Queercon is a conference within a conference. Taking place within DEF CON, Queercon is a social network of LGBT hackers that gathers each year to host events, talks, and a kickin’ pool party. Since 2012 they have also been building electronic badges as part of the fun and I can vouch that they’re contenders for most creative badge design every single year.
A total of 450 electronic badges were made this year, and the aesthetic is as close to a polished consumer product as I have ever seen in a badge, yet they also retain the charm and feel of unique electronics built for hardware geeks. With wireless communication that delivers a complex and clever game to the badges, the designers are encouraging interaction between people (not just between badges). I had the chance to do a teardown of one of these glorious badges, and also gathered quite a bit of info on the puzzles within during Friday’s badge talk in the QC suite.
Join me after the break as I tear down the Queercon 15 hardware badge. If you haven’t yet looked over my review of the official DC26 badge, check that out as well!
Hardware That Is Gorgeous Assembled and Disassembled
Each badge is made up of three distinct layers. Shown here from right to left, the top layer is a PCB face place, the middle layer is acrylic, and the bottom layer is where all the magic happens.
The faceplates themselves are Printed Circuit Boards but ironically have no circuitry in them. This is a tongue-in-cheek comment since I think this choice was brilliant. PCB fabrication has become so accessible, and its use as an artistic medium is so en vogue, that it is indeed the perfect choice. Joining the badge makers to deliver the top layer designs is [TwinkleTwinkie] who you probably know as a prolific add-on designer.
The center layer is a thick acrylic frame that is laser-cut. It is split into two pieces that key together and acts both as a stand-off between the top and bottom layers, as well as a diffuser. Multiple 90-degree RGB LEDs are positioned around the circumference of the board, shining through this acrylic. There are also 6 upward facing RGB LEDs that shine through the center strip of to the faceplate (either through holes or through the substrate) to indicate game progress.
The bottom layer of the badge is where all of the electronics are located. The most prominent feature are the two LCD character displays. These were dirt cheap since they’re old stock with an unknown manufacture date. An interesting anecdote from the badge talk is that these modules use leaded solder but the badge fab process was ROHS (lead-free). This presented an interesting problem as solder on the modules melts at a …read more
Source:: Hackaday