freedom. Like any other similarly licensed Opensource project, groups and individuals may enjoy the free and open terms as specified in the license.

Intentions

The project intends to serve as a launchpad for small (one man-hour) to large (one man-year) efforts at distributing Monero featured wallet hardware. Several requirements (see section 'Non/Functional Requirements') support the derivation, customization, marketing, and teaching of how to begin commercialization. All are welcome to participate in this way, and the hope is that we end up with both collaborating and competing groups.

Brainstorm

This project proposal was first discussed by Michael, endogenic, and anonimal at the Monero themed party during DefCon 2017.

Inclusion

Teamwork and collaboration from any competent person is encouraged. Outreach to other hardware makers mutually benefits the respective communities.

Promotion

The hackerspace mailing lists and IRC channels for C-Base, MuCCC, and the Noisebridge will serve to promote, while dedicated lists and channels will serve to support. Outreach is conducted with the EFF, NLNet, and other like minded groups.

Midterm deliverables will be taken to CCC congress at Leipzig in December, possibly Shmoocon in January, and prototype or release grade devices will be distributed at DefCon 2018 (see project plan.) It may be Michael that makes these visits or another person familiar with the project.

Replies: 78
michael posted 5 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Milestone 6 Complete

Endterm results

We overperformed in a number of areas, too numerous to mention. Some industry developments, such as appearance of new secure element components, forced us to delay final circuit design until migration from the current STM32 based architecture can follow manufacturer's latest production dates.

Rare failure

Our third prototype design failed due to manufacturing errors of a flawed ground plane, so a fourth and final design was released which preserved the third (Breakneck 0.7.0) features while completing the ground plane (needed for power distribution throughout the board.) The fourth design (Breakneck 0.8.0) became our flagship release and will be distributed to supporters and testers.

Release prints

The release design is being printed and will be assembled in a European lab following a trip to China to pick up the etched boards.

Intrusion detection

The release design incorporates two (!) circuits to detect intrusion of a enclosed device. A serial bus connected ambient light sensor (ALS) and a mechanical detector switch can be used exclusively or in tandem to increase the level of difficulty of intrusive attacks.

Battery operation

To support intrusion detection and other energy sensitive circuitry, a CR2450 (smallest profile with largest capacity) cell clip is now mounted directly on the back of the wallet.

Secure MCU

Following meetings with Microchip, we've come closer than ever to decide on migrating from STM32 to CEC1702 as our central control device (MCU.) The new architecture will be completed in the next development cycle and involves new challenging features:

  • Off chip program storage
  • On chip Ed25519 and Curve25519
  • Immutable boot (for secure boot)
  • One time programming (OTP) key storage

…as well as a number of less important new features such as timing defense, power variance, and breathing light circuitry.

Security BSides

We served the community of European security enthusiasts at Security BSides in Munich, presenting The first Monero Hardware Wallet with hands on samples inspection.

Mechanical engineering

We have efforts from three groups working to produce a mechanical design for three dimensional FDM and possibly (see next funding proposal) injection molding tools. The future looks bright for an enclosure to dignify our current set of circuit boards.

Side channel

Side channel analysis and glitch attack trials resulted in a destroyed MCU but no evidence that firmware can't defend against CPA or wallet passwords (assuming SE stored secrets.)

Exotic features

Exotic features illustrate what's possible but aren't expected to materialize in a finished product. Schematic and layout improvements led to a variety of exotic features including accelerometer based tap detection, crystal isolation, and backlit capacitive touch sensors.

Format sizing

We chose to keep all boards at two layers (instead of four or more) due to accessibility to development testers we rely on design validation. Likely, we decided to stay with standard 0805 package sizes for passives, to support hand soldering when needed.

Closing video

https://www.vimeo.com/267800075/

A demonstration video serves to highlight the release design as well as subsequent prototype generations with varying levels of circuit sophistication.

Reply to: ninja_cad michael
michael posted 5 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Hello Ninja,

Yes, we are working towards having an enclosure. This includes design work, and at least a few people are involved. You're quite welcome to participate in this respect, and probably the best way to collaborate is starting with a short status report of mechanical engineering underway. Catch me on IRC (msvb-lab) or email (michael@getmonero) to get this information interactively (with questions and answers.)

Cheers, Michael

Reply to: michael
ninja_cad posted 5 years ago Replies: 1 | Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Do you need a design for the enclosure?

YAFFY posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Hi folks!

