I have been hanging onto this information for quite awhile, but since FromTheShadows
released Box 4.0 that touched on it, I decided that I should probably let
this info go. The device the "mysterious hacker" is using to change all the RED lights to GREEN is a MIRT.
It is nothing "secret" or extraordinary. A MIRT is a device that uses
Infra Red technology to trigger Pre-Emptive sensor on a traffic light and causes
the light to change to green. Yes, this device will give you the ability to
ALWAYS HAVE A GREEN LIGHT. The shadowy hacker did at least give one good tid-bit
of info, if you want to order one, you will need to do your share of Social
Engineering, as they are only sold to "Authorized Users". Oh, and
you will need to pony up the $300-$400 to get one.. Well, paying isn't the I-Hacked
way, lets build one! Today I am going to show you how to build a DIY Mirt for less
than $20.
Before we begin, let me state that the legality of such a device is interesting.
Since the device emits an IR signal rather than a radio one the FCC has no control
over its
production or possession. However the actual use of the product by non-qualified
individuals would be illegal. It is probably against your STATE law for you
to own & operate one of these. I must insist that you check with your local
law enforcement before you even think about beginning to build one. I checked
with mine and just owning such a device carries pretty stiff penalties. (not
worth it)
From Michigan Law: (Why Michigan when I live in KS? Because it was easy to
find, and I copied and pasted)
- A misdemeanor and up to 90 days in jail and a fine of $5,000 for the
unlawful POSSESSION of a MIRT.
- A FELONY charge with up to TWO YEARS in jail and a fine of $10,000 for
the unlawful SALE or purchase of a MIRT.
- A felony charge with up to FIVE years in jail and a fine of $15,000 for
individuals using MIRT that resulted in a traffic accident
- A felony charge with up to 15 years in jail and a fine of $25,000 for
the use of MIRT resulting in death.
I Did a VERY Quick search on states where this was illegal, and here
is what I found (This is BY NO MEANS A COMPLETE LIST. I would assume it
was illegal in every state)
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
More Legality information can be found using your states D.O.T. (Dept. of Transportation)'s
website. The Official MIRT site has a
great listing of these D.O.T. Site. Please read up on it. I would hate for
you to go to jail over something stupid.
I'll also throw this in. The system uses special IR sensors to work the Pre-Emptive system,
I have taken a picure of one of the sensors below. (taken at College & Lackman in Lenexa, KS)

Warning, most of the intersections that have these special sensors are the really busy ones. Which
means there's a good likelihood they have cameras too (either red light ones
or the ones to just monitor the intersection). CCD cameras can pick up IR light.
So if you used the light changer it would show up on camera… Just some
food for though before we begin. Ok, so have I talked you out of making one
yet?
Done thinking about it yet? Ok good lets get rolling, Green Lights Kick Ass...
Just FYI

Parts List:
ITEM |
Label on Schematic |
PC Board |
|
8-pin socket |
|
Controller IC NE555 (8-pin) |
IC1 |
.47 uF Electrolytic Capacitor |
C1 |
.1uF or .01uF Ceramic Capacitor |
C2 |
500K Multiturn Potentiometer |
R1 |
(2) 100K Resistors |
R2 & R4 |
1K Resistor |
R3 |
Kynar wire |
|
Scrap Hookup Wire (18ga. Red, Green, Black) |
|
2N2222 Transistor (Q1) (IR Driver) |
Q1 |
2N3055 Transistor (Q2) (IR Driver) |
Q2 |
Misc Mounting Hardware |
|
High Power IR Array (Either build it yourself, or buy one from www.bgmicro.com
item# LED1007) |
|
Cigarette Lighter Adapter |
|
Clear Plastic Case |
|
|
|
OPTIONAL ITEMS |
|
MALE and FEMALE Molex 4 Pin Connector w/Pins |
|
Lets start building it.
STEP ONE : GATHER & IDENTIFY THE PARTS
Luckily for us, most of the parts are available at your local Radio
Shack, but you may have to visit a specialty electronics store or order
from Digi-Key or Mouser to get a few remaining parts. We will be using
the IR ILLUMINATOR from BGMicro for the IR Transmitter. The PC
board we will be building this on is up to you on what style you
prefer. As you can see in the above picture I am using an "IC Type" but
that might not be the one you want to use. A standard PC Board will
work perfectly fine. The small plastic case was probably the hardest
thing to find (even though you would think it would be the easiest) I
ended up finding a perfect case at Office Depot. =) It had 10 million
paperclips inside of it. But its up to you where you get it..
STEP TWO: THE GOOD STUFF, SCHEMATICS!
Timing Circuit

