tag-software

The "tag" is a cheap badge with a PADAUK PFS154-S16 microcontroller, 24 RGB leds and IR transmitter & receiver for inter-badge communications. The software/hardware may also work with a PMS150C-S16 and pin compatible controllers from other manufacturers (e.g. Nyquest tech), but this is untested

This software goes with the hardware described here: https://github.com/hackwinkel/tag-hardware

Background

This badge was originally designed for SMD hotplate soldering workshops at TBD (https://tbd.camp/) and later used for workshops at haxogreen 2024 () and private workshops, and is loosely based on a 2023 version which can be found here: https://github.com/hackwinkel/label-hardware and https://github.com/hackwinkel/label-software

According to internet rule 663829, "Every hacker conference shall have a badge". Being hackers, of course, leads to hypotheses 1-3: "1: Any hacker conference badge will be overly complex", "2: Any hacker conference badge will be released with unfinished software" and "3: Any hacker conference badge will function poorly for its namesake purpose". This badge disproves these 3 hypotheses.

Prerequisites & instructions

You will need a PADAUK programmer to program the device. PADAUK microcontrollers use a proprietary programming algorithm.

Hardware and software for an open source programmer can be found here: https://github.com/free-pdk/easy-pdk-programmer-hardware and https://github.com/free-pdk/easy-pdk-programmer-software.

Follow the instructions provided on these pages.

To compile the software for the label you need:

1. Small Device C Compiler (SDCC) (https://sdcc.sourceforge.net/) version >=4

2. pdk-includes (https://github.com/free-pdk/pdk-includes)

3. easy-pdk-includes (https://github.com/free-pdk/pdk-includes)

4. This repository

Install SDCC as per instructions for your system

Make a containing directory to hold both this repository and the free-pdk pdk-includes and easy-pdk-includes repositories and:

cd <your_dir>

git clone https://github.com/free-pdk/pdk-includes

git clone https://github.com/free-pdk/easy-pdk-includes

git clone https://github.com/hackwinkel/tag-software

cd tag-software

cd standard

make

make burn

This last command requires easypdkprog to be found in your $PATH. You can also run this command manually

Other make targets are: sizes (displays the sizes of varios segments in the binary), clean and all (the default).

Each version of the software for the tag is located in a separate sub-directory:

1. standard: the normal software that will try to "synchronize" all tags by transmitting a 25ms IR pulse every ~ minute, while also continuously listening for incoming IR pulses. "synchronized" tags will display a pattern of three running lights. "unsynchronized" tags will display a (pseudo) random patter of blinking LEDs

2. swappedpatterns: the same as above with the "running lights" and "random blinking" patterns swapped.

If you want to do something special with your tag (a badge-battle with secret codes? A TV-B-gone clone (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV-B-Gone?), please do so in an intelligent way, in an IR transmitting envelope that will NOT annoyingly interfere with other badges in your neighborhood:

1. Transmit IR codes once per minute at most

2. Transmit IR codes for one second at most

3. While not transmitting, listen for incoming IR signals, and act accordingly

If you want to quickly get started programming your tag yourself, simply copy the complete "standard" folder with its contents to a new subdirectory of the tag-software folder, make the necessary changes to main.c, then run "make; make burn" from this new folder.

Note: reprogramming through the programming pins may not work because of failure to calibrate the clock speed. You CAN reprogram the badge without clock-speed calibration by using easypdkprog with the --nocalibrate option.