SIGNAL FOUNDSTATION 562 / TRANSMISSION 001
N+1CONCEPT → DELIVERY
STATION 562 / THE BUILD STORY
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N+1
STATION
562
Building a
hardware badge
From the first interaction
to a working batch.
IDEA → CIRCUIT → CODE → PEOPLE
Station 562 badge on display at the DEFCON 34 Badgelife Museum
STATION 562 / BADGELIFE
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Hardware badges
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2006
DEF CON 14 / JOE GRAND
HACK THE OBJECT
A small computer you can wear,
inspect, modify, and learn from.
MAKE IT SOCIAL
Puzzles, games, trades, and
conversations start around a badge.
MAKE THE PCB PART OF THE ART
The shape, copper, display, and
light all contribute to the experience.
JOE GRAND’S DEF CON 14 BADGE
Its single pushbutton cycled through five modes:
Both LEDs on → Both LEDs blinking → Alternating LEDs
→ Pseudo-random pattern → Sleep
STATION 562 / TWELVE STEPS
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The build process
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01
Idea + scope
Define the experience and its limits.
02
Architecture + power
Choose the controller and power path.
03
Bench prototype
Make the interaction work with wires.
04
Exact components
Record part numbers and packages.
05
Power + measurements
Calculate, then measure the load.
06
Schematic + footprints
Match electrical pins to physical pads.
07
PCB + mechanical fit
Route the board and check the enclosure.
08
Manufacturing files
Prepare fabrication and assembly data.
09
Small-batch testing
Find mistakes before scaling up.
10
Firmware baseline
Build features on known working code.
11
Assembly + testing
Make every unit work consistently.
12
Documentation + delivery
Give owners a usable, supported badge.
STATION 562 / DEFINE THE EXPERIENCE
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1. The idea and scope
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A strange signal.
A physical mystery.
Numbers-station inspiration:
an OLED, a hand gesture, and
a BLE puzzle to investigate.
EARLY SCOPE
No buttons. No phone required
for the basic badge experience.
01 / APPROACH
The proximity sensor notices a hand.
02 / REACT
The OLED and lights change behavior.
03 / INVESTIGATE
BLE carries another layer of the puzzle.
Set the limits: quantity • deadline • size • battery • budget
STATION 562 / PLAN BEFORE YOU BUILD
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2. Turning the idea into a build plan
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01
What must it do?
Detect someone nearby
Respond with lights
and screen animations
Offer a BLE puzzle
02
What limits the design?
Battery life
Wearable size
Quantity and budget
The deadline for Vegas
03
What do we prototype first?
Proximity sensing
The OLED
LED behavior
Battery power
Prove each individually,
then combine them.
STATION 562
RGB versus single-color LEDs affected power, cost, and complexity.
I ended up building two versions.
STATION 562 / FIRST PROOF OF LIFE
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3. Bench prototyping
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