How I made my own digital picture frame

[wgoldfarb]

I had an old Dell Latitude CPxJ Laptop with a bad keyboard, dead battery and dead CD drive. Fixing it would have been a few hundred dollars, only to end up with a fixed but severely outdated computer. The laptop had long been replaced by another computer so instead of fixing it, I thought I would turn it into a digital picture frame. I documented every step, so I thought I'd share the process with everyone (I will separate the process in several posts, as I am not sure if there is a limit on the length of any given post). I apologize if I provided too much detail, feel free to skim over the boring parts There are a LOT of pictures!

Before I started I did a quick online search and found several similar projects out there, but none that were exactly what I wanted. My plan was to install a screen saver that would show the photos on screen, remove all unnecessary hardware, and house everything inside a picture frame that I could hang on my wall. I also wanted to leave the WiFi card in place so I could send pictures to the frame from any other computer on my LAN.

Here is the starting point, a semi functional Dell CPxJ laptop.

The first step was to get the software side of things ready. Since I was planning to disassemble the laptop I figured it would be easier to do this first, while I still had a keyboard and mouse. I removed everything except the operating system (win 2K pro) and the required software for the wifi card. Then I installed two pieces of software: the gPhotoShow screensaver to show the photos on screen, and RealVNC to allow remote control of the picture frame from the other computers in my LAN (I was planning on removing the keyboard, so I needed a simple way to control the frame once it was hanging on the wall). I should have also installed Switch-Off at this point. I did not do it, and I ended up having to install it after the frame was finished (more on this later!).

gPhotoShow can be configured to display, one by one, all the pictures in a given folder. I created a folder and enabled sharing, so that I could later add pictures to this folder from any other computer via my wireless LAN. To change the pictures that would be displayed I simply had to access the shared folder from any other computer, and change its contents any time I wanted.

My next step was to get a service manual for the laptop. If you are planning on doing this with a laptop, finding the service manual for your computer is something I would strongly recommend. A quick Google search should help you.

So, with the software properly installed, my service manual in hand, lots of snacks and soft drinks nearby and my tools ready, I started to take apart the laptop.

(OBLIGATORY DISCLAIMERS: following this process may result in a dead computer damaged beyond repair and will most definitely void any warranties your laptop may have! If you decide to try something similar to what I am describing you do so at your own risk. Please don't blame me if you try to do this and end up with a damaged or dead laptop! Also, the process and correct order to disassemble your laptop may be different than mine, this is why the service manual is important. Finally, properly grounding yourself is important to prevent damage to the laptop from static electricity). Ok. With these out of the way, let's continue

 

[wgoldfarb]

Okay. Now for the fun part.

I switched the computer off, disconnected the power cord, emptied the modular bays (i.e. removed the battery and CD ROM) and removed all cards from the PC card slots. I removed the 7 screws that held the keyboard in place (clearly marked with the letter "K"), lifted the keyboard out of the laptop, and disconnected the two cables that connect the keyboard to the Mobo. Here is the result.

Here is a close up, pointing out some parts that we will need to deal with later.

The next step was to separate the screen from the rest of the laptop. It is held in place by three screws on the back of the laptop (marked with the letter "D"). I removed them and disconnected the cable that connects the display to the Mobo. The hinge cover needs to be pried loose to lift the display out of the laptop. Here is the result.

I set the display aside to deal with it later. Next I removed the hard drive (simple enough, one screw holds the cover in place, and the drive just slides out). Here is the drive outside of the laptop.

The next step was to remove the palm rest assembly. I removed the 5 screws holding the assembly in place (marked with the letter "P"), disconnected the touch pad connector, and lifted the assembly out of the laptop. Here is the result.

In this laptop the CMOS battery was part of the palm rest assembly (you can see it here) and is connected to the Mobo through the touch pad connector. It would have been extremely difficult to separate the battery from the assembly and connect it to the Mobo by itself, and leaving the entire assembly in place would have taken up too much space. I decided to leave the CMOS battery out. The result is that as soon as you disconnect the AC power cable from the MoBo for more than a few seconds, all BIOS settings are lost. My plan was to leave the frame connected to the wall 24/7, so this was no big deal. The only issue is that the very first time that the frame booted up, I received an error saying that the BIOS settings were lost, and to press a key (F1 or F2, cannot remember) to continue. So, the very first time that I powered up the frame I needed to connect an external keyboard to get the system to boot. This only happens the first time I boot the system up after it is unplugged for more than a few seconds. As long as the system remains plugged to the wall, the system will boot normally and the keyboard is not needed.

