Hacker Con Badges

DC503 Wagon Party 2017 · United States · 2017

DC503 Wagon Party Badge

nRF52832 BLE OLED wagon-game badge

The DC503 Wagon Party badge is a source-backed party badge documented by the no-visible-license `pdxbadgers/wagonparty` repository, whose README calls the target a badge and whose firmware advertises a `503WAGON` BLE device with OLED game modes.

DC503 503 Party United States Portland Party Badge nRF52832 Bluetooth LE SSD1306 OLED BLEPeripheral Oregon Trail Bender North America
EventDC503 Wagon Party 2017
SeriesDC503
LocationUnited States / DC503 party archive
CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

README and errata contributor

sibios

The repository history credits sibios with README errata and update work.

Source

SSD1306 example and display-library reference

Limor Fried / Ladyada / Adafruit Industries

The firmware carries the Adafruit SSD1306 example header crediting Limor Fried / Ladyada and Adafruit; the README also requires Adafruit SSD1306 and GFX libraries.

Source

firmware, image-resource, and README contributor

Dean Pierce / pierce403

Repository commits by Dean Pierce / pierce403 cover the initial README, initial code publication, image-resource addition, and flashing-instruction updates.

Source

nRF52832 Arduino setup reference

SparkFun Electronics

The README links SparkFun's nRF52832 Breakout hookup guide as the Arduino compatibility setup path for the badge target.

Source

party-badge community

DC503

The repository metadata describes the project as dc503 wagon party.

Source

repository publisher

PDX Badgers

GitHub organization publishing the public Wagon Party source tree.

Source

Why It Mattered

It preserves an early DC503/PDX Badgers party-badge branch that used a Nordic nRF52832 Arduino target, BLE-writeable party text, an SSD1306 screen, and Oregon Trail-themed local game behavior before the later Banglet and 5ohBEE party artifacts.

Hardware

The README instructs builders to connect a 3.3V USB-serial cable to the badge, install SparkFun nRF52832 Breakout Arduino support, set I2C SDA/SCL pins to 24 and 25, configure Adafruit SSD1306 for 128x64, and hold the center of the left wagon wheel during power cycling to enter programming mode. The firmware initializes an SSD1306 display at I2C address 0x3C and configures ten input pull-up pins for the control surface.

Software & Apps

The Arduino firmware uses BLEPeripheral, Adafruit_GFX, and Adafruit_SSD1306, advertises device/local name `503WAGON`, exposes BLE service and writable characteristic UUID `0503`, defaults the banner to `503.PARTY!`, and switches between wagon, hunt, and party modes. The BLE characteristic updates the on-screen banner; special strings trigger DYSENTERY and WannaCry death screens, while the hunt mode moves a hunter sprite and scores hits on a Bender sprite.

Lore

The repository metadata describes the project as `dc503 wagon party`. Its code and sprites make the badge a 503 Party/Oregon Trail riff: a wagon-and-mountains animation prints live banner text and mileage, the party mode scrolls the banner with display inversion, and the source tree keeps generated sprite assets as evidence only rather than as publishable catalogue imagery.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

badge game source-backed

Hunter and Bender minigame

The hunt loop moves a hunter sprite, tracks laser direction from input pins, draws a Bender sprite, and increments score on hits.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source
badge game source-backed

Wagon animation and mileage mode

The wagon loop draws wagon and mountain sprites, prints the current banner, and increments a displayed score in miles.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source
badge software behavior source-backed

Three-mode firmware shell

The main loop cycles between wagon, hunt, and party modes when the mode input changes, keeping the badge centered on local interactive display behavior.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source
display mode source-backed

Party scroll mode

The party loop displays the BLE banner, flips display inversion, and periodically chooses random scroll directions.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source
display subsystem source-backed

SSD1306 128x64 OLED display

The README requires SSD1306 128x64 configuration, and the firmware initializes an Adafruit_SSD1306 display at I2C address 0x3C.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source
flashing workflow source-backed

Wheel-button programming workflow

The README says holding the center of the left wagon wheel while power cycling enters programming mode for Arduino SDK upload.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source
hardware architecture source-backed

SparkFun nRF52832 badge core

The README directs builders through SparkFun nRF52832 Breakout Arduino compatibility and variant-file changes for the badge target.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source
wireless interaction source-backed

BLE 0503 banner characteristic

The firmware advertises 503WAGON and exposes a BLE service and writable characteristic UUID 0503 that updates the on-screen banner text.

