Lifecycle
Badge ecosystems keep moving after handout: apps, hexpansions, SAOs, antennas, cases, repair parts, firmware updates, and post-event hardware experiments.
TechMaker says the 2020 badge moved away from ready-made dev boards to a custom board built around Espressif's ESP32-WROOM-32D module.
SourceThe TechMaker writeup says the team chose a platform with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the public firmware archive preserves an ESP-IDF project for the NoNameBadge.
SourceThe hardware page lists ESP32-C6-WROOM-1-N8 with Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5, and Zigbee/Thread as the badge's core SoC.
SourceThe hardware specification identifies a Nordic nRF52832 SoC with Bluetooth LE 4.2 as the smartwatch core.
SourceDatko and Hackaday describe the SAINTCON 2014 badge as an Arduino clone or Arduino-compatible badge built for attendee hacking.
SourceThe public guide identifies the D1 Mini ESP8266 development board as the badge compute module and documents header orientation and USB flashing behavior.
SourceThe public repository acknowledgements say Espressif Systems sponsored ESP32-C3-WROOM-02-N4 modules for the Hack&Roll 2026 hardware badge.
SourceThe wiki pointed Android users to a patched RF Analyzer APK/source path because upstream RF Analyzer did not yet work with rad1o.
SourceThe smartphone-integration log documents the AND!XOR Android app terminal, Nordic nRF Toolbox compatibility, nearby badge scanning, BLE terminal commands, script buttons, and maintenance-mode behavior.
SourceAn accelerometer was added and paired with the buzzer to create a tone-generator/synthesizer controlled by badge tilt.
SourceThe firmware documents a hall-effect sensor interrupt, RPM calculation, and timing loop used to align the POV output with spinner rotation.
SourceThe repository exposes separate schematic PDFs and Gerber ZIPs for the badge, head, hood, arm, and back boards, making the RCA artifact a multi-board kit rather than a single PCB record.
SourceThe badge maker frames Patches as part of the Voodoo Heart badge series and says it combines with last year's badge and next year's final piece.
Sourcewebboggles' TILDENSTEIN 3D is a 2026 Tildagon App Directory release: a Wolfenstein-style raycasting FPS with ESP-NOW multiplayer set around the EMF Camp grounds.
SourceThe MC-0o00 Melody Maker firmware by Miaou lets users compose 48-note melodies, adjust tempo, move through notes, change note values and durations, and manage simple melodies on the badge.
SourceThe badge decoration workflow included a 3D name-plate generator so attendees could personalize the badge object without changing the electronics.
SourceThe badge provides GPS own-ship position on a moving map, and the FAQ documents manual coordinate fallback when GPS lock is unavailable.
SourceThe badge created a DUCK-prefixed Wi-Fi access point, exposed an embedded web server at 192.168.4.1, and hosted CTF pages for flag capture.
SourceThe software guide documents WiFi credential setup, RGB LED boot status, MQTT host configuration, and serial-console checks for networked LoliBot behavior.
SourceCisco describes the SAINTCON show badges as purpose-built Wi-Fi enabled badges carried by about 550 attendees and tied to Cisco CMX infrastructure.
SourceBadge Net builds on Badge Link to provide Ethernet and IPv6 connectivity between badges through the 3.5 mm jacks, exposed to MicroPython as a normal network interface.
SourceThe firmware defines BadgerNet as both preferred infrastructure SSID and hotspot basename, with retry behavior before badge-hosted service fallback.
SourceThe official recordings page preserves Caleb Davis's BSides Kristiansand 2025 talk about making the Sykt Badge.
SourceCompass reports installed apps for showing the attendee nickname on the LCD and viewing the Area41 schedule.
SourceThe 2017 brochure directed attendees to a badge assembly area after buying the parts needed to build the badge from the front desk.
Source44CON states that fewer than 150 attendees left the soldering workshop with fully functioning HIDIOT 0.7 boards from the roughly 500 distributed boards.
SourceThe firmware exposes an onboard temperature and humidity environmental sensor thread.
SourceThe README says the badge can operate with the shield installed, where it drives the OLED display and runs the built-in mini-game without the ESP32 path.
SourceThe official volunteer instructions required volunteers to wear provided volunteer T-shirts during shifts and keep the badge clearly visible.
SourceRehrig documents total-internal-reflection lens work intended to focus emitter output and shape the optical behavior needed for the laser-tag game.
SourceThe badge placed an IR receiver in the center and IR emitters on the center-left and center-right of the board for laser-tag interaction.
SourceThe guide suggests attaching a buzzer or anything else to BZ1 and notes the badge can become a tripwire alarm when pointed at with a laser.
SourceThe registration page pairs the electronic badge with a custom RVAsec challenge coin in the guaranteed package.
SourceThe RC14 quick guide lists the ROOTCON Survival Kit as an inclusion and names the conference badge, lanyard, and sticker set inside it.
SourceBadge Pirates says non-electronic participants received an electrically same PCB with clues for a crypto challenge, preserving participation without overclaiming electronics for every attendee artifact.
SourceThe 2016 guide demonstrates DigiKeyboard-style USB keyboard payloads and points toward deeper V-USB work until the HIDIOT 1.0 software stack matured.
SourceThe Shadybucks page documents optional external burner-wallet linking plus QR-code wallet setup, sponsorship transfers, and spending at camp.
SourceThe unofficial section lists WiCyS, USA, Gadsen, Matrix, Eduroam, Private LTE, CompuNet, and Radiation badges with booth, sponsor, contact, or personal handoff acquisition notes.
SourceThe export includes personal and community-designed badges such as Cryptid Minibadge Expansion Board, SAO Adapter, Delicate Arch, Infinity, and other designer-attributed entries.
SourceThe personal category explains that creators brought their own badges for trading or networking and that those badges were not directly supported by conference staff.
SourceThe sketches use EEPROM for stored names and HugQuest token/infection state, keeping the pager identity and game state across restarts.
SourceThe writeup credits oomlout and Paul Downey collaboration around laser-cut badge decorations that extended the base PCB into a more complete name-badge object.
SourceThe official program describes 0.040-inch commercially pure titanium pieces fabricated by waterjet, tumbled for deburring, and kiln-oxidized for an aged puzzle-game appearance.
SourceThe DEF CON 21 badge used hidden PCB metal and interconnected paths that attendees could discover with a multimeter, making a non-powered board behave like a puzzle circuit.
SourceDEF CON 24 solving notes used badge backs, hidden traces, common encoded text, badge-type-specific silkscreen strings, and visible printed codes as puzzle material.
SourceThe lanyard carried unusual character strings and is identified by official forum and writeup sources as one of the challenge surfaces included with the badge.
SourceMar Williams described the DC33 badge as interacting with 3D images and layered art around the con through different lenses and lens combinations.
SourceDEF CON's badge news previewed the badge through its SAO slot and framed the badge as having room for attendee customization.
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