ELECTRON RFID Intelligence Platform Download

Electron Public Preview 1 User Guide

This first user guide covers the normal Public Preview workflow. It does not replace the safety information in the Public Preview Notice.

1. How Electron is organised

Electron is a local-first RFID Collection and evidence platform.

  • Collection is the lasting record of RFID items you choose to save.
  • Scans are temporary observations until you deliberately save useful information.
  • Device tools operate and explain connected hardware.
  • Reports and feedback packages are created locally and shared only when you choose.

Electron distinguishes direct evidence from observations, calculations and inferences. Unknown means that the available evidence is insufficient.

Normal and Advanced view

Electron starts in Normal view on a new installation. Normal focuses on understandable summaries, the strongest available evidence, confidence and the recommended next action. Select Advanced in the application header when you need protocol details, evidence sources, command information or expert analysis. The choice is shared by the card workspaces and is remembered locally.

Normal and Advanced change presentation only. Advanced never grants a permission, disables a safety check or changes Protection/Safe Mode.

Protection Mode

Protection Mode controls when Electron asks for extra permission before a higher-risk or unrecognised action. New installations use Always On — Recommended. Settings also offers a Temporary Expert Session and Always Off — Advanced users only for experienced users who do not want repeated Protection confirmations.

Temporary Expert Sessions end after the selected 5, 10, 30 or 60 minutes, or when the connected PM3 is disconnected, depending on the option selected. They never persist across an application restart. Always Off persists until the user changes it, but it does not disable Electron's hard security boundaries: PM3 shell escape and firmware, bootloader and FPGA changes remain unavailable through this command path.

Use Settings → Protection Mode → Restore Recommended Safety Settings to return Protection Mode to Always On, return the information view to Normal, end an active Expert Session and revoke unused one-time Protection authorization. Other application settings are not changed.

2. First launch and Preview access

The standard Preview provides 30 days of full access from first launch.

Open Settings → Preview Access to see:

  • Installation ID;
  • installation date;
  • days remaining;
  • access end date;
  • tester level;
  • device-verification status.

Saved Collection data is not deleted when the Preview expires. Approved additional testing time requires a signed Preview Extension Key tied to the Installation ID.

3. Main workspaces

Workshop

Use Workshop when you know the task but not which technical workspace to open. It provides entry points for Card Lab, Collection, Device Studio and advanced tools.

Collection

Collection lists saved RFID Tag records. Use it to:

  • search and open records;
  • review Collection health and backup status;
  • import or export selected records;
  • open one record in the RFID Tag workspace.

RFID Tag

RFID Tag starts with No RFID tag selected.

  • Open RFID Tag... opens the shared picker.
  • New RFID Tag starts an empty record.
  • Existing records show their Alias / Name and RFID Tag ID.

The picker searches RFID Tag ID and Alias / Name by default. Additional search fields are available under More Search Options. Select a column heading to sort results.

Device Console

Device Console owns the active PM3 session and direct command workflows. It shows:

  • USB device detection;
  • active-session state;
  • diagnostic availability;
  • recommended next action;
  • command output.

Use Check Device to detect USB presence. Use Connect Device to start an active PM3 session. Only one application can normally use the PM3 serial port at a time.

Device Console is an expert surface. Read a command and its safety status before running it.

Device Studio

Device Studio explains connected Proxmark3 hardware through a PCB view, component information and safe diagnostics.

Public Preview Device Studio:

  • is diagnostic and read-only;
  • does not flash firmware;
  • does not reconfigure the FPGA;
  • does not write, clone, emulate, restore or attack RFID items;
  • reports unsupported information as Unknown;
  • shows additional status only when hardware or firmware evidence supports it.

Use Quick Refresh for current status. Use Full RF Check only when you want the explicit read-only RF measurements.

Restore Helper

Restore Helper starts without a selected RFID Tag. Open a record, verify the registered backup and review every generated command.

