Digital Signage - Can I re-purpose?

Hello, I’ve bought a second hand digital signage display from a cell phone shop. It has a RISC based processor and I’m quite new to this.

I’d like to repurpose it into either a media player, or even better, something capable of viewing web-pages. Here is the data specs, it’s from Winmate.
Winmate has sent me a software updater that will create the CompactFlash media needed to run as a Digital signage board.

Thanks to anyone who’s willing to give me any pointers/advice.

Model Nae W32LS01-CHA1PT
Size 32"(16:9)
Active Display Area (mm) 697.685 (H) x 392.256 (V)
Pixel Pitch (mm) 0.51075 (H) x 0.51075 (V)
Resolution 1366×768
Contrast Ratio 3000:1 (typ.)
Display Color 16.7M (8bits/color)
Brightness 450 (typ.)
Viewing Angle -89~89 (H); -89~89 (V)
Synchronization Range H/V 31.5~60.0KHz / 60~75Hz
Recommended Resolution 1366×768 @60Hz
Storage Media CF or Optional with bigger capacity 2.5" Hard Disk(Need to be Linux ext2 Format)USB Flah Drive
Content Update Networking(By Ethernet/WLAN)
Power Source AC100~240 V, Universal,±10%
Power Consumption 158W typical,normal operation
Power Management VESA DPMS Compliant
VESA Mounting Yes
Mechanical Chassis
Video Format Support MPEG1,MPEG2,MPEG4
Graphic Format Support JPEG,BMP
Text Banner Variable scrolling speed and position
Audio Output Stereo RCA 2Wx2
Control Input RS232C
Network Connections 10/100Base-T(RJ-45) miniPCI for 802.11b/g WLAN(Optional
Portrait Mode Support Yes

https://www.winmate.com/ (ADMIN EDIT 2022-02-12 (ADH): We got a very strange request from WinMate to remove the full link! So, we did. The path, if you want to visit manually, is: /DigitalSignage/DsSpec.asp?Prod=02_0085&typeid=B0102070102)

All those specs – looks an awful lot like spam to me…

All those specs – looks an awful lot like spam to me…

The jury is out “The Winmate Digital Signage PPC combines either a 42” or 55" panel PC with Android Operating system, a flash network player solution for middle-scale digital signage networks. This panel PC is equipped with an Freescale iMX6Q,"

So it’s an ARM core processor in the big brothers (42 and 55inch) so may be in the 32 inch too.

Given the specs suggest an embedded Linux use I would suggest that a Linux hacker forum would be a better bet than here – unless the idea is to produce a RISC OS build that works on it.

Not Spam guys, sorry just wanted to show what I’m trying to use.
It’s a 32 Inch screen, and the documentation only says RISC Based Processor and Flash Media has to be ext2 format.
That’s all I know really. I can not get any form of linux to boot on it so far.

I would like to just use it like a regular media player, or best case scenario would be a light desktop capable of viewing some basic web pages.

That’s okay, I was just a bit concerned by a dump of the entire specs (like viewing angle!).

Give that it wants ext2 and not some sort of FAT, I am guessing there is some sort of bootloader running from Flash. This isn’t unknown, my ancient PVR first runs a very simple bootloader that can restore the main OS before handing over to the main OS. The idea was to have the device not brick itself with a failed update, only that failed hard because practically every update also updated the boot loader. I have a dead one that I was sent, one day I’ll get around to poking it with JTAG.

Anyway, with that in mind, is there anything that you can see that looks like a serial port? Hooking up to that (beware, it’s probably 3.3V – best to meter this) may spit out all the usual start-up guff which will give you a lot more information about what is actually in the device and how it boots itself up.

My apologies to Chris – I unintentionally deleted your account. You’ll have to re-create it or create another one; there is no other way.

Sorry.

Hi no worries Dave. I should have given a little more thought to how my post looked.

Rick, Yes i think you are right. The software that the manufacturer gave me will create a bootable usb drive for the machine. When the USB drive is in at boot, it writes the software needed onto the internal media (CompactFlash). Regarding the ports, I’d like to upload a photo of the board, how could I do that here?

Only outputs that are externally accessible are a composite VGA out, a DVI-I, 2 USBs and an Ethernet port. However, internally, there are quite a few unused connectors on the board.

I’ve reached out the manufacturers regarding trying to repurpose it, wondering if a version of RISC OS or even a Linux might work on it, but they have no answers because the creators of the board are no longer with the company (10+ years old).

I can access all the software files quite easily, but I don’t have any experience with RISC, So I don’t know what to poke around with. Heck I’m even having trouble with RISC on a Raspberry PI.

RISC <> RISC OS

Regarding the ports, I’d like to upload a photo of the board, how could I do that here?

Drop the image on imgur and provide a link to it?

but they have no answers because the creators of the board are no longer with the company (10+ years old).

That’s a polite “shut up and go away”. The creators may have left, but the company should have specs, source code, toolchain… It would be rather incompetent not to have copies of that for a released product. They won’t tell you that, however. I’m just surprised you got any reply at all.

However, internally, there are quite a few unused connectors on the board.

Serial port?
There may be four pads together. It’ll be +V, TX, Rx, Gnd. Any cheap scope should show you which pin is the output.
See: https://heyrick.eu/blog/index.php?diary=20170222 about 2/3rds of the way down.

