MP3Car.com - Show off your project

98 Civic Ex Car Computer Custom CAD Install

rujoesmith — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:31:51 GMT

So my car is a 98 civic ex 2-door, i wanted to install a car pc but due to the small interior and no room for a normal DIN display I had to get a bit creative. I decided on installing it in the dash on the passenger side.

Started out in cad, designed a frame that could be built into the dash to hold the touchscreen in place.

Once i finished the design i sent it to a company i found online and had it printed for about 35$ + shipping.

results: not bad :D

Next i mounted the screen in the frame, a perfect fit.

Adding the components and securing it in place, about as sloppy as it gets but hey, it holds great and no one will ever see it.

outlined the are for cutting, made sure it was level and in the correct place on the dash.

Sloppy cutting but i made sure to get it nice and smooth before finishing

Installed the frame with touch screen, all the edges fit smoothly

Heres the actuall computer, it fits in a nice little package under the passenger seat and has some pretty decent specs: Corsair 64GB SSD, 4gb ddr3 ram, Intel Atom Dual core D525 motherboard, m3-atx powersupply. It is also hooked into the obd2 port and i use dashcommand to display the data

Heres a shot of it at night. The china screen actually works surprisingly well, resolution is great and the touch screen is very accurate and responsive

I installed 2 usb ports in the front plate of where the casette player used to be as well as a headphone jack

Here are the power buttons, green is for the computer which turns on both the screen and the pc, it also shuts it down. blue is for the blue leds in the footwells.

Well its not the most beautiful setup in the world and i may have hacked up the car a little in the making, but its not exactly a beamer and i learned alot along the way. lemme know what you think!

Attached Images

Suzuki Grand Vitara 2006 - Android Tablet Install

Merkoen — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:23:22 GMT

Suzuki Grand Vitara - Tablet Install

So i've had my Suzuki Grand Vitara since the summer of 2012, but was never happy with the OEM-Radio.

So after a few weeks using this radio, i ordered a new one from China, which had alot of new features such as GPS (TomTom maps), Bluetooth, DVD, mp3, iPod\iPhone dock cable etc.

I was quite happy with the radio, but again, after some time i wanted a new one and more advanced this time. After lurking around google and this forum for some time, i came a cross lots of forum-threads of people that did the same as i wanted. At first i wanted a Windows based machine, but i quickly figured that it required too much work and wiring around the car to make it good.
My main goal for the project was to make it have an "OEM Look" after the installation was complete, so i wanted something nice looking.

After some thinking, i figured i could use an tablet as my new radio unit, and with some research i saw that i wasnt the only one having a tablet as car radio.

At first i wasnt sure if i would go the Apple iOS(iPad, iPad Mini) or the Google Android way, but with some more thinking i saw that the Android device would be best choice for this job, since you can easily customize the startscreen to however you like.

So i took home a Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7" from work, which have a decent look from the front.

What i didn't like however, was the Samsung-logo on the right. The logo itself is fine, but it wouldn't fit in if i mounted the tablet in landscape, i'd rather have the logo at the bottom instead. I tried to google on how to remove the logo, but with out any luck. The only way (or the best way) to remove the logo is by buying a new replacement glass, which cost around $50 on ebay.

When i was about to bu the new replacement glass, a guy on this forum told me about DecalGirl.com, which makes front covers for tablet and phones, so big thanks to "theksmith" in here! :-)

I had the option between 'Glossy' and 'Matte' decals, so since most of the interior in my car is matte, i thought it would be a nice fit with matte border around the tablet glass also

The shipping took a few days (From US to Norway), which isnt so bad, and it came with good instrucitons on how to install it correctly to the screen. So thumbs up for DecalGirl.com

My next problem was exactly how i could make the tablet fit nicely in my car, so did some searching around for dvd\radio units for my car to get some inspiration, incase i needed to do some modding.
After some mins, i found out that the Double Dinn frame would probably fit nicely, since they are about the same size as the tablet and with a double din frame for my car model, it would be easy to stick the tablet to the DD-frame, and then mount it in my car. Since i didn't have exact measurements, i just ordered one.

