The £1300 AFDD consumer unit

mapj1:

Software is the marketing departments dream - now you can just manufacture one module design and just before you print the case, flash it with the desired RCD sensitivity and delay, and maybe even have a programmable  MCB sensitivity.- after all the big ones already do.


Shortly after that happens a shadowy market emerges of after market modders who will chip it for you to get 40A out of a 32A device, and various attacks to disable or enable features from the original spec - you only have to look at engine management software and the hacks to de-restrict small motorbikes to see this sort of thing. I'd not look forward too it with that great an enthusiasm.  Certainly I know companies that take the tops off chips and bypass the code protection for a living, and I suspect it can be done outside military circles as well - once the algorithm is liberatated, writing a similar but not identical one is not so hard. as this slightly out of date  article describes

That can be done, but it's also possible to secure the firmware so that it cannot be tampered with - common where tampering is shown as an identified risk related to functional safety. However, that does often require a more expensive processor (but only a few £s)...

Even engine management system are starting to do this, especially now that OTA (other the air) updates are becoming more common and vehicles are starting to have paid for after-market upgrades/options.

mapj1:

Software is the marketing departments dream - now you can just manufacture one module design and just before you print the case, flash it with the desired RCD sensitivity and delay, and maybe even have a programmable  MCB sensitivity.- after all the big ones already do.


Shortly after that happens a shadowy market emerges of after market modders who will chip it for you to get 40A out of a 32A device, and various attacks to disable or enable features from the original spec - you only have to look at engine management software and the hacks to de-restrict small motorbikes to see this sort of thing. I'd not look forward too it with that great an enthusiasm.  Certainly I know companies that take the tops off chips and bypass the code protection for a living, and I suspect it can be done outside military circles as well - once the algorithm is liberatated, writing a similar but not identical one is not so hard. as this slightly out of date  article describes

That can be done, but it's also possible to secure the firmware so that it cannot be tampered with - common where tampering is shown as an identified risk related to functional safety. However, that does often require a more expensive processor (but only a few £s)...

Even engine management system are starting to do this, especially now that OTA (other the air) updates are becoming more common and vehicles are starting to have paid for after-market upgrades/options.