ToorCon San Diego 14 · United States · 2012

ToorCon 14 RfCat Badge

USB-controlled sub-1 GHz RF badge

The ToorCon 14 badge was an open-source sub-1 GHz wireless-transceiver badge from Great Scott Gadgets, controlled over USB from a computer and shipped with atlas's RfCat firmware plus CC Bootloader.

ToorCon United States San Diego Sub-1 GHz RfCat CC1111 CC Bootloader GoodFET IM-Me USB Great Scott Gadgets North America

EventToorCon San Diego 14

SeriesToorCon

LocationSan Diego Westin Emerald Plaza, San Diego, California

CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

CC Bootloader author

Fergus Noble

Great Scott Gadgets credits Fergus Noble for CC Bootloader on the ToorCon 14 badge page.

Source

RfCat and CC Bootloader integration contributor

Adam Laurie

Great Scott Gadgets thanks Adam Laurie for getting RfCat working with CC Bootloader and other RfCat contributions.

Source

RfCat firmware author

atlas

Great Scott Gadgets credits atlas for RfCat, and the RfCat repository carries atlas copyright and BSD license text.

Source

badge project publisher

Great Scott Gadgets

Publisher of the ToorCon 14 badge page and related hardware/tooling links.

Source

badge sponsors

Hak5 and Microsoft

Great Scott Gadgets thanks Hak5 and Microsoft for sponsoring the ToorCon 14 badge.

Source

event and badge context

ToorCon

InfoconDB preserves the ToorCon San Diego 14 event metadata and the Great Scott Gadgets page documents the event badge.

Source

Why It Mattered

It connects ToorCon's badge lineage to practical RF security tooling: instead of a decorative badge, attendees received a CC1111-class radio platform that could be driven from an interactive Python shell and reflashed after the conference.

Hardware

Great Scott Gadgets describes the badge as using the same radio circuit as the IM-Me, with a micro USB connection, a GoodFET-compatible programming connector, and test points for spring-pin access. The public hardware archive preserves KiCad board and schematic files plus assembly, part-list, and schematic PDFs.

Software & Apps

The badge shipped with RfCat firmware so attendees could run `rfcat -r`, use functions such as `d.specan()`, enter CC Bootloader from the RfCat shell, and install properly linked RfCatDonsCCBootloader firmware images or their own firmware.

Lore

Great Scott Gadgets credits atlas for RfCat, Fergus Noble for CC Bootloader, Adam Laurie for RfCat/bootloader integration, Hak5 and Microsoft for badge sponsorship, and ToorCon for the event context.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

RF architecture source-backed

Sub-1 GHz IM-Me radio lineage

The project page says the ToorCon 14 badge used the same radio circuit as the IM-Me, turning IM-Me-style firmware customization into a USB badge workflow.

Compatibility: ToorCon 14 RfCat Badge

Source

RF tooling source-backed

RfCat interactive Python shell

The badge shipped with RfCat firmware so attendees could connect over micro USB, run `rfcat -r`, and control the sub-1 GHz transceiver from an interactive Python shell.

Compatibility: ToorCon 14 RfCat Badge

Source

firmware workflow source-backed

CC Bootloader firmware upgrade

Great Scott Gadgets documents entering bootloader mode from RfCat, using `bootload.py`, erasing, and downloading properly linked RfCatDonsCCBootloader firmware images.

Compatibility: ToorCon 14 RfCat Badge

Source

hardware expansion source-backed

GoodFET-compatible programming connector

The badge exposed a GoodFET-compatible programming connector for installing or replacing the bootloader, plus test points for spring-pin access.

Compatibility: ToorCon 14 RfCat Badge

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

firmware-linkage caveat note

Great Scott Gadgets warns that replacement firmware must be linked properly for CC Bootloader and tells users to use RfCatDonsCCBootloader rather than the non-bootloader RfCatDons image.

The record preserves an operational caveat that matters for surviving badges and avoids presenting reflashing as a risk-free generic CC1111 workflow.

Confidence: primary source
Status: documented
Timeframe: ToorCon 14 firmware upgrades
Source note: Great Scott Gadgets ToorCon 14 badge page, RfCat repository, and CC Bootloader reference.

missing rights-cleared image note

No ToorCon 14 badge image is published because the project page and hardware repository do not provide a specific rights-cleared original photo or official upstream raster render with complete provenance.

The entry remains source-backed and image-free rather than publishing generated renderings, SVG/PDF conversions, or uncleared project-page media.

Confidence: local project policy
Status: needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe: current catalogue build
Source note: badge.gallery image policy, Great Scott Gadgets ToorCon 14 page, and cc11xx hardware archive.

Resources

CC Bootloader repository bootloader source · Public CC Bootloader repository linked from the badge page as the bootloader path for badge firmware replacement. RfCat repository firmware/tooling source · Public RfCat repository used for the badge firmware and interactive Python RF shell workflow. ToorCon 14 assembly PDF assembly guide · Assembly PDF in the public hardware repository for the ToorCon 14 badge. ToorCon 14 badge hardware files hardware source · Public cc11xx repository tree preserving ToorCon 14 KiCad board and schematic files plus assembly, part-list, and schematic PDFs. ToorCon 14 badge project page project page · Great Scott Gadgets project source for the sub-1 GHz wireless-transceiver badge, RfCat firmware, CC Bootloader, USB control, GoodFET connector, sponsors, and credits. ToorCon 14 schematic PDF schematic · Schematic PDF in the public hardware repository for the ToorCon 14 badge. ToorCon San Diego 14 InfoconDB record event metadata · InfoconDB source for ToorCon San Diego 14 dates, San Diego Westin Emerald Plaza venue, San Diego location, and schedule context.

Sources

GitHub / Fergus Noble: fnoble/CC-Bootloader Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Bootloader source repository linked by Great Scott Gadgets as the firmware-upgrade path for ToorCon 14 badge users. GitHub / Michael Ossmann: mossmann/cc11xx tc14badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Hardware-source repository preserving ToorCon 14 KiCad board/schematic files, assembly PDF, part list, schematic PDF, and GPL COPYING file. GitHub / atlas: atlas0fd00m/rfcat Retrieved 2026-05-15 · RfCat source repository and BSD license source for the interactive Python RF control stack referenced by the badge page. Great Scott Gadgets: ToorCon 14 Badge Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary project source for the sub-1 GHz wireless transceiver badge, IM-Me radio-circuit lineage, RfCat firmware, CC Bootloader, USB control, GoodFET connector, and sponsorship/credit trail. InfoconDB: ToorCon San Diego 14 (2012) Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Event metadata source for October 19-21, 2012 dates, San Diego Westin Emerald Plaza venue, and ToorCon San Diego 14 schedule context.