Flipper Zero hacking tool gets CAN bus add-on board for vehicle diagnostics and security research

Electronic Cats’ Flipper Add-On CANBus is a new add-on board for the Flipper Zero adding CAN bus communication to the popular wireless hacking tool. Built around the MCP2515 CAN controller chip this add-on card communicates with the Flipper Zero through an SPI interface. It allows users to sniff, send, and log CAN bus packets directly from the Flipper Zero, which means now you can analyze and manipulate CAN bus traffic for vehicle diagnostics, security research, and DIY projects.

Previously we have seen Flipper Zero add an RP2040-powered video game module, and before that, we noted the developers launched their own app store with open-source apps. Additionally, we have written about Flipper Zero alternatives such as the M1 multitool so feel free to check those to know more about those solutions.

Electronic Cats Flipper Add-On CANBus specifications

• Compatibility – Flipper Zero
• CAN Controller – Microchip MCP2515 CAN bus controller with SPI Interface
• Transceiver – Analog Devices MAX3051 3.3V low-supply-current CAN transceiver up to 1 Mbps
• Interface – SPI up to 10 MHz
• Clock Speed – 16MHz
• Input Voltage – 3.3V
• Dimensions  – 67 x 21.3mm

The board uses the MCP2515 stand-alone CAN controller to sniff, send, and log CAN bus packets but there’s also the MAX3051 transceiver IC that provides essential protections, signal conditioning, and operational flexibility for CAN bus communication. It ensures the safety and performance of the Flipper Zero and connected systems in various environments.

Adding the hardware to a Flipper Zero is the easy part, but controlling the hardware is more challenging, so the company developed an open-source MCP2515 CAN bus app to support the add-on. It enables features like sniffing on the CAN bus. It can also log packets to Flipper Zero’s microSD card and from an address for a specific device on the bus.

Electronic Cats provides a tutorial for installing and using the MCP2515 CAN bus app, which requires Unleashed firmware to function properly. Unleashed is a fork of the official firmware that can do much more than the Flipper Zero with stock firmware can do. The company also made the hardware design files open-sourced so they can be downloaded from their GitHub repository.

The Electronic Cats Flipper Add-On CANBus can be purchased from the Electronic Cats website for $15 but at the time of writing there is a sale going on and it can be purchased for $10.

Via Hackster.io

Debashis Das

Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication

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