Introduction
Overview
Snake-V1 is a versatile, open-source hardware platform designed for researchers, developers, and hobbyists to explore and test a wide array of communication protocols and peripherals. Built around the powerful STM32WB35 microcontroller, Snake-V1 serves as a portable "Swiss Army knife" for interacting with the physical world, whether through radio frequencies, infrared signals, or direct GPIO manipulation.
The tool is engineered to bridge the gap between low-level hardware debugging and high-level protocol analysis, providing a compact interface for testing everything from TV remotes (IR) to smart home sensors (Sub-GHz).
Key Capabilities
Snake-V1 integrates several specialized modules into a single device, enabling a broad range of testing scenarios:
- Sub-GHz Communication: Utilizing the Texas Instruments CC1101 transceiver and a tapered helical antenna, the device can transmit and receive signals in common sub-gigahertz bands, making it ideal for testing garage door openers, weather stations, and industrial remotes.
- Infrared (IR) Interaction: Equipped with a Vishay TSAL6400 transmitter and TSOP38238 receiver, Snake-V1 can record, analyze, and replay IR signals for a variety of consumer electronics.
- Wireless Connectivity: The onboard STM32WB35 provides native support for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and other 2.4GHz protocols, allowing for wireless interfacing and peripheral testing.
- Expandable Storage: An integrated microSD slot allows for logging signal data, storing complex payloads, or loading custom scripts for automated testing.
- Wired Interface: A USB-C connector provides modern connectivity for power, firmware updates, and serial communication.
Primary Use Cases
Snake-V1 is designed for flexibility across several domains:
- Signal Research: Capturing unknown radio or infrared signals to analyze modulation and protocol structures.
- Hardware Prototyping: Using the GPIO and protocol modules to verify the behavior of external components during development.
- Security Auditing: Testing the resilience of wireless systems against replay attacks or unauthorized signal injection.
- Peripheral Debugging: Quickly validating the functionality of IR receivers, Sub-GHz sensors, or BLE beacons.
Hardware Specifications
| Component | Specification | | :--- | :--- | | Microcontroller | STMicroelectronics STM32WB35CEU6A | | RF Transceiver | TI CC1101 (Sub-GHz) | | IR Transmitter | Vishay TSAL6400 | | IR Receiver | Vishay TSOP38238 (38kHz) | | Storage | microSD (Molex 47352-1001) | | Connectivity | USB-C, BLE |
Interaction and Usage
As a tool designed for "messing around" with hardware, Snake-V1 typically interacts with the user via a serial console or pre-loaded scripts on the microSD card.
Basic Workflow Example
To begin capturing a Sub-GHz signal, the user interacts with the system interface to initialize the CC1101 transceiver:
# Example serial command to begin Sub-GHz listening
snake-v1 --subghz rx --freq 433.92MHz --output /logs/capture.raw
Once captured, the data can be analyzed locally or replayed to test the target peripheral's response:
# Example serial command to replay a captured signal
snake-v1 --subghz tx --file /logs/capture.raw