Server In A Fly

Tablespork writes "These guys have implanted the world's smallest webserver-on-a-chip into a dead fly! From the site: "Fly, grants us the ability to virtually possess the body of a dead, preserved fly via web-based technology." There is a webcam monitoring the fly, so you can watch as you blink the LEDs." And don't worry if something goes wrong with it -- "Several pre-programmed and wired flies will be on hand in case of technical malfunction."

But does it...

[FullCircle]

run a time server?

I'll make my computer watch time fly ;-)

Re:Gotta love art-bullcrap...

[AndroidCat]

I really wonder just what he meant by a "web server". Take a look at the microcontroller [fairchildsemi.com] and tell me how likely it is that this supports to slightest sub-set of HTTP. There's 1k of EEPROM code space, 64 bytes of ram, and 64 bytes of data EEPROM. Note also that's there's no hardware networking or serial port. (No biggie in software if you use the timer, but it still eats part of the code space.) Also, think about the 64 bytes of ram and your line buffer as the HTTP command comes in. Hmmm. Now, don't get me wrong, you can do a lot in 1k of code, but I smell something that flies are usually found near.

Could it be that they've got a midget in the pedestal playing the chess moves, err, another computer doing the web page and using the Fairchild chip as an LED controller?

Are we sure it's not a hoax?

[nut]

Google turned up the following page for the chip that is meant ot be the webserver.

http://www.chipdocs.com/pndecoder/datasheets/FAIR/ ACE1101VMT8.html [chipdocs.com]

It describes the chip as an arithmetic controller engine, but the datasheet requires paid registration. Could this chip actually serve web pages?
I confess I don't know enough to judge.

Re:Are we sure it's not a hoax?

[AndroidCat]

Hard to say. From the specs [fairchildsemi.com] there's not much to this chip. 1k code EEPROM, 64 bytes data EEPROM, 64 bytes ram. It obviously doesn't handle any of the networking: You pass it a single HTTP command via a serial port, you get the response back. (One person could slashdot this thing!)

Could it be done with the 64 bytes ram? Maybe. (It's the stack space too remember.) It would be a tight hack. It would also be much easier to keep all the web functions on the external computer and use the microcontroller just to turn on/off the LEDs. So much easier, that I really suspect that we're being hosed about the server really being done on the fly.

Re:Gotta love art-bullcrap...

[AndroidCat]

I eat my words! As you can see here [d116.com] there is a package for the chip that supports a SLIP connection with a limited TCP/IP stack. Wow! Impressive! Granted it doesn't do a lot, but for the sort of applications it would be used for, it doesn't need to.

It uses the ACE1101

[rtos]

Here's some information on the ACE1101 Arithmetic Controller Engine (ACEx) for Low Power Applications:

Arithmetic Controller The ACE1101 (Arithmetic Controller Engine) family of microcontrollers is a dedicated programmable monolithic inte-grated circuit for applications requiring high performance, low power, and small size. It is a fully static part fabricated using CMOS technology. The ACE1101 product family has an 8-bit microcontroller core, 64 bytes of RAM, 64 bytes of data EEPROM and 1K bytes of code EEPROM. Its on-chip peripherals include a multi-function 16-bit timer, watchdog/idle timer, and programmable under-voltage detection circuitry. On-chip clock and reset functions reduce the number of required external components. The ACE1101 product family is available in 8-pin TSSOP, 8-pin DIP and 14-pin DIP packages.

• Fairchild Semi product page [fairchildsemi.com]
• PDF Datasheet [fairchildsemi.com]
• Newark product page [newark.com] ($2.47 each)
• Great page on the WebACE server [d116.com] and WebACE II [d116.com]
• Ace resources [eeglossary.com]

Re:Actually not too impressive

[rabidcow]

The embedded webservers which really impress me are the ones that have a modem or RJ45 connection and can exist as network nodes in their own right;

So has anyone ever done a web server in an rj45 connector? Now that would be cool.

Interesting proof of concept

[Grave]

Ok, this is actually a good proof of concept for the private sector. Of course, the US Army (and CIA as well) is rather ahead of this one, having built small mechanical bugs with cameras and wireless links in them. Or at least they were working on that project. Great for observing terrorists inside their caves, but the transmission tends to break up easily inside caves. Same problem with the ground robots they used. Easier to use earth-penetrating radar in overhead surveilance.