Using Your Badge

Your MCH badge comes with installed software which allows you to select and run applications, install new applications from the online Hatchery, and configure Badge functions such as the Wi-Fi SSID and password (don’t worry, it can connect to camp Wifi out of the box).

This page is a high-level introduction to the installed software. If you came here looking for details on how to write software for the badge, then take a look at our software development guide.

Start at the menu screen

When you first turn on your badge, you’ll see a series of logos of the MCH2022 sponsors (Thanks again!) before finally a chime plays on the speaker and you find yourself at the main menu screen. It’s a graphical launcher with a series of icons for the different Badge functions. You can select a function with the joystick before launching it with the A button or by clicking the joystick.

When you are in an app the convention is that the A button is usually an action, the B button should take you one step back, and the Home button at the bottom left of the screen should take you out of the app and back to the menu.

As shipped, the badge has seven options on the main menu:

  • Name Tag. This is the usual name tag app for an event Badge.
  • Apps. This takes you to the user-installed apps on The Badge, including a Python launcher for backwards compatibility with previous Badge.team badges going back to the SHA 2017 badge.
  • Hatchery. This is the app store for The Badge. Explore it to find new apps written by other MCH attendees.
  • Tools. Here you can find a file browser, as well as infra-red remote control apps for some of the camp lighting.
  • Settings. This takes you to a selection of badge configuration options. The badge ships pre-configured for the MCH2022 network, however it’s on this menu that you can find the tool to reconfigure it for your home network.
  • App update. This option updates the apps on your badge to their latest versions from the hatchery.
  • OS update. Here you can update the badge firmware.