TAP No. 56 - The Programmable Blue Box

BY THE PROGRAMABLE BLUE BOX PETER PIPER The Phone Phreak like everyone else must keep pace with technolegy. We therefore give you The Programable Blue Box. The Box presented here offers excellent stability with both voltage and temperature. It uses 9 IC's, all of which are readily available. And uses two ordinary 9 volt alka- line batteries. Current drain is relatively low - 24 ma. in standby, about 50 ma. sending tones. Circuit Description on a key is ;ressed,the diode matrix in fig. 1 produces a binary code on lines A through D corresponding to the key presseds Note the code 0000 is not used here, it is reserved for 2600. whenever a key is pressed the S line also goes high, indicating a valid code on lines A thru D. In figs 2, lines A thru D and § go into the 2519 - a hex 40 bit shift register. Only 5 out of the 6 shift registers are used. The input of the 6th should be frounded. The S line also goes to a debouncing circuit and schnitt trigger composed of the two inverters and associated parte. The NAND gate takes either the signal from the schmitt trirger or the system clock and generates the clock signal for the shift register. This is a negative going pulse of about 20 us. So each time a key is pressed, the data at the input to the SR is shifted in. An LED lights whenever a key is pressed to indicate this. when all numbers are entered tones, the SEND key is pressed flop formed by two NOR rates, and does 4 things. It inhibits the input circuitry from the keyboard so no more numbers can be entered; It brings the recirculate line of the SR hifk sc the data is not lost once it is sent; It enables the output circuitry by my of the EO line; And it enables the system clock t2 shift out the data. When data is shifted out of the SR it appears on output lines A thru D. In fig. 3 theee go into 2 rroups »f analoe ewitekes. Each proup contains 16 switches. A binery code at the input of tehes connects the corresponding output tc the Z input of the 4051's. E.g. if the code 0011 is present at the input, output line 3 is connected to Z. This places the correct resistor for the desired tone in the circu Tine 0 is used for generating the 2600 tone Each shif: of the SR thus places data at the input of the analog ewitches and selects the proper resistors for the 2 osciliator ¢ The outputs cf the oscilletors are gummed throuzh the two 3.SK resistors and sert to the telephone earpicce. The tones are pated on and off by the FO line. When all the and it is desired to send This key tripgers a flip- tones are sent, the S line goes fron high to low and reacts the send and clear flip - flops. The tasic operation cf the box has just been described. There are a few aiditional features that should be mentioned kowever. The CLEAR key triggers its own flip - flop (formed by the other 2 NOR gates.) and does the same things as the SEND key with two exceptions: the recirculate linc of the SR is heid low, thus clearing memory and the two orcillators are not cnabled so no tones are produced. The DEL key is used to delinit between sequences of bers. When pressed, it clocks the SR without placcing any date on its input lines. This fool: the circuitry into beiicving that all the t-nes have been ser ‘The 26C0 tone is penerated ty pressing the SEIZE key+ This is the only key that does not use the common bu When pressed, it enables the oscillators, and since the only data at the input to the analog switches is CCCO when MF tones are not being sent, the top oscillator pencrates 2600. Construction tha The easiest means of construction is wire wrap. little care the box can be built quite compactly. All IC's except the SR use only the plus 9 supply. The SR uses plus and minus 9. Bcth the Yss and the Vee of the 4051's should be grounded. Vdd is plus 9. The input tc the ore unused shift register should be rrounded. DCN'T DC ANY- THING TC ITS OUTPUT. The trimpots should te 1C or 26 turn cernet zype construction. All