Last week, we noted that it was possible to run a web server on a disposable vape through its USB-C port, and now I’ve been shown DOOM on an even more overpowered vape acting as a secondary display, which is a bit larger in size than the WeAct Display FS 0.96-inch USB display we just covered. Perhaps I should add a ‘vaporware’ category on CNX Software…
The new hack was done by Aaron Christophel (ACT1441) using an Aspire PIXO Vape with a Cortex-M4F MCU, a small color LCD, a USB-C port, Bluetooth LE connectivity, and a battery.
Aspire PIXO vape hardware specifications:
- MCU – Puxa PY32F403XC Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ 144 MHz with 64KB RAM, 256KB Flash
- Storage – External 16MB SPI Flash
- Display – 323 x 173 LCD
- Wireless – WS8000 BLE chip
- USB – 1x USB Type-C port
- Misc
- Heating Coil
- Vape microphone (designed to detect airflow from inhalation/puff)
- Vibration Motor
- External hardware watchdog connected to PC6
- Battery
Aaron has made a habit of running DOOM on various exotic devices, but the vape does not quite have enough RAM (100KB+ needed), so instead, he developed custom firmware for the PUYA microcontroller to use the device as a secondary display over USB-C.
You’ll find dumps of the original firmware, the custom C firmware, and the WebTool to manage the screen share on GitHub. The video below shows DOOM on the vape’s display using the keyboard and mouse from the PC, and a video played back from the PC at about 6 FPS.
The Aspire PIXO vape/pod kit sells for about 30 US/Euros on the company’s website, Amazon, and other places.
Via Hackaday
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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Its just pathetic what all resources are nowadays in use and throw one way crap.
M4f, lipo, Bluetooth, tft, wtf
So in order to convert a button press to current heating a resistor, nowadays hardware designers need a 144 MHz 32-bit CPU, 16 MB of flash, and a color LCD. Maybe at some point we’ll have to start sending people to jail for wasting precious resources like this. It reminds me of the disposable COVID tests in the US which were usable only once and used an STM32 to illuminate a few LEDs and that participated to the component shortage during that period.
I fully agree disposable vapes are a waste that should be banned, since people end up throwing away decent rechargeable cells given no port to recharge them, but the device in question is actually a refillable pod system. It is overkill in terms of processing power for sure, but the display is nice as it allows you to see things like number of puffs, coil impedance, wattage. Some smarter ones also dynamically tweak the power based on certain factors and can detect low liquid levels.
> sending people to jail for wasting precious resources like this.
Well here I disagree. If these chips were precious, they wouldn’t cost pennies nowadays. We got to a point where it’s cheaper to just use an overpowered MCU everywhere instead of making the necessary logic out of discrete components.
All vapes should just be banned, in no way can inhaling hot steam with chemicals be good for your lungs.
Neither is breathing air in many cities. We should just ban air altogether.