Computer in a car
01-27-2003, 11:31 AM
#1
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Computer in a car
Im about to install my audio system as well as a computer system in my 2000 2.5RS, but I do wana keep a low profile.
I wanted to do everything at once, so im doing a lot of research first. I have most of the parts picked out, but havnt bought the computer yet.
I plan on using the computer to store music, DVD, navigation, and internet. Im going to use a wireless card so when i pull in the garage at home I can jump on my desktop and download music into my car. Im not sure if im going to use a P3 or P4, Im worried about the amount of heat that a P4 will produce. I may have to use Liquid cooling for the processor, but im not sure about that one yet. The computer motherboard is going in where the two main air vents are in the middle of the dash, so i may beable to use the vents for cooling of the computer, and a CD/DVD rom without a tray will be mounted in the dash somewhere with just a slit cut out for access.
One of the hardest things to find for this project was the display.
I wanted something mall enough to fit in the Flip up storage thing on the dash. At the same time it need to have a VGA input and touchscreen if possible. I Found it! 7" widescreen and 640x480 and 800x480 compatible, with touchsceen built in. Im going to need a power inverter for the computer and other electronics that will no doubt be going in.
Im also going to have a wireless keyboard and a airmouse, which i have also found. I may try to use voice control, but not sure about that in the car because of road noise and logistics in the car, but it would be cool.
The rest of the audio system is as follows:
Im using 2 McIntosh amps, one is 100x4 and the other 600x1. There running Infinity kappa components that some one else installed and a JL W7 10.
Any other input would be a great help, let me know if you have any thoughs or comments. Thanks
I wanted to do everything at once, so im doing a lot of research first. I have most of the parts picked out, but havnt bought the computer yet.
I plan on using the computer to store music, DVD, navigation, and internet. Im going to use a wireless card so when i pull in the garage at home I can jump on my desktop and download music into my car. Im not sure if im going to use a P3 or P4, Im worried about the amount of heat that a P4 will produce. I may have to use Liquid cooling for the processor, but im not sure about that one yet. The computer motherboard is going in where the two main air vents are in the middle of the dash, so i may beable to use the vents for cooling of the computer, and a CD/DVD rom without a tray will be mounted in the dash somewhere with just a slit cut out for access.
One of the hardest things to find for this project was the display.
I wanted something mall enough to fit in the Flip up storage thing on the dash. At the same time it need to have a VGA input and touchscreen if possible. I Found it! 7" widescreen and 640x480 and 800x480 compatible, with touchsceen built in. Im going to need a power inverter for the computer and other electronics that will no doubt be going in.
Im also going to have a wireless keyboard and a airmouse, which i have also found. I may try to use voice control, but not sure about that in the car because of road noise and logistics in the car, but it would be cool.
The rest of the audio system is as follows:
Im using 2 McIntosh amps, one is 100x4 and the other 600x1. There running Infinity kappa components that some one else installed and a JL W7 10.
Any other input would be a great help, let me know if you have any thoughs or comments. Thanks
01-27-2003, 01:58 PM
#2
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Posts: n/a
What's your source for the display?
And why a power inverter for your system? The power inverter would convert 12v to 110v and then your power supply would convert the 110v back to 12, 5, and 3.3 volts. Wouldn't it be better to get yourself a good power management system that will allow you to regluate power for the MB and your Audio components at the same time, skipping the wastefull power conversion?
Back when I was deep into car audio, which was over 3 years ago, you could tell a car with a good power source from a stock system just as easilly as you could hear the difference that sound deadening materials made. It was one of those unexpected changes that takes car audio close to the quality of studio sound.
I'm not an electrician, there may be some expensive work involved in building converters for the 5 and 3.3 volt lines, but it's easy enough to ask around on the net.
Good luck! When I get some cash I intend to do the exact same thing. For someone who doesn't want any work, you could use this: http://alienware.com/main/media_center.asp with your inverter and a pop-up in-dash LCD display. Allegedly MS has made it easy to run this new media center PC with the included wireless remote control.. Too bad the XBox doesn't play MP3 CD's, as it would be the no-brainer addon!
And why a power inverter for your system? The power inverter would convert 12v to 110v and then your power supply would convert the 110v back to 12, 5, and 3.3 volts. Wouldn't it be better to get yourself a good power management system that will allow you to regluate power for the MB and your Audio components at the same time, skipping the wastefull power conversion?
Back when I was deep into car audio, which was over 3 years ago, you could tell a car with a good power source from a stock system just as easilly as you could hear the difference that sound deadening materials made. It was one of those unexpected changes that takes car audio close to the quality of studio sound.
