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The Pebble Time Smartstrap turned a small four-pin connector on the back of the watch into a way to experiment with external hardware. At the 2015 Pebble Rocks Boulder hackathon, makers used it for littleBits prototyping, altitude displays, an emergency-communication concept, NFC payments and other watch-controlled projects. These were event demonstrations and prototypes—not evidence of current support or dependable products.
How did the Pebble Smartstrap connector work?
The Smartstrap was a physical accessory interface: developers could connect peripheral devices to the four-pin connector on the back of a Pebble Time. Rather than treating the watch as a standalone gadget, makers could pair its software and screen with hardware attached through the strap.
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At the time, Pebble published mechanical details, assembly instructions, protocol documentation and an example Arduino library to help builders work with the interface, according to Make:’s September 2015 report. That report does not establish whether those resources can still be accessed or whether the hardware remains supported.
What did makers build at Pebble Rocks Boulder?
The projects explored different roles for the watch: displaying sensor information, triggering external hardware, carrying a payment component or serving as part of a broader concept. The accounts are historical descriptions, not standardized performance tests.
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| Project | Purpose and interaction | Hardware or result described |
|---|---|---|
| Pebblits | Make watch-connected hardware prototyping more approachable by connecting littleBits; a button press was intended to make something appear on the watch. | Team Tack reported meeting that first-day goal. Juan Sanchez said, “We met that goal the first day.” |
| Altimeter Smartstrap | Show elevation and whether the wearer was ascending or descending, with a graph of the last ten measurements; aimed at hikers, hang gliders and others. | Team Hack Dads described an altitude-focused strap and watchface. The account gives no performance measurements. |
| SurvivalStrap | A Pebble app would trigger transmission of GPS information over public spectrums monitored by search-and-rescue teams, alongside basic survival guides. | Team Universal Mind described a prototype using a Pebble Time, Arduino Uno and simple electronic components. The stated emergency use was a concept, not a validated communication service. |
| NFC payments | Combine a Pebble app with payment hardware embedded in a Smartstrap. | FitPay described a secure element and NFC controller; Make reported that the team completed a retail transaction during the event. This does not establish a current payment service. |
| Other event projects | Use the watch to control a 3D printer or a robotic arm, or build an audible notification dock. | The event accounts mention watch-controlled 3D printing work, a Smartstrap-controlled robotic arm and a 3D-printed dock enclosure. |
How do I make a Pebble Smartstrap?
The 2015 reports show the general approach, but they are not a current build guide. A project needed a Pebble Time and a Smartstrap connection, plus external electronics suited to its purpose and software that coordinated the hardware with the watch. The SurvivalStrap account explicitly names an Arduino Uno development board; that does not establish that any particular board revision or present-day component is compatible.
For a new attempt, a sensible sequence would be:
- Choose one narrow interaction. Decide what the watch should show or trigger, such as a button event or a sensor reading.
- Identify the project-specific hardware. The event builds used different components: littleBits for Pebblits, altitude sensing for the altimeter concept, and an Arduino Uno plus simple electronics for the SurvivalStrap prototype. These are examples, not universal requirements.
- Check the original interface material if available. Pebble’s mechanical details, assembly instructions, protocol documentation and example Arduino library were reported as published at the time. Their present availability is not established.
- Validate the electrical and software compatibility before connecting anything. The event reports do not provide enough circuit detail to safely infer pin assignments, component ratings, or compatibility with a different board revision.
- Test the watch interaction as a prototype. Treat a successful demonstration as proof only of that event build’s reported result—not as evidence of reliability, emergency readiness or an ongoing service.
What the event tells us—and what it does not
The scale of the hackathon is reported in two ways. Viget said more than 70 participants attended and that 23 projects were uploaded to the event’s Hackster.io page. Make: quoted organizer Diana Jannuzzi saying, “We invited 70+ iOS developers, networking engineers, electrical engineers, designers and makers to participate in the hackathon at Galvanize coworking space in Boulder.” The Make: article also quoted an organizer saying 23 teams each created a project. These are event-reported figures, not broader measures of Smartstrap adoption.
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- Safe Protection: The charger cable built in smart chip, protect your watch from over-current, over-voltage, over-circuit protection, offers a safe environment for charging.
- Convenient and Easy to Use: To get a charging just plug it into USB port on your PC, laptop, notebook, wall charger or car charger. Geting a better experience, we suggest you to use the recommended adapter (5V 1A).
- Package includes: 1 x charging cable for Pebble 2/Time/Time Round (watch is not included). with sincerely after-sales service, if have any question we will deal with it for you within 24 hours.Package includes:
Make: also reported in 2015 that Pebble had a $1 million fund intended to encourage development and commercialization of Smartstrap projects. That is a historical report about an initiative at the time, not a current funding offer.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The project accounts establish that teams explored and demonstrated several uses for the interface. They do not establish present-day Pebble Time or Smartstrap inventory, continuing software support, current access to old technical resources, emergency communication reliability, payment availability, or measured comparisons among the projects.
Quick Recap
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