A generated command is not proof that the target is correct. Confirm:

  • ownership or authorisation;
  • exact card family and target;
  • backup integrity;
  • recovery path;
  • effect of every command.

Compare

Compare starts without selected records. Choose the source and destination RFID Tags explicitly, then compare their registered backups. Loose-file comparison remains separate.

Labels

Labels starts without a selected RFID Tag. Choose a saved record, select the label style and use Print Preview. Direct printing requires a configured label printer.

Scan / Intelligence

This workspace acquires a temporary card observation and then hands it to Card Lab for explanation:

  • Quick Scan performs guided identification.
  • Explore Card provides a deeper, family-aware workflow when supported.
  • Card Lab explains the likely identity, confidence and recommended next action.
  • Card Viewer inspects the captured information and supporting evidence; it does not become a separate database.

Keep the RFID item steady during a scan. The workflow panel shows the current step and the read-only PM3 command Electron is observing.

In Normal view, Card Lab and Card Viewer prioritise the readable summary and next step. Advanced view reveals technical card structure, protocol sources, safe command details and explicit advanced read workflows without changing their existing confirmations or safety rules.

Research

Research stores user-created local research records and verified knowledge context. Nothing is uploaded automatically.

Electron Portal

Electron Portal provides Preview, support, licence, update and project information. Visit Electron Portal opens the official website.

History and Change Log

History presents stored RFID history and observations. Change Log shows compact summaries of local record changes. Use View full details to inspect previous and new values.

4. First safe scan

  1. Connect the Proxmark3 by USB.
  2. Open Device Console and select Check Device.
  3. Select Connect Device if USB is detected but no session is active.
  4. Open Workshop and choose Card Lab.
  5. Place one authorised card or tag on the reader.
  6. Select Quick Scan.
  7. Wait for the workflow to finish.
  8. Review the result and evidence sources.
  9. Save only the information you intend to keep.

Do not treat a suggested family or inferred value as direct chip evidence.

5. Saving and backing up records

Collection data is local. Use Collection export and database backup tools to keep an independent copy.

Before a risky test:

  1. open the correct RFID Tag;
  2. verify the current UID and card family;
  3. register or create the required backup;
  4. confirm that the backup can be found and read;
  5. store another copy outside Electron.

An application reinstall is not a backup strategy.

6. Reports

Reports are derived from selected Electron information. Review a report before sharing it, especially when it contains:

  • UIDs or identifiers;
  • screenshots;
  • technical card data;
  • local file paths;
  • device or firmware information.

Electron does not make an unsafe disclosure safe merely by placing it in a report.

7. Feedback

Select Send Feedback to create a local, reviewable package. Include the steps, expected result and actual result. Add screenshots or logs only when useful.

Nothing is uploaded automatically. Inspect and redact the package before sending it through the official support route.

8. Settings

Settings contains:

  • photo-storage quality for newly selected photos;
  • Help Engine visibility;
  • additional Device Command Safety rules;
  • database management;
  • Preview Access;
  • backup storage location.

Public Preview does not expose Engineering Mode, maintainer hotspot authoring or the internal Preview Build Checklist.

9. Updating or reinstalling

Quit Electron before replacing the application with a newer approved build. Read that build's release notes and back up the Collection first.

Replacing the application normally preserves local data, but future Preview release notes may require different steps. Preview access is associated with local installation data; reinstalling does not promise a new 30-day period.

10. Troubleshooting

USB detected, session not connected

Close other software using the PM3 serial port and select Connect Device.

Device not detected

Reconnect the USB cable, try a direct port or known working adapter and select Check Device again.

Device Studio shows Unknown

The current hardware, PM3 client or firmware did not provide enough evidence. Unknown is not automatically a fault.

A scan finds nothing

Keep the item steady, verify whether it is HF or LF, remove other RFID items from the reader area and try the appropriate authorised scan.

Electron is no longer opening the full app

Open the Preview Access information shown on the expiry screen. If the 30-day period ended, request approved additional testing time. If device verification paused access, request a device review.

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