ZeTeCo 2017 Badge
Swiss camp neck-worn PCB badge
A conservative record for the ZeTeCo 2017 camp badge, seeded from the dedicated media.ccc.de badge talk and the archived camp wiki.
Country dossier
Switzerland
Worldwide badge coverage for Switzerland, grouped into seeded badges, event editions, add-ons, operational issues, resources, and evidence sources.
Seeded artifacts
Badges
Area41 2018 Proteus Badge
ESP8266 WiFi badge running the Proteus firmware ecosystem
A Swiss Area41 2018 conference badge with an ESP8266 WiFi chip, display, web-based name configuration, LCD nickname display, Area41 schedule app, WiFi-scanning behavior, button-order Easter eggs, and public Proteus firmware.
Area41 2026 ESP-Based Electronic Badge
Swiss ESP blinking attendee badge with SAO invitation
A source-backed Area41 2026 attendee electronic-badge record. The official event page said each attendee would receive an ESP-based blinking electronic badge and invited badge owners to bring Shitty Add-Ons (SAOs). The organizer's post-event recap identifies Technische Fachschule Bern as the badge designer and assembler, while the school's own update says it developed and manufactured the hardware; the recap also reports attendees soldered more than 300 SAO badge extensions.
Events
Camp and Event Editions
ZeTeCo 2017
A Swiss Zeltlager fuer Technik- und Computerfreunde camp with a public badge talk and archived camp wiki.
Area41 2018
The June 15-16, 2018 Swiss security conference organized by DEFCON Switzerland, where attendees received an ESP8266/WiFi/display badge running the Proteus firmware ecosystem.
Area41 2026
The June 18-19, 2026 Swiss Area41 edition at TheHall Zürich/Stettbach whose official event page says every attendee receives an ESP-based blinking electronic badge and invites attendees to bring Shitty Add-Ons (SAOs).
Lifecycle
Add-ons & Upgrades
Area41 2026 ESP-Based Electronic Badge
2026 event context
Attendee-supplied SAO invitation
Area41's official participation notice asks attendees who have a Shitty Add-On for a badge to bring it along.
Area41 2018 Proteus Badge
historical
WiFi scanner and button-order Easter eggs
Compass reports WiFi scanning behavior and Easter eggs triggered by pressing badge buttons in specific orders.
Area41 2018 Proteus Badge
historical
Badge-hosted username web interface
The Compass wrap-up says attendees configured the badge by connecting to badge WiFi and entering a username in a web interface.
Area41 2018 Proteus Badge
historical
TECT OTA firmware flow
The Proteus README says PlatformIO builds a binary that could be placed into the firmware folder of a TECT installation for OTA installation.
Area41 2018 Proteus Badge
historical
RX-pin audio hardware hack
The Compass wrap-up says it was possible to play sound from the badge by soldering headphones to the RX pin.
Area41 2018 Proteus Badge
historical
LCD nickname and schedule apps
Compass reports installed apps for showing the attendee nickname on the LCD and viewing the Area41 schedule.
Area41 2026 ESP-Based Electronic Badge
official post-event organizer report
Post-event SAO extension soldering activity
Area41's organizer recap says attendees soldered more than 300 SAO badge extensions during the completed 2026 event.
Operational history
Issues & Camp Impact
The official page promised a badge for each attendee, while the recap reports 600 attendees and more than 300 SAO extension solderings. Neither source supplies a badge-specific production or handoff ledger, variant inventory, extension distribution, or individual contributor list.
The record preserves documented event outcome and maker credit without converting aggregate event activity into an exact main-badge count, universal add-on allocation, or complete authorship roster.
The organizer identifies Technische Fachschule Bern as designer and assembler, and the school says it developed and manufactured the hardware. Those sources still disclose no named MCU, schematic, PCB, pinout, power specification, firmware, challenge documentation, or technical release.
The dossier can credit the institutional hardware contribution without implying a particular ESP family, SAO wiring standard, or technical behavior beyond the public wording.
The source set proves ESP8266, WiFi, display, button inputs, and firmware behavior, but not a complete schematic, BOM, PCB revision, display part number, enclosure, or battery specification.
The hardware section intentionally avoids component-level claims beyond public sources until an original hardware archive or transcript is recovered.
ZeTeCo 2017 Badge
note
No local ZeTeCo 2017 badge image is published because the accessible public sources prove the badge and camp context but no reusable original badge photo, official raster, or transcript-derived still has been recovered with source URL, license or permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.
The record stays source-backed and image-free rather than copying talk thumbnails, wiki media, crowdfunding images, attendee photos, screenshots, placeholders, or generated approximations.
No Area41 2026 badge image is published because the official event page, organizer recap, and credited maker update do not establish a specific badge image's reusable license or permission basis, attribution, source URL, and processing record.
The record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying event-page or social-media imagery without complete provenance.
No Area41 2018 badge image is published because the recovered wrap-up and linked social images do not provide the complete reusable license, attribution, source URL, and processing record required by badge.gallery.
