Hardware Requirements

This document lists all physical hardware adapters that EmbedXPL-Forge modules may require. Each entry includes a recommended product, chipset information, approximate pricing, purchase links, required drivers/tools, and OS compatibility.

Modules declare their requirements via the required_hardware key in the __info__ dict. The framework’s hardware gate (embedxpl.core.hardware) warns the operator before execution when physical adapters are needed.

For a machine-generated version of this file (reflecting the latest module data), run:

python -m embedxpl.tools.docgen --lang en-US --output docs/en-US/

Wi-Fi Monitor (wifi_monitor_mode)

Wi-Fi adapter capable of monitor mode and packet injection. Required for passive sniffing, deauthentication frames, and raw 802.11 frame crafting on 2.4/5 GHz bands.

Field Value
Product Alfa AWUS036ACH
Chipset Realtek RTL8812AU
Price (USD) $65.00
Purchase https://www.alfa.com.tw/products/awus036ach
Drivers/Tools aircrack-ng, rtl8812au-dkms, hostapd
OS Support Linux, Windows (limited), macOS (limited)

Usage Notes

  • Best performance on Linux with patched rtl8812au drivers.
  • Monitor mode must be enabled via airmon-ng start wlan0.
  • Some chipset revisions require specific firmware versions.
  • Modules using this adapter: Wi-Fi deauth, WPA handshake capture, evil twin AP, PMKID extraction.

BLE Adapter (ble_adapter)

Bluetooth Low Energy USB adapter with raw HCI access. Needed for BLE advertisement scanning, GATT service enumeration, device spoofing, pairing hijack, and connection manipulation.

Field Value
Product Sena UD100 / CSR 4.0 USB Dongle
Chipset CSR8510 / TI CC2540
Price (USD) $15.00
Purchase https://www.senanetworks.com/ud100.html
Drivers/Tools bluez, hcitool, gatttool, bettercap
OS Support Linux, Windows, macOS

Usage Notes

  • Requires BlueZ 5.50+ for full BLE scanning support.
  • TI CC2540 variant offers better raw HCI access for sniffer mode.
  • Some modules also support the Ubertooth One for link-layer sniffing.
  • Modules using this adapter: BLE enumeration, GATT fuzzing, BLE pairing hijack, beacon spoofing.

SDR TX/RX (sdr_txrx)

Software-Defined Radio with transmit and receive capability. Used for ISM-band signal capture, replay attacks, and RF protocol analysis on sub-GHz (315/433/868/915 MHz) and 2.4 GHz frequencies.

Field Value
Product HackRF One
Chipset MAX2837 / MAX5864 / CPLD
Price (USD) $350.00
Purchase https://greatscottgadgets.com/hackrf/one/
Drivers/Tools gnuradio, gqrx, inspectrum, URH
OS Support Linux, Windows, macOS

Usage Notes

  • Covers 1 MHz to 6 GHz with 20 MHz bandwidth.
  • Half-duplex: cannot transmit and receive simultaneously.
  • For full-duplex operations, consider USRP B200/B210.
  • Modules using this adapter: sub-GHz replay, ISM-band analysis, garage door signal capture, RF jamming detection.

RFID Proxmark (rfid_proxmark)

Proxmark3 or compatible RFID/NFC research tool. Required for 125 kHz LF and 13.56 MHz HF card cloning, reader emulation, protocol sniffing, key recovery, and credential extraction.

Field Value
Product Proxmark3 RDV4
Chipset AT91SAM7S512 + Xilinx FPGA
Price (USD) $300.00
Purchase https://proxmark.com/
Drivers/Tools proxmark3 client, iceman firmware, libnfc
OS Support Linux, Windows, macOS

Usage Notes

  • Flash the Iceman community firmware for extended card support.
  • RDV4 includes a built-in battery for standalone operations.
  • Supports: HID, EM4100, T55xx, Mifare Classic, DESFire, iCLASS.
  • Modules using this adapter: RFID clone, Mifare key recovery, access badge emulation, NFC relay attack.

