A Hack-o-Rocket is a CopperRocket that has had its original firmware replaced with a hack developed in our project. A Hack-o-Rocket is no longer really a CopperRocket because it is no longer a Copper Mountain SDSL/IDSL to Ethernet bridge.

Both SDSL and IDSL CopperRockets (CR201s and CR201i, respectively) can be converted into Hack-o-Rockets.

A Hack-o-Rocket can be used for two functions:

• As a router CPE device for certain SDSL and IDSL flavors different from bridged CM.
• As a debug and experimentation platform using our IDEBUG and SDEBUG utilities.

The original CM 1483 bridging functionality of an unmodified CopperRocket is lost on the Hack-o-Rocket.

• You can take a CopperRocket and modify it into a Hack-o-Rocket yourself as described below.
• We can make one for you for the cost of labor and parts (2 29F010s and the few extra components which need to be populated for the serial console port); please ask on our mailing list for the details. You would need to procure the starting CopperRocket unit yourself as we do not maintain stock of those.

1. Replace the firmware in the two socketed 29F010s with our software, specifically the Hack-o-Rocket monitor. Requires a PROM programmer and 2 spare 29F010 parts if you want to save the originals.
2. Populate the secret serial port on the board. Requires soldering and a few parts from Digi-Key or your favourite electronic component source. Also makes the unit's Ethernet ports unclean.

The serial port is absolutely essential on the Hack-o-Rocket. It has been turned from a debug output port into a bona fide console port through which you tell the unit what to do. If it never receives any commands from the console port, it won't do anything.