Aerospace Village at DEF CON 33 · United States · 2025

Aerospace Village DC33 ADS-B Badge

Linux ADS-B badge with Winglet OS 2.0

Aerospace Village's DEF CON 33 badge record documents the DC32 ADS-B badge hardware returning for DC33 with new software, Winglet OS 2.0 release artifacts, DC33 SAO support, and an ADS-B accessory ecosystem.

Aerospace Village DEF CON United States ADS-B 1090 MHz GPS Linux Winglet OS Buildroot USB-C SAO North America

EventAerospace Village at DEF CON 33

SeriesAerospace Village

LocationLas Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

DC33 SAO collaborator

Rare Circuits

The official DC33 badge page says Rare Circuits collaborated with Aerospace Village on the 2025 SAO for the Aerospace Village ADS-B Badge.

Source

village badge publisher

Aerospace Village

Official publisher of the DEF CON 33 badge page and repository owner for the AV Badge 2024 software and documentation archive.

Source

Why It Mattered

It is a unusually capable village badge: a Linux single-board computer that natively receives 1090 MHz ADS-B, maps nearby aircraft with GPS context, exposes data over network interfaces, and keeps its OS, firmware, tutorials, and release images public.

Hardware

The public trail documents the same DC32 badge hardware returning for DC33: an ADS-B receiver with onboard PCB antenna and optional external antenna, GPS, built-in Wi-Fi, dual-core processor, 128 MB DDR3 RAM, 8 GB eMMC, microSD slot, replaceable 18650 battery, USB-C PD charging, USB-C dual-role behavior, blinky lights, and an SAO connector supporting I2C, UART, CAN Bus, and more.

Software & Apps

The repository documents Winglet OS as a Buildroot-based embedded Linux image using custom winglet-kernel, winglet-boot, and winglet-gui submodules. The DC33 v2.0 release added increased ADS-B range/reliability, Map Scope and GPS View, flight-board improvements, custom SD media, Wi-Fi scanning/connecting, light mode, USB host reliability fixes, optional 3 A charge rate, and Aerospace Village DC33 SAO support.

Lore

The badge bridges aviation security, software-defined radio culture, and DEF CON badgelife without being the mainline DEF CON badge. Aerospace Village explicitly framed it as a DC32 badge returning for DC33, so this record treats the DC33 artifact as a software/support/accessory refresh of the same badge hardware rather than inventing a new board revision.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

RF receiver source-backed

1090 MHz ADS-B receiver

The badge natively receives and displays nearby aircraft using 1090 MHz ADS-B signals, with an onboard PCB antenna and optional external antenna path.

Compatibility: Aerospace Village ADS-B Badge

Source

add-on connector source-backed

SAO I2C/UART/CAN expansion

The badge includes an SAO connector that supports I2C, UART, CAN Bus, and more; the DC33 release explicitly adds Aerospace Village DC33 SAO support.

Compatibility: Aerospace Village ADS-B Badge

Source

developer access documented

USB Ethernet and SSH workflow

The FAQ documents USB-C Ethernet access and SSH to root@192.168.100.1, with Wi-Fi and USB-C platform caveats called out separately.

Compatibility: Aerospace Village ADS-B Badge

Source

embedded Linux release released

Winglet OS 2.0

Winglet OS 2.0 added ADS-B range and reliability work, Map Scope, GPS View, flight-board improvements, SD-card custom media, Wi-Fi scanning, USB-host reliability fixes, optional 3 A charging, and DC33 SAO support.

Compatibility: Aerospace Village ADS-B Badge

Source

navigation display source-backed

GPS moving-map context

The badge provides GPS own-ship position on a moving map, and the FAQ documents manual coordinate fallback when GPS lock is unavailable.

Compatibility: Aerospace Village ADS-B Badge

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

ADS-B and GPS caveat note

The FAQ says the badge collects 1090 MHz ADS-B only, not 978 MHz, and that radar display traffic depends on correct badge coordinates from GPS lock or manually entered position.

The record preserves the RF and navigation limits without implying universal aircraft tracking or software-selectable ADS-B bands.

Confidence: primary FAQ
Status: documented
Timeframe: badge operation
Source note: AV Badge FAQ ADS-B and GPS sections.

build and USB caveat note

The build guide requires a Linux machine tested on Ubuntu 22.04 and 24.04 and warns the Buildroot build can take around an hour and a half; the FAQ also documents Windows, macOS USB-C, Wi-Fi, SSH, keyboard, and battery-reset caveats.

