# 013 - It's Not Magic

- Show: [Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast)
- Published: 2018-07-04
- Length: 1h 22m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic
- Listen: https://unnamedre.com/episode/13

## Summary

Schneider, a key member of the rad1o Badge project team, explains the reverse engineering of the Iridium satellite network, detailing how they decoded pager and voice protocols using SDR tools like HackRF and gr-iridium. He discusses the technical challenges of identifying BCH error correction and interleaving, and the community-driven development of tools like Inspectrum and Phosphor. Schneider also highlights the privacy implications of unencrypted commercial traffic, including sensitive medical dispatches, and the ongoing work to monitor the new Iridium NEXT constellation.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=0) Introduction: Schneider and the rad1o Badge
- [2:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=139) The rad1o Badge: Design, Hardware, and Firmware
- [14:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=845) Reverse Engineering Iridium Pagers: From Signal to Bits
- [23:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=1406) Iridium History, Bankruptcy, and Network Architecture
- [32:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=1967) Iridium Burst Service and Commercial Applications
- [43:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=2590) Reverse Engineering Modems, Firmware, and Voice Codecs
- [48:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=2886) Tracking Illegal Fishing with Iridium and AIS
- [1:02:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=3721) The gr-iridium Toolchain: Extraction, Parsing, and Reassembly
- [1:08:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=4084) Iridium NEXT, Security, and Responsible Disclosure
- [1:15:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic#t=4528) Community Resources, Tools, and Encouraging New Hackers

## Topics

- [Wireless & RF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/wireless-and-rf)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Debugging & failure analysis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/debugging-and-failure-analysis)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)

## Most relevant to

makers and hobbyists

## Mentioned

- Iridium (company)
- HackRF (tool)
- rad1o Badge (product)
- gr-iridium (tool)
- Inspectrum (tool)
- Phosphor (tool)
- RTL-SDR (tool)
- Wireshark (tool)
- Osmocom (company)
- Great Scott Gadgets (company)
- TI Calypso (chip)
- Maxim (company)
- Linear Technology (company)
- MarineTraffic (company)
- dAISy (product)
- Monterey Bay Aquarium (company)
- Wave Glider (product)
- Globalstar (company)
- Spitsbergen (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

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- [#397.6 - An Interview with Matt Knight](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-06-24-397-6-an-interview-with-matt-knight) (The Amp Hour)
- [182: Sorry Little Diodes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2017-01-04-182-sorry-little-diodes) (Embedded.fm)
- [Boat Anchors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-10-13-boat-anchors) (The Amp Hour)
- [Space Age Bluetooth with Alex Haro](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-07-09-space-age-bluetooth-with-alex-haro) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2018-07-04-013-its-not-magic. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast.