Hackaday Belgrade 2018
Hackaday organized a wonderful conference in Belgrade in May 2018. Traditionally, each participant received a special badge — this time a small computer based on a 32-bit Microchip PIC32 CPU that supports writing in customized BASIC. It's ideal as a small serial terminal with keyboard and display.
The Problem
The badge shipped with firmware v1.00 where the kin BASIC function (keyboard input) didn't work. To use the badge as a serial terminal, you need to flash a newer firmware. But because the badge uses a Microchip PIC controller (old school!), a simple USB-to-serial cable isn't enough — you need a PICkit3 programmer.
What You Need
- PICkit3 USB programmer
- MPLAB X IDE (v4.15 or newer)
- Badge firmware v1.04 (
badge1.X.production.hex)
Flashing Steps
1. Install MPLAB X IDE
Download and install from Microchip's website.
2. Connect PICkit3 to Badge
Important: the left pin is unconnected!
3. Flash the Firmware
Open MPLAB IDE, choose 32-bit MCU, device PIC32MX370F512H. Select the firmware hex file and click "Program".
4. Verify
After success, you'll see v1.04 in the bottom right corner of the badge display:
Using the Badge as a Serial Terminal
Wiring
| Badge Pin | Serial Cable |
|---|---|
| GND | Ground |
| TX (C14) | RX (white) |
| RX (C13) | TX (green) |
| Leave voltage disconnected | Red wire — do not connect |
Connect
screen /dev/tty.XXXYYY 19200BASIC Program
Write this on the badge to transmit typed keys over serial:
10 cls
15 wait 500
20 PRINT MyTerminal
30 k = kin 1
40 out k
50 goto 10Everything typed on the badge will appear in your terminal!
From PIC to AI
The Hackaday community in Belgrade has always been at the intersection of hardware and software — from flashing PIC microcontrollers to building custom AI systems. The same curiosity that drives you to flash a conference badge is what drives us to fine-tune language models.
This article is from the ai.rs archive (originally published on the old ai.rs tech blog). Today, ai.rs builds custom AI assistants for businesses.
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- What Is AI, Really? — Start here if you're new to AI
- What is an LLM and How to Deploy It — Technical deep-dive for developers
- Your AI Sales Associate That Never Sleeps — See how AI works for business
- How It Works — Our custom AI service, from your data to a live assistant