The record presents Winglet OS as publicly buildable and hackable while making clear that toolchain, USB, and access workflows are not frictionless for every host.

Confidence: primary docs
Status: documented
Timeframe: Winglet OS build and badge access
Source note: Building Winglet OS guide and AV Badge FAQ.

external antenna caveat warning

The FAQ warns external-antenna installation can disturb a tiny AC-coupling capacitor, explains the capacitor protects downstream RF parts from DC and low-frequency high-power signals, and says the external antenna must be selected in settings.

The catalogue records the optional antenna path while preserving the modification risk and RF-protection context.

Confidence: primary FAQ
Status: documented
Timeframe: badge modification
Source note: AV Badge FAQ external antenna section.

hardware-lineage caveat note

Aerospace Village states that the DC32 badge is back for DC33 as the same badge hardware with new software.

The catalogue treats this as a DC33 software/support/accessory refresh of the Aerospace Village ADS-B badge, not as a newly designed 2025 board revision.

Confidence: official page
Status: documented
Timeframe: DEF CON 33 badge listing
Source note: Aerospace Village DC33 badge page.

missing rights-cleared image note

No Aerospace Village DC33 badge image is published because the official page, repository, and release imagery were not reconciled to a specific reusable original photo or official raster render with source URL, license or permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying official page graphics, store imagery, repository screenshots, or generated imagery without complete provenance.

Confidence: local project policy
Status: needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe: current catalogue build
Source note: badge.gallery image policy, Aerospace Village DC33 badge page, and AerospaceVillage/avBadge_2024 repository.

Resources

AV Badge FAQ operational caveats · Primary FAQ source for 1090 MHz-only ADS-B behavior, GPS/manual-position requirements, external-antenna cautions, USB Ethernet/SSH, Wi-Fi, keyboard, and battery-reset caveats. AV Badge README hardware and software docs · Primary README source for ADS-B/GPS/Linux SBC features, Wi-Fi, memory/storage, battery, USB-C, Dump1090 exposure, microSD, and SAO bus support. Aerospace Village AV Badge repository source repo · Public repository preserving the ADS-B badge software, hardware references, releases, tutorials, FAQ, and Winglet OS build documentation. Aerospace Village DC33 badge page official badge page · Official Aerospace Village source for the DC33 badge page, DC32 hardware returning for DC33, new software, DC33 SAO context, ADS-B feature summary, and supporter bundle badge line. Building Winglet OS build guide · Repository guide documenting the Linux/Ubuntu build requirement, Buildroot workflow, winglet-kernel, winglet-boot, winglet-gui, and output image artifacts. Winglet OS 2.0 release software release · GitHub release for the DC33-era Winglet OS 2.0 image and u-boot artifacts, with ADS-B, GPS, flight-board, Wi-Fi, USB-host, charging, and DC33 SAO support changes.

Sources

Aerospace Village: DC33 Badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official source proving the DC33 Aerospace Village badge page, DC32 hardware returning for DC33, new software, the DC33 SAO, badge feature summary, ADS-B antenna kit, and supporter bundle including one ADS-B Badge. GitHub / Aerospace Village: AerospaceVillage/avBadge_2024 Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Public repository source for the badge project, releases, tutorials, FAQ, build guide, and software/hardware archive context. GitHub / Aerospace Village: AV Badge 2024 README Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary source for ADS-B reception, 1090 MHz framing, Linux SBC feature set, built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, dual-core processor, 128 MB DDR3 RAM, 8 GB eMMC, microSD, Dump1090 network exposure, 18650 battery, USB-C, and SAO support. GitHub / Aerospace Village: AV Badge FAQ Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary source for GPS lock/manual-coordinate behavior, 1090 MHz-only ADS-B limitation, external-antenna caution, USB Ethernet/SSH, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, USB host quirks, and battery polarity warning. GitHub / Aerospace Village: Building Winglet OS Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary source for the Winglet OS Buildroot workflow, tested Ubuntu versions, winglet-kernel, winglet-boot, winglet-gui, output image format, u-boot, and SD/eMMC flashing context. GitHub Releases / Aerospace Village: Winglet OS 2.0 Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Release source for Winglet OS 2.0 assets and changes, including ADS-B range/reliability, Map Scope, GPS View, flight-board improvements, custom SD media, Wi-Fi scanning, light mode, USB host reliability, optional 3 A charge rate, and Aerospace Village DC33 SAO support.