Centrally Controlled Digital Picture Frame

Step 2 Requirements

I’m going to break the requirements down into three categories:

1. Hardware / Materials (for frame)
2. Software
3. Centralized Server

Hardware / Materials (for frame)

• Old laptop w/power supply.  Does not need working hard drive or keyboard.  Requires working CD or DVD-ROM drive and ability to boot from disc (found in your BIOS). 
  • This build was based on an old Dell C600.  It is a 750MHz Mobile Pentium III machine with 512MB of RAM and a 14.1” LCD display.
• Shadowbox Picture Frame
  • This build is based on a 16” x 20” x 2” shadowbox picture frame.  Mine was picked up from a local craft store for $26.  I’m sure they could be found cheaper (please let me know if you find a good source online).
• White Mat Material (to match your frame)
  • This build used a 16” x 20” white mat material (~$3.00)
• Wooden yard stick (or similar sized piece of wood)
• A few misc. blocks of wood (I used thick balsa wood which is super easy to cut to size)
• Velcro™
• Hot glue gun (or hot-melt as some people call it)
• Momentary-on power switch for back of frame.  Any low profile momentary-on switch will do but I used Radio Shack Model # 275-644

Software

• Windows XP CD (or media on hard drive), ideally with latest patches and service packs installed
• BartPE (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#download)
  • Various BartPE plugins (will be detailed later)
• Optional: VMWare Player or Server (both are FREE for personal use)
  • I can’t recommend this enough for development of your boot CD
  • It allows you to virtually test everything out before burning a CD or CD-RW.  It was crucial to have this during my “trial and error” testing but may not be as important if you want to simply follow my guidance
  • VMWare Player is best suited for this testing.  Follow this tutorial on how to create a vmx file that will allow you to use within VMWare Player to boot CD.

Centralized Server

• Any home PC with sufficient storage for your photos running a MS Windows OS
  • This build is based on a system running Windows XP with access via a Wi-Fi network. 
• Could also use any other type of dedicated networked file share.  Anything that can have a drive “mapped” to a Windows UNC name (such as \\servername\folder) would work just fine.