Visiting Dani. Pavel Zhovner on development issues, new marketplace and the next Flipper

Last updated: 2023/07/12 at 1:52 PM

Security Parrot Editorial Team Published July 12, 2023

The Story Behind the Famous Flipper Zero Hacker Multitool

Pavel Zhovner and his development team have created the famous Flipper Zero hacker multitool. Its production and distribution were associated with a lot of difficulties and exciting moments. In this interview, Pavel told Danya Shepovalov how it was and made two important announcements: the launch of the Flipper app store and the start of work on the older model, Flipper One.

The Software Behind the Flipper Zero

When asked about the software behind the Flipper Zero, Pavel explained that they use a lot of different programs. For tracing electronics, they primarily use Altium Designer. Altium 365 is used as a version control system, similar to GitHub. The firmware is written in C, and each member of the team uses their own development environment. They have their own system for building the firmware. For interface planning, they use Miro, which they have blogged about. Their mobile applications are native: for Android, they use Kotlin, and for iOS, they use Swift. Industrial design is done in CATIA.

The Challenges of Producing the Flipper Zero

When asked about the dumbest situation related to the Flipper Zero, Pavel explained that they initially took a very fresh STM32WB55 chip, which was not tested. After some time, they discovered a fatal bug that leads to hardware burnout of the Bluetooth transmission path, after which the stone never returns to working condition. This threw them back for a year, and it took four months to get ST to fix it. They also encountered a shortage of chips, and their screen supplier would not give them the number they requested. In the end, they found another factory that made screens for them.
When it comes to sales, Pavel explained that the dumbest thing is the delivery itself. They have to wait for the delivery to arrive, and sometimes it takes longer than expected.
Overall, Pavel and his team have faced a lot of challenges in producing and distributing the Flipper Zero. Despite the difficulties, they have managed to create a successful product and are now working on the older model, Flipper One. They have also announced the launch of the Flipper app store, which will provide users with more options for their Flipper Zero.