Prototyping of a Smart, Secure and Multipurpose Flash Pen Drive
How to cite (JITCE) :
Unlike traditional pen-drives, the proposed device incorporates biometric authentication, wireless file access, local encryption, and real-time display feedback within a compact embedded system. The prototype is based on a dual microcontroller architecture, using the STM16F103C8T6 as the master controller for system logic and security, and the ESP16-WROOM for wireless connectivity and mobile interaction. Key features of the device include fingerprint-based user access control, AES encryption for secure file storage, battery-powered offline operation, and a display interface to inform users of transfer progress, battery life, and wireless status. The system also includes a custom communication protocol between the two microcontrollers to ensure synchronized behavior between authentication and Wi-Fi access. Two physical models were envisioned and prototyped: one using buttons and a compact OLED display, and another with a touchscreen interface for advanced control. The report outlines the methodology, system architecture, component selection, PCB design, firmware logic, and testing strategy. While the prototype is still under development, the design has been validated through detailed simulation, testing of individual modules, and real-world power and thermal calculations. The project demonstrates the feasibility of building a modern, user-friendly USB drive that merges data security, IoT accessibility, and mobile independence.
[1] K. Shimizu, Y. Li, and R. H. Deng, “Portable Data Encryption Device with Configurable Security Functionality and Method for File Encryption,” U.S. Patent 9,049,010 B2, Mar. 3, 2015.
[2] S. Mahna and C. Sravan, “An Efficient Data Transmission by Using Modern USB Flash Drive,” Int. J. Multimedia and Ubiquitous Engineering, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 1–10, 2014.
[3] H. Kim, Y. Lee, and J. Park, “Vulnerability Analysis of Secure USB Flash Drives,” J. Information Security Research, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 115–128, 2008.
[4] Espressif Systems, ESP32 Technical Reference Manual, Version 4.1, Espressif Systems, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.espressif.com
[5] STMicroelectronics, RM0008: Reference Manual for STM32F103xx Advanced ARM-based 32-bit MCUs, Rev. 20, Nov. 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.st.com
[6] E. Wirth, “Thermal Management in Embedded Systems,” M.S. thesis, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA, 2004.
[7] Espressif Systems, “ESP32-WROOM-32 Datasheet — Version 3.6,” Espressif Systems, 2021.
[8] Espressif Systems, “ESP32-WROOM-32E and WROOM-32UE Datasheet, v1.9,” Espressif Systems, May 2020.
[9] STMicroelectronics, “RM0008 — Reference Manual for STM32F103xx Advanced ARM-based 32-bit MCUs,” Rev. 20, STMicroelectronics, 2021.
[10] National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), “FIPS 197 — Advanced Encryption Standard (AES),” Nov. 2001.
[11] USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), “Universal Serial Bus Specification, Revision 2.0,” USB-IF, Apr. 2000.[12] USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF), “Mass Storage Class (MSC) — Specification Overview,” USB-IF, 2003.
[13] TopPower Semiconductor, TP4056: 1A Standalone Linear Li-Ion Battery Charger with Thermal Regulation, Datasheet, 2018.
[14] Solomon Systech Ltd., SSD1306 OLED/PLED Driver Controller, Datasheet, 2016.
[15] Hangzhou Grow Technology Co., R307 Optical Fingerprint Module User Manual, 2019.
[16] K. Nohl, S. Krißler, and J. Lell, “BadUSB — On Accessories That Turn Evil,” Black Hat USA Conference Proceedings, 2014.
[17] H. Liu, J. Chen, and S. Zhang, “USB-Powered Devices: A Survey of Side-Channel Threats and Mitigations,” IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 145371–145384, 2021.
[18] O. Ettahri, A. Rida, and A. J. M. Trabelsi, “A Real-Time Thermal Monitoring System Intended for Embedded Applications,” Sensors, vol. 20, no. 23, 2020.
[19] Y. Lee, S. Kim, and H. Park, “Thermal-Aware Design and Management of Embedded Systems,” in Proc. Design, Automation & Test in Europe (DATE), 2021, pp. 1119–1124.
[20] M. Nicho, P. Obaid, and D. M. Zuckerman, “Bypassing Multiple Security Layers Using Malicious USB Devices,” in Proc. Int. Conf. Information Systems Security and Privacy (ICISSP), 2023.
[21] H. Jeong, J. Park, and Y. Lee, “Vulnerability Analysis of Secure USB Flash Drives,” J. Information Security Research, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 115–128, 2007.
[22] S. Malik and R. Patel, “BadUSB: The Threat Hidden in Ordinary Objects — A Comprehensive Survey,” in Proc. IEEE Conf. Cybersecurity and Privacy, 2022
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Please find the rights and licenses in the Journal of Information Technology and Computer Engineering (JITCE).
1. License
The non-commercial use of the article will be governed by the Creative Commons Attribution license as currently displayed on Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
2. Author(s)’ Warranties
The author(s) warrants that the article is original, written by stated author(s), has not been published before, contains no unlawful statements, does not infringe the rights of others, is subject to copyright that is vested exclusively in the author and free of any third party rights, and that any necessary permissions to quote from other sources have been obtained by the author(s).
3. User Rights
JITCE adopts the spirit of open access and open science, which disseminates articles published as free as possible under the Creative Commons license. JITCE permits users to copy, distribute, display, and perform the work for non-commercial purposes only. Users will also need to attribute authors and JITCE on distributing works in the journal.
4. Rights of Authors
Authors retain the following rights:
- Copyright, and other proprietary rights relating to the article, such as patent rights,
- the right to use the substance of the article in future own works, including lectures and books,
- the right to reproduce the article for own purposes,
- the right to self-archive the article.
- the right to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the article's published version (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal (Journal of Information Technology and Computer Engineering).
5. Co-Authorship
If the article was jointly prepared by other authors; upon submitting the article, the author is agreed on this form and warrants that he/she has been authorized by all co-authors on their behalf, and agrees to inform his/her co-authors. JITCE will be freed on any disputes that will occur regarding this issue.
7. Royalties
By submitting the articles, the authors agreed that no fees are payable from JITCE.
8. Miscellaneous
JITCE will publish the article (or have it published) in the journal if the article’s editorial process is successfully completed and JITCE or its sublicensee has become obligated to have the article published. JITCE may adjust the article to a style of punctuation, spelling, capitalization, referencing and usage that it deems appropriate. The author acknowledges that the article may be published so that it will be publicly accessible and such access will be free of charge for the readers.