ESP32 Bit Pirate is an open-source firmware that transforms compatible devices into versatile multi-protocol hacking tools, inspired by the original Bus Pirate.
It can sniff, send, script, and interact with digital protocols such as I2C, UART, SPI, and 1-Wire through either a Serial CLI or a Web CLI. It also supports wireless technologies including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Sub-GHz, and RFID.
Install the firmware in one click with the ESP32 Bit Pirate Web Flasher. The Wiki provides detailed guides for every mode and command, while ESP32 Bit Pirate Scripts offers a collection of ready-to-use examples and utilities.
For additional hardware capabilities, the ESP32 Bus Expander adds extra radio interfaces, while the ESP32 Bit Pirate Dock provides compatibility with original Bus Pirate adapters and accessories.
I have an old v3.6 from Dangerous Prototypes that I still frequently use and works fine with a coding assistant over serial terminal for doing some wire-level debugging of firmware. I am definitely not interested in paying the Pi tax for a new one just to get improved scripting. The roughly $100 BP v6 price point means looking into a other analyzers is required. How does this ESP firmware really compare - can anyone who's used both say what's different other than wireless?
The BP V5 is only $42.50 and is still the most popular model, and is actively developed and supported. The BP6 has some fancier features that make it more expensive, but the Bus Pirate folks are very price sensitive and want to keep the tool as accessible as possible. (source: I'm a distributor for them).
The two projects have fairly different directions, even though they overlap on most core wired protocol features.
The original Bus Pirate relies heavily on a more complex bytecode-style syntax for many lowlevel operations. The ESP32 version replaces most of that with simple, explicit commands that perform the same tasks through a more straightforward workflow
The ESP32 version also avoids flag heavy commands and uses interactive shells where appropriate. Its main additional strength is radio support not present on the original Bus Pirate, including WiFi, RFID/NFC, SubGHz, NRF24, FM, infrared, and Bluetooth.
It can also be controlled through the Web CLI from any phone, tablet, or device with a web browser, using integrated AI assistant to help with hardware task.
One thing in BP v6's favor is the RP2350 - which can be put into operation as a "data-cap analyser for GPIO" - true - but it can also be programmed for use as a full protocol tap for embedded projects which will also integrate the RP2350, or something like it, in an embedded design.
The ESP32 is great - I will get a couple for my toolbox, sitting alongside my own ancient Bus Pirate and things - but the RP2350 is a bit more BOM-friendly, imho. All of these things can be used to bring-up an embedded system - I'd really want to use the BP v6 to bring up an embedded system with an IO package I could emulate/integrate with the RP2350 on both sides of the design ..
This looks great! The Bus Pirate was quite a good tool. For hardware hacking there is also Glasgow Interface Explorer, which I've been using recently with AI with much success.
The main difference is that Glasgow has an FPGA on-board, and you (or AI) can create applets for custom protocols and serious high-speed hacking.
Also, to what extent you designed this vs the LLM copying it?
My concern is all these vibe coded projects with huge readmes and fake GitHub stars are essentially just copying the work of others, and don’t really do anything new.
Where do you see 600k commits? Are you talking about 600k lines of code? If so, the project includes libraries in the `lib` folder, notably a large screen library called `tft_espi` which must be 500k lines on its own (which has since been removed, that's why you see -500k lines)
I know the codebase inside and out, feel free to ask
The implementation is entirely new and was built specifically for this project, it is not copied from another project. LLMs were used as development tools, but the architecture, feature selection, integration, testing, and overall direction were designed and validated by contributors and me.
Wow, it speaks EVERY protocol? That's pretty impressive. I'll need to flash one of these so I can read CYCLADES data transmissions, whatever protocol those parallel port security keys use and LORAWAN. Does it also read any random protocol I just invented myself, out of the box?
Yes, it includes scripting and raw GPIO/bit-banging features, so you can read essentially any custom protocol yourself, including one you invented five minutes ago
That's wonderful, have I mentioned that I have found a piece of software that does EVERYTHING that you've ever wanted? Spreadsheet, web browser, Bitcoin miner, it does EVERYTHING.
That software is gcc. Only caveat is you need to implement anything yourself, including the software you invented five minutes ago.
Probably needs an asterisk after "speaks ALL protocols" to say "you will need to write the protocol handlers yourself, this does not speak all protocols out of the box".
Speaking of which, I wrote a program that can crack any encryption every designed. It just executes a python file in the same folder, you have to write the cracker yourself
I mean, anything other than "speaks every protocol", which is incorrect unless someone goes ahead and writes a parser for every single protocol. "Many protocols"? "A wide variety of protocols"? "More protocols out of the box that any other product ever"?
The snark in these comments! @geotp please don't be put off, this is great work.
Found it in recent days and couldn't have been better timing for what I needed to do.
I have it running well on a Heltec WiFi LoRa 32(V3) with very minor patches to support the CP2102 UART.
ESP32 Bit Pirate is an open-source firmware that transforms compatible devices into versatile multi-protocol hacking tools, inspired by the original Bus Pirate.
It can sniff, send, script, and interact with digital protocols such as I2C, UART, SPI, and 1-Wire through either a Serial CLI or a Web CLI. It also supports wireless technologies including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Sub-GHz, and RFID.
Install the firmware in one click with the ESP32 Bit Pirate Web Flasher. The Wiki provides detailed guides for every mode and command, while ESP32 Bit Pirate Scripts offers a collection of ready-to-use examples and utilities.
For additional hardware capabilities, the ESP32 Bus Expander adds extra radio interfaces, while the ESP32 Bit Pirate Dock provides compatibility with original Bus Pirate adapters and accessories.
