Car PC

nerdariostomp

I am in the process of building an ultra low budget car PC. My car isn't the greatest, but I'd like to build something that hopefully I can carry over to other cars and do with as little cost as possible. My goal is to have a PC that I can play all of my music from as well as use for GPS navigation. It doesn't need to sync with my cellphone or log diagnostics or anything crazy, just needs to play music and use GPS nav.

I've found a 7" touch screen that Lilliput makes for 100 bucks. It was sort of the catalyst for the decision. No power cable or VGA. Just a USB cable and it's powered, sends the mouse/keyboard signal and video signal too. Pretty rad if you ask me.


As far as a laptop goes, I can get one from work either free or for about 100. It's fast enough to work, so that's all that matters to me. I figure I can mount it and a docking station underneath the passenger seat and run all the wiring to the docking station, so things can be easily removed if I need to update the PC or transfer/take files from it. I figure from there, I'll run the power switch on the docking station and a USB socket to the dash somewhere. I was thinking Honda S2000 for the power button but that's kinda cheesy and I might try something OEM for a more concealed look.

Connecting it to my CD player is as easy as an adapter cable for the cd changer input. It converts the CD changer input to a stereo composite input, which I can easily run to the computer. $7. Rad. $35 bucks for a GPS reciever. Awesome.

The last thing is a power inverter for the laptop. I don't really know the best bet for these but I'd prefer a hard wired one vs a cigarette lighter one for the sake of concealing it and keeping my phone charger Then, everything's powered by the laptop and there's not a lot of wiring for power weirdness on the screen or computer power supply.



Any thoughts? Anyone else do this at all?

leWolf

Yeah, i went dedicated mobo, Little tiny via epia setup and it was alright, the solid state netbooks make way more sense then my old setup now. Good luck! If you need help I'll help as much as i can.

nerdariostomp

Yeah, I really want to use a solid state hard drive, but they're just too pricey right now, so i'll stick with a "rugged" one till enough chinese people make solid state stuff and it's cheap

leWolf

nerdariostomp wrote:

Yeah, I really want to use a solid state hard drive, but they're just too pricey right now, so i'll stick with a "rugged" one till enough chinese people make solid state stuff and it's cheap

It's cheap, slow but cheap. You could use a high speed 16 GIG flash drive and run it boo to usb, it's cheap but slow.

Eagle Beagle

solid state, I had 80 gig intels, had...

it's the processing speed you need not a solid state...

besides, my opinion is, if you really want multi-task and -screen
forget about those netbooks, sorry...

P4 at least with 1.8 processor, up is better...
I keeps you happy and smiling, garanteed...

the average seektime for those h-drives is 10 ms, which is adequate if the processor backs it up...
if your setup its capable of exceeding 3 gigs of RAM --->virtual drive, voila! ssd-performance...

mp3? not much cpu needed, avi/video? you need to boost as much as you can...

btw...where are your pics?

leWolf

Eagle Beagle wrote:

solid state, I had 80 gig intels, had...

it's the processing speed you need not a solid state...

besides, my opinion is, if you really want multi-task and -screen
forget about those netbooks, sorry...

P4 at least with 1.8 processor, up is better...
I keeps you happy and smiling, garanteed...

the average seektime for those h-drives is 10 ms, which is adequate if the processor backs it up...
if your setup its capable of exceeding 3 gigs of RAM --->virtual drive, voila! ssd-performance...

mp3? not much cpu needed, avi/video? you need to boost as much as you can...

btw...where are your pics?

Yeah should work, Just buy an Asus EEE PC there like $140 now and there solid state and cheap. got all the extra toys and you can get a 12 volt car adapter, just wire it in.

nerdariostomp

No pics. It's all planning and getting ideas till I decide it's going to be solid enough and then I'll pull the trigger and buy everything. The computer's got a gig of ram and is fast enough to run an external monitor and run multiple apps with minimal problems. I'd like to have something better, but for now I think this will be perfect since it's cheap. My goal is to make something that works and is concealable and cheap, then upgrade the computer behind it once I get a new car.

ragenasian

Not a super nice install but I installed one awhile ago. PC runs and starts every component of the stereo. Power supply will actually put the PC into sleep mode when the car is shut off and monitors battery power so that when the battery hits a certain voltage it will then shut the PC completely down. When the car is started the power supply will then start itself backup. 7.1 surround sound card, and bluetooth to run a portable fold up keyboard, and touch pad.

leWolf

ragenasian wrote:

Not a super nice install but I installed one awhile ago. PC runs and starts every component of the stereo. Power supply will actually put the PC into sleep mode when the car is shut off and monitors battery power so that when the battery hits a certain voltage it will then shut the PC completely down. When the car is started the power supply will then start itself backup. 7.1 surround sound card, and bluetooth to run a portable fold up keyboard, and touch pad.

You dont have kids do you?

nerdariostomp

Looks like he might work at an audio shop. Looks good. A bit too showy for me, but a very nice advanced PC install compared to what I'm going to attempt

ragenasian

I do have a daughter and I don't work in an audio shop

leWolf

Oh yeah, iy your going to do a actual car pc, do buy the right PS. Those new power supplies are sick!

