Mini web server wires up intelligent buildings

The world's smallest web server - barely larger than a matchhead - has been built at the University of Massachusetts.

The iPic - developed by H. Shrikumar, a graduate student in the department of computer science - costs less than $1.

It is based on the world's smallest implementation of a TCP/IP stack, which is implemented on a small 8-pin low-power microcontroller, using only 512 words of program ROM.

The iPic chip could be embedded in every appliance or even lamp socket in a house or office. These devices and appliances could all then be controlled from a web browser. With a few mouse clicks, users could navigate to a particular patio lamp or the clean cycle setting of an oven or the settings on a video recorder.

The appliance provides the user's web browser with a web page and Java applets that allow the user to enter the new settings and also to check on things inside that appliance.

The iPic web server with an appropriate transceiver could communicate with any computer in the building through the mains wiring. The control panel of that appliance would be accessed from a web browser. Appliances could even talk to each other through the house's wiring system.

There is no need to use a computer to control the appliances - they could communicate with each other through the wiring and co-ordinate each other's activities.

Shrikumar said that an alarm clock could tip off the rest of the house that its alarm time setting had changed. The clock could pass on the new settings to set up the coffee maker in the kitchen and the heater in the bathroom to the user's new wake-up time.

"You could wake up to find a warm bath and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee," Shrikumar said.

The prevous smallest web server was built at Stanford University.

www-ccs.cs.umass.edu/shri/iPic.html