I
suggest you build the timing circuit first, as it is the most complex. What
this circuit is doing is creating a variable "pulse" in order to flash
our IR Array. I cannot confirm this, but the word on the street is that the
best results can be obtained around 10hz or 10 cycles per second. We will use
the 500k Potentiometer to control the "blink rate". What I did for
"bench testing" is connect a computer Molex connector to pull 12V
(see Molex Pinouts) from a nearby
computer. This is not required, so I didnt include it in the parts list. I then
connected the anode of a red LED to Pin 3 of the IC, and the cathode to the
390 Ohm resistor (R5). Connect the other side of the resistor to ground. The
LED will now flash with the IR array. At this point we are ensuring that your
timing circuit is working correctly, and if it is you will have a fast blinking
LED.
Now would be a good time to put your IR Array together. This is probably the
most fun part of this project. Nothing like soldering 36 LEDs. All I can say
about this is make sure you get the Anode and Cathode correct. (However they
are marked very well) Once you have the timing circuit built and tested, the
IR Array built, it is time to build a hi-power driver to power the IR Array.
 
Hi-Power Driver for IR Array

When building the IR Driver circuit, it is IMPERATIVE that you double check
polarities on all Capacitors and Transistors. If you happen to use a metal container
YOU MUST ISOLATE THE POWER TRANSISTOR (2N3055) FROM THE METAL CASE. Use nylon
screws and washers, with electrical tape on the bottom of the transistor to
isolate. Failure to follow these instruction will destroy your project!. Once
again, check and double check EVERYTHING before you apply power!
So, who wants to design a PCB for I-hacked? =)
Now, cram it all in the Plastic box. Using the soldering Iron, melt a hole
in the "Lid" of the box. Mount the IR ARRAY on the outside of the
box, using some screws/nuts though the hole you just melted to hold it in place.
At this time, this little project should be starting to look pretty good! It
is again now a good time to test everything. Having everything hooked and powered
up, you should see your RED LED Flashing at a quick pace. That tells us that
the timing circuit works, but we need to ensure that the IR Array is blinking
along with it. Remember how earlier I mentioned that camera's CCD can pick up
IR light? Well using this knowledge you can use any digital camera or camcorder
to see if it is working. Infact, you can even use your camera-phone!

STEP THREE: MAKE IT MOBILE
Cut the end off of a 12V Cigarette Lighter Adapter and connect it into your
project. As in above, there is already a Molex connector connected to the timing
circuit, so lets solder up a male molex to the Cigarette lighter adapter and
now you have a quick connect power adapter. (Again, this is not needed, just
a simple suggestion) Now you can test it out on the bench easy, or take it to
the car. (not that you will be using this in an auto)
At first you may or may not have much luck, because your Hz is probably pretty
off. Using the equation
f =10 |
1.4 |
(R1 + 2R2) × C1 |
R2= 100k, C1=.47uF so R1 must equal ~98k. So using a multimeter set your Potentiometer
to 98k and give it a shot. If this doesnt work, try slowly increasing the blink
rate.
Again, please do not use or abuse this. These Pre-Emptive systems were designed
to save lives, not to get you to work earlier. Imagine if you and an ambulance
were to approach the same intersection at the same time from perpendicular directions.
I am not sure what the system would do, but you could possibly cause the ambulance
problems getting through the light... Something to think about.
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STEP FOUR: USE IT WITHOUT HAVING ONE?
A few readers sent in some tricks of tripping the lights using the crosswalk
button. However, after posting it, I received several letters telling me it was a Hoax, put on by our friends over at bbspot.com.
Well, I decided that I should probably give it a shot before blindly
believing anyone. =) I can tell you that this "Crosswalk button
hack" is a hoax, sorry for misleading you! I was tricked! |