The Spinneret Web Server may be small — at less than 1½ by 4 inches — but it is a feature packed development platform. The built-in MicroSD card socket and real-time clock allow ample room for time-stamped file and data storage, and the oversized EEPROM can store non-volatile data for use when there is no MicroSD card present.
As an open-source hardware design, all design including layout, schematics, and firmware — are available under licenses that allow free distribution and reuse. This means that the Spinneret Web Server’s design can be incorporated into new applications royalty free and without a non-disclosure agreement.
The Spinneret Web Server is an Ethernet based development board for the Propeller microcontroller. Web page content, files, and logs can be stored on a MicroSD card. The serial EEPROM has 32 KB for storing a Propeller program and 32 KB for non-volatile data storage, independent of the MicroSD card. There is a real-time clock controller for time stamping files and events and a backup capacitor that will keep the clock running through extended power outages. There is a serial programming header and two auxiliary I/O connections, one for level-shifted open collector communications over a three-pin data/power/ground cable, and a the second is a 12-pin socket for direct 3.3 volt I/O connections. There are eight status LEDs on the PCB, plus two that are repeated on the Ethernet jack. One of the status LEDs is user controllable and shares a line with a button that can be read under user control. A second button resets the Propeller to reload the firmware from the EEPROM.
When will AdaFruit be offering Propeller microcontroller based kits? Please?!