Off-label uses for Bash Bunny - provisioning other devices?

[eyeguy]

I'm investigating ways to solve a provisioning problems I have that requires configuring a "personality" (persisted state) on a ESP32 platform. I'd like to understand if it may be possible to hardware hack the Bash Bunny (or something else) to use as a compact and portable means for the following two use cases:

 

• Use case 1: Configuring a "personality" onto the ESP32 device
  • plug in a USB (something) to the USB connector on a ESP32 board and have power supplied to the ESP32 by the (something)
  • The ESP32 boots up and the bootstrapper/bootloader recognizes a USB flash drive implemented by the (something).
  • The ESP32 bootstrapper/bootloader looks for and discovers a particular file name on the USB flash drive, and then burns the contents of the file ("personality" data) into flash memory within the ESP32 controller.
  • Ideally the "personality" could be selected by a switch on the (something).
• Use case 2: Configuring a new code image onto the ESP32 device
  • plug in a USB (something) to the USB connector on a ESP32 board and have power supplied to the ESP32 by the (something)
  • An application running on the (something) microprocessor downloads a new bootable image and causes it to be persisted on the ESP32 device.
  • Ideally the "deploy code image" mode could be selected by a switch on the (something). Perhaps the same (something) as in use case 1, but not required.

 

From what I understand so far, the Bash Bunny is not self-powered and does not supply power over USB. Seems like there would be need for a hardware hack or addition of some other power-supplying device into the mix.

 

I sincerely appreciate your thoughts and insights.

 

BTW, this effort is in support of provisioning wearables onboard the TechnoGecko electric autonomous mutant vehicle: https://www.technogecko.org/ . Come visit us for Juplaya 2021 and future Burning Man events.