The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis is what started it all for me over a decade ago: it was my journey into reverse engineering and bare metal programming.

Apple’s CryptoKit framework provides an easy-to-use interface to common cryptographic operations, including working with Secure Enclave keys. Signing data is easy enough, but turns out verifying signatures on the other side of the walled garden is easier said than done.

With the official Pax app no longer downloadable from the App Store, I needed a new way to control my devices that’s a little more polished than the previous proof-of-concept Mac app I wrote. As it’s been a while since I last touched iOS development, I figured it’d be a fun challenge to write an app in a weekend.

A recent project required some QFN packaged components – not exactly easy to hand solder. Without a reflow oven at hand, I had to get a little bit creative.

With mostly functional hardware in hand, it was time to give the programmable load software some attention. And thus begins my journey into building an embedded Linux distribution.

Faced with the prospect of another board revision and parts that became unobtanium, it was time to go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to use more readily available parts, while making the hardware more powerful and polished.

After a much-needed vacation, I’m back to working on my programmable load. Time to remember what parts worked and which didn’t for the inevitable ∞th revision.

After trying to burn my place down one time too many, it’s time to retire my pile of power resistors for testing power supplies in favour of a fancy digital programmable load. Except obviously, I’m going to build it myself, and overengineer it to hell and back.

With the first revision of the 68komputer boards and the required parts finally in hand, I spent the holidays (inside, in the warmth) assembling one. While it didn’t completely work, it also wasn’t a complete exercise in futility and a waste of time.

Despite what the general silence on this topic might imply, quite a few things have changed in the land of 68komputer since the last time I wrote about it. For one, there’s completely new hardware based around a 68000 with a full 16-bit data path. And, a boot ROM and firmware that’s a bit more… inviting.