Carputer Build Log

[Neodude1123201]

So, putting a computer in my car for my music collection, GPS and also for the fun of it.

Equipment:

-12v ATX PSU
-Intel Atom Based Custom Box PC
-Lilliput EBY701-NP 7" Touch Screen
-Various Cables, Wires and Connectors
-Dash plate,Double DIN Converter and Wiring loom to suite my vehicle
-Amplifier (Im using 2 cheap 50w Amps until further notice)
-USB Hub
-Programmable Tipro Keyboard
-Various Inline Fuses

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Current Status: 40% (Updated 4/27/11)

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So far i have received all of the above equipment (Total cost will be worked out once installed) except the ATX PSU I Have received was faulty, im unsure as to how long it will take to get a replcement so i will be using an Inverter until further notice. The PC I Am using draws roughly 45w.

The software i am running is Windows 7 Starter 32Bit With Centrafuse 3 as the Front end software.

The specs of the PC are as follows:

-Customer Aluminum Case
- Intel Integrated motherboard ( D945GCLF2)
-Intel Atom 330 (1.6Ghz)
-1Gb RAM
-100GB 2.5" SATA Hardrive

I'm planning on installing it this weekend.

I'll keep everyone posted!

(Updated 4/27/11)

 

[Trioxygen]

Looks like a nice project, good luck with it - Be sure to keep us posted!

 

[root]

I'll be interested to follow this one...

i've been thinking for sometime about putting a carputer into my car. I think it'd be quite cool to have a webcam reversing camera for a start, but I've also been thinking that I'd quite like a forward facing camera that's constantly recording.
(Basically I had an accident a couple of years back now, where I hit a guy, he says that he was driving down the road and slowed to park, I'm still to this day absolutely sure that he just reversed out of a parking space and into the road without looking... if I'd had a camera on my car recording I could have proved that the other guy was in the wrong... hell even if it'd prove that I wasn't paying attention at least I wouldn't have spent the past year or so thinking, I'm sure that he wasn't in front of me!)

how detailed are you going to go with this log? have you made a decision on having windows or linux yet?

 

[superman22x]

What sort of software do you use? I just installed the screen for the computer in our EcoCar this past weekend. Was a cool project and I sort of want to do it in my own car now, haha.

 

[Neodude1123201]

I'll be interested to follow this one...

i've been thinking for sometime about putting a carputer into my car. I think it'd be quite cool to have a webcam reversing camera for a start, but I've also been thinking that I'd quite like a forward facing camera that's constantly recording.
(Basically I had an accident a couple of years back now, where I hit a guy, he says that he was driving down the road and slowed to park, I'm still to this day absolutely sure that he just reversed out of a parking space and into the road without looking... if I'd had a camera on my car recording I could have proved that the other guy was in the wrong... hell even if it'd prove that I wasn't paying attention at least I wouldn't have spent the past year or so thinking, I'm sure that he wasn't in front of me!)

how detailed are you going to go with this log? have you made a decision on having windows or linux yet?

It's running Windows 7 Starter 32 Bit, getting roughly 20 second boot up from hibernation. Centrafuse has inbuilt support for webcams, not sure about setting up as a DVR of sorts though. I Plan on going quite deep, though every car has a different wiring loom so my installation will differ from installing it in another car.

What sort of software do you use? I just installed the screen for the computer in our EcoCar this past weekend. Was a cool project and I sort of want to do it in my own car now, haha.

Centrafuse

It's quite nice to look at, operates nicely and is quite feature filled. I Only wish it had on the go playlist support like Windows media center does.

 

[root]

I Plan on going quite deep, though every car has a different wiring loom so my installation will differ from installing it in another car.

that's another thing that's putting me off.

I'd want to keep the steering wheel controls, and have them control the PC...

It's not a massive problem hooking up a device to work by either serial or usb to a computer to implement simple up down commands for volume, and skip forward/backwards or seek from the buttons, on the steering wheel controls... the trouble is that first of all I have to hook into the VAN comfort system bus, and i can find pretty much only 1 page on the internet for doing that. then to implement a reversing camera system I've either got to hook up a series of micro switches to sense gears, or hook into the VAN body systems bus to sense when reverse is selected...

understanding all the buses, and hooking into them without either spending lots of cash, or breaking something seems difficult

 

[berry120]

the trouble is that first of all I have to hook into the VAN comfort system bus, and i can find pretty much only 1 page on the internet for doing that. then to implement a reversing camera system I've either got to hook up a series of micro switches to sense gears, or hook into the VAN body systems bus to sense when reverse is selected...

Just a thought, but has your car got reversing sensors? If so, and if it beeps when you put it in reverse, could you detect the current along this wire and use that to activate the camera? Cheap and dirty trick, but might just work.

 

[root]

true. if nothing else I could just splice the reversing light wire...

but hacking into the VAN sounds like a bit more useful, (the i can read the car speed etc and alter the volume) -having said that, speed could be read from the ODBII port

 

[berry120]

true. if nothing else I could just splice the reversing light wire...

Or that!

but hacking into the VAN sounds like a bit more useful, (the i can read the car speed etc and alter the volume) -having said that, speed could be read from the ODBII port

Was going to mention the ODB port next - depending on the model it could give you all sorts of information you wouldn't necessarily expect (from what I've read around all cars have to provide a certain amount of info but some manufacturers use spare channels for all sorts of things.) You could go down that route even if you are hacking the VAN, I'm pretty sure you'd get information the VAN just wouldn't provide.

That said, if you blow the VAN right open you've got access to everything, volume control included - and as well as being the "nice" way of doing it, it offers a heck of a lot more in the way of customisation later. If only there was one standard... would be useful!

 

[Neodude1123201]

that's another thing that's putting me off.

I'd want to keep the steering wheel controls, and have them control the PC...

It's not a massive problem hooking up a device to work by either serial or usb to a computer to implement simple up down commands for volume, and skip forward/backwards or seek from the buttons, on the steering wheel controls... the trouble is that first of all I have to hook into the VAN comfort system bus, and i can find pretty much only 1 page on the internet for doing that. then to implement a reversing camera system I've either got to hook up a series of micro switches to sense gears, or hook into the VAN body systems bus to sense when reverse is selected...

understanding all the buses, and hooking into them without either spending lots of cash, or breaking something seems difficult

That why i am using a programmable mechinical keyboard, just solder the steering wheel buttons straight to the buttons and then just setup the hotkeys. For Reversing, Berry120's idea sounds like the way to go.

Was going to mention the ODB port next - depending on the model it could give you all sorts of information you wouldn't necessarily expect (from what I've read around all cars have to provide a certain amount of info but some manufacturers use spare channels for all sorts of things.) You could go down that route even if you are hacking the VAN, I'm pretty sure you'd get information the VAN just wouldn't provide.

That said, if you blow the VAN right open you've got access to everything, volume control included - and as well as being the "nice" way of doing it, it offers a heck of a lot more in the way of customisation later. If only there was one standard... would be useful!

Centrafuse has inbuilt support for ODBII, im hoping to get a cable for my car in the next month but i think my car may use ALDL....