I have an old v3.6 from Dangerous Prototypes that I still frequently use and works fine with a coding assistant over serial terminal for doing some wire-level debugging of firmware. I am definitely not interested in paying the Pi tax for a new one just to get improved scripting. The roughly $100 BP v6 price point means looking into a other analyzers is required. How does this ESP firmware really compare - can anyone who's used both say what's different other than wireless?
The BP V5 is only $42.50 and is still the most popular model, and is actively developed and supported. The BP6 has some fancier features that make it more expensive, but the Bus Pirate folks are very price sensitive and want to keep the tool as accessible as possible. (source: I'm a distributor for them).
The two projects have fairly different directions, even though they overlap on most core wired protocol features.
The original Bus Pirate relies heavily on a more complex bytecode-style syntax for many lowlevel operations. The ESP32 version replaces most of that with simple, explicit commands that perform the same tasks through a more straightforward workflow
The ESP32 version also avoids flag heavy commands and uses interactive shells where appropriate. Its main additional strength is radio support not present on the original Bus Pirate, including WiFi, RFID/NFC, SubGHz, NRF24, FM, infrared, and Bluetooth.
It can also be controlled through the Web CLI from any phone, tablet, or device with a web browser, using integrated AI assistant to help with hardware task.
So it is not simply a cheaper Bus Pirate v6 clone
One thing in BP v6's favor is the RP2350 - which can be put into operation as a "data-cap analyser for GPIO" - true - but it can also be programmed for use as a full protocol tap for embedded projects which will also integrate the RP2350, or something like it, in an embedded design.
The ESP32 is great - I will get a couple for my toolbox, sitting alongside my own ancient Bus Pirate and things - but the RP2350 is a bit more BOM-friendly, imho. All of these things can be used to bring-up an embedded system - I'd really want to use the BP v6 to bring up an embedded system with an IO package I could emulate/integrate with the RP2350 on both sides of the design ..
Due to this obviously AI-generated response (thus codebase) - I'll pass.
I’m French and my English isn’t very good, so please excuse me for using a translator. Feel free to take a look at the codebase
Ok! Sorry, the translation is kinda rough and seems rigid and robotic.
Great!
I'd like to use as a serial-over-wifi adapter, for remote management of my SBCs.
Can anyone suggest a decent device for this, that relies on no soldering or 3d printing?
Ideally the device would expose a serial-over-USB port, so I can just plug in a USB-UART adapter.
The firmware can already be used as a serial over WiFi adapter through the Web CLI.
You do not need to connect a separate USB-UART adapter to it: simply connect the ESP32S3 UART pins directly to the board’s TX, RX, and GND pins.
Any ESP32S3 board could do it, see README for different types of supported devices
Ah, I see the M5 AtomS3 Lite has a grove, which is probably robust enough for me.
Great!
It looks interesting, was it tested on T7 S3 ESP32-S3 Development Board?
This looks great! The Bus Pirate was quite a good tool. For hardware hacking there is also Glasgow Interface Explorer, which I've been using recently with AI with much success.
The main difference is that Glasgow has an FPGA on-board, and you (or AI) can create applets for custom protocols and serious high-speed hacking.
I’m curious about how you used LLMs here?
Also, to what extent you designed this vs the LLM copying it?
My concern is all these vibe coded projects with huge readmes and fake GitHub stars are essentially just copying the work of others, and don’t really do anything new.
You can see in the git commit log how it has progressed slowly over a period of one year to get here.
So at least it is not a weekend vibe coded AI slop.
Not sure 600,000 commits by one person in a year, most concentrated in a few months over the year, counts as “slowly”.
Where do you see 600k commits? Are you talking about 600k lines of code? If so, the project includes libraries in the `lib` folder, notably a large screen library called `tft_espi` which must be 500k lines on its own (which has since been removed, that's why you see -500k lines)
I know the codebase inside and out, feel free to ask
There are 1300 commits. What is everyone smoking today?
I’m not sure I fully understand the question.
The implementation is entirely new and was built specifically for this project, it is not copied from another project. LLMs were used as development tools, but the architecture, feature selection, integration, testing, and overall direction were designed and validated by contributors and me.
@geotp
Any reason why C1 is not supported?
What do you mean by C1? Do you mean the ESP32-C3 or C5? If so, they are not supported mainly for performance and hardware capability reasons
Sorry, I meant C3
compatible with Cardputer?
Yes, it is compatible with both Cardputer models and many other devices, including the $5 ESP32S3 clone
Wow, it speaks EVERY protocol? That's pretty impressive. I'll need to flash one of these so I can read CYCLADES data transmissions, whatever protocol those parallel port security keys use and LORAWAN. Does it also read any random protocol I just invented myself, out of the box?
Yes, it includes scripting and raw GPIO/bit-banging features, so you can read essentially any custom protocol yourself, including one you invented five minutes ago
That's wonderful, have I mentioned that I have found a piece of software that does EVERYTHING that you've ever wanted? Spreadsheet, web browser, Bitcoin miner, it does EVERYTHING.
That software is gcc. Only caveat is you need to implement anything yourself, including the software you invented five minutes ago.
Case in point: clickbait is super annoying
Probably needs an asterisk after "speaks ALL protocols" to say "you will need to write the protocol handlers yourself, this does not speak all protocols out of the box".
Speaking of which, I wrote a program that can crack any encryption every designed. It just executes a python file in the same folder, you have to write the cracker yourself
So the title would be better as saying potentially every protocol, then?
When it said every protocol, I read it as potentially every protocol, myself. I have an O-scope that can read every wire protocol too.
I mean, anything other than "speaks every protocol", which is incorrect unless someone goes ahead and writes a parser for every single protocol. "Many protocols"? "A wide variety of protocols"? "More protocols out of the box that any other product ever"?