After some days, i received the double dinn frame, and suprisingly it was a nice fit.

After trying a few ways to mount the tablet to the frame, my dad came up with a decent solution.

So to be able to get any sound out of the tablet, i would need to use a jack cable from the tablet and over to the audio system in my car, but there was no room for cables on any of the sides.. Even the usb-charger plug was bigger than i thought.

I rememberd a other guy on this forum. had a similar problem, so i went to his thread, and saw how he solved the problem, and pretty much did the same thing as him. So big thanks to SDB_FTW on the forum for solving my problems ;-)

in short words, i bougth a Samsung Universal Tablet Dock, and started to disassemble it.

So as you can probably see, i got enough room for the charge cable that i took from the Samsung dock and it also had an audio out port, which is exactly what i needed.

So to be able to use the car speakers, i needed some kind of amplifier that i would connect my tablet to, so i bought one at the local store, just some basic one, and it will probably be replaced sometime in the future.

so did a few audio tests, to make sure everything was working correctly before i put everthing inside the car. And after some back and forth, everything was then working properly! :-)

So next thing on the todo-list was to remove the China radio and replace it with the tablet!

So, when we put the tablet in, we noticed that the HVAC\Heating unit pushed against the volume\OnOff button on the tablet, so we had to do a minor modification to the HVAC panel.. nothing serious though.. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5OKdgEtPuc

After that was done, it came on perfectly

Since there is no way for me to reach the power button anymore, i can't turn it On\Off as i'd like, so instead it stays on at all times.

I used an app called 'Tasker', which let me do a lot of different task on certain actions.
Example: If i give the tablet external power (Ignition On), it will automatically start certain apps and turn on Bluetooth\Wifi. SAme if the tablet looses the external power (Ignition Off), it will turn everything off and go to 'power saving mode'. That way then the ignition is off, it can run on its own battery for a few days, and as soon as i start the car up again, it will start to charge up.

Here's the end result :-)

I'm also using an app named 'Torque', which lets me connect my device to the ECU in my car, using Bluetooth, so i can read out stuff like; Engine RPM, Speed, Voltage, Engine Temp, Oil Temp, Air Flow, Air Temp, Turbo Boost +++, which is really cool.

Here's an small clip of when Torque is activated:

And this is what happends when i turn Ignition On\Off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSTNhHDHvto

Small audio test..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0GcUY3pKhw

Thank you all for reading, and if you got any questions, please post here and id try to answer them all.
Also big thanks to my dad for helping out :-)

Attached Images

Added Carputer, HDTV, 2 Recording webcams for Traffic and Backseats,ETC to Prius 2007

derekc — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 01:55:51 GMT

Hello, i have had this car since 2007 an my kids have always been fighting in the back of my Prius so i have installed a DVD player and a HDTV.

About 3 years later when my baby daughter was born i installed a Carputer

(Computer+Car, ill talk about it later.) which also recorded a webcam i installed in the front and back of the car.
The front webcam is a 81.1 degree angle camera which is recording the front traffic ahead in case there is a car crash.

The back webcam is a 102 degree camera to record the kids as evidence of their fights.

I also installed 2 wireless Logitech Rumble-pad 2

for the boy's video games and such; a middle touchscreen console to duplicate the HDTV's screen so my daughter can open movies herself
; and also a wireless keyboard/mouse thing.