resistors should te carton film NOT carton composition. Carton fils offer better tenperature stability et the save rrice. The S600 of. capacitors associated with the sscillators sust te poly- styrene. The end wi band 14 te the prounted end. The LED say seen like 8 power wactine frill to sone, but gs rceded. ata ance it car tell you if your data has seecrted or when sencry is clear. MAR-APRIL No. 56 The wiring for the trinpots ic not shown to avoid a neee. The tones are in two proupe - ‘bottom group 700, 9CC, 1100 12C0,1760 - top proup SCC, 1160, 1300, 1560, 2600. : easy though, just wire the output line for a particular i cy to the correspondinr pot. Keg. digit 4 is 700 and 1900. So output line 4 of the top sroup foce to 1509 and output line 4 of the totton proup occ to 700. Line © ie for 2600, Wire up all used outputs thie way. Alco, don't try to skiep by using sinple turn pots or one large trimer. The case of tuning and ineensitivity to vibration is well worth the 20 turn trinpots und the ceries resistors. The hardest part to locate is probebly the SR. It is available from Janes Electronics, 1621 Howard St.,San Carlos, Ca. 94070, for $4 at this writing. All other parte are available from several sources ~ shop around. 1979 Calibration and Use There are a few methods that can be used to calibrate this box. A DIP switch can te addid to the output of the SR to pull these lines up to plus 9 volts. Lf this is used just set the switch to the code for the desired key Esp. 0101 for key 5. And press the SEIZE key to enable the occillators. You can also wire up @ 16 pin plup that can be used to replace the SR. Connect the input pins to thier respective outputs and substitute this plup for the SR. when a key is pressed on the keytoard and the SEIZE key is held, the dcrired tone will be heard. To use the Box, firet clear memory by presring the CLEAR key. (the prototype seemed to always huve a clear menory when power was first applied, but [': not sure thie will be the carc with all unite.) Enter your desired numbers by preeeing the respective keys. The LED rhould lipht each tine a key is prersed to sipnify actentnnce of that entry. Next, call your favorite 00 number ard orere the key for about a sccond. When you hear the Ker-ctun SEND. Cut cones a merry little tunet The DEL key ic used when it ic necerrary to seperate eequencce of munters, stch as for overseas calls. Fer To call 044 1 246 @CCO, erter KP C11 C44 OT then press the DEL key ard enter KP (44 1 240 ECCC Ste hen the SEND key, the firet sequence will te ecr. will halt. Press the SEND key again art the 11 be ecnt. I'd like to say and tke Bluc Box. think you cen't usr fanderental frequer. 2 pre you press then the tox second eequerece a word at thie tine ebsut For reason seme poeple seer. to them. A equare weve te nade up of a y ard ite odd haraonics. So a SCC Hz equare wave ic reelly sate up of a SCO Hz fundamental with harmonies of 27CC,45C0,65CC,B1C0 and The eatire telephone networks hee only a terdwidth of About 2 KF however, A typical teleplone chernel starts to roll off at about 11CO Fz, and is down 4 to 1@ at at 2€CO Hz. Above 3 KFz the roll off ie €0 to °C dt/octavet What all thic means ie that even if you do cerd square wavee, the rorister at the otrer erd can't tell what you're sending. If you hever't fuesced it, the oscillators this box rererate equare wavec, end it works just GREAT ‘This Ecx is capable of rereratire #11 15 UP ecdes. If you want to have CCDE 11 and SCDE 12, just add the diodes needed to produce 111C and {111 and wire up the reepective outputs of the enalop cwitches. Good luck ard hazpy Boxing! Youth Hot Line Reports, Inc. 1979 - Do not make checks out to Youth Hot Line Reports, PLEASE! Movement groups may reprint without permission with TAP's address given with all credits. Please send us a copy of reprinted work. squere vaver seme = -A 2514 a ae 1 ~ +4 = > ik SS, # AN ok ‘Oost = Del 100k 2N3341 a 7 AW\—$§7 — look NOR 4Ool ue NAND