I'm not an electrician, there may be some expensive work involved in building converters for the 5 and 3.3 volt lines, but it's easy enough to ask around on the net.
Good luck! When I get some cash I intend to do the exact same thing. For someone who doesn't want any work, you could use this: http://alienware.com/main/media_center.asp with your inverter and a pop-up in-dash LCD display. Allegedly MS has made it easy to run this new media center PC with the included wireless remote control.. Too bad the XBox doesn't play MP3 CD's, as it would be the no-brainer addon!
01-27-2003, 03:00 PM
#3
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Re: Computer in a car
Originally posted by Greenguava
One of the hardest things to find for this project was the display.
I wanted something mall enough to fit in the Flip up storage thing on the dash. At the same time it need to have a VGA input and touchscreen if possible. I Found it! 7" widescreen and 640x480 and 800x480 compatible, with touchsceen built in. Im going to need a power inverter for the computer and other electronics that will no doubt be going in.
[/B]
One of the hardest things to find for this project was the display.
I wanted something mall enough to fit in the Flip up storage thing on the dash. At the same time it need to have a VGA input and touchscreen if possible. I Found it! 7" widescreen and 640x480 and 800x480 compatible, with touchsceen built in. Im going to need a power inverter for the computer and other electronics that will no doubt be going in.
[/B]
01-29-2003, 12:26 AM
#5
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INFO
Xenarc is the name of the panel www.xenarc.com
Check out www.gnetcanada.com too, they get there stuff from Xenarc.
By the way, the computer i plan on retro fitting in the car is from shuttle computer corp. http://www.shuttleonline.com and just so happens to be the same computer as in the alien computer link.
Check out www.gnetcanada.com too, they get there stuff from Xenarc.
By the way, the computer i plan on retro fitting in the car is from shuttle computer corp. http://www.shuttleonline.com and just so happens to be the same computer as in the alien computer link.
Last edited by Greenguava; 01-29-2003 at 12:29 AM.
01-29-2003, 05:06 AM
#6
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Ic..
I found this before too, not exactly what I want.
My idea of a system if it looks factory and not just bunch of mounting hardware.
So like people put the tv screen where the original cd player is, i want to put this 7 inch touch screen in there.
But it's bigger due to the buttons on it..
I found this before too, not exactly what I want.
My idea of a system if it looks factory and not just bunch of mounting hardware.
So like people put the tv screen where the original cd player is, i want to put this 7 inch touch screen in there.
But it's bigger due to the buttons on it..
01-29-2003, 10:07 AM
#7
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I’m thinking of mounting it in the flip up pocket on the dash. I was thinking of having it slide up into the viewing position and lock there, until you lift up on the lid in which case it slides back again. That way no one can see anything from out side and it appears to be stock, also I though that the lid would act a little like a sun visor, and it would be in a great viewing position while driving without obstruction your view.
FYI -- When i was at the CES show, I went to about 20+ venders that sold product and manufactured it, and all but the one I found and another (which only had 4x3 ratio panels) didnt have a panel with a VGA input. Some said they have been asking for them but are still waiting to hear, some said that they might ba 3-4 months, which usually means about 6-8 months
Good luck and keep me informed of what you find.
FYI -- When i was at the CES show, I went to about 20+ venders that sold product and manufactured it, and all but the one I found and another (which only had 4x3 ratio panels) didnt have a panel with a VGA input. Some said they have been asking for them but are still waiting to hear, some said that they might ba 3-4 months, which usually means about 6-8 months
Good luck and keep me informed of what you find.
Last edited by Greenguava; 01-29-2003 at 10:11 AM.
02-02-2003, 11:41 AM
#9
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I got a reply from a wholesaler willing to sell me 7" LCD's with VGA input and nice 800x480 res for $378 US @ 10 units per order.
I've got all the specs and the unit's viewable area is almost *exactly* the size of the viewable opening in my WRX's dash, with just a few MM to spare on each edge. A thin piece of metal/glass/plexi cut to size would make a seamlessly flush mount.
I'm considering a mounting style where the panel acts like a click-release/click-lock door, allowing access to the compartment space behind. In there you could have a nice mini-PC with room for ECU, wireless KB/Mouse adapters, and perhaps a few CDs, etc..
Then you get down to security and yeah, now we have a problem!
A 7" LCD in the dash is a dead ringer for a four finger discount and the fact there's a $1200 mini-pc hiding behind that panel will just be an added bonus. Sure you could just put a nicely cut velcro ring around the bezel of your stereo opening and then do the same treatment to the compartment and the back of the mini-pc and LCD panel. That way both would be easy to take along with you for security reasons. That is until you get tired of disconnecting and reconnecting.. Plus taking those two items everywhere you go, as romantic as walking in the rain is, it would suck.