BMW X1 E84 CarPC application - ongoing-

canstb — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 07:14:56 GMT

Hello Folks,
Instead of finalising my installation and then showing off, I decided to start this thread and explain my setup. Most probably, I will have loads of mistakes, this being my first carpc install. So I will share my plans, hardware and etc here. Please comment as you like, maybe I can correct an irreversible installation problem.
Ok, my biggest problem was the lcd installation. I dont know if lucky or not, I found the bezel for my car, for a small fortune. These guys being the only manufacturer of bezel this kind, I didnt have any other choice. here is how it looks like;
bezel

Most of you will be critisizing my choice of display, I know but here is what I got from a chinese trader;
screen

I bought a dome shaped small rearview camera which I cannot find any pictures in web now. I installed it to the dummy cover for original rearview camera hole. I drilled a 1.5cm hole and installed it. I should take some pictures installed. The display I have has a 12v input to switch to AV input. So, reversing lamp will supply 12v both to camera itself and the digital input of the display control board. I might have to drive a lower voltage relay to get this working correctly, I will see.

I bought a used Acer AspireOne, 1.6Ghz processor, 1 Gbram and 8Gb SSD. Sounded like bestbuy for me.
aspireOne SSD
I also bought a smps car charger for this computer.

Here is the usb hub I thought would be a good fit behind the bezel.
usb hub

As a gps receiver, I bought a usb gps dongle, chinese crap, but looks like it works. Im having issues with igo 8.3 but Garmin and Sygic performs quite OK. I will ask for opinions about this problem later on.
gps receiver

A keyboard, most probably I will not need it after my front end comes to its last look, but just in case, here it is.
keyboard

A sound card would be useful I thought. Since I will place the computer in the trunk, it would be wise to keep the audio cable as short as possible. Mic in port will be also useful for bluetooth handsfree, shorter the cable, less the loss. (No need to say that Im planning to connect this to the usb hub behind the bezel) I found it useless to pay loads of money to a sound card, since the amplifier and the speaker setup of the X1 is the main bottle neck! radio business sucks!
usb sound

Bluetooth adapter, it should be usefull if Im planning to have a handsfree functionality.
BT dongle

Why not to have analog TV?
AverTV VolarGO

I will use 2 elm327 adapters, again chinese crap ones, one for obd, other for kcan.
Elm327-usb interpreter

I am planning to use RideRunner with Reborn Skin. I already have it sort of fixed, almost ready to use. Only thing I need to fix is, with help of TrevorC2, to get the steering wheel buttons control some functions on the software.

My cousin is now preparing a plastic frame to the naked display so that I can install it to the bezel I bought specific for my car.
Very very soon, I will start installation. Please comment on this plan of a newbie.

I will take pictures and share them with you as I start installing.

2008 Mercedes ML550: Integrating an ASUS Transformer Infinity into the Stock System

matt11601 — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 22:02:00 GMT

UPDATES
March 30, 2013: Pictures added at the end of this post.

This is my finished work log for a 2008 Mercedes ML550.

My first carPC was, and still is, in a 2000 Toyota 4Runner. It wouldn't have been possible without Mp3Car. The most helpful threads for this first install were the detailed ones. Thus, I will provide as much detail as possible for this new install.

Current carPC

My current carPC is a VIA MII10000 (motherboard) with a Xenarc 700 TSV (touch screen), M2-ATX (power supply), 1GB of RAM, running Windows XP SP3 Lite. The front end is the defunct Meedio with Meedio on Wheels as the skin. I installed this in a 2000 Toyota 4Runner in ~2006. I was lucky because this install required no fabrication (a skill I lack). The Xenarc was a nice fit after removing the double din radio. The only physical modification required was sanding some plastic on the back of the center dash. This permitted an almost-flush fit between the touch screen and dash. Adding some styrofoam made it flush and ensured the screen would not move during a rough drive. Afterwards, I ran wires to the MII10000 located under the driver seat (wires hidden under carpet). And it was just as easy to run audio cables to the amplifier in my trunk. The only part of this install not done by me was Circuit City. I bought an amplifier from them and they installed it along with a distribution block. Running power from this block to the M2-ATX was not too difficult. It required some additional wires, soldering (first time I ever soldered), crimping, and heat shrink. Everything is controlled by the touch screen with no switches, knobs, or buttons. The process took me an entire summer to physically install the parts. But it actually took me an entire year from start to finish. I started planning the install in the Fall of 2005. I first read books on carPC's, researched the 4Runner, read these forums like crazy, and slowly ordered parts. By the end of Summer 2006, my carPC was fully functional. If anyone has a third generation 4Runner, then installing a carPC is not difficult.