oN TT A slat 620k 12M 00) aft TNVERTER “4o44 be AT Tey] | Le We x Zlok Zlook Flook F 100k af L 2.6 a EF 2600 He ~- x u7k —- z b os | [~ | 600 tok tof] i+ [_ 1300 ant A> 30K 13 A sak Te — W100 yay leek ato gt 2] 556 4 NW \ oer a L400 200k 7 + me OF : E 2NHtOI - Hos! £ fale phir ~ 22k ear piece af +4 }+—_. H = FP t E All. trinpets ®Q E Cc 20- Turh SOk 4o5] EF 1 it 33 Zo > Mit el & look E0 aaa F- r +—WV\s < 4osl F Seize Parts List 2N3S91 or eqiv. 2N4401 or eqiv. 2N28C7 or eqiv. All resistors are ¢ watt - - 401 NOR 5% carbon fila 4011 NAND 4049 INVERTOR 2519 40 dit hex SR 4051 8 channel analog switch - 556 dual tinner - 100 uf. capecitors - .001 uf. Perererer nee fee 20 turn SCK 9 Volt Alkaline Batteries Cermet trimpote Keyboard, switches, I7 rockets, ete. ‘Taser’ guns zapped Pin-outs for the other IC's can be found in National's CMOS book. ane ee Legislation that would outlaw the ‘The battery-powered weapon |GURATIONS H li [goer manufacture and sale of py light and mick PIN CONFI (Top View) electronic “taser ” was es lot line 340, and sent tothe Asser. “Tra ron ies ess ‘BA PACKAGE : iy yesterday. Satorecepaient pacceg ¢ CHARLESTON, SC. (AP) — A man who tried a i repeatedly with no’success to place a telephone call i blood Rea a | id 5 {rem a downtown booth today was arrested and charged trating his bod 4 B- war ater tying ote ote epi, PevThe weapon could be “east | se lice sai @ person in ide: < Christopher John Simon, of Charleston “apparently ear doer igh Sod pe sun e pom kept oes, a recording that the number was not in or could cause Sermanent bral ‘CL Pp: tapes be tired of hearing the recording,” sid damage, ling to a statement ‘dA be lice’ reen. ‘accompa ‘q B: + Green said Simén, in his 20s, took out is cigarette ne enttios suds Now Jer lighter and applied the flame to the plast re 8eq pe Wire the reine mele sai eee oe Simon was charged with arson and was to appear bbelore a magistrate later. 's gun control law, and would be elcveimmediy Hg law. GUARD BANDING by Napoleon Solo IF YOU USE A BOX, YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD OF GUARD BAND BUT PROBABLY DON’T KNOW EXACTLY HOW ITS USED OR WHY IT’S USED. I WILL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN IT’S LEGIT PURPOSE, THEN EXPLAIN HOW A BLUE BOXER CAN USE THIS KNOWLEDGE TO HIS ADVANTAGE. GUARD BAND IS @ METHOD OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTAL DISCONNECTS FROM PEOPLE TALKING OR PLAYING MUSIC INTO THE PHONE LINE. ‘IT SIMPLY MEANS IF ANY OTHER FREQUENCYS ARE PRESENT OTHER THAN 2600 HZ TONE? THE EQUIPMENT WON’T ALLOW A DISCONNECT THUS CLEAR~ ING THE LINE DOWN FOR ANOTHER CALL. IF ONLY 2600 WAS PRESENTrTHEN THE EQUIPMENT WILL CLEAR DOWN FOR @NOTHER CALL. IN SOME OUTBACK AREAS IN THE COUNTRY MANY MILES FROM THE TOLL SWITCHING OFFICE, THE PHONE COMPANYS WILL USE A TRUNK LINE THAT IS CONTROLLED BY 2600 80 IF THE POTENTUAL BLUE ROX USER GOES ANDI HAPPILY TOOTS THE 2600 TONE TO CLEAR DOWN THE 800 NUMBER THE TRUNK LINE WILL HEAR THE 2600 BEFORE THE TAN~ DOM AND DISCONNECT YOU FROM THE CIRCUIT WITHOUT YOU GETTING A CHANCE TO "BOX" YOUR CALL. THE PHONE COMPANY ALSO KNOWS THIS, SO THEY ARE HAPPILY PUTT~ ING IN MORE OF THESE TYPES OF CIRCUITS. NATURALLY THEY WON’T HAVE TO INSTALL . THEIR SPECIAL TOLL FRAUD DETECTING GEAR. SOs BOXING FROM THESE TYPES OF AREAS ARE USUALLY MUCH SAFER, STILL I WON’T RECCOMMEND DOING IT FROM HOME UNDER ANY CONDITIONS NOW I WILL TRY TO TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW YOU KNOW YOU WILL NEED GUARDBAND. I WILL FIRST EXPLAIN IT UNDER TWO CONDITIONS: 1. CALLING FROM A PAY PHONE GOING THROUGH AN OPERATOR AND 2. CALLING FROM A DIRECTLY DIALED CALL. NATURALLY IF IT IS POSSIBLE I WOULD RECOMMEND GOING THROUGH A DIRECTLY DIALED CALL. IN CERTAIN QUTBACK AREAS, OPERATORS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO BE AS FAR AS 250 MILES FROM THEIR SERVING AREA. