Blueberry is my past project that came from idea of wireless USB drive and pocket Web Dev Server that was evolving and finally ended up as a remote IoT home automation device. You can see the progress and components used to make this one here.
First version was based on ESP-13 WiFi module (a very small version of ESP8266), micro USB-UART RS232 TTL FT232 3.3/5V converter and small 3.7V 450mAh lipo battery and USB charger.
The problem was to solder the wires to a small 1,5mm raster pads of a ESP-13 and find good enclosure for it. Fortunately I had two Blue small Power banks that had ready made holes for micro USB socket, and I also found switch that fit in the big USB socket perfectly 🙂
Switch has two pole positions, to the left is power on to the ESP-13 from the battery. The right one was for power on from the USB to Serial converter, that allows communication and programming the module from the PC.
But the ESP-13 module has been fried due to bad soldering of the 3.3V power regulator negative pad, that result to put 5V to the module instead allowed 3.3V 🙁
ESP-13 was not very powerful anyway, it allows only one or two connection by WiFi at the same time, so it needs to be replaced by something much better – Onion Omega2+ 😀
Using the same Serial to USB converter and battery, utilizing charger from the Powerbank and fixed power regulator.
This time there was no space in one Powerbank enclosure, so we need to use two. Glued together and cut in the middle of the bottom leads. Makes invisible connection with small venting holes on the sides.
There was a problem with the weak WiFi signal coming out of Omega, lucky enough Omega has a U.FL socket that allows to connect external antenna that is increasing coverage of the signal. But to use one, we need to remove small resistor that connects SMT internal antenna on the Omega. This will allow to use external antenna at its maximum performance. Also we need to drill one hole for the antenna in the enclosure. Not much work after all 🙂
And that is it, you can use it as a small Powerbank still 😀
This can be used as a WiFi accessible remote storage (Omega2+ has a MicroSD card slot) or as a Development server for your PHP or Python languages. You can install all sort of software available for the OpenWrt Linux distro. Possibilities are endless 🙂