Efika 5200B Project Low cost, low energy digital picture frame in category Applications & Software proposed by Ulrich Beckers on 30th January 2006 (accepted on 11th February 2006)

Project Blog Entries

	MorphOS 2.1 and a new housing posted by Ulrich Beckers on 2nd October 2008 MorphOS 2.0 on the Efika had some serious problems, but MorphOS 2.1 was delivered soon after. Now the system is running fine and relatively stable and does a good job. Anyway, the case used now is not too stable and has a bad thermal concept. I just started to design a new case, this time more solid and with better features (the current one was a design study only). I'm yet undecided wheter I should integrate some new features (most likely an internal usb hub). The focus will obviously be on case quality and stability (to have it in a more robust condition to demo the system). Hope to post soon about results of my latest efforts. [Permalink]

	MorphOS has arrived posted by Ulrich Beckers on 13th July 2008 Since a couple of days MorphOS 2.0 is officially out and my frame has gone to every day use. MorphOS on the Efika is really great - the system feels very snappy and the entire system quite polished. But now, used under stress and really frequent, I discovered some issues where the frame might be improved. One of the biggest problems is the greater than expected heat dissipation of the gfx card. Using 3D (games, 3b blankers, but also Layers3D) does stress the radeon quite a bit and more heat gets generated than expected. Plus the gfx card is in direct neighborhood to the hard drive, which obviously does not like heat too much. I'll change the design quite is some regards. But before I'll do that I am going to secure the non stopping picture supply for the frame and take many photos on Corse and Sardinia during my starting (on Monday) 3 weeks bike-tour. [Permalink]

	PowerDev meeting in Hörstel posted by Ulrich Beckers on 31st March 2008 I will go to Hörstel on beginning May to join the PowerDev meeting there. I am most anxious to see the 5121 board there, but also I am looking forward to meet some ppl there to get and provide some new input and/or just have some nice chatting. [Permalink]

	The wonders of low pass filters posted by Ulrich Beckers on 12th March 2008 I optimized some internal cabling, but was quite unsatisfied by the picture quality of the display then. But it's always amazing what a simple low pass filter can do. I am happy to have found a ferite and cable winding that filters away the disturbing high frequency noise. [Permalink]

	Plans for 2008 posted by Ulrich Beckers on 11th January 2008 2008 has seen a couple of days already but I want to share my goals for 2008 with you. To put it in a nutshell: I want to make a real product out of my desin study. Currently I am working on material and methodical evaluations for a new frame. I did quite some research already, but still it will take me some time. During the next weeks I will build another design study (also based on the Efika1), the main design will keep the same, but it'll be better crafted and perhaps include some minor changes. One of the next real big steps is founding a company. I will not do it "tomorrow" but soon. Fortunately with another product prototype (not computer related, but also electronic - even though *very* simple electronic (something with LEDs)) I do have a 2nd pillar for my company launch. But currently I am not able to spend as much time on these things as I would need to move it quickly forward, since I am in my last stage of my PhD (which I will hopefully have finished in summer). [Permalink]

	Energy uptake posted by Ulrich Beckers on 11th December 2007 At least I did some netto energy uptake measures. The frame has currently an uptake of about 30Watt, w/o display this is 15Watt. I am not too happy with my ATX PSU it looses some power. The brutto energy uptake of the display is 15 Watt, but according to my previous measures the netto energy uptake of the display is 12 Watt, 3 Watt get burned at the PSU I'd assume. Anyway, those 30W aren't too bad and I am looking very forward to the Efika2. My goal is to reach a netto uptake for an entire Efika2 based frame of <18 Watt (even better <15W). Read all my measures at http://via.i-networx.de/bench_en.html [Permalink]

	The frame in action posted by Ulrich Beckers on 12th October 2007 Well, I made some first pictures of the frame actually showing a bit more than the console output: The quality of the photos is rather poor, because the light conditions were bad this morning wehn I took the pictures, but I guess they are sufficinet to get an idea about it. Read more about it on my personal project webpage. [Permalink]

	The first frame is finished posted by Ulrich Beckers on 13th September 2007 The first frame is finished since a couple of weeks. It was more a proof of concept how such a thing may look like and to seek for issues during the process. It is rather a pre-prototype, not even "model 0", but "model -1". The next version will be much closer to a real product then ("model 0"). I am not decided whether to go with the existing Efika or better wait for the Efika2 which will bring significant improvements but is not yet available. Well, I guess I will wait for it. I put up a preliminarily webpage with some more information and pictures of the frame at http://via.i-networx.de/eframe/eframe.htm . I believe the improved version can turn out in a real product which can successfully be sold in medium quantities. [Permalink]

	Low cost, low energy digital picture frame posted by Ulrich Beckers on 13th July 2007 Well, I wanted to finish the case of the frame before going on summer vaccation. I didn't. But I progressed. The outer case shell is woodden for this version. Wood is easy and comfortale to work with, but also limited. I still have do do the surface finish and vanish the case. Also the powerswitch for the display and operation LED is not soldered in. Currently it looks a bit rustic, but this will change. There is a brandnew hd inside waiting desperately for MorphOS, I didn't wanted to isntall Linux on that hd, thus currently there is not much more to see than the OF. Most important thing lacking in the current 1st version: WLAN. Also the cabling for power supply is not too fancy. Will change that and also try to add a battery later on. I guess I have to order another Efika or two for more tinkering. But now (Saturday) I am going on vaccation (a bicycle tour from Venice to northern Croatia and then Slovenia). Will result in many new lovely pictures - I guess the frame should be finished soon after returning from vaccation. [Permalink]

	The 1st frame is fairly progressed now posted by Ulrich Beckers on 2nd July 2007 Okay,I am ways behind my timeline, but some progress has been made recently. The rather simple case is fairly progressed, hope to finish it the comig weekend, but maybe I need another weekend for that. Time was *very* short the last weeks (lots of work, sports and some other things). The overall dimensions of the frame are 54 x 255 x 312mm. I would have loved to reduce the thickness, and thought aboout resoldering the NIC/usb connector, but it would have gained close to nothing, unless I had also changed the agp riser and that was to much effort for now. I still have to finish the case surface, do the integration of power/hd LEDs (with Swarovski crystals), also I need to add the LCDs power circuit and find a way to attach a passive cooler (no mounting holes) to one of the LCD controller chips and do the internal VGA connection. I also guess a switch to turn off the LCD only might be handy, should add that as well. I really hope to finish the device before (hopefully) going on on a vacation in about two weeks. [Permalink]