This was a simple install. The carPC is not powerful by any means, but enough to play music and video which were my only two goals at the time. I did not consider functionality, ease of use by passengers, sunlight readability, or even the front end. Some reasons for this were a limited budget, limitations of technology at the time, and, most importantly, ignorance. I was brand new to this and did not know what to expect. You can read the forums for hours, but you cannot truly appreciate it until you do it yourself. After using my carPC for years, two issues became apparent. First, passengers who are not tech-savvy (such as my Mom) had a hard time using it. For instance, if my Mom or Dad drove my car, they had no idea how to stop/pause the music or adjust the volume. That surprised me since the carPC booted into the front end which had all the controls at the bottom of the screen (at all times). Eventually they figured it out, but it was not intuitive and I was worried they would crash while trying to operate it. Furthermore, the Xenarc screen is unusable in direct light due to glare. This makes usability difficult for everyone, including myself. Increasing the brightness on the monitor did not help because of a bug in the touch screen software that did not save the screen settings (i.e., reverting back to the default brightness level upon reboot). And even with the brightness turned up, it was still difficult to see. This is, by far, is one of the biggest gripes I’ve had. Secondly, with the widespread use of touch screen phones and tablets, passengers expected the same experience. That experience being swiping and the near-instant response. People would swipe the screen and be confused when nothing happened. Initially, these two issues were not a problem to me. I was happy with the setup. I was completely fine waiting 37 seconds for windows to load from hibernation, the 1-2 second lag for the next song to play when I pressed next track, and to lower my head slightly to read the touch screen in direct light. However, my standards for a carPC started changing when I bought a touch screen phone. Touching, swiping, and gesturing were intuitive and easy when navigating the device. It was the new standard for interacting with technology. I realized the user experience is just as important as its function. I better understood the frustrations of my passengers, especially when this type of interaction was becoming the norm. The way we interact with technology was changing and I was no longer satisfied with my carPC.

I consider my first carPC a success. I learned a lot about computers, running cables, troubleshooting the M2-ATX, importance of grounding wires, importance of quality components, and many other aspects I do not need to describe (nor could I remember at this point). But I also learned what makes a good carPC, what makes a good front end, and what makes an enjoyable experience. I now have a new set of expectations and goals going into my next install.

The New Car

The 2008 Mercedes ML550 is my newest car. It has a lot of technology. Two small LCD screens are located between the tachometer and speedometer. It displays information such as the street you're on, compass, current radio station, warning messages, temperature, etc. Navigating these screens is done by steering wheel buttons. The head unit has AM/FM/Satellite Radio, a backup camera, navigation system, CD player, audio routing from two headrest DVD units in the back, and AUX input with an iPod dock cable. The actual head unit is controlled by physical buttons on the sides of the screen so it's not a touch screen. I imagine these features are enough to satisfy many people, but coming from a carPC skews your expectations of what a "system" really means. Obviously, I hated the stock system and was ripping it out in my mind.

I really enjoy driving this car. It's a nice, smooth, powerful car and the integration of technology is very tight. Unfortunately, taking out the stock system means I lose many of these features I enjoy. There’s always the possibility of replicating these functions in a new carPC, but from my understanding, that would be very difficult and costly. Rather than replace my system with a carPC (as I did with my first install), this new install must be integrated. It must “look” stock and still have a “premium” feel that matches everything about this car.

