Badger2040 System II

Tired of boring badges that just blend in with the crowd? You want to show off your quirky personality and love of retro technology? You are looking for a fun project to bond with your engineering team? Look no further than the programmable e-ink badge!

https://kruzenshtern.org/projects/2023-02-16-the-e-ink-badge-the-coolest-badge-you-didnt-know-you-needed

Source code

Don't expect much, but it works (tm). See in /src.

How to make it work?

Currently, to make this project work on your Badger2040, it is unfortunately necessary to use an old version of the bootloader provided by Pimoroni (1.19.6). Soon, you will be able to use recent versions. Until then, to make it work, follow the instructions below.

1. Download bootloader 1.19.6
2. Initialize Badger2040 in boot mode (press the bootsel button while connecting the USB-C cable)
3. Move the pimoroni-badger2040-v1.19.6-micropython-without-badger-os.uf2 file to the RPI-RP2 mounted drive
4. Open Thonny (the editor used with MicroPython for Raspberry Pi Pico)
5. Select the correct board, usually MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)
6. Select the menu View and then Files
   1. If any, select all the files from your Badger2040 and delete them
7. Select all files from this on your computer and right-click
8. Select Upload to /
9. After finishing the upload, you should see all your files under the widget Raspberry Pi Pico on the bottom-left widget
10. To finish, go to the menu Run and then Send EOF / Soft Reboot

You can edit all the files directly from the board using Thonny; however, after saving, it is common to receive an error from Thonny saying:: Device is busy -- can't perform this action now. Please wait or cancel current work and try again!

If this happens, just re-select the board on the board list (bottom-right).

Components

1. Badger 2040: https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/badger-2040
2. Coin Cell Battery Holder: https://www.adafruit.com/product/783
3. 2x CR2032: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078GC5K81/
4. 4x M2 8mm bolts: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BNIHG0E/
5. 3D-printed case: see /case folder. I was using Prusament PLA: https://www.prusa3d.com/product/prusament-pla-ms-pink-blend-970g/

A quick glance at assembly steps

1. 3D print top and bottom panels.
2. Disassemble & attach a 2xCR2032 battery holder
3. Assemble the badge, use hot glue whenever applicable
4. Upload pimonori-badger2040-micropython bootloader
5. Upload Python scripts

License & acknowledgements

Inspiration sources for the case:

• https://kaenner.de/badger2040 (CC4)
• https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5320100/files (CC4)

I ended up using an OpenSCAD blueprint by usedbytes to get measurements of the device. Reconstructed/synthesized a new case in Fusion360. Noticeable changes:

• A different battery holder / back pannel to simplify the assembly to some extent
• Two coin cells vs three
• Added hidden buttons inspired by Känner's design
• Back panel is inspired by Känner's design too, I like that connectors are accessible
• Battery toggle button
• Any mistakes are exclusively mine

Source code:

• To a large extent based on pimoroni Badger2040 OS example: https://github.com/pimoroni/pimoroni-pico/tree/main/micropython/examples/badger2040 (MIT)
• Font & rendering: custom code, but it is not worth extracting it to a standalone app/library. Let's stick with MIT for simplicity too.

Assets:

• Font: 16bfZX https://www.pentacom.jp/pentacom/bitfontmaker2/gallery/?id=246 (Public domain)
• Clippy: hand-drawn, I think the character is trademarked by Microsoft though.
• Other assets: hand-drawn

What does it mean in terms of license? I guess, it is good for a hobby project. Hire a lawyer to check if it is good for commercial use.

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