We’re opening a new home for open hardware and silicon security discussions – Tropic Square is now on Discord!

Several of you asked for a place to:

• Discuss TROPIC01 integration details.
  
• Share hardware and firmware designs for peer review.
  
• Get quick answers to practical implementation questions.
  
• Compare threat models and architectural choices.
  

Email threads, 1to1 whatsapp messages and in person discussions at conferences weren’t cutting it. So we set up a shared space.

Our mission will be successful only if we:

1. invite scrutiny
2. appreciate and share contributions
3. are not along in the fight against obscurity 

You constantly told us you wish to build something with TROPIC01 and that you wish to share your design with others for peer review and feedback as well as receive quick chat-like support - so here is the platform for it.

If you are building open-source hardware, designing secure embedded systems, just exploring what open, auditable secure elements like TROPIC01 can do, or hacking our chip this is the place to connect. Our Discord is an informal but expert-focused environment for engineers who care about silicon-level security, transparency, and real-world deployment.

What happens there

You can:

• Discuss real design questions around secure elements, secure boot, key storage, and attack countermeasures.
  
• Share prototypes, schematics, firmware approaches — and get peer feedback.
  
• See what others are building with TROPIC01, from crypto wallets to IoT devices and critical infrastructure.
  
• Search prior threads for implementation details and debugging insight instead of starting from zero.
• Get early updates on releases, tooling, and documentation [github]​.
• Get intel on upcoming events where you can meet us!  
• Engineers from Tropic Square — including people directly involved in architecture and silicon design — are present.
  

By joining early, you don’t just follow what we are building – you can help shape it. Our products, starting with TROPIC01, are designed as open, auditable secure elements, and we see the community as an integral part of the security process. Share your use cases, challenge our assumptions, and influence how current and future generations of our chips evolve.

TROPIC02 is already in motion

TROPIC02 is taking shape. If you have strong opinions about what belongs in the spec — or what doesn’t — we want to hear them. Open silicon only works if it’s challenged early. Leave a note. Start a thread. Push back.

Whether you want to dive into RISC‑V implementation details, threat models, hardware security research, or just listen in and learn from others, you are welcome.

👉 Join the Tropic Square Discord and help push open hardware security forward together.