Project: Motorcycle Picture Frame

Putting the electronic components into the woodworking project didn’t work out as I had hoped. This time, I’ll center the project around the electronics, ensuring that they’ll fit into an enclosure that I design.

As I’ve already got the dimensions for the electronic components, I can create a rough draft of what will be the display method. This time, I’ll note the must-haves for the enclosure, and work from the components outward. These are the components that I need to layout, then design:

• Arduino Mega
• 2.8″ TFT picture display
• 0.96″ OLED text display
• RTC (Real-Time Clock) board
  • access to coin battery for replacement
• microSD breakout board
  • access to microSD card to add pictures
• power supply

 

Inner Components

Starting with the base to hold the electronics, a general layout gave me a starting point of where to place things. I put a divider to separate the parts that need access in the rear, and the static components that do not need to be touched in the front. A notch on the side will allow for cables to run from the rear components, to the Arduino Mega, and anything else going to the project layout. The base will slide into the top portion of the project, and have grooves to snap and hold in place. While the display has its own built-in microSD card reader, it will not be in an enclosure suited for accessing the microSD card on the back of the TFT display.

I don’t know where this will go in the house, which is the purpose to the 9v battery section. A battery makes it mobile to go anywhere, but will probably go through a few batteries, as it will run 24/7. The RTC coin battery and microSD breakout board can go alongside the battery, allowing access as necessary.

 

Designing the Project

Since we met at a motorcycle group meet, I’ll design it with a motorcycle theme. A common theme for sports bikes is a day at the track, or canyons in our case, but this can make for a large project piece. If the project is too large, the focus on the displays is lost. A rough draft of my final project design was to use a day at the track.

The idea behind this rough draft is a photo finish display, going through the pictures from the microSD card. Our bikes will be in the winner’s circle, as the pictures cycle through on the 2.8″ TFT display. I haven’t been able to find our motorcycles in plastic or die-cast, which means I’ll have to design this part, too. I’d like to incorporate ourselves as riders, but that will have to be determined once the core parts are seated in their final position.

 

Something in the background could be people in the bleachers. Instead of having various people in the stands, it could be compressed into 3 rows of 5 flat people, and one person per row holding a sign. The sign could be the 0.96″ OLED text display, showing the days, months, or years we’ve been together. Ideally, this wouldn’t take much space on the project, except for that used by the OLED display. Two signs would be text, maybe something like “LOVE” or a heart shape, and the 3rd would be the OLED display. Initially, I wrote down that the 3rd row would be 5 regular people at sitting height. The 2nd row would have the person in seat 2 and 4 holding a text sign. The first row would have the person in seat 3 holding the OLED display as a sign. During a sample print, it didn’t look like a fitting idea, and best to put one person per row.

 

Outer Design

The 2.8″ TFT display was going to be on a stand, but it wouldn’t make the most sense, by design or placement. Instead, the screen would be moved to a Jumbotron style, and put above the bleachers where the people would be sitting. The size of the bleachers and screen would be dependent on the compartment space taken by the 9v battery, RTC board, and microSD breakout board. The motorcycle display would be above the Arduino Mega compartment, and would slide into each other. Additionally, the front would snap into the back piece, keeping everything together.

These rough drafts have no measurements, while I’m putting ideas on paper. Component orientation needs to be optimized for easy access, without bloating the overall project size. The Arduino Mega needs to have overhead space for all of the cables that will run throughout the project, without creating too much space.

 

For the rear compartment, a door latch would keep the components enclosed, but also easily removable for access. With the use of a 9v battery, I’ve decided that using a power switch could be useful, instead of running the project 24/7. The RTC has its own power source (coin battery), so if the 9v battery drains, the RTC keeps track of time. This design is looking good on paper, so far.