Hacker Con Badges

BSidesSLC 2025 · United States · 2025

BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge

custom ESP32-S3 / LoRa Meshtastic badge

The BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge is a source-backed custom electronic badge that BSidesSLC describes with an ESP32-S3-WROOM, LoRa, 25 addressable LEDs, TFT display, Micro-USB or three-AA power, mini-badge slots, and custom Meshtastic firmware.

BSidesSLC United States Utah Sandy Salt Lake City Security BSides ESP32-S3-WROOM LoRa Meshtastic TFT Micro-USB AA MiniBadge KiCad North America
EventBSidesSLC 2025
SeriesBSidesSLC
LocationConference Center at Miller Campus, Sandy, Utah
CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

event and E-Badge publisher

BSidesSLC

Official publisher of the 2025 E-Badge description, remaining-badge sale language, and Salt Lake City Security BSides event context.

Source

public badge archive publisher

distinctm1nd

GitHub account publishing the commit-pinned 2025 Utahtastic BSides Badge archive. The archive does not supply a real-name credit or an official organizer link, so this credit is limited to public archive publication.

Source

Why It Mattered

It adds Utah's Salt Lake City Security BSides line to the North American badge map with a custom, programmable conference design and a matching public KiCad and firmware-source archive rather than an inferred off-the-shelf device.

Hardware

BSidesSLC and a matching commit-pinned 2025 Utahtastic BSides Badge archive describe a custom ESP32-S3-WROOM / LoRa badge with a TFT, 25 addressable LEDs, Micro-USB or three AA cells regulated at 3.3 V, three mini-badge slots, a UART point, reset and flash controls, a USB/battery switch, and four GPIO pins. The archive contains KiCad PCB and schematic files, but not a complete audited final BOM, manufacturing record, or proof that every delivered unit used one configuration.

Software & Apps

BSidesSLC calls the firmware custom, open-source Meshtastic firmware. The matching archive contains a public Meshtastic-derived source tree with a GPL-3.0 license file and PlatformIO configuration, but no tagged event release or source-to-device deployment record; this catalogue therefore avoids operational settings, challenge, and final-image claims.

Lore

BSidesSLC continued offering remaining 2025 E-Badges through the 2026 ticket path, telling attendees to purchase the discounted badge and pick it up at the April 2026 conference. This record treats that as remaining-stock distribution, not a separate 2026 badge design.

Source-backed hardware metadata

Technical Profile

Structured technical signals seeded from public badge documentation, repositories, schematics, firmware notes, or event evidence. These fields are designed for filtering, API use, repair planning, preservation, and future Companion Gear matching.

Artifact type

  • Electronic badge documented

    BSidesSLC's official page calls this a custom Meshtastic-enabled electronic badge. It does not establish allocation, final-unit parity, or image rights.

    Signal source

MCU / compute

  • ESP32-S3 documented

    The official page identifies an ESP32-S3-WROOM microcontroller. The taxonomy records that documented MCU family without asserting the final module population or firmware configuration for every unit.

    Signal source

Radio / wireless

  • LoRa documented

    The official page names a LoRa module. This records the documented radio surface, not frequency plan, compliance, range, antenna configuration, or field behavior.

    Signal source

Protocols

  • Meshtastic documented

    BSidesSLC describes custom Meshtastic firmware. This does not establish an exact firmware release, channel, pairing policy, data handling, configuration, or supported operation.

    Signal source

Connectors

  • Micro-USB documented

    The official page identifies Micro-USB as a power and programming surface, but does not state pinout, protection, cable compatibility, data behavior, or safe reconfiguration outcome.

    Signal source

Display / visual output

  • TFT documented

    The official page names a TFT display without identifying its panel, controller, resolution, wiring, brightness, or final-unit behavior.

    Signal source

Power

  • AA batteries documented

    The official page lists three AA batteries regulated at 3.3 V as one power option. This does not establish cell chemistry, capacity, runtime, electrical safety, or unit-level configuration.

    Signal source

Interfaces

  • GPIO documented

    The matching commit-pinned maker README says four GPIO pins are available. The official event page does not link the archive, so this records only its source-bounded interface claim, not a pinout, voltage limit, compatibility guarantee, or final production configuration.

    Signal source

Repair, preservation, and legal lab context

Companion Gear

Parts, tools, and supplies that match this badge's documented hardware, protocols, or preservation needs. These are category-level recommendations, not compatibility guarantees.

Seeed Studio exact

Replacement Displays

Display modules and related parts for repair and preservation planning.

Why this matches

This badge has a documented display signal. Matched technical signals: TFT.

Matched evidence

Useful for preservation, repair planning, and careful display handling.

Open vendor search

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

SparkFun likely

Display Headers and Connectors

Headers, sockets, and connector supplies for display repair or replacement work.

Why this matches

Display headers and connectors are useful for repair and preservation planning. Matched technical signals: TFT.

Matched evidence

Useful for careful repair or replacement of small display modules.

Open vendor search

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Seeed Studio likely

JTAG / SWD Debuggers

Debug probes for ARM/RISC-V badge development, recovery, and documentation.

Why this matches

Debug probes can support authorized recovery, firmware work, and documentation for microcontroller badges. Matched technical signals: ESP32-S3.

Matched evidence

Use only with hardware you own or are authorized to debug, repair, or document.