Next I removed the MoBo from the case. By now there were only 2 remaining screws holding the MoBo in place. I removed these screws, and the MoBo lifted right out of the case: The Motherboard.

The service manual said to remove the heatsink assembly from the mobo prior to removing the mobo. I did it but it is probably not necessary, and the drawback of having done it is that I had to clean the heat sink and CPU to remove the remnants of the thermal pad, and reapply thermal paste before remounting the heatsink.

With the mobo freed from the case, it was a good point for a snack break.

 

[wgoldfarb]

My next step was to disassemble the LCD screen. I wanted to leave only the essential parts to make the frame as thin as possible, so the screen's casing had to go. I only wanted the LCD panel itself. Here is the screen before I took it apart.

Removing the front bezel was relatively easy. it is held in place by 6 screws on the front of the screen. You remove the rubber cover of each screw with a small screwdriver, and then remove the screws. The LCD panel itself is held in place by 6 more screws, 3 on each side. Remove these, and you can then lift the top of the LCD panel to access the connectors on the back.

Normally to remove the LCD panel you would remove the connectors and leave the cables behind, but I needed the cables. The cables are attached to the plastic casing with metal clips. I had to carefully pry the clips from the plastic case, so that the cables could slide out of the casing along with the LCD panel. This step cannot be undone: the clips are attached in such a way that to remove them I had to break the plastic "tabs" that hold them in place. I could not find a way to separate the metal clips from the cables without damaging the cables, so I had to leave the clips in place. I simply used some pliers to bend them as flat as possible. Here is the LCD panel out of its casing:

Back of the LCD panel and casing.
Front of the LCD panel. Note the two metal clips.

I now had all the main pieces I needed, so it was time for a quick test. I plugged the hard drive and WiFi card into the Mobo, connected the LCD panel, and plugged the AC power cord. I powered up the system, and after using an external keyboard to get past the "lost BIOS settings" message I was greeted with a Win 2K boot screen. A few minutes later the screen saver kicked in, and I had my first picture on the screen.

Time for a snack break.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Why remove everything from the laptop? Couldn't you put the screen backward like a tablet PC?

 

[wgoldfarb]

Next I turned my attention to mounting everything inside the picture frame. I was going to use an 11 x 14 frame. This would fit the 9 x 12 LCD panel and allow about an inch on each side for a border around the pictures. I bought an 11 x 14 shadow box frame, 2.5 inches deep. My plan was to place the LCD panel flat against the glass, and use some stiff cardboard behind the LCD (between the LCD and the MoBo) to protect the LCD and serve as a "Motherboard tray". Since this is the less conventional part of the process I will provide some detail.

To mount the LCD panel I used 5mm white foam board (available at most art supply stores). First I cut a piece of foam board to approximately 11" x 14" -- it was measured so that it would fit snugly right behind the glass inside the shadow box. I then took this piece and cut an opening in it, so that the LCD panel would fit snugly (and centered!) inside this opening. Here is the LCD panel right next to the cut foam board, and here it is already mounted. To affix the LCD panel onto the foam board I used HVAC tape.

As mentioned above I wanted to mount the MoBo right behind the LCD panel inside the frame but I did not want the cardboard where the MoBo would be mounted to press against the LCD panel. I glued one additional strip of foam board on each side of the LCD panel so the cardboard holding the MoBo in place would sit on top of these strips. Here is how the finished mount for the LCD panel looks like from the back, and here it is from the front. Finally, in the original mounting for the LCD panel they had used some soft foam, presumably for support of the LCD panel. I took the two small foam pads and placed them on the panel in the same manner.