Haydz

There is no longer a need to do a permanently fixed PC inside your car, you can just get an EEEPC like mine and you're set, add GPS USB stick and you're sorted. I can also use my E63 as a keyboard/mouse for it if i really want. All you need is a bracket to hold the netbook and run an RCA to the headunit.

Eagle Beagle

WHAT HE SAID ^^^



& true too...

leWolf

Haydz wrote:

There is no longer a need to do a permanently fixed PC inside your car, you can just get an EEEPC like mine and you're set, add GPS USB stick and you're sorted. I can also use my E63 as a keyboard/mouse for it if i really want. All you need is a bracket to hold the netbook and run an RCA to the headunit.

Even Haydz agrees, get an EEE pc! lol Unless you want an integrated look!

Haydz

If you want the super awesome look just use an iPad. Oh wait, you can't connect external devices!

ragenasian

I just wanted more control over the sound quality and not have to worry about a laptop, ipad, whatever being left in the car or exposed. Most of my install is hidden in the trunk with only the screen being seen but it was also integrated into the dash. I was using a laptop at first but it was a bit cumbersome to have in the car and passengers. This was just an easier route for me but understandably not for everyone.

nerdariostomp

My main concern is being able to remove the computer easily, without having to move a ton of wires, so the under-seat laptop mount with a docking station seems to be the best solution. I also didn't like the permanently mounted screen, as it's a thief magnet and I park in a lot next to a homeless shelter (no offense, but they lurk HARD and i've been broken into once). I think that if I were to upgrade the laptop a little bit with some extra memory and a decent hard drive, it'd be fast enough to take care of business. I just want everything to be concealed so you can't even tell its there. I love the idea of a totally old car with newer technology that's concealed within the original interior's design.

ragenasian

Why even bother with a docking station? The sound out of your docking station won't be any different than the sound from the headphone jack. Get a power supply for the laptop that runs through the cigarette lighter and call it a day. No need for an inverter to run the docking station then.

bigluelok

i want something similar so i dont have to keep changing cd's. i think im gonna get me a little cheap net book for this though

ragenasian

If it is about changing CDs then maybe you should just get something like this

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... 8wIwATgA#p

Cheaper than a laptop, removable face plate (for those worried about break ins), and throw all the USB sticks at it you can. I have the same one in my BMW and it works great. My wife has the JVC version and for the past year we have never even used a CD. I hook my ipod up as well (jvc we have doesn't have this option) so between the ipod and the usb sticks I can have up to 40gigs of music in the car at one time.

Just my .02

nerdariostomp

I'm looking to have more than 40 gigs. I have about 200 gigs currently and as much as an Ipod would be rad as hell, I just don't feel like having one yet. I keep telling myself that sooner or later they're going to make an iphone with a decent storage capacity

The power inverter's not a big deal either. I just like the fact that I can keep my wires connected at all times to the dock and just pop the laptop off whenever i need to modify something

also the whole gps ability and other possibilities make me really like the idea a lot more.

Haydz

Why not just get a USB media box then? Plug in Small touch screen and USB HDD and GO!
All up shouldn't cost you much, the media box is like $35 here, grab a cheap external HDD for $80 and a cheapie touchscreen or at least a screen with a remote and you're away laughing.

Eagle Beagle

oy, movie= SUB(s)...

no Sub=Toy...


ohwelll

rti intrac

I'm thinking about doing a in-car pc project. I have a shuttle xs35gt computer waiting here which will work nicely with no psu hassles.
I've found a Dc-DC converter (was thinking about making my own - will be more satisfying) http://www.powerstream.com/ADC-p006.htm part number PST-P90W. Has anyone had any expreience with them?
Could anyone recommend a small usb touch screen around the 8" mark?
Edit: found a suitable screen but still after ideas
Pc will be mainly for music but all going well I can use the usb datalogging from the ecu eventually

leWolf

Yeah, this project is an absolute blast to work with. The one I dealt with was having issue's with his hard drives crashing due to constant movement. He went to a solid state disk and it still works great. He just piped his audio into his aux on his pioneer and BLAM! He was also using "tiny xp" which loaded crazy fast on his setup and he could load music through his wifi. It was a pain to get it all to fit and work smoothly but it is sweet when it works. BTW the screens are horrible for small writing so install your os outside the car, he had to pull it back out of his srt4.

stampern

I was going to go with an incar pc, but I bought a 7" android tablet and built a mount for it instead. Now I have everything I want in my dash. Nav, Music, Movies, Internet, Internet Radio, Youtube, Email. Only disadvantage is I can't use it for ecu stuff, but that's ok. Here's a pic:

rti intrac

I'm trying ot sort out the hardware before the software. good thinking with the os. I was thinking about how long the HDD would last. Was your friends solid mounted?
What software was he running? All going well I'll be able to have gps navigation built in too.
A tablet will do the job but thats the easy way out haha :P And I already have the shuttle pc and don't want to spend $$ on extra stuff when I can use what I have

leWolf

Yeah it was solid mount, the solid state disk was only $47 shipped, it was only 30 gigs though on ebay. Since it was a 2.5 inch disk it also took up way less room.

Charb

Great thread idea! I've been wanting do do something along the lines of stampern for some time... hopefully with my next wagon.

stampern

I just got a sheet of 1/8" abs plastic (can usually get it at car audio shops), cut and used a heat gun to melt and fold around the tablet and built a mount so it mounts the the center console. Worked great.