Lifecycle
Badge ecosystems keep moving after handout: apps, hexpansions, SAOs, antennas, cases, repair parts, firmware updates, and post-event hardware experiments.
The firmware repository preserves applet, challenge, Wi-Fi scanner, LCD, and game source modules for the event badge firmware.
SourceThe filesystem README names the Grey finals challenges as Hornet Revenge, Leaky Pin, Bricked Up, Shooting Flags, Secure Memory, and CatCore.
SourceHITB invited attendees to learn how to hack the badge, expand its functionality, get started reprogramming, and unlock secret features, challenges, and more.
SourceHackRVA's recap documents games and puzzles as part of the 2018 hardware badge experience.
SourceThe Badge Village promised secret feature unlocks, mini-games, hidden challenges, and help getting started with reprogramming the badge.
SourceThe Badge Village promised secret feature unlocks, mini-games, hidden challenges, and help getting started with reprogramming the HITB2018PEK badge.
SourceHackaday documents a score programmer, a 0-to-9 digit collection challenge, a secret capacitive touch sensor, and pad fields intended for attendee hacking.
SourceHITB described badge hacking as a path to unlock secret features, mini-games, and expanded functionality during the Dubai event.
SourceThe official trading page says the build guide covers submitted MiniBadges that people designed and brought to the conference, including all official MiniBadges.
SourceProject documentation and README material link a LoRa expansion shard to an adapted Meshtastic path, indicating an explicit long-range radio capability target.
SourceThe current docs combine nRF52840 BLE/NFC hardware, an SX1262 LoRa radio, MeshCore contact-exchange framing, and NFC tag station taps before attendee field reports exist.
SourceThe 2017 badge system included a black flux-capacitor badge with a 2AL3B ESP chip, WiFi capability, power-bank wiring, USB charging path, and rear buttons.
SourceThe red RF badge carried a CC1111 RFCat-compatible chip, USB port, button, and exposed rear contacts, becoming the radio surface for the 2017 challenge.
SourceThe DEF CON 32 entry documents multi-layer PCB construction, a 3D assembled design, and red and blue LED eyes.
SourceBSidesROC announced a contest for best hacked badge with prizes awarded, tying the reprogrammable badge to on-site modification rather than only event identity.
SourceThe Makefile, project files, and flashing command target an ATTiny4313 AVR powering the spinning POV badge firmware.
SourceHackaday describes the base LayerOne 2019 badge as a small ATtiny2313 board rather than an ESP32 badge core.
SourceThe project bill of materials names an Atmel ATxmega128A4U microcontroller as the badge's controller.
SourceThe README and store page document HackGDL 2025 as an ESP32-S3 badge based on the Minino platform.
SourceHackaday identifies the 2018 LayerOne badge around an ESP32-WROOM-32 module with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-capable microcontroller hardware.
SourceThe hardware specification identifies the ESP32-WROVER-E-N8R8 as the badge controller with 240 MHz dual-core CPU, 8 MB flash, and 8 MB SPI RAM.
SourceThe README identifies the BugCON 2023 badge as an ESP32S3 or RP2040 design with UART, ESP32S3 Bluetooth/Wi-Fi, and AA battery support.
SourceThe first-hand writeup and public firmware document an ESP8266 badge that advertises `BadgeBuddy` while scanning nearby WiFi networks.
SourceThe README names a PIC16F1455 badge core, and the firmware configures USB clocking, interrupts, generic HID, and keyboard HID behavior.
SourceThe Hackaday.io project describes a battery-powered blinky badge using PSoC4, ESP8266 Wi-Fi, WS2812B LEDs, I/O ports, and 3.3 V logic with LED level-shifting work.
SourceThe project description lists PSoC 4 as the controller for the 2016 badge platform.
SourceThe README lists the Puya PY32F030F28U6TR microcontroller as the badge core, and the firmware README documents the PY32F0 MCU family and Cortex-M0+ build path.
SourceThe README lists RP2040, USB, LEDs, microphone, buzzer or speaker, and EdgeImpulse-backed machine-learning context for the BugCON 2022 badge.
SourceThe README documents an RV1106G3 platform with ARM Cortex-A7, RISC-V MCU, NPU, ISP, and Linux operating-system support.
SourceThe badge-team details page names STM32F446/F405/F415-class LQFP64 support as the controller direction for the 2017 badge.
SourceThe official FAQ says average yearly MiniBadge volume is well over 17,000 and that roughly 8-10 percent of attendees bring their own MiniBadges to trade.
SourceThe official page invites attendees to make each Patches badge unique with interchangeable limbs, LED choices, and personal flair.
SourceThe README documents `make HANDLE=...` personalization, and the Hackster writeup describes lanrat's quick script for flashing usernames plus serial communication hooks tied to Rx/Tx pins.
SourceThe BYOB log documents using the microSD card for custom RAW 16-bit 565 bling assets, including ffmpeg conversion and the `/SDCard/BLING/` folder workflow.
SourceThe DEF CON 33 entry documents a cyberpunk owl design with glowing pink LED eyes, detailed mechanical artwork, and metallic blue-gray finish.
SourceThe DEF CON 27 entry documents a skull-shaped PCB with steampunk mechanical design and LED eye illumination.
SourceThe official archive identifies The Original as the first Recon Village badge and foundation of the village badge tradition.
SourceThe DEF CON 30 entry documents a circular radar design with world-map overlay, compass markings, and coordinate markings.
SourceThe badge used an 8x8 LED matrix for bouncing-pixel animation and a falling-code pattern once enough nearby BadgeBuddy networks were detected.
SourceThe HHV exchange path provided a MAX7219 LED driver IC and two 4-digit LED modules, with the BOM and soldering notes documenting sockets, headers, display color options, and resistor selection.
SourceThe README lists an OLED display as the badge's attendee-facing display surface.
SourceThe red 128-LED matrix was the main visual surface for animations, gravity simulation, messages, Tetris, challenge feedback, and blinky badge hacks.
SourceThe badge used a 5-by-19 LED matrix for user-customizable vertically scrolling text, with a default DEFCON 15 message and separate text-entry and scroll-speed states.
SourceThe badge combined a 2.9-inch 128x296 eInk screen, six side-view RGB LEDs beside the display, and twelve additional full-color edge LEDs.
SourceThe README maps six LED outputs to left ear, left eye, left mustache, right ear, right eye, and right mustache positions.
SourceThe production BOM lists twenty-four WS2811/5050 RGB LED parts plus additional red 0805 status LEDs on the badge hardware.
SourceThe official event page says the small electronic badge kit was included with the admission price and contained basic components plus batteries.
SourceThe registration page lists a new social electronic badge as an included item for multiple NorthSec 2026 ticket classes while supplies lasted.
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