✦ AuraCast

The open-source web app for round LED smart badges

Upload custom images, GIFs, animations, scrolling text, patterns, and QR codes — straight from your browser. No app store. No USB cable. No account.

Just bought a round LED badge?

The round LED smart badges sold on Amazon, AliExpress, Temu, and TikTok Shop as:

E87 · L8 · X9 · LED Smart Badge · Anime Smart Badge · Anime LED Pin · Aura Badge · DIY Light Up Pin · Wearable Display Pin · Round LED Name Tag · Smart LED Bluetooth Pin · Akinokai Display Pin · 384x384 Round Pin · Programmable LED Badge · Custom Image Pin · Anime LED Lapel Pin · HiBadge · Bluetooth LED Pin · Round OLED Badge

...all use the same Jieli BLE chip and speak the same protocol. If you have one of these, AuraCast works with it.

The stock Zrun app (also shipped as "LED Badge", "HiBadge", "Badgy") is buggy, ad-filled, and barely works on iOS. AuraCast is the open-source replacement.

Quick Start

1. Press the side button on your badge to wake it up
2. Open AuraCast in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, or Opera — launch it here
3. Click Connect and pick your badge (E87 or L8...) from the Bluetooth picker
4. Drag in an image, pick a pattern, type some text, or import a GIF — then click Send

That's it. The image appears on your badge in seconds.

iPhone / Safari / Firefox? Web Bluetooth isn't available in those browsers. Run the included Python relay on any Mac/PC/Linux and every device on the same Wi-Fi can use AuraCast. See Browser Support.

Features

Pattern mode — 29 animated loops	Text mode — scrolling, glitch, rainbow
Image upload with circular crop	Video clip trimmer

Mobile UI

Is My Badge Supported?

If your badge is:

• Round (35-45 mm diameter)
• Connects via Bluetooth Low Energy (advertises as E87, L8, X9, or LED Badge)
• Came with the Zrun / HiBadge / LED Badge app
• Has a full-color OLED/LCD display (not a monochrome scrolling text badge)

...it almost certainly works. All these listings use the same Jieli BR23 chipset.

Not supported: Square scrolling-text badges (64x16, 32x8 pixel) use a different protocol entirely. See badgemagic for those.

Browser Support

Python relay (for Safari / Firefox / iPhone)

cd web && pip install -r requirements.txt && python server.py

Then open http://<your-ip>:8000 on any device. The relay handles Bluetooth on behalf of the browser.

Development

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/Manaiakalani/auracast.git
cd auracast/web

# Install
npm install

# Dev server (HTTPS required for Web Bluetooth)
npm run dev

# Production build
npm run build

Project Structure

auracast/
├── README.md                ← You are here
├── PROTOCOL.md              ← Full BLE protocol reverse-engineering
├── DESIGN.md                ← Brand + design system spec
├── LICENSE                  ← MIT License
├── web/                     ← Svelte 5 web app
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── App.svelte               Main app shell
│   │   ├── lib/                     Components, protocol, modes
│   │   ├── patterns/                29 procedural pattern generators
│   │   └── ...
│   └── README.md                    Web-specific build details
├── protocol-understanding/  ← Raw BLE captures + analysis
└── docs/screenshots/        ← App screenshots

Why Not Just Use the Zrun App?

Protocol Documentation

The complete BLE protocol reverse-engineering — every byte of the FE/DC/BA framing, Jieli RCSP authentication handshake, file metadata, windowed data transfer, CRC, and capture format — lives in PROTOCOL.md.

Credits

Protocol cracked open by @jumpingmushroom Python e87_badge library, protocol analysis, GIF support, Home Assistant integration

Web Bluetooth bones by @hybridherbst Original web uploader, BLE reverse-engineering, Jieli RCSP auth, MJPEG streaming

Built on their shoulders. Painted in Material 3. Shipped over MJPEG.

License

MIT — use it however you want.