CAN Interface (can_interface)

CAN bus adapter (USB-to-CAN or SocketCAN-compatible). Required for automotive and industrial CAN 2.0 / CAN FD frame injection, passive sniffing, UDS diagnostics, and bus fuzzing.

Field Value
Product CANable 2.0 (USB-C)
Chipset STM32G0B1
Price (USD) $40.00
Purchase https://canable.io/
Drivers/Tools can-utils, socketcan, python-can
OS Support Linux, Windows

Usage Notes

  • CANable 2.0 supports both CAN 2.0B and CAN FD.
  • On Linux, use slcand or candleLight firmware for SocketCAN.
  • For automotive ECU testing, pair with an OBD-II to DB9 adapter.
  • Modules using this adapter: CAN bus sniffing, UDS scanning, CAN frame injection, ECU fuzzing.

UART Adapter (uart_ttl_adapter)

USB-to-UART TTL serial adapter (3.3V or 5V logic levels). Required for serial console access, U-Boot bootloader interaction, firmware dump over console, and root shell access on embedded devices with exposed debug pads.

Field Value
Product FTDI FT232RL USB-to-UART
Chipset FTDI FT232RL
Price (USD) $12.00
Purchase https://ftdichip.com/products/ft232rl/
Drivers/Tools minicom, picocom, screen, PuTTY
OS Support Linux, Windows, macOS

Usage Notes

  • Verify target logic level before connecting (3.3V vs 5V).
  • Cross-connect TX/RX: adapter TX to device RX and vice versa.
  • Common baud rates: 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200.
  • Modules using this adapter: UART root shell, U-Boot interrupt, firmware serial dump, bootloader modification.

Ultrasonic Speaker (ultrasonic_speaker)

Ultrasonic transducer or parametric speaker array capable of emitting modulated audio above 20 kHz. Required for inaudible voice command injection (DolphinAttack, SurfingAttack) against MEMS microphones in smart assistants.

Field Value
Product Murata MA40S4S (40 kHz piezo array)
Chipset Custom amplifier + DAC board
Price (USD) $85.00
Purchase https://www.murata.com/products/sensor/ultrasonic
Drivers/Tools audacity (mod carrier), custom MCU firmware
OS Support Linux, Windows, macOS

Usage Notes

  • Effective range: 1-3 meters depending on transducer power.
  • Requires an ultrasonic carrier signal modulated with voice commands.
  • Works against Google Home, Amazon Echo, Apple Siri devices.
  • Modules using this adapter: DolphinAttack voice injection, ultrasonic command replay.

Thread Border USB (thread_border_usb)

Thread/OpenThread USB border router dongle (802.15.4 radio). Required for Thread mesh network packet capture, commissioning protocol attacks, and IEEE 802.15.4 frame injection.

Field Value
Product Nordic nRF52840 Dongle
Chipset nRF52840 (ARM Cortex-M4F)
Price (USD) $10.00
Purchase https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-hardware/nRF52840-Dongle
Drivers/Tools wpantund, ot-commissioner, wireshark (802.15.4)
OS Support Linux, Windows, macOS

Usage Notes

  • Flash with the OpenThread sniffer firmware for Wireshark integration.
  • Supports IEEE 802.15.4 channels 11-26 (2.4 GHz band).
  • Can act as a Thread border router for network commissioning attacks.
  • Modules using this adapter: Thread network sniffing, 802.15.4 frame injection, Thread commissioning exploit.

Cost Summary

Adapter Price (USD)
Wi-Fi Monitor (Alfa AWUS036ACH) $65.00
BLE Adapter (CSR 4.0) $15.00
SDR TX/RX (HackRF One) $350.00
RFID Proxmark (RDV4) $300.00
CAN Interface (CANable 2.0) $40.00
UART Adapter (FT232RL) $12.00
Ultrasonic Speaker (MA40S4S) $85.00
Thread Border USB (nRF52840) $10.00
Total (all adapters) $877.00

Most modules require only network connectivity (no special hardware). Physical adapters are needed primarily for RF, serial console, and bus-level attack modules.