Open vendor search

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Seeed Studio likely

Serial Debug Adapters

USB serial adapters for logs, recovery, and firmware documentation workflows.

Why this matches

This badge has a documented microcontroller platform where serial logs or flashing workflows may be relevant. Matched technical signals: ESP32-S3.

Matched evidence

Useful for development, repair, recovery, and documentation of hardware you own or are authorized to work on.

Open vendor search

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Lab401 likely

RF Lab Accessories

Receive-side RF and SDR lab accessories for lawful testing and documentation.

Why this matches

This badge has documented RF, SDR, LoRa, or ADS-B-related signals. Matched technical signals: LoRa.

Matched evidence

RF use may be region-dependent. Use only within legal limits and for lawful testing.

Open vendor category

Vendor link · selected for technical relevance

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

badge interface source-backed

TFT and 25 addressable LEDs

The official hardware description lists a TFT display and 25 addressable LEDs as the documented visual interfaces.

Compatibility: BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge

Source
cross-year distribution documented

2026 remaining-stock pickup

The official site offers remaining 2025 E-Badges through 2026 ticketing and instructs buyers to pick them up at the April 2026 conference.

Compatibility: BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge

Source
hardware expansion and maintenance source-backed

Power, mini-badge, and programming surfaces

BSidesSLC lists Micro-USB or three-AA power, three mini-badge expansion slots, a UART point, reset and flash buttons, and a USB/battery power switch. The source does not establish final electrical limits, safe modification procedures, or every delivered configuration.

Compatibility: BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge

Source
radio-capable badge core source-backed

Custom ESP32-S3-WROOM and LoRa core

The official BSidesSLC page identifies a custom ESP32-S3-WROOM electronic badge with a LoRa module and custom Meshtastic firmware.

Compatibility: BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge

Source
technical archive source-backed with final-build caveat

Commit-pinned technical archive

distinctm1nd's public archive contains matching badge documentation, KiCad PCB/schematic files, and a Meshtastic-derived source tree. The event does not directly link it, so it supports hardware and firmware discovery without proving final production or deployed software.

Compatibility: BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge; archive-to-final-unit mapping unverified

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

hardware-source caveat note

The official page documents the custom ESP32-S3-WROOM / LoRa badge and its visible features. A commit-pinned archive titled 2025 Utahtastic BSides Badge mirrors that description and includes KiCad PCB/schematic files plus a Meshtastic-derived source tree, but BSidesSLC does not directly link it or name its author.

The catalogue can now record the public technical archive while withholding an audited final BOM, manufacturing package, event firmware image/configuration, app settings, challenge archive, production count, and proof that every delivered unit matched the public tree.

Confidence
official source plus matching public archive
Status
technical archive recovered; needs authoritative release mapping
Timeframe
refreshed 2026-08-05
Source note
BSidesSLC official site and distinctm1nd/2025_utahtastic_bsides_badge at b0eb50f42125df564aef9f3beee962fa5024decf.
missing rights-cleared image note

No BSidesSLC 2025 E-Badge image is published because neither the official page imagery nor the matching public archive's hardware images provide an explicit reusable image license or permission, attribution, source URL, and processing provenance.

The entry remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying site artwork, repository renders, generated-looking imagery, ticketing media, social photos, or screenshots.

Confidence
local project policy
Status
needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
badge.gallery image policy, BSidesSLC official site, and distinctm1nd/2025_utahtastic_bsides_badge archive.

Resources

2025 Utahtastic BSides Badge archive commit-pinned technical archive · Public April 10, 2025 archive with the matching badge README plus KiCad PCB/schematic and Meshtastic-derived source tree. It is not linked from the official site, so it remains a source-bounded technical archive rather than a final production or deployment record. BSidesSLC 2025 BSides wiki event metadata · Security BSides wiki page preserving BSidesSLC 2025 event metadata and Sandy, Utah venue context. BSidesSLC 2026 CFP official event context · Official BSidesSLC page for the April 9-10, 2026 Sandy, Utah event context used to classify the 2025 badge pickup language as cross-year remaining-stock distribution. BSidesSLC official site official event and badge page · Official BSidesSLC source for the custom 2025 E-Badge hardware and firmware description, remaining-stock sale language, 2026 pickup context, and event branding.

Sources

BSidesSLC: BSidesSLC Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary official source for the 2025 custom E-Badge, ESP32-S3-WROOM, LoRa, 25 addressable LEDs, TFT, Micro-USB or three-AA power, UART/reset/flash surfaces, three mini-badge slots, custom Meshtastic firmware, remaining-badge sale, and 2026 pickup instructions. BSidesSLC: BSidesSLC 2026 CFP Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official event-context source for the April 9-10, 2026 Sandy, Utah BSidesSLC event where remaining 2025 E-Badges could be picked up. GitHub / distinctm1nd: 2025 Utahtastic BSides Badge archive Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Commit-pinned April 10, 2025 public archive whose README matches the official feature list and whose tree includes KiCad PCB/schematic files and a Meshtastic-derived source tree. BSidesSLC does not directly link the repository or name its author, so it is not used alone to establish final production, deployment, or authorship. Security BSides: BSidesSLC 2025 Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Security BSides wiki metadata source for the 2025 Salt Lake City event, Sandy venue context, and community lineage.