This is where you must get the life-size robotic 'sleeping rotweiler' doll. This bad boy requires a 2nd "deep cell" battery, and optional microwave sensors, be installed in the car. The doll uses wireless IR pickups so the optional microwave sensors don't need to be wired for signal but they have to be in sight and if you don't wire them for power you need to change the batteries regularly. Basically the doll has actuators, speakers, and sound/vibration sensors to allow it to mimic a 'sleeping' dog's reaction to disturbances. With the optional microwave sensors providing the doll with locational information, the doll can actually look around in the area of movement to give an erie 'lifelike' performance guaranteed to secure your car from any theft attempt. Problem is I just invented the doll as I was writing this and current cost to build a prototype for resale would be worth more than the cost of the components it secured. I would have to sell it as a complete car security package, and then the damn thing would be off topic for this discussion.
I've got all the specs and the unit's viewable area is almost *exactly* the size of the viewable opening in my WRX's dash, with just a few MM to spare on each edge. A thin piece of metal/glass/plexi cut to size would make a seamlessly flush mount.
I'm considering a mounting style where the panel acts like a click-release/click-lock door, allowing access to the compartment space behind. In there you could have a nice mini-PC with room for ECU, wireless KB/Mouse adapters, and perhaps a few CDs, etc..
Then you get down to security and yeah, now we have a problem!
A 7" LCD in the dash is a dead ringer for a four finger discount and the fact there's a $1200 mini-pc hiding behind that panel will just be an added bonus. Sure you could just put a nicely cut velcro ring around the bezel of your stereo opening and then do the same treatment to the compartment and the back of the mini-pc and LCD panel. That way both would be easy to take along with you for security reasons. That is until you get tired of disconnecting and reconnecting.. Plus taking those two items everywhere you go, as romantic as walking in the rain is, it would suck.
This is where you must get the life-size robotic 'sleeping rotweiler' doll. This bad boy requires a 2nd "deep cell" battery, and optional microwave sensors, be installed in the car. The doll uses wireless IR pickups so the optional microwave sensors don't need to be wired for signal but they have to be in sight and if you don't wire them for power you need to change the batteries regularly. Basically the doll has actuators, speakers, and sound/vibration sensors to allow it to mimic a 'sleeping' dog's reaction to disturbances. With the optional microwave sensors providing the doll with locational information, the doll can actually look around in the area of movement to give an erie 'lifelike' performance guaranteed to secure your car from any theft attempt. Problem is I just invented the doll as I was writing this and current cost to build a prototype for resale would be worth more than the cost of the components it secured. I would have to sell it as a complete car security package, and then the damn thing would be off topic for this discussion.
Last edited by 420wrx; 02-03-2003 at 10:13 AM.
02-03-2003, 07:47 AM
#10
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Security
The dog idea is a creative one, but yes it dose sound expensive. My plan to not have it stolen is to install it in the gague pod (in my car is a storage space with a lid) and posibly a worm drive to slide the panel up in to viewable position and back down to be hidden again. If they cant see ANYTHING then hopefully it will be safe.
But good luck on the dog idea
But good luck on the dog idea
02-04-2003, 09:16 AM
#11
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Ok, I've built 2 computers into cars, one for myself, and one for a school project with the university footing the bill (much larger budget). heres what I did.
1. I built a computer into my '91 jeep wrangler. I used a Flex-ATX motherboard (about 7"x"8") with a celeron 600, 128 ram, dvd-rom,an ATI radeon all in wonder pro vid card, finger mouse, and a 4" LCD screen. I mounted the motherboard and dvd-rom into the center console (it was pretty large), with the dvd rom mounted vertically. I mounted the screen (facing inward) on the inside surface of my center dash panel, cut a square in the dash panel around the screen, and ran a rod horizontally along the inside surface of tha square, so I could simply flip the panel around. One side was plain dash, the other side was the screen. Worked pretty well, but the jeep ride was so harsh, soemtimes it shook the cards on the motherboard loose.
total spent=$350
2. The seond one I built was in a 2002 ford explorer from a micro-atx motherboard with a duron 1 gig, dvd-rom, 128 ram, ati radeon all-in-wonder, 8.5" svga lcd screen, touch screen mebrane, and 4" lcd video screen. The motherboard and dvd rom went vertically into the console (had to trim off interior plastic and circumvent an air vent. The touch screen was too big to be hidden so I mouted it forward of the gearshift, below the stock radio and a/c controls. the small vid screen was mounted in the stock ceiling console compartment.