The next step was to mount the MoBo onto the cardboard. I used the backing for an 11x14 picture frame. Art supply stores sell these to turn hanging picture frames into frames than can stand on a table top. I removed the piece of cardboard on the back that allows it to stand and ended up with a very stiff piece of 11 x 14 cardboard that would perfectly fit inside the shadow box frame. I chose three of the standoff holes on the MoBo and inserted a standoff thread up through each hole from the bottom of the MoBo. I did not have washers/nuts that would fit the threads on the standoffs, so I screwed another three standoffs from the top of the MoBo onto the protruding threads of the first three. If this is not clear, here are some pics:

One standoff, seen from the bottom of the MoBo...
...and its corresponding mate, seen from the top.

To make the entire assembly as thin as possible, I removed the plastic piece that held the CPU heat sink fan in place. I was going to use double sided tape to affix the fan to the cardboard in the correct spot, so this mounting assembly was not required and just added unnecessary bulk to the fan.

Next I drilled some holes on the cardboard, and used screws to hold the MoBo in place. Here is how the mounting works. My next concern was the hard disk. Its only support was the connector to the MoBo. To provide a more secure mount I placed the Hard disk into its caddy. I used white foam board for support under the caddy (foam board was held in place with double sided tape), and then attached the end of the caddy that is opposite the connector to the cardboard with a screw and a small metal strip (the metal piece I used was a small piece normally screwed to the back of picture frames to hang them onto the wall. I bought a few of these to use them to hang the shadow box to the wall, you will see them later). Here are the MoBo and hard disk already mounted onto the cardboard backing. Note the rectangular hole right below the MoBo. This is where the cable from the LCD will come through the cardboard, to be connected to the MoBo. Here is a close up of the hard drive mounting.

To hide the white foam board used to mount the LCD panel I cut a piece of thin black matte cardboard. The piece was 11" x 14", with an opening just 1 mm smaller than the opening on the foam board. I placed this black "border" flush against the glass inside the shadow box. Next I placed the LCD panel assembly inside the shadow box right behind the black border, and placed the stiff cardboard with the MoBo on top of the LCD panel. Then I inserted the end of the LCD panel cable through the opening on the cardboard backing. Here is a picture of the MoBo already in place on top of the LCD panel, with the LCD cable already connected. I wasn't too happy with the twist in the LCD panel cable, but I could not see how to avoid it.

I had previously drilled a small hole at the bottom of the shadow box for the AC power cable, so I connected the AC power cable and fixed it in place with HVAC tape. To fix the MoBo in place I placed some nails into the side of the shadow box at the bottom, and a couple of small screws at the top (the screws allow for easy removal if needed). Here is what the whole thing looks like.

With the main pieces in place inside the frame it was time for a test. I plugged the AC power, turned on the system, and ...it works!

Time for a much deserved snack break.

 

[wgoldfarb]

My next problem was to find a way to turn the system on and off without having to open the frame each time. The power switch on the mobo is not easily accessible, even when the mobo is out of the frame. You can see the small green switch here. I decided to solder a small switch onto the MoBo, and affix the switch to the case. At this point I took everything out of the frame and drilled some holes into the frame: several small holes for ventilation, at the top and bottom, and one larger hole at the top for the switch. I also nailed some hardware so that I could hang the shadow box on the wall. In this photo you can see some of the small ventilation holes, the hole for the switch, and the two small metal strips used to hang the frame. Here is another view showing the holes at the bottom of the frame. Once the drilling was finished I put everything back in the frame.

As for the switch, I used a small switch from Radio Shack. I soldered two small wires to the switch, and soldered the switch onto the mobo. To prevent any strain on the joint I used HVAC tape to secure the wires to the Mobo. I screwed the switch onto some stiff cardboard to be used to mount the switch onto the frame. In this photo you can see the switch already soldered in place, and mounted on its cardboard base. Here is the switch already screwed in place, and here is how the whole thing looks, with the AC cable already in place. Here is the switch from the outside. The only remaining thing to do was to affix the back of the shadow box frame. I drilled some holes into it for added ventilation, made some openings under the mounting hardware to allow space for the screws that will be used to hang the frame, and put the backing in its place.