Thanks again. Here are the photos, https://imgur.com/gallery/t8js8Fg

I was also surprised when the got back to me with the software and manuals. I’ve reached out to them again just in case there is any further light they can shed.

Very neat link about the serial port, will poke around.

was also surprised when the got back to me with the software and manuals. I’ve reached out to them again just in case there is any further light they can shed.

Technical data would be handy too, if they are offering it to you.

The question of what you can do is largely a matter of how similar the board you have is to the board that is used in the R-Comp iMX6 machine for which the RISC OS build is here
That board is a Wandboard see here
Ubuntu and Android builds for the Wandboard are on their downloads page as is documentation on the Wandboard.

So check for degree of similarity and see what runs.

Everyone here would like you to use RISC OS and figure out what media stuff you also get to work that could pass to other RO projects.
You may find it easier to do something with an Ubuntu build.

Unless I missed something obvious (quite possible, I’m very tired and my eyes are struggling tonight) that board seemed to be a Sigmatel/VIA combination as seen on a number of slightly older (and cheap) media streamers (pre-Android, I think). I don’t think it is an i.MX6 design. Or rather, those chips wouldn’t make a lot of sense in an ARMX6 framework, as there’d be a large duplication of content, as the i.MX6 SoC contains most (all) of the Sigmatel/VIA capabilities.

AFAIK, the Sigmatel chips is basically a hardware video decoder that can decode a select set of media formats, and the VIA support chips add things like USB/ethernet etc. Those devices ran a very basic OS/software stack that basically farmed everything to the Sigmatel, and if that couldn’t handle it (eg. unknown format, too high bitrate, peculiar encoder), tough luck.

Example device would be the Mediagate MG-350HD from 2009/10. A wiki for that product suggests a 166 Mhz ARM core in the sigmatel chip. It is supposed to be an “ARM PT110” which is supposed to be a clone of an ARM7. Problem is, that era of ARM didn’t include the supporting logic we now take for granted (hence all the support chips needed, none of which have any RISC OS support AFAIK). I guess on paper it could run RISC OS if ported to support said chips, but I suspect that’d be a heck of a lot of work for something that’d deliver RiscPC level performance.

I’ll be honest, your time would be better spent trying to rig up some kind of internal connection to a Pi, and ripping out the internal boards to fit a pi in its place. This would make both a better media centre, and/or a better RISC OS box.

Give up on using it for RISC OS.

A datasheet for the big chip (EM8621L) says it is a 166MHz processor (that’s pretty lame these days), but worse:

The internal 166 MHz 32-bit RISC CPU is designed for use with applications that require ARM (version 4T) instructions. It has an internal 16KB instruction cache, 16KB data cache, and 16KB of SRAM on-chip. MMU support is not included, so the Linux and CE. NET operating systems are not supported on-chip. Our reference designs typically use the µClinux embedded OS. Alternately, an external host CPU (such as x86, MIPS or ARM) may be used.

RISC OS needs an MMU.

I second Andrew’s suggestion, but I don’t see an obvious way to get a video signal into the thing (that socket appears to be an output). The chip has a YCbCr video input, but that doesn’t mean that your board has it available and/or the supplied software permits it to be used…

Sorry.

That said, I can’t help but be just a tad intrigued by the big flat chip on the back (by the dangling battery). Is that some sort of processor? Could just be the LCD controller, mind you…
Can you read any markings on it? [nothing shows up clearly in the photo]

that board seemed to be a Sigmatel/VIA combination as seen on a number of slightly older (and cheap) media streamers (pre-Android, I think). I don’t think it is an i.MX6 design.

Looks like my earlier comment “So it’s an ARM core processor in the big brothers (42 and 55inch) so may be in the 32 inch too.” was wrong then.

In which case the project requires a new board and as Andrew says a Pi is a good candidate.

Well, technically you are right. It is an ARM core processor. But it appears as if that’s about all that it is. A core. :-)

It does seem to me to be rather odd to have a device that obviously runs some sort of OS, has firmware for running pre-prepared slideshows and presentations, and is capable of a number of types of video decoding… yet it doesn’t have an MMU? What?

I’m guessing it’s just a big flat memory model – ROM here, RAM here, this bit for the video decoding, etc etc.

Wow, I am so thankful for each of your help essentially laying this thing to bed. I bought it cheap to be a light-up sign for our church, also to advertise for struggling businesses wuthin the church. BUT it is too dim and small from the road. I put it in in the garage for a couple years and pulled it out a few weeks ago wondering if I could get even the most basic linux to run on it. Then when I saw the manufacturer’s specs saying RISC based processor I remembered seeing RISC OS on the Raspberry Pi site.. etc So I googled in my free time, and felt like I was learning but kept getting completely stumped. I don’t know anyone personally with any experience with RISC or RISC OS.

Anyway, I just want to thank you guys for your help on this. This is the first time I have ever actually submitted a question on a tech-related forum, and this experience has really encouraged me to not be afraid to do so in the future. I’ve always assumed, “What’s the point in asking a question that might not get answered for 5 months?” heh.

I will probably end up trying to use a Pi if I can successfully figure out the LCD Panel wiring. I would feel like I won. Thanks a million guys.

I don’t know anyone personally with any experience with RISC or RISC OS.

Oh, but you do.
You just haven’t met them face to face.