Proxmark3 community

Skeltek

Contributor

Registered: 2017-12-31

Posts: 19

Proxmark3 hardware broken

Hi,

been trying around for days now and Im not really sure wether the Proxmark itself is broken or not. I ordered it directly at Elechouse.
First things first: The button on the device seems to be slightly broken, doesnt react when being pushed and you have to push with a slight sidewards pressure and hope it triggers. Probably the mechanism inside the button is slightly defective.
Second: The big problem I got is, the Reader doesnt seem to simulate any card I try.
I got an RFID-RC522 Reader on Com5, the Proxmark3 is on Com4.
I wrote some data on a blank mifare card, which got delivered along with the RC522 Reader and it writes and reads just fine.
When I try to read or emulate the tag, or just simulate any random tag using the Proxmark, the MC522 reader doesnt react at all.
The MC522 reads the original tag just fine, but the Proxmark3 is being completely ignored by the MC522.
Even in sandalone mode, the Proxmark reads the tag just fine, then switches to Simulation. It is still not being registered or recognized by the MC522.
Just an example text:

#db# Stand-alone mode! No PC necessary.
#db# Enabling iso14443a reader mode for [Bank: 0]...
#db# Read UID:
#db# d0 48 c0 a3 00 00 00 00
#db# 00 00
#db# Bank[0] received a 4-byte UID
#db# ATQA = 0400
#db# SAK = 08
#db# Playing
#db# Simulating ISO14443a tag with uid[0]: d048c0a3, uid[1]: 00000000 [Bank: 0]
#db# Mifare Classic

It just doesnt actually do anything. The MC522 doesnt react at all. Am I doing something wrong? I have been trying to get it to work for days now, and I dont want to waste another 48 hours on this if maybe just the hardware is broken or the latest firmware is not working.

Would be glad for a reply.

iceman

Administrator

Registered: 2013-04-25

Posts: 9,538

Website

Re: Proxmark3 hardware broken

[-] not mentioning which firmware version you are running
[-] not showing antenna output
[-] simulation vs standalone mode confusion

It feels like you jumped to conclusions. No knowing how to operate your proxmark doesn't mean its broken.

Skeltek

Contributor

Registered: 2017-12-31

Posts: 19

Re: Proxmark3 hardware broken

Hello Iceman,

I dont want to appear rude, but your reply does not help much without putting it in proper context. What is "[-] simulation vs standalone mode confusion" supposed to mean? Are you claiming the proxmark cannot simulate cards while in standalone mode?
Whenever I post here, you may presume I have the latest master-branch compiled and running(max 24h old); I would not post here if I didnt at least try out the most probable solutions.

Im using the Proxmark like most help files, tutorials and examples tell me to and I tried other variations too, but without any results. So you are just saying Im using it wrong without giving me any hints or example to how it is supposed to work.
I just presumed the official releases of the master branch were the stable functioning ones. I solved my other problem (in the hardnested thread) by just installing firmware which was released a day later than my first. Its also not really comfortable that I search through all the source code just to find out which parameters or commands which are described in the help are not implemented yet.

And I think the antena output is not really reqired for telling me the difference between simulation/emulation, snooping/sniffing or standalonemode... Ive spent days on this now and Im also willing to help others once I get the gist of everything. Its just very demotivating to invest dozens of hours into research and bughunting, when cooperation, a UML diagram or better documentation could improve development on this thing by several multitudes.

I appreciate the effort you put into this community and I hope we can work together on stuff in the foreseeable future.

hw version
[[[ Cached information ]]]

Prox/RFID mark3 RFID instrument
bootrom: /-suspect 2018-01-06 20:52:58
os: /-suspect 2018-01-06 20:53:23
LF FPGA image built for 2s30vq100 on 2015/03/06 at 07:38:04
HF FPGA image built for 2s30vq100 on 2017/10/27 at 08:30:59

uC: AT91SAM7S512 Rev B
Embedded Processor: ARM7TDMI
Nonvolatile Program Memory Size: 512K bytes. Used: 199370 bytes (38%). Free: 324918 bytes (62%).         
Second Nonvolatile Program Memory Size: None
Internal SRAM Size: 64K bytes
Architecture Identifier: AT91SAM7Sxx Series
Nonvolatile Program Memory Type: Embedded Flash Memory

hw tune

Measuring antenna characteristics, please wait.........
# LF antenna: 45.65 V @   125.00 kHz
# LF antenna: 20.49 V @   134.00 kHz
# LF optimal: 46.20 V @   123.71 kHz
# HF antenna: 32.83 V @    13.56 MHz
Displaying LF tuning graph. Divisor 89 is 134khz, 95 is 125khz.

If I use
proxmark3> hf 14a sim 1 D048C0A3
Emulating ISO/IEC 14443 type A tag with 4 byte UID (d048c0a3)
then my RC522 also does not react to it at all. Just nothing happens

If you tell me how I can get or show you the antena output, I would be glad to post it here. Ive browsed most the forums and pages regarding the proxmark. I even searched throuchinternet archives for Proxmark-websites that are no longer online. But the best documentations I could find were extremely limited. Maybe it is easier for you, who has been developing since the thing was pretty new, but to newcomers, it can be pretty hard. Just a few missing pieces of information can cause a lot of additional work.
For example I had to search throughmost the sourcecode, figuring out some things dont work because they simply are not implemented yet (you dont find such informations on the relevan websites).

Help would be really appreciated.

iceman

Administrator

Registered: 2013-04-25

Posts: 9,538

Website

Re: Proxmark3 hardware broken

You give me credit for something I haven't done,   the proxmark was existing long before I started with it some four years ago.

Neither do I assume anything on ppl posting on the forum anymore. Its irrelevant to me but usually helps if ppl show what version they are running,  or how their hardware is working.  Since you feel offended,  I shall not offend you anymore with my simple posts.   

Good luck!

Skeltek

Contributor

Registered: 2017-12-31

Posts: 19

Re: Proxmark3 hardware broken

I may have been mistaken to think you were a bit annoyed at my incomplete question, but I didnt feel offended nor did I intend to offend you. Just tried to show you that Im not just some random guy who wants to just play around, but it might benefit us both to communicate more effieciently with each other.

Got 6 tests upcoming and 2 projects in the next 3 weeks. Sometimes rarely people hit a really bad mood because of overwork. Im sorry if you happen to get in contact with me at such a time. We can just keep it at first impressions if you like.

ps: On a sidenote, I was told the Proxmark project was 4-5 years old.

marshmellow

Contributor

From: US

Registered: 2013-06-10

Posts: 2,302

Re: Proxmark3 hardware broken

Standalone mode is rarely used by the current main contributors.  It is possible the several recent mf simulation fixes broke standalone mode.
Or you just haven't found the sweet spot on the antennas...

And until a reputation has been earned we don't assume anything around here, it is better for us to ask to know to rule it out.

Oh and Roel and others started the project around 2007.

Skeltek

Contributor

Registered: 2017-12-31

Posts: 19

Re: Proxmark3 hardware broken

Thanks, that helped a lot. I will retest it after finishing some calculations on my PC (probably this evening) and mark the topic as solved if it works.

Skeltek

Contributor

Registered: 2017-12-31

Posts: 19

Re: Proxmark3 hardware broken

Has anyone found out if the current github source code can emulate/simulate Mifare Cards on his PM3?
Maybe I could try out older versions, but the precompiled dont really work with the flasher from my Proxspace and I was unable to find out how to download older versions with 'Github for Windows' yet.
Maybe someone memorizes a version, when it was still functioning?