Bkey.tech - next generation hardware wallet. Project founded by YAF.FY - Yet Another Foundation for you.

Project already have hardware prototype, and I will show it in couple of weeks. For now crowdfunding started, there is also bounty for new members.

michael posted 6 years ago Replies: 1 | Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Forum proposal (currently in Open Ideas) 90126 Advancing the Monero Hardware Wallet is now public and welcoming questions and comments. It extends the gains made in this proposal past schematic and layout, integrating bootloader, firmware, mechanical engineering elements, and peripherals as well:

https://forum.getmonero.org/7/open-tasks/90126/advancing-monero-hardware-wallet/

michael posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Milestone 5 Complete

Midterm remix

We completed a third prototype design, blending features and tricks learned from the first two generations. This will fit a Chip Whisperer for advanced timing, CPA, and voltage glitch testing. Unique features in design allow for operation under observation of a test harness, tethered operation accompanied with a USB-C connected computer, untethered operation with USB-C power, or untethered operation with DC or battery power.

Monero features

We received and designed provisional battery and DC intake circuits to support detethered operation, as well as tested custom Monerujo firmware proving detethed mode viable. We designed a off chip coprocessing circuit enabling hybrid MCU to secure MCU cryptography over a SPI bus. To facilitate timing we repurposed unused GPIOs to act as polling triggers. While porting schematics, we implemented a dual display connector and built out relationships to display vendors of Monero unique OLED sizes.

New packages

We replaced SOIC packages with DFN which enables placing secure elements on the same layer as other components.

Secure elements

We received samples of nRF52840 and bought CEC1702 MCUs, along with developer kits by Mikroeletronika to accelerate integration.

FOSDEM showcase

We shared the stage with hyc at FOSDEM, and showcased two detethered prototypes with different firmware.

michael posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Milestone 4 Complete

Contending firmware integration

We succeeded in programming a cloned bootloader and firmware stack from contending hardware models, and worked to accelerate custom firmware development. We succeeded far enough to render outside firmware integration obsolete.

Prototype showcasing and QA

We showcased all over the 34C3 venue and distributed prototypes, while officially demonstrating two prototype models.

Contending hardware research

We ported contending circuit designs, and reported after meeting technology leaders of respective firms. In lab research of own and contending circuits provided clues to USB-C migration.

michael posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Milestone 3 Complete

Secure element research

Work to research and integrate an appropriate secure element proves to be a moving target as new models appear and our needs become more clear. Several vendors have mandated nondisclosure agreement terms which we have rejected out of hand thus restricting our choice to Nordic Semiconductor, Atmel, and Microchip. While improving circuits using this technology will be a daily part of the project, we have come to terms with limiting our research and beginning implementation according to a collection of tasks in the user story 6 called Debug secure elements.

Trezor and Ledger porting

The recent Ledger derived port described in story 2 and cancelled Trezor port (because our own Monezor design too closely resembles it) described in story 68 concluded, yielding important circuit information that we plan to integrate in future prototype designs. We met with the technology leadership of the corresponding companies, to complete outreach described in story 113.

We additionally learned from research of Digital Bitbox circuitry, after outreach to the designers at Shift Devices.

Divergence from stretch goals

While not belonging to requirements, several have attempted to create a cryptochip using FPGA technology and this considerably complex effort is moving understandably slow.

michael posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Milestone 2 Complete

Configuration and documentation

Several tooling tasks such as Create tool configurations story 3, Test accuracy of reflow sensors [task 20], and (https://taiga.getmonero.org/project/michael-rfc-hwallet-1-implementation/task/20/), and Panelise designs task 147 concluded successfully and is closed.

Priority documentation tasks concluded successfully as well, including a number of wiki pages and Maintain documentation story 4

Our conduct of Opendime research ended prematurely, after it became clear that their architecture (Cortex M0+) and closed source design doesn't relate or is not technically possible to integrate. There were online discussions however, relating to the communities' interest in a off chain anonymous disposable bond device. The main discussion thread was abandoned.

greatscott edited 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Hi Michael--I work at a hardware startup. Have learned quite a bit in the past few years. You may already know this stuff, but just in case not. It's one thing to produce prototypes in low volume and have it end there. It's an entirely different thing to get things to scale (even at "low" 100s/100s volumes).