The record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying blog, social-media, or repository imagery without complete provenance.
The public Proteus archive documents firmware and build/update workflow; it does not by itself clear badge photos or prove every attendee-distribution detail beyond the Compass report's Area41-team badge statement.
The dossier presents the badge as a real Area41 2018 artifact while keeping image rights and distribution-depth claims narrow.
ZeTeCo 2017 Badge
note
The badge is source-backed, but detailed component specifications and licensed original photos still need recovery.
The dossier avoids speculative hardware claims and withholds imagery until primary design files, photos, or a transcript are cleared.
Resources
Proteus PlatformIO target
build configuration · PlatformIO configuration identifying the espressif8266 Arduino target, heltec_wifi_kit_8 board, upload speed, U8g2, ArduinoJson, and ESP8266 audio-related dependencies.
ZeTeCo crowdfunding page
camp funding page · Public ZeTeCo 2017 camp record and community context.
Area41 2018 wrap-up
conference report · Compass Security report documenting the June 15-16 2018 Zürich event, DEFCON Switzerland organization, the ESP8266/WiFi/display badge, username configuration, apps, Easter eggs, badge talk, and RX-audio hack.
Compass at Area41 2018
event preview · Compass preview confirming Area41 2018 dates, Zürich context, Compass sponsorship, and the 'Blame the badge' Xtensa exploitation talk.
ZeTeCo 2017 wiki
event wiki · Archived camp wiki with event context, location, license, and schedule links.
Proteus README
firmware documentation · README documenting ESP8266 firmware, TECT backend update flow, PlatformIO build/upload commands, SPIFFS flashing, modules, button event handling, display manager, authorship, and AGPLv3 license statement.
le-krogoth/proteus
firmware source · Public Proteus firmware repository for the 2018 Area41 badge.
Proteus AGPLv3 license
license · Repository license file containing the GNU Affero General Public License v3 text.
Technische Fachschule Bern Area41 hardware update
maker self-report · Technische Fachschule Bern's public update says it developed and manufactured the hardware for Area41's electronic badges. It does not publish a board, component, firmware, or image-reuse archive.
Area41 Conference 2026
official event page · Official Area41 source for June 18-19, 2026 dates, TheHall Zürich/Stettbach venue, attendee badge pickup in the schedule, the ESP-based blinking electronic badge statement, and the SAO invitation.
Area41 2026 organizer post-event recap
official organizer post · The official Area41 organizer recap says the completed event welcomed 600 attendees, identifies Technische Fachschule Bern as the electronic badge's designer and assembler, and reports more than 300 SAO badge extensions soldered by attendees.
ZeTeCo Badge talk
talk · Dedicated media.ccc.de talk page for the ZeTeCo 2017 badge.
Sources
Area41 / DC4131: Area41 Conference 2026
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official event source for the 2026 dates and venue, the statement that every attendee receives an ESP-based blinking electronic badge, the SAO invitation, and schedule wording that attendees receive their badge at registration.
Compass Security Blog: Area41 2018 Wrap Up
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary field report for Area41 2018 dates, Zürich location, DEFCON Switzerland organization, ESP8266/WiFi/display badge facts, web username configuration, LCD nickname app, schedule app, WiFi scanning, Easter eggs, source-code link, badge talk, and RX-audio hack.
Compass Security Blog: Compass at Area41 2018
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary preview source for Area41 2018 as a Zürich IT security conference and for the 'Blame the badge' talk by Philipp Promeuschel and Carel van Rooyen.
GitHub / Krogoth: LICENSE
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · License source for AGPLv3 terms applied to Proteus.
GitHub / Krogoth: Proteus README
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Source for ESP8266 client scope, PlatformIO build workflow, TECT/OTA update notes, SPIFFS flashing, module/mode architecture, three-button event handling, display manager, authorship, and AGPLv3 statement.
GitHub / Krogoth: le-krogoth/proteus
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Public firmware repository for Proteus, described as firmware for the 2018 Area41 security conference badge.
GitHub / Krogoth: platformio.ini
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Build-configuration source for espressif8266 Arduino framework, heltec_wifi_kit_8 board target, and declared libraries.
Technische Fachschule Bern: Technische Fachschule Bern AREA41 badge hardware update
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Maker self-report stating Technische Fachschule Bern developed and manufactured the Area41 electronic-badge hardware. It does not disclose technical specifications, production quantity, or image-reuse terms.
ZeTeCo wiki archive: ZeTeCo2017
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary event context for ZeTeCo 2017 and its archived camp documentation.
area41 security conference: AREA41 Conference 2026 post-event recap
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official organizer post confirming the completed event and identifying Technische Fachschule Bern as the electronic badge's designer and assembler; it also reports attendees soldered more than 300 SAO badge extensions.
media.ccc.de: ZeTeCo Badge
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Primary public evidence for a ZeTeCo 2017 badge and the manufacturing/assembly story.
wemakeit: Maker-/Hacker-Camp ZeTeCo 2017
Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Public fundraising and camp-context source for the 2017 edition.