I am Sara Cladlow, a social consultant working in Washington, DC. I provide consulting, social training, and event services for both corporate and political clients. I also accept contracts for security investigations requiring a subtle touch.
The Explorer Badge is available from my Tindie store.
The big creative challenge for 2024 is the introduction of a classic style text adventure game in place of the traditional story challenge !!
What's New
Just about everything is new with the 2024 eChallengeCoin including its name ... the Explorer Badge!
For starters it BIG ... 84mm compared to the 44-47mm of prior eCchallengeCoins! The new size is thanks to having custom cases made just for the 2024.
The new size was needed to accommodate all the new hardware. An ePaper display occupies the center. The brains of the operation is the very popular RP2040 microcontroller. This is paired with 8MB of FLASH storage and dedicated EEPROM. There is also neopixel LEDs, touch sensors, an accelerometer, IR Receiver & emitter, and polyphonic sound. There is also support for LiPo charging (battery not included).
The interactive challenges are gone ... but more about that in a moment. The story challenge is also gone. It has been replaced by an all new text adventure game - Sara and the Dark Labyrinth. The RP2040 means the eChallengeCoin is now a USB device. This allows for easy updates and the ability to play the text adventure game.
Updates, you ask? Yes! The Explorer Badge runs CircuitPython. This means you can easily update the badge and even write your own code! There's the head-fake. While the Explorer Badge continues the line of eChallengeCoins, it's real purpose is to introduce the next generation of hackers and makers to explore the world of microcontrollers and programming. The Explorer Badge is a pivot of sorts from a puzzle game to a learning tool. It is also why it has being called the 'Explorer Badge'!
To jump start exploring the badge, there is be workshop series launched concurrent with the Explorer Badge availability. The series starts with two workshops covering basic Python. These are designed for anyone - even if you do not have the Explorer Badge. The third workshop will be an introduction to CircuitPython and all of the hardware of the badge.
You can access the Explorer Badge workshop content right here!
The Explorer Badge is a large coin with a custom case. The front has a 1.54 inch ePaper display. The back has a RP2040 microcontroller, 8MB of FLASH storage, and dedicated EEPROM. There are also neopixel LEDs, touch sensors, an accelerometer, IR Receiver & emitter, and polyphonic sound. There is also support for LiPo charging (battery not included).
The Explorer Badge runs CircuitPython. This means you can easily update the eChallengeCoin and even write your own code!
The Explorer Badge is a USB device. This allows for easy updates and the ability to play the text adventure game.
The Explorer Badge is a pivot of sorts from a puzzle game to a learning tool. It is also why it has being called 'the Explorer Badge'!
The Explorer Badge is available from my Tindie store
The Explorer Badge runs CircuitPython. You can visit CircuitPython.org and search for 'explorer' to check for the latest version of CircuitPython.
The power switch must be ON to use the badge - even when connected to USB. This is by design to allow the optional battery to charge without requiring the badge to be active. The ON position iw away from the USB connector when looking at teh face of teh badge.
It will be necessary, from time to time, to remove the 3D printed back. For example, you need to remove the back to to install a battery (covered next). On the first batch of badges, you also need to remove the printed back to access the BOOT and RESET buttons to update the CircuitPython firmware. On subsequent badges, the BOOT and RESET buttons are accessible through holes in the back (see photo above).
The video below gives an over view of the process for removing the printed back and gives a couple methods.
There are several things to consider when removing the 3D printed back.
There is a small protective plastic plate (see photo above) between the access hole (see photo above) in the 3D printed back and the display's FPC connector. This plate may have been omitted on the first batch of badges. You can tell by looking in the small hole. If you see the display connector, the protection is missing. This is not critical. You just need to be more careful and use a a blunt, non-metal tool to open the case the first time. You can make your own protector from the lid of a plastic container (yogurt, cottage cheese, etc) and use double sided tape.
The Explorer Badge includes support for a rechargeable battery. The battery is not included. The battery size is 303450 and requires a 1.25mm JST connector. Remember: the polarity of the connector is very important. It is available from several sources, included Amazon.com But again, double check the polarity of the battery you receive with the markings on the badge. If necessary, swap the leads within the connector to match the badge. There is a video below showing how to install the battery.
There is a design error in the first batch of 3D printed backs. After installing a battery, it may interfere with the BOOT button. The symptom is that the Explorer Badge will show RPI_RP2 rather than CIRCUITPY when connected to a computer using a USB cable. The case has been slightly redesigned for subsequent badges.
If you have a badge from the very first batch and install a battery and experience the problem, then open the case (as shown in the video below) and locate the mark on the battery where the BOOT button has pressed. There is a photo with yellow circles at the top of this page. Gently nudge that area of the battery and also make sure the batter is as close to the opposite side of the battery holder as possible. If that still is not enough, you may cut away the opposing edge of the battery holder to allow the battery to move further. In this case, it may be helpful to apply a piece of tape to keep the battery from moving around.
The Explorer Badge will run `code.py` on startup. As shipped, this file starts the text adventure game. There are also options for a demo and a Magic 8-ball game. Edit `code.py` to choose what you want to run on startup.
The Magic 8-Ball game uses CircuitPython's deep sleep capability. If you wish to make the battery last as long as possible, you can change the control of the Neopixels. As shipped, the Neopixels are powered on whenever the badge is powered on - even during deep sleep. There is a trace on the PCB labeled JP1 located near the I2C STEMMA-QT connector. Cutting the trace between the rounded pads, switches the Neopixels to use DISPLAY_EN to control power.
The Explorer Badge has a breakout for the I2S audio output. There are 5 pins: GND, 3V3, DATA, BCLK, and LRCLK. When not using I2S, the pins may be used as general purpose IO pins.
The Explorer Badge includes the new text adventure game, 'Sara and the Dark Labyrinth'. The game is accessed by connecting the Explorer Badge and using a serial terminal program using a baud rate of 115200. The game will be waiting at a prompt - press ENTER/RETURN to start. If you do not see the prompt, it may have been rendered before you connected. Just press ENTER/RETURN to start.
The latest version of the text adventure game - 'Sara and the Dark Labyrinth' - is available for download here. This will contain any bug fixes or enhancements. The game is also available for Python on your computer. You can download the latest version here.
The coin case has a double slot in the bottom half. This is for the USB lanyard. Run the lanyard's pigtail through the slots. When you align the finger notch of the top half with the slots of the bottom half, the Explorer Badge may be worn with the lanyard.
