Frame

Make your own Nimbus frame from a Raspberry Pi and your TV

Already have a Raspberry Pi 4 and a TV? Skip the hardware. You pay for your plan only, download the frame image, and run it yourself.

What you need

  • A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with 2 GB of RAM or more (see the tested list below)
  • A microSD card and a way to write to it
  • The Pi’s power supply
  • A TV with an HDMI input, and a micro-HDMI to HDMI cable or adapter
  • The Nimbus app and a Nimbus account
  • Wi-Fi, or an Ethernet cable (Ethernet needs no Wi-Fi setup)

How to get started

  1. Create a Nimbus account (free).
  2. Choose a plan: Starter, Basic or Premier. Starter is the usual place to begin. There is no hardware charge. The plan links are for new subscribers. Already on a paid Nimbus plan? Skip ahead to the download.
    Choose a plan: Starter Basic Premier (yearly; the plan page also offers monthly). See pricing.
  3. Download the frame image (below) and write it to your microSD card with Raspberry Pi Imager (choose “Use custom”) or balenaEtcher. Check the download against its sha256.
  4. Put the card in the Pi and plug the HDMI cable into HDMI0, the port right next to the USB-C power port. Do this before you power on.
  5. Power on. The TV shows the setup screen. The frame updates itself on first boot, so give it about 10 minutes online.
  6. Add the frame in the Nimbus app.

If the TV shows the Raspberry Pi boot screen and then “No Signal”, the cable is in the other port. Unplug the power, move the cable to HDMI0, and power on again.

Turning the TV on and off with the frame

Like a Nimbus Mizar, the frame turns your TV off and on with its schedule through HDMI-CEC. Turn on your TV’s CEC setting for this (Samsung calls it Anynet+, LG SimpLink, Sony Bravia Sync). Without CEC the pictures still show, but the TV will not power off and on with the frame’s schedule.

Your network needs to allow normal internet time sync (NTP). The frame checks its clock on first boot, and it needs that to register.

Which Raspberry Pi?

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Other Raspberry Pi models may have issues. The Pi 400 has not been tested: it may work, so contact us. If you run into a problem, contact us and we will help.

The image includes Nimbus’s support access, so Nimbus support can reach your device to help, just as it can on a Nimbus-made frame.

Want a bridge for a Meural instead? See use your own Pi as a bridge.

Questions? Write to support@nimbusdigitalart.com or call (800) 640-6171.