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS IS DEATH VALLEY, CALIF. I CAN WELL UNDERSTAND WHY. IN DEATH VALLEY, THE OP- ERATORS ARE IN SAN BERNARDINO. THIS IA A HELL OF A DISTANCE FOR NORMAL OPERATOR TRUNKS SO FOR SIMPLI- CITYs IT’S EASIER TO SEND CALLS OVER MICROWAVE. THIS MEANS THAT IF YOU PLACE A CALL FROM THERE» aND YOU ATTEMPT TO TOOT IT OFF WITH PURE 2600+ YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO 10 ITs INSTEAD, YOU WILL JUST FLASH THE OPERATOR, BY SENDING 2600+ YOU ARE SIMF— LY HANGING UP THE PHONE AS FAR AS THE OPERATOR IS CONCIRNED. " THE SECOND THING YOU WILL EXPERIENCE WILL BE IF YOU WERE TO DIAL DIRECT CALLS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE OPERATOR. IF YOU TRY TO BLOW OFF CALLS DIALED DIRECT LIKE AN 800 NUMBER OR WHATEVER, YOU WILL EITHER GET DUMPED INTO SILENCE (USUALLY WHEN USING A PAYPHONE) OR A DIAL TONE (USUALLY WHEN CALLING FROM A RESIDENTIAL PHONE. ITS USUALLY AN ABRUPT CLICK AND YOUR DUMPED. SOMETIMES ON G.T.&E SYSTEMS YOU WILL GET A RE-ORDER. OR A QUICK BUSY SOUND. IF YOU ARE SUCESSFULy YOU WILL HEAR A "KER- CHINK" SOUND AND STILL HEAR THE SOFT HISS OF THE LONG DISTANCE NOISE. NOW I WILL EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT FREQUENCY RES- PONSE ANI) HOW THAT APPLIES WITH GUARD BANDING. THE LONG DISTANT PHONE LINES CAN ONLY TRANSMITT FREQUENCYS FROM 300 HZ TO 3000 HZ WITHOUT LOSSES @S THE FREQUENCY GOES HIGHER THAN 3000 HZy THE VOLUME OR "LEVEL" GOES DOWN (GETS SOFTER). SO THE TRICK OF THE TRADE IS TO INSERT A 3150 OR 3200 HZ TONE MIXED WITH THE 2600 HZ TONE EXACTLY LIKE THE TONES ARE MIXED IN THE BOX. BUT IT’S VERY IMPOR- TANT THAT YOU MUST BE ABLE TO MIX ANY PREPORTION OF THE 3200 AND 2600 HZ TONE. LIKE 40% 2600 AND 60% 3200 OR 49% 3200 AND 51% 2600 TONES. THIS CAN BE DONE WITH A KNOB WHEN TURNED IN ONE DIRECTION THE BOX SENDS PURE 2600, THEN AS THE KNOB IS TURN- ED, MORE AND HORE 3200 COMES THROUGH ANI! LESS AND. LESS 2600, THIS WAYs YOU CAN "PREFORTION" EXACTLY THE CORRECT "MIX" UNTILL YOU GET RESULTS. THE EAS- JEST WAY TO DO THIS IS BY SETTING THE KNOB UNTILL IT JUST WON’T CLEAR ANYTHING, THEN ADD A LITTLE MORE 2600 RELEASING THE TONE EACH TIME UNTILL YOU HEAR THE FAMILIAR "KER-CHINK" SOUND ONE HEARS WHEN “RLOWING OFF" THE 800 NUMBER OR WHATEVER YOU ARE USING. GUARD BAND IS THE METHOD WHICH IS USED FOR “STACKING TANDOMS" AS YOU PROBABLY HEARD IN SO MANY PUBLICATIONS, IT IS ALSG USED TO ACCESS AUTO~ VERIFY BY COMING INTO A SWITCHING MACHINE FROM TRUNKS THAT ARE CLASS MARKED FOR AUTOVERIFY USAGE. GUARDBAND CAN ALSO BE USED TO GET INTO AUTOVON AND OTHER INTERESTING SYSTEMS. SO AT THIS TIME, I WILL LEAVE IT UP TO YOUR OWN IMAGINATION AS TO WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH IT AND HAPPY BOXING. Is ¢) Vt 4 SThuaiters, Cy m > ~~ ey order (No Cast) to lest 42 Street, New York, N.Y. 10096 Published for informational purposes only by Youth Hot Line Reports, Inc. Address all mail and checks to: Bank gave dealer too much credit JERSEY CITY (AP) — Jersey City police are looking for a coin dealer who disappeared with $100,000 after a computer made an error in his bank account. ‘Charles Walsh, 52, had only $85 in his account at the’ Jersey City Commercial Trust Co., when a key- punch operator it the wrong Key and credited two sé $50,000 checks which belonged in a commercial ac- count to Walsh's account. His account nuntber differs by only one digit from ‘the commercial account number. Walsh's Dec. 21 bank statement showed his ac- ‘count had a balance of $100,085 and, police said. the coin dealer began withdrawing the money. Within a month he allegedly had withdrawn all but the $85 from the account It wasn't until Feb, 9 that the bank officials uncovered the error and notified police to file fraud ‘complaint against Walsh, Police who went to Walsh's ‘home found the doors locked, the sidewalk unshoveled and the mailbox full of letters, ‘A warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to ‘in court Tuesday to answer the complaint that He detrauded the bank of $100,000. TAP, 152 W.42 ST, ROOM 418, NY 10036