Apple PowerBook 540c Digital Photo Frame

I converted an Apple PowerBook 540c laptop computer into a digital photo frame. The original idea came from Jim Roos who posted his idea on AppleFritter using a PowerBook 280c. I took the same idea but used a PowerBook 540c because it has a built-in Ethernet port making uploading of new photos across my LAN a lot easier.

What This Is

This is a digital photo frame which displays digital images in a traditional photo frame. I used an Apple PowerBook 540c laptop computer with active-matrix LCD screen which I bought on eBay for $52 and a photo frame I bought at Walmart for $13. I built an enclosure out of 1-3/4" lattice wood strips I bought at Home Depot for $3. The whole thing is glued together with Goop Household adhesive (awesome stuff!). The hard drive was glued to the motherboard with Goop and the motherboard was glued to the back of the LCD screen with Goop.

How Does It Work

I'm running JPEGView, a free slideshow program for the Mac, which runs automatically on boot up by dropping an alias (shortcut) in the Startup folder. I've set Mac OS 7.6 to ignore improperly shutdown sessions, because I don't have a keyboard attached and I shutdown by pulling the power cord. To start the computer, I ran a momentary switch (press button to close, release to open) to the ADB port which shorts pins 2 and 4 on the ADB. Thanks to the guys on the AppleFritter.com forum for pointing me in the right direction to find this information. The switch is glued with Goop to the motherboard. So, to start the picture frame, you just push the switch for a second and presto! the computer boots up and starts the JPEGView application. JPEGView just sequences through a folder of JPEG images I uploaded to the hard drive.

The hard drive is glued with Goop to the motherboard. I put plastic washers on the bottom of the hard drive then Goop'd over them, to provide some ventilation and prevent the hard drive circuit board from coming in contact with the motherboard circuits. I put 4 rubber grommets on the bottom of the motherboard to provide ventilation for the electronics, then Goop'd over them and stuck it to the back of the LCD screen. Note the momentary switch Goop'd to the top of the motherboard (left side) with a wire running to pins 2 and 4 of the ADB port.

Total thickness is 2-1/2" from the front of the frame to the back of the box.

I cut-out two vent holes in the top. The 540c has no fan, so I needed to provide some heat vents. I plan to "remote" the momentary switch by sticking a dowel into the left vent hole to press the boot-up switch.

That's my Miata, a picture I took of it when I lived in Hawaii...<sigh>