Goals for Next carPC (Aug 2011)

I first started with my goals/expectations/objectives. This step is important because it gave me direction and allowed me to foresee future issues. My goals were:

1) Must be a touch screen

2) Screen is usable in direct light

3) Fast

4) Short boot time

5) Interface is easy to use

6) Plays audio and video without bogging down the system

7) GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth

I thought these goals were realistic and they address previous issues with my first carPC. While each is important to me, the most important is the user experience. While I didn't make this a specific goal, I think the ones listed above amount to a great user experience. After making this list, I thought about my new car to ensure they were still realistic. So far, they are, but two additional goals were made:

8) Install must look stock

9) Steering wheel buttons work with carPC

10) Project will allow me to return to stock (in case I sell the car)

One goal that I removed was “Stream content to all passengers in the car.” The carPC is great for the driver and passenger, but not for rear seat passengers. I thought about connecting my rear seat entertainment system to the carPC and mirroring the screen. Another option would be purchasing an iPod Touch for each passenger and streaming via WiFi. This basically gives each passenger their own personal screen. But this would require a WiFi network and purchasing iPods which is an unnecessary expense at this time. However, the thought of making all content available to all passengers is intriguing. The carPC will be the center experience, but allowing each passenger to enjoy their own content is an interesting idea. At this point, I have enough goals and can do without this. I may revisit this in the future.

My objectives are set and I have 10 of them. All 10 must be met to achieve a successful carPC.

Hardware - Determining the Main System (Oct 2011)

An important lesson I learned during my first install was that preparing is vital. I read first, researched the 4Runner, researched PC components, read these forums for hours, and then started the install. Did I want to do it this way? Hell no. I wanted to buy the parts and do it ASAP. But that is not smart and would have created many more problems (in addition to the problems you inevitably encounter). The first step is to plan.

I dealt with the main system first. Will it be a mini-ITX? Micro-atx? Run Windows? AppleTV? Perhaps an android tablet? Maybe an iPad? The first system I actually looked at was the Cartronics Comand Pro for Mercedes Vehicles. This system seemed like the perfect fit. It's specifically designed to replace the stock Mercedes system while adding features like a picture viewer, SD card slot, video, etc. This appeared to be the perfect fit because it was Plug & Play. Unfortunately, this did not work out. After speaking with technical service, I found out the system runs an old version of Windows CE. Also, the system is slow and they (Cartronics) seldom make major changes to the OS. While it is a touch screen, there is significant lag between the finger press and action (just like my current carPC). This is unacceptable. I was disappointed because I thought this was the perfect solution and the install would have been simple. The Cartronics Comand Pro system was out. I did, however, find an interesting Remote Start that they sell (more on that later).

Another option by Cartronics is an A/V input module. This allows you to connect an iPod/iPhone/iPod Touch/PC and mirror the screen to the headunit. I did not like this because you would still interact with a small screen if you connect an Apple product. If you connected a PC, you would need a way to control the system because the stock Mercedes screen is not touch. This would require a knob or remote. Not to mention, the video quality is also poor. This option is out too.

My next option was a computer. A mini-itx seemed appealing because there are several USB ports, opportunity for expansion devices, is powerful, and allows me to upgrade in the future (CPU, RAM, etc). Tablets are another option. Tablets are an all-in-one system, easier to install, have less cables, superior screens, multi-touch, and require less power. I went back to my all important goal of the user experience. With keeping that main goal in mind, I chose a tablet. A tablet achieves all of my goals (1-7) and should be easier to install.

The first major decision has been made: The next system will be a tablet. But which one? There are plenty on the market. I researched the iPad 2 because I had direct access to it. I used my Moms' and was very impressed. The screen was bright, beautiful, and still usable in sunlight. The iOS system is fast and responsive. It really makes for a great carPC (carMac? carPad? carTab? carTablet?). Unfortunately, I ran into a significant issue: lack of ports. This is a big problem for two reasons:

I have a lot of music and video. The highest iPad 2 model has 64 GB of space with no options for expansion. