Carolina Code Conference 2026 · United States · 2026
Completed ESP32-S3 CircuitPython conference badge with public source
Carolina Code Conference's organizer documented Circuit Board Badge pickup for its August 14-15 event, and its named badge partner published a source archive for an ESP32-S3 CircuitPython board. The archive identifies five WS2812 LEDs, three buttons, a 1.77-inch ST7735S display, Micro-USB, and CR123A or USB power. It supports a released badge software and hardware reference, not a recipient ledger, an independently audited final production configuration, or a rights-cleared physical-badge image.
People
The organizer's announcement and event-week guide identify the Circuit Board Badge, its planned handoff, high-level feature outline, and named partner. This credit does not assign board design, firmware authorship, manufacture, distribution, or image-rights authority.
SourceCarolina Code Conference names Circuit Board Medics as the badge partner, and the matching organization published a public MIT source archive. This remains a scoped partnership and source-publication credit rather than a complete production, delivery, or image-rights attribution.
SourceThe official Carolina Code Conference badge announcement and event-week guide carry Barry Jones's byline. This is an organizer-update author credit only, not a claim of badge design, electronics, firmware, manufacture, delivery, or image authorship.
SourceThis moves the South Carolina record from a feature promise to a replayable public badge platform: the organizer documented planned pickup and the named partner published a commit-pinned MIT source archive during the event. The dossier preserves the distinction between that source-backed platform and unverified unit-by-unit handoff or final-build parity.
Circuit Board Medics' commit-pinned README identifies an ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8, a 1.77-inch 160×128 HS180S10B LCD using an ST7735S driver, five WS2812 addressable LEDs, three buttons, Micro-USB, GPIO breakout pads, and CR123A or USB power. It says the board has no on-board charging system. This is a public technical reference, not an independent inspection of every distributed board, a schematic/PCB/manufacturing package, or an electrical-safety certification.
The MIT-licensed public archive says the badge ships with CircuitPython 10.2.1 and a preloaded launcher, and provides `code.py`, tutorials, serial-console guidance, bundled-library notices, and editable samples including LED, Morse, Wi-Fi scanner, and weather examples. A final event-day commit fixes a Weather-sample TLS memory issue. The archive does not establish a signed release, immutable factory image, deployment list, credential policy, Wi-Fi configuration, security review, or ongoing support commitment.
The conference ran August 14-15 at Flywheel Coworking in Greenville. The organizer's August 10 event-week update says check-in volunteers would give attendees conference badges and that unchecked-in or single-day-ticket attendees could receive circuit-board badges; it also describes USB programming during the event. Circuit Board Medics is the named partner. The organizer's planned green attendee and purple sponsor/speaker variants remain announcement-level evidence, not a verified allocation or final-colour ledger.
Source-backed hardware metadata
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.
Circuit Board Medics' commit-pinned README identifies the Carolina Code Conference 2026 badge as a full ESP32-S3 development board; organizer pickup wording and the public source archive do not supply a recipient ledger or final-unit audit.
Signal sourceThe commit-pinned technical reference identifies an ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8; it does not independently inspect every event unit.
Signal sourceThe archive provides Wi-Fi samples and configuration guidance, without documenting event network settings, credentials, deployment, privacy practice, or service operation.
Signal sourceThe public README identifies Micro-USB for data and power, without making a universal host-compatibility claim.
Signal sourceThe technical reference identifies a 1.77-inch 160×128 HS180S10B LCD using an ST7735S driver.
Signal sourceThe technical reference identifies five WS2812 / NeoPixel addressable LEDs on GPIO4; it does not document final-unit current budget or brightness settings.
Signal sourceThe commit-pinned README identifies CircuitPython 10.2.1 and editable `code.py` workflows; it does not establish an immutable factory image for every unit.
Signal sourceRepair, preservation, and legal lab context
Parts, tools, and supplies that match this badge's documented hardware, protocols, or preservation needs. These are category-level recommendations, not compatibility guarantees.
Display modules and related parts for repair and preservation planning.
This badge has a documented display signal. Matched technical signals: ST7735 TFT.
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Headers, sockets, and connector supplies for display repair or replacement work.
Display headers and connectors are useful for repair and preservation planning. Matched technical signals: ST7735 TFT.
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Debug probes for ARM/RISC-V badge development, recovery, and documentation.
Debug probes can support authorized recovery, firmware work, and documentation for microcontroller badges. Matched technical signals: ESP32-S3.
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
USB serial adapters for logs, recovery, and firmware documentation workflows.
This badge has a documented microcontroller platform where serial logs or flashing workflows may be relevant. Matched technical signals: ESP32-S3.
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Anti-static bags and storage supplies for preserving loose badge PCBs and sensitive components.
This is documented as an electronic or hardware artifact where anti-static storage can support preservation. Matched technical signals: Electronic badge.
Vendor link · selected for technical relevance
Lifecycle
The organizer announced green attendee badges and purple sponsor/speaker versions. No reviewed post-event source publishes final colors, populations, quantities, eligibility records, or completed delivery for either variant.
SourceThe organizer said there would be no additional circuit-board badges after the initial event order. That records intended scarcity context only; it does not establish order count, sales, manufacturing quantity, stock, ticket cutoff outcome, fulfilment, or recipient delivery.
SourceThe June announcement and August event-week guide identify a programmable circuit-board badge with five LEDs, three buttons, a mini screen, Wi-Fi, and USB programming. The partner archive gives a public hardware/software reference, but neither source independently audits every final board or recipient handoff.
SourceCarolina Code Conference names Circuit Board Medics as its badge partner, and that organization published the matching public source archive. This establishes a bounded partnership and source-publication trail, not a complete design, manufacturing, fulfilment, or image-rights attribution.
SourceCircuit Board Medics' MIT archive documents CircuitPython 10.2.1, editable `code.py`, a preloaded launcher, tutorials, a serial-console guide, and samples. It does not establish a signed or immutable factory image, deployment record, security review, or support commitment.
SourceOperational history
No live network, privacy, lawful-operation, battery-life, charging, or electrical-safety claim is inferred beyond the documented reference behavior.
The record preserves the organizer's announced recipient distinction without claiming that all attendees, sponsors, or speakers obtained a particular final unit or color variant.
No local badge image is published; the record remains source-backed and image-free pending a factual artifact image or official upstream raster with complete reuse basis, attribution, and processing provenance.
The catalogue treats the dated conference as completed and its badge platform as source-backed without representing the logistics plan as proof that a particular person received a particular unit.
The catalogue can describe a public editable software path without claiming a production-certified firmware release, uniform field deployment, long-term maintenance, or safe configuration.
The United States record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying source-page media, documentation screenshots, event photos, social media, placeholders, or generated approximations.
The entry is a traceable public platform reference, not a reproducible manufacturing record, safety assessment, interoperability guarantee, or proof that every event unit matched the README.