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Homebrew Digital Picture Frame w/Remote
feagle814 writes "I've always wanted to create one of those digital picture frames out of an old laptop, and on the heels of a recent slashdot story, I've written up my Digital Picture Frame project. What's unique about this particular incarnation of the digital picture frame is that mine includes a homebrew remote control recognizer made out of a programmable IC, the Microchip PIC16F628. The article discusses everything from design considerations to custom slideshow software, all the way to final presentation, with lots of photos along the way."
I've heard of projects like these before, but isn't there the huge problem of only being able to view the picture from directly ahead, seeing as it's usually a passive matrix screen? It seems like it defeats the purpose of having one as a background decoration.
It would be cool if it didn't suck.
Digital is cool and all, but when I was in boy scouts we built an analog picture frame. Man, you should see the technical specs on it, amazing.
Watch out!
" I'd seen do-it-yourself picture frames on Slashdot before,"
He's trying to trick us into Slashdotting Slashdot through a link back!
Why not just take a portable dvd player (7" for $129) and put a DVD into it filled with all your favorite pictures, then it'll display them. Then you just mount the thing in a frame.
http://codeus.info
The final battery connection
Of course, we all know that messing with Lithium-Ion batteries is just asking for a chemical acid explosion.
This is actually urban myth. Only old first style lithium batteries from earlier in the 1980s would explode or be capable of igniting on touch with the atmosphere.
Lithium Ion are exactly that, the Lithium are stored as IONS in the solution and are not reactive.
The funny thing is that I've been meaning to do a project just like this.
Except, unless you're looking for a reason to make your life more difficult, Windows IR software is abundant. Hardware is even cheaper, and not very complex. I remember using Girder (back then it was free, there might still be some sites around that offer the older version), and this captures IR codes from a COM port, and feeds specific keystrokes to a program of choice. MUCH easier than the route that the submitter mentioned.
Look up the LIRC project (in the FAQ somewhere) for schematics on a IR receiver if you really want to put the work in, or you can even buy some pre-made receivers. I bought one for $5 including a remote a few years back.
To get this running under Linux is easy enough, and well documented throughout the web. But to get it under windows can be just as easy.
Basically, to get this going under Windows (as the submitter chose, for some reason), you need to just load Windows XP and use the preloaded My Pictures screensaver (or some other alternative, I'm sure that they are abundant). Take an extra 10 minutes to mount a frame on a LCD (removed from the cover), and then set the screensaver to kick in 1 minute after booting (no password, not that it really matters). And you're done, ready to enjoy the rest of your christmas break with family or friends.
Folks, I realize that digital picture frames are "cool", but may I please present another perspective?
Until we figure out a way of generating clean, renewable power, perhaps this isn't the time to be coming up with more and more ways of consuming power for trivial applications, such as digital picture frames and blowup lighted Christmas figures that run an electric blower motor all night(!) Just consider it, please.
It's just as interesting to come up with ways of reducing household power consumption.
This isn't a bad idea, but I was hoping he was using the PIC to drive the panel directly. It'll cost a few bucks to keep this picture frame running.
I've driven VGA monitors from a FPGA before, but never a LCD panel directly - they're typically nightmares to work with. It strikes me that a digital picture frame might be a great project for someone to work on, and a practical application for some of the stuff over at OpenCores.
A low-end Spartan FPGA would do the trick (or maybe even something more lowly than that). You'd need to implement a driver core for SVGA or a DVI interface, a interface to a compactflash card, some glue logic for that, and not much else. And a PCB to hold it together.
Unfortunately I'm much too busy to tackle something like this myself right now, but if anyone would like to try it, I could point them in the right direction to get started.
..don't panic
1. Modification For Direct Power +2
2. IR Controller made with a PIC +8
3. Powered By Windows -9
Total 1 Point on the coolnes factor
Tech Note: 1 additional point could be gained
farily easily with the addition of a blue led.
Got Code?
the RF12F675 makes a nice transmitter.
My crazy Uncle Tony built a dynamic picture frame. It was way cooler than these fancy lcd dealies you're hearing about these days. He printed out a bunch of pictures on one of those old sk00l dot matrix printers that used the paper sheets with the holes on the sides, that you had to rip off after it printed; you know what I'm talking about. Anyways, he printed a bunch of pictures on a long sheet. Then he put em in his dynamic picture frame, which allowed you to switch pictures using a crank that rolled the sheet picture to picture. It was totally cool.
But I hear that in korea, only old people use low tech dynamic picture frames. Uncle Tony lived in South Jersey, and if you called him old, he'd fucking kill you by bludgening you with a baseball bat.
Krudler
Well the laptop in question has a failed battery, no networking capabilities, and is maxed out with 8MB ram. They keyboard is flaky and i think the floppy drive has failed.
A system of that spec is of limited use to anyone given that a desktop would be more useful and work better. However it's an ideal photoframe project since it has a 800x600 active-matrix lcd.
I've donated odd computers to schools or needy friends, but if i'm going to have to support it i'd rather give away something good.
I agree that it's no great hardware hack, but consider how difficult it is to interface with a mono lcd, i can't imagine investing that kind of effort for a digital picture frame.
If it wasn't for the idiot tree huggers who put a stop to nuclear power in the US, our air would be a lot cleaner right now.
Yes, I'm sure the reason that nuclear power is because of "tree huggers", a group who has had little political power at its peak and none at all for the past decade or so. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that nuclear power takes away from the profits of the oil and coal industries, and that the GOP is deep in the pockets of same. No, that whole link between Saudi and the Bush family is just a bunch of propaganda dreamed up by Michael Moore, and he's a fatass.
Bush is president. The Republicans control congress. You want to point the finger of blame somewhere point at those who have the power to change things but don't.
If it wasn't for the idiot tree huggers who put a stop to nuclear power in the US, our air would be a lot cleaner right now.
It would help, though, if the energy industry wasn't composed mostly of stubborn fossil fuel conglomerates that own the wells, the pipelines, the refineries, the plants, and everything, all supported by heavy government subsidies and a finger in every bureaucratic pie. Oh, and if it didn't cost so much to build and maintain a nuclear plant.
Environmentalists (not all of whom can be described as "idiot tree huggers") may make a lot of noise, but the biggest reason nuclear power isn't huge here is the money. It just doesn't make financial sense to fossil fuel-based energy companies to spend tons of money on a plant that makes their existing plants and infrastructure obsolete and has the effect of making their product, energy, cheaper.
Don't become a regular here -- you will become retarded.
You make accusations where there is no actual fact. How about we point some blame at Clinton for not proposing solutions for 8 years. Or even attempting to get Osama when he was offered on a plate (at least) twice.
Hahahahaha you're response is "Blame Clinton hey let's change the subject and talk about Osama!" Oh man, you're a walking cliche, aren't you?
Why do Republicans hate responsibility?
BTW: Cute kids.