Project archive
Catacop
Discontinued · no longer sold
The catalytic converter theft alarm. A retired product, preserved here as the story of a board, a partnership, and a lot of firmware.
Project archive
The problem
Catalytic converter theft is a minutes-long crime with a four-figure bill. Replacing stolen converters is obscenely expensive, especially for anyone running a fleet, where one parking lot can mean several vehicles vandalized in a single night.
Catacop was built to make those minutes loud: an aftermarket alarm watching the one part thieves wanted most.
The story
It started on a friend’s workbench. A strange PCB sat there: a product prototype he had not been able to get functioning fully. I asked what it was, then asked to take a shot at it. We became business partners.
I designed, assembled, and programmed a new system on board for the product, managing some contracted help along the way, and we delivered a functional product.
Catacop is no longer sold. The board, the firmware, and the lessons remain some of my favorite work.
Like what I build?
I do this for a living: IT engineering, USA-Russia consulting and a private apprenticeship.