Some thoughts: Past breadboarding, I would still suggest doing low volume PCB runs w/ assembly from someone like Macrofab (I know another user mentinoed PCBWay, haven't used them, but I assume it's similar) -- even for 10-50 units it will be well worth it. Your time is more valuable and there's way less room for error. It's time you could be spending on firmware development etc. while you're waiting for PCBs to come back. You'll get a better idea of more subtle issues that might crop up at scale.

You sort of have the start of this above, but it's important to get a rigorous product requirements document (PRD), together--a living document to lay out every aspect of the design and specifications that need to be met (down to the amount of force needed for a button click later on) along with state diagrams for the system. You may not be able to fill in all the details yet, but the sooner you get this going, the better. You might consider making this a living document on Google Docs (for all to see?). You will also want to put together a mechanical spec / approximate Industrial Design (it can be ugly for now) to start.

Past PCB: the great thing about PCB/EE is that it's easy to scale nowadays--much less the case on the mechanical side at scale. Given the amount of funds raised and likely mechanical simplicity of the device, I would strongly advocate paying a proper mechanical firm to finalize the ME+ID for production at scale (whether it's a few 100 or 1000+ units). Essentially getting to "Engineering Validation Test" (EVT)-ready (note: not complete EVT). While at a face value, it may seem like the sort of thing your buddy with some solidworks skills at the local makerspace can crank out, which works fine as a 3D print, you'd be surprised at just how precise the design needs to be and also account for different manufacturing processes. Expect to budget $30k-$100k for this work depending on design complexity and caliber of firm. While this may seem expensive, it will save you a TON of time and cost later on--unless you can find an ME who has done this stuff before at scale (like finding a needle in a haystack). I think it will be well worth it to get proper soft or hard tools. Alternative to a mechanical firm, an ODM (original design manufacturer) may be able to take care of this as well and also take care of your manufacture. Because I assume the design is so simple and the volume is likely "low," you probably don't need an ODM and things will probably be easy enough to assemble+QA in-house.

A good resource to keep on top of (if HW @ Scale is new for you) are the Bolt and Dragon Innovation blogs.

If this input is useful, happy to take the conversation offline over a higher throughput medium. A lot more under the hood, especially when getting ready for manufacture.

Reply to: Hueristic
michael posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Hello Hueristic,

Your impression is correct. We want to either completely disable RF, or at least give the user an option to do so temporarily. The feature could be opt in or opt out, depending on which transport (NFC, Bluetooth) or other considerations to be made after research. A pin or solder jumper might be okay, or a 0 ohm resistor or unpopulated pads. Lots of possibilities.

If you've thought this through, then definitely give your opinion. Please do it in our project management rather than this forum. That's where it really counts.

Reply to: philip_rhoades
michael posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Hello Philip,

It's great to hear your enthusiasm. The best way to keep informed, get a board, or help the project with your good comments, is to become a team member.

Hueristic posted 6 years ago Replies: 1 | Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Hi, Following this and had a question, does "Airgap: Disconnected media option³" cover physical disconnect of Antenna? If not I would make sure there is a means (even just a jumper) of physically disconnecting the antenna(s).

Also you misspelled "negociation". ;)

Looks like very professional project going on here, Kudos. :)

philip_rhoades posted 6 years ago Replies: 1 | Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Very exciting stuff! I have just gotten involved with Monero and I hope to contribute in the near future.

Many thanks Michael!

michael posted 6 years ago Weight: 0 | Link [ - ]

Milestone 1 Complete

Initialisation work

The Initialise the Project epic #60 concluded successfuly and is closed.

Platform

We've centralised project management on Taiga and source code management on GitHub. A lot of abstract platform considerations were made such as designing several editions in parallel as well as including local post in our back and forth prototype deliveries. Although platform matters will dynamically change throughout the six month duration, the majority of them have concluded.

Communication

The Create Communication user story #132 concluded successfuly and is closed. Several niceties have surprised us, including extra appearances at physical events, two (!) interviews and articles by journalists, and legal advice. On the negative side, we tried and failed to get a Esperanto name for our GitHub repository.

Procurement

Initial procurement of a number of machines, electronic components, and consumables has concluded. Documentation of this is spread throughout project planning, where many tasks (future ones as well) require a procurement step.

Divergence

Some shift in priorities occurred due to an ambitious schedule for a dividend preview, as well as vendor negociation, and unexpected success with team building. For details (why some results are on time while others are ahead or behind schedule) please ask. We're publishing status reports in biweekly meetings as required by this forum proposal, however the channel changed from #monero-dev to #monero-community as stated in meetings.