total spent=$700
If you're trying to minimize costs, I'd reccomend a regular ntsc or PAL in dash-video screen (can be found cheap many places, I prefer www.mp3playerstore.com ). It's resolution isnt as good as a svga, but its much cheaper and more available. With a video screen you'll need a tv-out card. I highly reccomend the ATI all in wonder series. They do hardware dvd decoding, include a TV tuner, and have video in and out ports (so you can use a svga, or video screen, or both, and still have a playstation or other video source ported through it), and have the largest number of display adjustments. You'll need to bump up all the font sizes to make anything legible. Windows XP is a great choice b/c it offers the disability options such as text to voice, and a magnification window that can follow your cursor (once you try to read text on a video screen you'll understand the need for this). Plus XP offers an on screen keyboard, eliminationg the need for a clunky external one.
If you have a larger budget and want to go svga route, check out www.earthlcd.com for their screen and touch membrane options. you can also put a touch membrane over a regular video screen, if you want to go that route..
as for the power, the best way is to build your own dc-dc converter... run a yahoo search for "sproggy car mp3" and that should find you a page with plans for building the power converter (about 20-40 in parts)
Sorry for the manifesto, let me know if you have any specific questions I might be able to help with
1. I built a computer into my '91 jeep wrangler. I used a Flex-ATX motherboard (about 7"x"8") with a celeron 600, 128 ram, dvd-rom,an ATI radeon all in wonder pro vid card, finger mouse, and a 4" LCD screen. I mounted the motherboard and dvd-rom into the center console (it was pretty large), with the dvd rom mounted vertically. I mounted the screen (facing inward) on the inside surface of my center dash panel, cut a square in the dash panel around the screen, and ran a rod horizontally along the inside surface of tha square, so I could simply flip the panel around. One side was plain dash, the other side was the screen. Worked pretty well, but the jeep ride was so harsh, soemtimes it shook the cards on the motherboard loose.
total spent=$350
2. The seond one I built was in a 2002 ford explorer from a micro-atx motherboard with a duron 1 gig, dvd-rom, 128 ram, ati radeon all-in-wonder, 8.5" svga lcd screen, touch screen mebrane, and 4" lcd video screen. The motherboard and dvd rom went vertically into the console (had to trim off interior plastic and circumvent an air vent. The touch screen was too big to be hidden so I mouted it forward of the gearshift, below the stock radio and a/c controls. the small vid screen was mounted in the stock ceiling console compartment.
total spent=$700
If you're trying to minimize costs, I'd reccomend a regular ntsc or PAL in dash-video screen (can be found cheap many places, I prefer www.mp3playerstore.com ). It's resolution isnt as good as a svga, but its much cheaper and more available. With a video screen you'll need a tv-out card. I highly reccomend the ATI all in wonder series. They do hardware dvd decoding, include a TV tuner, and have video in and out ports (so you can use a svga, or video screen, or both, and still have a playstation or other video source ported through it), and have the largest number of display adjustments. You'll need to bump up all the font sizes to make anything legible. Windows XP is a great choice b/c it offers the disability options such as text to voice, and a magnification window that can follow your cursor (once you try to read text on a video screen you'll understand the need for this). Plus XP offers an on screen keyboard, eliminationg the need for a clunky external one.
If you have a larger budget and want to go svga route, check out www.earthlcd.com for their screen and touch membrane options. you can also put a touch membrane over a regular video screen, if you want to go that route..
as for the power, the best way is to build your own dc-dc converter... run a yahoo search for "sproggy car mp3" and that should find you a page with plans for building the power converter (about 20-40 in parts)
Sorry for the manifesto, let me know if you have any specific questions I might be able to help with
02-04-2003, 10:16 AM
#12
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Doesn't MSI make a MicroATX MB with AC97 Sound, onboard ATI video (with rca out) and onboard LAN? To me this would sound like a smaller and less expensive solution than what you have been doing.
Thanks for the tip on the DC to DC converter, I have to find plans for one or have a local shop throw one together, and I know which will be cheap.
Thanks for the tip on the DC to DC converter, I have to find plans for one or have a local shop throw one together, and I know which will be cheap.
02-04-2003, 12:16 PM
#13
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I'm not sure... I havent looked for parts for about a year and a half.. it wouldnt surprise me at all if they had such a board by now.. That definitely would be smaller, But If that board doesnt include hardware dvd decoding, or a tv tuner, I'd still opt for the separate card, as I like having the tv option in the car.
it seems like the plans for the dc-dc power supply have been moved, but look around in www.mp3car.com and you can probably find it.. I think they sell a premade one too.
it seems like the plans for the dc-dc power supply have been moved, but look around in www.mp3car.com and you can probably find it.. I think they sell a premade one too.