Compatibility: DC503 Wagon Party Badge

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

hardware-source caveat note

The repository preserves firmware and programming instructions, but this pass did not recover schematics, board files, BOM, final production quantity, handout list, or a photographed final badge set.

Hardware claims stay limited to the README programming workflow, nRF52832 target, SSD1306 display setup, I2C pin mapping, and firmware-observed inputs.

Confidence
source-backed but incomplete
Status
needs deeper production archive
Timeframe
2017 archive pass
Source note
pdxbadgers/wagonparty README and firmware source.
missing rights-cleared image note

No Wagon Party image is published because this pass did not identify a physical documentary badge photo or official reusable raster render with complete source URL, license or permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The entry remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying repository sprites, image assets, social photos, generated art, screenshots, or placeholder visuals.

Confidence
local project policy
Status
needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
badge.gallery image policy and pdxbadgers/wagonparty source review.
no visible repository license note

GitHub reports no repository license for pdxbadgers/wagonparty, so the source tree is used as public evidence but not as permission to republish images or derivative visual assets.

The record links to upstream files while leaving the hero image empty and avoiding local copies of sprites or image assets.

Confidence
GitHub repository metadata
Status
documented
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
pdxbadgers/wagonparty repository metadata and badge.gallery image policy.
sprite-artwork license boundary note

The repository includes generated sprite/image assets and source comments naming image2cpp and ezgif, but this does not establish a reusable badge-photo license, upstream render permission, or attribution record for catalogue publication.

Sprites remain source evidence for firmware behavior only and are not promoted into `Public/images/`.

Confidence
public repository archive
Status
documented
Timeframe
current catalogue build
Source note
sprites.h, images directory, and badge.gallery image policy.

Resources

SparkFun nRF52832 Breakout Arduino setup hardware setup guide · External setup guide explicitly linked by the README for adding Arduino compatibility to the SparkFun nRF52832 Breakout target used by the badge workflow. Wagon Party README project readme · Primary setup source that calls the target a badge, specifies 3.3V USB-serial programming, SparkFun nRF52832 Arduino setup, SSD1306 128x64 configuration, I2C pin remapping, and wagon-wheel programming-mode entry. pdxbadgers/wagonparty repository firmware source repo · Public PDX Badgers repository described as dc503 wagon party, with README flashing notes, Arduino firmware, sprites, image assets, and contributor history. sprites.h sprite source · Sprite header source naming image2cpp and ezgif generation tools and preserving wagon, mountain, hunter, and Bender bitmap data used by the firmware. wagonparty commit history repository history · Repository history source for README errata, flashing instructions, image-resource addition, and initial code publication in July 2017. wagonparty images directory artwork provenance lead · Repository sprite/image asset directory retained as source context only; no asset is promoted as a catalogue image because the repository has no visible license and the files are not documentary badge photos. wagonparty.ino firmware source · Main firmware source for SSD1306 display setup, BLE service and banner characteristic, 503WAGON identity, 503.PARTY default banner, wagon/hunt/party modes, and DYSENTERY/WannaCry behavior.

Sources

GitHub / PDX Badgers: pdxbadgers/wagonparty Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary repository source for the DC503 Wagon Party badge archive, repository metadata, source tree, contributor trail, and no-visible-license image decision. GitHub / PDX Badgers: Wagon Party README Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary setup source calling the target a badge and documenting the 3.3V USB-serial, SparkFun nRF52832, SSD1306, I2C pin, and wagon-wheel programming workflow. GitHub / PDX Badgers: wagonparty.ino Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary firmware source for BLEPeripheral service UUID 0503, writable banner text, 503WAGON advertising, OLED setup, three game modes, input pins, DYSENTERY/WannaCry strings, and game loops. GitHub / PDX Badgers: sprites.h Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary sprite-source evidence for the generated wagon, mountains, hunter, and Bender graphics used by firmware, while keeping those assets out of the catalogue image archive. GitHub / PDX Badgers: wagonparty commit history Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Repository history source for July 2017 publication, image-resource addition, flashing-instruction updates, and README errata. SparkFun: nRF52832 Breakout Board Hookup Guide Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Setup source linked by the README for the SparkFun nRF52832 Arduino compatibility path used by the badge programming instructions.