Software and Drivers Used
- MS-DOS 7.1
- BMPVIEW
- Iomega EHCI USB mass storage drivers
- Iomega GUEST.EXE ASPI manager
- REBOOT
- SHUTDOWN
- DOSLFN
- Realtek 8139 Packet Driver
- Trumpet TCP stack
- Yamaha sound driver
- HIMEM.SYS
- SMARTDRV
- VIDPARSE
- UPDSET
- UPDPARSE
- DEVLOAD
- SLEEP
- SLEEP2
Software Explained
First of all, MS-DOS is booted off the Compact Flash card, and CONFIG.SYS is executed, HIMEM.SYS is executed with the TESTMEM:OFF switch. Next, AUTOEXEC.BAT is executed and some variables are initially set, most importantly %BIN%, which gives the path to the system folder VIDCENTR. SMARTDRV is then loaded for disk caching and next, the Iomega EHCI USB mass storage driver is run by DEVLOAD, and if a mass storage device is not found, it does not load. After that, GUEST.EXE is run to map the USB driver to a drive letter, obviously, if the USB driver did not load it won't be able to map a drive letter. The packet driver for the network card is then loaded along with the Trumpet TCP stack, then the Yamaha sound drivers are loaded and finally DOSLFN is loaded for long file name support. AUTOEXEC.BAT then loads PLAYMAN.BATWhen PLAYMAN.BAT is loaded, it looks for a USB drive by using the IF EXIST statement. If a USB drive is found, PLAYMAN.BAT looks for a software update identifier file (VCUPD.ID), if it is found, a software update begins, if not PLAYMAN.BAT then looks for a playlist called VIDCENTR.VCP, which then is converted into a batch file by VIDPARSE, and the video starts playing from QuickView. If a USB drive is not found,
Back to the software update. If the identifier is found (VCUPD.ID), UPDPARSE.EXE reads this file and copies the new software (.BIN file) from the path that is specified in the identifier to the Compact Flash card. UPDSET then re-writes the autoexec.bat and config.sys files to load minimal drivers and a RAMDISK. Also, a line is included to copy the C:UPDSYS folder (which contains the scripts and files needed to update) to the RAMDISK. The system is then rebooted to take into effect these changes in the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. The Compact Flash card is then formatted, and the .BIN file unzipped to the Compact Flash card, and the system is rebooted. Full screen bitmap files are used throughout VideoCentre with the BMPVIEW program to give a more professional polish, and where applicable, all text output intended for the screen that are generated by programs are redirected to NUL. This hides the user from 'complicated' looking text and instead shows them a nice colourful screen.
The software is constantly being updated with bug fixes and new features. Currently, the Network interface is not used at all, but this will be used in the future to download software updates and to download videos. Also, I am looking to purchase the IR2PC module (which allows you to control DOS from a remote control), so changes in the software will have to be made to accommodate this.
Hardware
Some of the hardware being used is pretty old (circa 1999), and some is fairly new or brand new.- Intel AL440LX motherboard
- USB 2.0 PCI Card (NEC chipset)
- Matrox Millenium G200 AGP graphics card
- Onboard Yamaha sound
- Intel Celeron 333mhz Slot 1
- 159MB PC100 RAM (don't actually need half as much as that)
- Realtek 8139 PCI NIC
- IDE to Compact Flash adapter
- 128MB Impact Compact Flash card
Appearance/Casing
The entire system is mounted on the metal sheet which usually only is a mounting for the motherboard and runs 'bare'. This allows for good ventilation, techno eye-candy, easy access to components and it cut the cost dramatically, as I didn't have to lash out for expensive cases. A simple, but effective solution to the problem of messy power supply cables, was twisting them, which held each one together, saved space, and looked more professional. The power supply was mounted onto the metal sheet using double-sided sticky tape, which holds well. However, this isolates the metal plate and some of the motherboard from the 'true' ground provided by the PSU, so after a few small electric shocks, I attached a cable between the two to solve the problem.To make the system silent, I'm going to try and find a suitable heatsink for the PSU and CPU, so I can run them both fan-less. Also, I'm trying to find an effective way of securing the PCI/AGP cards, as they are only currently held in by the sockets.
Above: The VideoCentre
Above: A Simpsons episode (in Xvid format) playing off my USB Flash disk
Above: The VideoCentre. The orange light is from the IDE to CF card adapter
Above: My USB Flash disk plugged into the Hi-Speed USB 2.0 PCI Card
Above: The CF to IDE adapter with the CF card inserted