REcon Badge 2026

This is the official repository of the REcon Badge 2026. Here you will find the source code, schematics, and documentation for the badge.

The 2026 badge is designed to work two ways:

• As a daughter PCB on top of the REcon Badge 2025, extending it with LoRa connectivity.
• As a standalone device, powered over USB-C, driven by its own MCU and buttons.

Hardware

Block	Part
MCU	CH32V203 (RISC-V, with native USB)
Radio	Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver
Antenna	PCB embedded antenna
User LEDs	3 × WS2812 addressable RGB
User input	4 × push buttons
USB	USB Type-C (power + data)
Host interface	Pin header to connect as a daughter PCB to Badge 2025

Schematic, PCB and footprints live in the hardware/ directory. The project is built with KiCad.

Firmware

The firmware/ directory is split by target MCU:

• firmware/CH32V203/ — firmware for the 2026 badge itself (LoRa + LEDs + buttons + USB).
• firmware/RP2040/ — firmware for the host 2025 badge when the 2026 is plugged in as a daughter PCB. It is based on the original 2025 firmware (NFC, Magspoof, OLED UI) extended to talk to the 2026 over the header.

Firmware is under active development. Flashing instructions and pre-built binaries will be published on the releases page once available.

Cloning the repository

Using HTTPS:

git clone https://github.com/ElectronicCats/badge-recon-2026.git

Using SSH:

git clone [email protected]:ElectronicCats/badge-recon-2026.git

Usage modes

Standalone

Power the badge over USB-C. The CH32V203 drives the 3 WS2812 LEDs and reads the 4 buttons. The SX1262 provides LoRa TX/RX through the SMA antenna.

Daughter PCB on Badge 2025

Mount the 2026 badge on the 2025 badge through the pin header. The 2025 badge (RP2040) hosts the UI (OLED + buttons) and the NFC/Magspoof applications; the 2026 badge adds LoRa as an additional application. Use the firmware in firmware/RP2040/ on the 2025 host.

License

Electronic Cats invests time and resources providing this open source design, please support Electronic Cats and open-source hardware by purchasing products from Electronic Cats!

Designed by Electronic Cats.

Firmware released under an GNU AGPL v3.0 license. See the LICENSE file for more information.

Hardware released under an CERN Open Hardware Licence v1.2. See the LICENSE_HARDWARE file for more information.

Electronic Cats is a registered trademark, please do not use if you sell these PCBs.