Squeezing the BEAM into 16MB - Peer Stritzinger| Code BEAM Lite STO 2025

[CodeSync]

Squeezing the BEAM into 16MB - Peer Stritzinger| Code BEAM Lite STO 2025

Squeezing the BEAM into 16MB - Peer Stritzinger| Code BEAM Lite STO 2025

This talk was recorded at Code BEAM Stockholm in June 2025. If you’re curious about our upcoming event, check https://codebeamstockholm.com

Abstract
Erlang was designed for fault tolerance, not fitting into tiny memory footprints on energy-starved embedded systems. But what happens when you push it into just 16MB of RAM, run it on an RTEMS real-time OS, and power it from temperature gradient energy harvesting?

In this talk, we’ll dive into the challenges and solutions of making the full Erlang runtime, OTP, a TCP/IP stack, and USB support work under extreme constraints. We’ll explore the brutal trade-offs in memory usage, optimizing the boot process for minimal energy consumption, and the unexpected quirks of running Erlang on hardware where every millijoule counts.

Along the way, we’ll break down how GRiSP nano boots from a cold start, how energy availability affects system initialization, and what we learned from pushing BEAM into places it was never meant to go.

If you’re curious about embedded Erlang, extreme resource constraints, or just want to see how far you can push the runtime, this talk is for you.

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