I did not want the system to go through the entire boot process every time I powered the frame on, so I configured the BIOS to simply go into standby when the power switch is pressed. This allows for very quick powering on and off the frame, the laptop is simply going in and out of standby every time I press the switch. After using teh frame for a few days, however, I decided I did not like to have to turn the frame on and off by hand. I ended up installing the Switch-Off software I mentioned at the start, configure it to turn the frame off each night (actually shutdown, not just standby) and configured the BIOS to turn the laptop on every day in the morning. This way the whole thing powers on and off by itself. The switch is still there if I need to turn it on or off manually, but I almost never use it now.

Here is how the frame looks hanging on my wall It is a great conversation piece!

Since the frame hangs at eye level, you cannot see the ventilation holes at the top and bottom of the frame, or the switch. The one remaining thing to do is to buy some strips to hide/cover the AC power cable.

I hope you enjoyed reading this (very long) post!

 

[wgoldfarb]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
Why remove everything from the laptop? Couldn't you put the screen backward like a tablet PC?

The fully assembled laptop would not fit inside the shadow box -- too big but, most important, much too thick. I would have needed a much larger box, and it would not have looked as good. Also, I don't think the cable from the LCD screen would be able to reach the MoBo in that position. Another reason I wanted to take it apart is to have the LCD panel flush against the glass on the frame. If the LCD panel was still in its casing there would be a gap between the panel and the glass on the frame and it would not look nearly as good. Finally, and perhaps most important, it was lots of fun

 

[Kromis]

Dude...that is SO ownage

 

[wgoldfarb]

Originally posted by: Kromis
Dude...that is SO ownage

Thanks! Whenever people see it for the first time, the reaction is usually "Wow, where did you buy that?"

 

[Poohbee]

Great Post and instruction. I have old laptops that I was going to throw away or give away but this is such a great way to re-use old hardware. Good work and Thank you!

 

[stogez]

That is definitely a nice DIY project. Very nice and detailed how-to.
Hmmm I have an old laptop I might have to try this on lol.

 

[wgoldfarb]

Poohbee/stogez,

if you do try this and there are any questions I can answer please let me know.

 

[mcurphy]

Awesome project, nice work! The finished product looks very nice!

I have a 3 year old Averatec with a 15" screen (busted keyboard) that I might tear apart and try to follow your lead. Thanks for the inspiration and great tips in your post.

 

[wgoldfarb]

mcurphy,

Thanks! Your Averatec does sound like a candidate for surgery.

I forgot to mention that the entire cost of the project (excluding the laptop itself) was under $30. Most of it was the cost of the shadow box frame itself, I wanted something that looked nice. In addition to the frame I only had to buy some foam board, the cardboard backing, power switch, mounting hardware, and the black matte cardboard used for the border.

 

[VTHodge]

Looks fantastic. Very professional. Something of that quality would probably sell for several hundred dollars. :thumbsup:

 

[SparkyJJO]

That's cool, I like that

 

[pradeep1]

Creative use of an old laptop, but it's got to be an energy waster. If you are going to keep it up and running showing photos, might as well run Folding@Home on it.

 

[bendixG15]

Congrates on your project and thanks for all the hard work it took to post it here.

:thumbsup:

 

[theknight571]

Nice job.

I give it: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[HannibalX]

Originally posted by: pradeep1
Creative use of an old laptop, but it's got to be an energy waster. If you are going to keep it up and running showing photos, might as well run Folding@Home on it.

I knew someone would say something along those lines.

You would have the only folding picture frame on your block!

 

[BladeVenom]

Looks great. It's practical and inexpensive, unlike most computer mods.

 

[wgoldfarb]

Thanks for all the great comments.

Pradeep/Pale Rider,

Great suggestion re: folding@home! I never thought of it, but it makes perfect sense. The laptop is on most of the day, and the CPU is idle most of the time. I will do it right away! A picture frame AND a molecular biology simulator....

 

[MedicBob]

Great post and looks great.


Looks around for an old laptop. Not that I need another project, but whatever.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: MedicBob
Great post and looks great.


Looks around for an old laptop. Not that I need another project, but whatever.

Nice job :thumbsup:

 

[n7]

Impressive!