Re: LOTS of US Water Plants Hit by Hacks

On Wed, 5 Aug 2026 00:58:46 -0400, c186282 wrote:

> On 8/4/26 03:10, rbowman wrote:
>> On Mon, 3 Aug 2026 20:50:24 -0400, c186282 wrote:
>> 
>>>     Anyway, hardware PLCs are pretty stupid - you don't actually hack
>>>     them directly. They're basically a replacement for a box of relays
>>>     or equivs. Software PLCs - a uC or even better - are more
>>>     "computers",
>>>     oft net-connected these days. An Ard Uno would make a fair
>>>     software PLC. A low-end PI even better.
>> 
>> https://www.realpars.com/blog/plc-hardware
>> 
>> What's a hardware PLC?
> 
>    There ARE 'chips' ... or, cruder, boards with a lot of transistors.

Semantics. A transition device was Square D's NorPak system. There were a 
number of different cards that that mounted in a frame similar to  a 
backplane. NOR gates are the simplest so those were the basic building 
blocks. Working with NOR, NAND, and NOT gates leads to brain bleed.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Norpak-Square-D-8852-L-19-Counter-4-Input-NOR-20-
Pack-Series-A-FREE-SHIPPING-/282588704448

'Programming' was done by stripping wire, crimping on a tapered pin, and 
seating it with a too like an automatic center punch. Solid state relay 
logic...