Aerospace Village at DEF CON 33 · United States · 2025

Aerospace Village DC33 Aranya ESP32 Badge Board

SpiderOak workshop ESP32-S3 messaging board

Aerospace Village's DEF CON 33 workshop schedule documented a SpiderOak Aranya hands-on workshop where up to 20 attendees received free ESP32 badge-board hardware, flashed a distributed wireless messaging application, and kept the board afterward.

Aerospace Village DEF CON United States SpiderOak Aranya ESP32-S3 Qwiic microSD USB-C IR Workshop Badge North America

EventAerospace Village at DEF CON 33

SeriesAerospace Village

LocationLas Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

public board-source publishers

aranya-project/demo-board-v2 contributors

The public repository preserves the demo-board README, PCB source, and evidence images used for this source-backed record.

Source

workshop host and event publisher

Aerospace Village

Official publisher of the DEF CON 33 workshop schedule that documented the Aranya ESP32 badge-board session and free hardware scope.

Source

workshop presenter and hardware provider

SpiderOak

The official workshop schedule identifies SpiderOak with the Aranya workshop where attendees used and kept the ESP32 badge-board hardware.

Source

Why It Mattered

It captures a workshop badge-board artifact adjacent to the main Aerospace Village ADS-B badge: a small-run, attendee-retained ESP32-S3 board used to teach open-source secure messaging across distributed systems.

Hardware

The official workshop page describes the board as a multi-purpose ESP32-S3 development board with 2 MB PSRAM, 4 MB flash, battery management, USB-C, two Qwiic ports, microSD, a large RGB notification LED, a tactile button, and included battery. The repository README adds front/back board views, optional Vishay TFBS4711 IR transceiver support, JST PH battery and JST SH Qwiic connector notes, WS2812 5 mm LED module, SameSky MSD-4-A microSD slot, GCT USB4105 connector, power switching, dual 3.3 V regulators, debug LEDs, test points, lanyard holes, and 68 mm by 42 mm board dimensions.

Software & Apps

The workshop source says attendees compiled, configured, flashed, and modified an Aranya distributed wireless messaging application, using a Mac or Linux machine, USB-C cable, Chrome or Python frontend, and optional Rust, Embassy, and esp-rs familiarity. The repository identifies the board as a demonstration target for Aranya Embedded and links the ESP32-S3 demo application.

Lore

Aerospace Village positioned the workshop around open-source messaging deployed to space and resilient distributed systems. The badge-board language is explicit in the workshop source, but this record keeps it scoped to a limited workshop artifact rather than treating it as a village-wide or DEF CON-wide attendee badge.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

board interface source-backed

Qwiic, microSD, and USB-C interfaces

The official workshop hardware summary and repository README document USB-C, two Qwiic ports, a microSD slot, battery management, and battery connector support.

Compatibility: SpiderOak Demo V2 Board

Source

hardware expansion documented

Optional IR, debug, and expansion pads

The README documents an optional Vishay TFBS4711 IR transceiver path, debug LEDs, UART/test points, expansion pins, and WS2812 data access for further hardware experimentation.

Compatibility: SpiderOak Demo V2 Board

Source

hardware platform source-backed

ESP32-S3 workshop badge-board core

The workshop page describes the supplied hardware as an ESP32 badge board, and the board README documents an ESP32-S3 demo board for Aranya Embedded.

Compatibility: Aerospace Village DC33 Aranya workshop

Source

user interface source-backed

RGB notification LED and tactile button

The workshop page calls out a large RGB notification LED and a large tactile button as the board's attendee-facing interaction surface.

Compatibility: SpiderOak Demo V2 Board

Source

workshop firmware documented

Aranya wireless messaging demo

Attendees were expected to compile, configure, deploy, and modify an Aranya distributed wireless messaging application on the workshop board.

Compatibility: SpiderOak Demo V2 Board

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

missing rights-cleared image note

No Aranya workshop board image is published because the official workshop page and demo-board repository have not been paired with a visible reusable image license or explicit permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying workshop media, repository board images, 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 DEF CON 33 workshop schedule, and aranya-project/demo-board-v2 repository.

optional-hardware caveat note

The board README describes optional parts and assembly paths, including an IR transceiver not populated by default.

The record separates the documented board capability surface from any claim that every workshop board shipped with every optional component populated.

Confidence: primary README
Status: documented
Timeframe: board assembly
Source note: SpiderOak Demo V2 Board README assembly notes.

repository-license caveat note

GitHub did not report a license for aranya-project/demo-board-v2 during this pass, even though the repository exposes README text, PCB source, and board images.

The repository is cited as public technical evidence, but its images and design files are not republished locally or treated as broadly reusable catalogue assets.

Confidence: repository metadata
Status: documented for source evidence only
Timeframe: current catalogue build
Source note: aranya-project/demo-board-v2 repository metadata and badge.gallery image policy.

workshop-scope caveat note

The official schedule limited the SpiderOak Aranya workshop to 20 attendees because hardware was included for free.

The catalogue treats the board as a limited attendee-retained workshop artifact, not a village-wide or DEF CON-wide attendee badge.

Confidence: official workshop page
Status: documented
Timeframe: DEF CON 33 workshop
Source note: Aerospace Village DEF CON 33 workshop schedule.

Resources

Aerospace Village DEF CON 33 workshop schedule official workshop page · Official Aerospace Village source for the SpiderOak Aranya workshop, max-20 free hardware limit, ESP32 badge-board language, keep-the-hardware statement, schedule timing, and tooling requirements. Aranya Embedded software repository · Public Aranya Embedded repository linked by the board README for the ESP32-S3 demonstration software target. IR Demo V2 KiCad PCB pcb file · KiCad PCB source for the demo-board hardware used as public design-file evidence. SpiderOak Demo V2 Board README hardware docs · Repository documentation source for the ESP32-S3 demo board, Aranya Embedded target, front/back board views, assembly options, power architecture, IR, microSD, debug LEDs, expansion pads, and mechanical dimensions. aranya-project/demo-board-v2 hardware repository · Public repository for the workshop badge board, including KiCad PCB file, front/back board images used only as evidence, and hardware README; GitHub reports no repository license, so no image is copied locally.

Sources

Aerospace Village: Aerospace Village DEF CON 33 workshop schedule Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official workshop source proving the SpiderOak Aranya hands-on session, max-20 free hardware limit, ESP32 badge-board wording, keep-the-hardware statement, distributed wireless messaging app workflow, tooling requirements, and schedule context. GitHub / aranya-project: aranya-project/demo-board-v2 Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Public hardware repository source for the SpiderOak Demo V2 Board used as workshop board evidence; GitHub reports no repository license in this pass, so repository images are cited but not copied into the catalogue. GitHub / aranya-project: SpiderOak Demo V2 Board README Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary board documentation source for ESP32-S3, Aranya Embedded target, front/back board views, assembly options, power switching, IR, microSD, debug LEDs, test points, expansion pads, lanyard holes, and mechanical dimensions. GitHub / aranya-project: IR Demo V2 KiCad PCB Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Public KiCad PCB file source for the demo-board hardware and board-layout evidence.