Hacking The Green Goose For Fun And Profit

[Troy] recently got his hands on a greengoose starter kit and like any HAD reader would do, proceeded to probe it mercilessly.

The greengoose appears to be some sort of location-tracking device which reports back to a server on the position and location of radio transmitters relative to it. [Troy] managed to not only get the base-station’s firmware, but to also hack it and greengoose’s data to his own server. As if that wasn’t good enough he broke down the packet structure for us. Good job [Troy].

Looks like the greengoose could be a fun tool for anyone interested tweeting the whereabouts of their cat, or checking if the toilet seat lid is down. Let’s see what people come up with.

8 thoughts on “Hacking The Green Goose For Fun And Profit

  1. I have some single use temperature recorders I’d like to hack to make them resettable.

    Escort Intelligent Mini, version MI-ST-D-2-L

    I have four. Three have been used, one hasn’t. They connect via RS232, 9 pin female DE9 connector on the back.

    They’re supposed to be used for a single logging session then returned to the manufacturer for “disposal”. Yeah, right. As well built as these things are I bet they have a way to reset them then clean them up and re-sell.

    My use for one is logging the temp in a dehydrator.

    I’ll send all four, you keep three and return one hacked to me.

    1. I think the key to this is how integrated it is. If the sensors etc are all separate, and controller by a microcontroller, then just replace that.

      Since the MCU itself is presumably read-protected for the software, it’s probably also write-protected. AFAIK read-protection requires write-protection to be turned on. If it’s not, you could read and mod the software. If not, you’ll have to replace the chip, or perhaps use one of the protection-breaking stunts that are around the web.

      But if you replace the main MCU, you can get it to do what you like. Might be worth doing as a project to inform others. OTOH it might not be worth it, cost-wise.

      It’s nothing new, plenty of devices are sold where “upgrading” to a higher speed or greater capacity is just a matter of setting a bit. Back in the 1960s, IBM mainframes could be upgraded, at a cost of thousands of dollars, by moving a jumper, or cutting a wire. I recall hearing of some computer somewhere that had a unit to insert wait states, just to slow it down. Turning that off doubled the working speed!

      I bet in your case it’s just a bit or two in the software somewhere. You could get hold of the reusable ones the company sells (on their web page, the two look identical!) and compare, but I bet it’s just software.

      1. One problem is everything except three capacitors and what looks like a 2-lead can type crystal are between the LCD and the PCB.

        I could take one that’s been used and see if the LCD can be removed without breaking anything, to see what parts are on it.

        The PCBs do have holes where the Stop switch is mounted on the other versions.

        For a sensor it just has a little yellow thermistor.

        The loggers are programmed using Windows software. The duration and logging interval may be set so they can log fewer than the maximum number of samples. Some other data such as company name can also be programmed.

        It looks like all the settings may be changed until the Start button is pressed, then it runs and logs the temperature data until it either runs out of memory or hits the shutoff timer.

        Very useful for making unchangeable logs to prove your frozen chicken shipment stayed frozen. (One of them was used by Tyson Foods.)

  2. They seem to be single app sticker-pods. They would have an identity and a dumb picture. Like the toilet cover monitor, it wouldn’t work on the flush handle. Mine is lidless, and a seat left up stays cleaner. Violin practice, good but would it work on flute. How many sticker-pods for piano? It can’t track anything beyond part 15 range. (did the dog get to go out)

  3. Just a detail but I don’t see the point of removing the programming header when it’s already soldered on the board!?
    By the way, what’s the model/type of this header, so I can find the corresponding male connector?

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