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Using my PI3B as USB drive for my photo frame

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 3:15 pm
by kenneho
Hi all.

I have an old Trancend PF730B photo frame (users manuel for the PF730 version found here: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/www. ... 395481.pdf), which I'd like to connect to my Pi3B. I'm planning on using the setup a children's alarm clock (described here: viewtopic.php?f=91&t=155978).

The photo frame manual say that one can connect USB drives to it, and I assume this means that one could connect a USB pen full of pictures, and they would be displayed on the photo frame.

How would I setup the Pi3B to emulate a USB drive?

Greetings,
kenneho

Re: Using my PI3B as USB drive for my photo frame

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 3:22 pm
by davidcoton
Interesting idea. I thing what you need is USB "Gadget mode", that makes the Pi look like a USB device. Then some coding...

I'm planning to make an alarm clock/internet radio using a Pi B+, but it will use the Pi 7" touchscreen as a display. That way I don't have to emulate anything else. It will be not too hard to add photoframe functionality.

Re: Using my PI3B as USB drive for my photo frame

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 3:53 pm
by rpdom
davidcoton wrote:Interesting idea. I thing what you need is USB "Gadget mode", that makes the Pi look like a USB device. Then some coding...
Also, the only Pi versions that support gadget mode are the A, A+, (forthcoming) 3A, Zero and Compute Module. On the others the USB hub chip gets in the way.

Re: Using my PI3B as USB drive for my photo frame

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 4:04 pm
by davidcoton
Just checked the device mode boot documentation. It's a bit thin at the moment ... https://github.com/raspberrypi/document ... /device.md

Re: Using my PI3B as USB drive for my photo frame

Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 5:44 pm
by kenneho
Thanks for the replies. My understanding is that I probably can't accomplish my project using the photo frame and my Ri3B, but if I had one of the models supporting USB gadget mode I could.
davidcoton wrote:Interesting idea. I thing what you need is USB "Gadget mode", that makes the Pi look like a USB device. Then some coding...

I'm planning to make an alarm clock/internet radio using a Pi B+, but it will use the Pi 7" touchscreen as a display. That way I don't have to emulate anything else. It will be not too hard to add photoframe functionality.
This was my fallback plan, which now is plan A. I've already ordered a RPF 7" touchscreen with the above mention project in mind, but hoped I could use my old photo frame instead and save the 7" touchscreen for some other project. Seems kind of overkill having an expensive touchscreen sitting in my kids bedroom when a simpler and cheaper screen would suffice.