Tech Specialist Repurposes E-Cigarette Microchip for Tiny Web Server
In an intriguing project, Romanian engineer Bogdan Ionescu, known as BogdanTheGeek on YouTube, has converted the vaporizer electronics of a disposable e-cigarette into a mini web server, dubbed "VapeServer".
The mini web server, powered by an old e-cigarette battery, is built around the PUYA C642F15, a 24-MHz ARM Cortex-M0+ processor. To enable TCP/IP communication and web services, Ionescu added the uIP 0.9 TCP/IP network protocol stack, originally developed for small 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers.
Initially, loading a web page took over 20 seconds, but Ionescu's optimisation efforts have significantly improved performance. Pings with initial setup took approximately 1.5 seconds, albeit with a 50% packet loss rate. To address this issue, Ionescu improved performance by storing data in a fixed-size ring buffer. As a result, pings now achieve 20 ms with no packet loss.
However, the VapeServer project, which was reported in a blog post, has its limitations. The device, due to its limited memory (20 KB), quickly reaches its limits with web queries. Consequently, the server may crash due to overload, displaying a "503" error page. The project is also susceptible to crashes, especially once it goes online and is tested en masse.
Despite these challenges, Ionescu has made the source code of his VapeServer available on GitHub for others to explore and potentially build upon. Moreover, he also built a 56K modem from the chip used in VapeServer, showcasing his ingenuity and technical prowess.
Loading a small web page now takes approximately 160 ms, a significant improvement from the initial 20 seconds. While the VapeServer may not be a contender for high-traffic websites, it serves as a fascinating example of creative problem-solving and resourcefulness in the world of technology.
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