Reading Code

jmalaysia

Is it possible to load/read/copy·a program·from a BS2?· In other words,· is there any way for someone to access code I wrote without me giving it to them?

Franklin

Not in any way that would help them. Once the code is tokenized by the editor it is not in any form someone else could use except on the stamp it was loaded.

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- Stephen

jmalaysia

That is a very comforting answer, and what I was hoping to hear. However, during a search on the subject I read something about a program that would copy BS2 code. At the time it was not as important as it is now (meaning I forgot where I found it).

Franklin

There is a device called the Stache that can be loaded with the code from the editor and then be used to install the code on remote stamps without the aid of a computer. Others might drop in and make comments.

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- Stephen

Unsoundcode

It is possible to copy the contents of a BS2's EEPROM and clone that program to another BS2. The contents of the EEPROM are, as Stephen said, tokenized so modification or viewing of the actual program code·with just the EEPROM contents would be next to impossible.

Jeff T.

Mike Green

To elaborate a little ...

In order to read the EEPROM using the Stamp itself, you have to load a short program into the EEPROM which overwrites part of what's there.

The connections to the EEPROM are not brought out to the Stamp pins, but it's possible to make a device that would touch just the connections on the EEPROM chip so that it could be read with some external logic. Alternatively, someone could desolder the EEPROM from the Stamp and connect it into some other device.

That said, as Jeff mentioned, the content of the EEPROM is tokenized code. All the variable names and program labels are gone. The token values themselves are not documented although I'm sure they're known by some people who have figured them out. As has been discussed many times here before, it's not impossible for someone to steal your intellectual property, it's just a lot of work and takes a lot of expertise and possibly some special equipment. On the other hand, it's not easy and there are some simple ways to make it harder.

jmalaysia

Thanks for the answers, everyone. I was certain this topic had been discussed many times but didn't see it so I asked it again.