How to avoid the problem of Unlocking microcontroller.

[easy electronics]

I found in the internet several web sites claiming that they can unlock any microcontroller. Also some persons who has visited China are claiming to unlock microcontroller.
My question is
being a programmer i dont want this .
what is solution of this problem .

 

[kgshankar1980]

Nothing can be done in this aspect...yes what is been claimed is true to some extent...Hence a good designer will not trust 100% the software...A check will be kept in the hardware in combination with software..

 

[easy electronics]

in my country it is very easy to copy hardware .
you can order any pcb designer to copy any pcb.
in max 30$ you can copy this kind of pcb .
**broken link removed**
so hardware check is failed in my Opinion.
can you please explain "hardware in combination with software"
.
or any other solution?
any one else?

 

[ZASto]

1.
www.break-ic.com
Check the list of chips that they can unprotect for you.

2.
Software + some external chips (hardware) can give a potential copycat a lot of headache (if you are good programmer).

 

[kgshankar1980]

What Zasto mentioned is absolutely correct...

The combination will always create a headache for the copycats as it is very difficult to find how the software is triggering the hardware to execute all other things...

 

[easy electronics]

if
www.break-ic.com
can break microcontroller and pcb's also so how is it possible to make
any copycat because both software and hardware can be copy so easily.

 

[ZASto]

1. Easy route: uC, which is an obvious chip that you must have + DS2401 (silicon serial number)

2. Harder route: uC + DS1991, or uC + SRAM

In both routes, some encryption or "play" with data from Dallas-Maxim or SRAM has to be done.

In my career I've reverse engineered some PCB's, not for "just being a copycat" but bacause manufacturers being "belly up - out of business).

In one particular design with uC, I made a complication for potential copycats. They did send a uC to ic-break, got the .hex file and spent over two years trying to figure out how to reproduce the device, and finally they gave up. They made they own software and hardware. It was cheaper :smile:.

 

[easy electronics]

What about cast sensitive deigns .
for example 1$ products ?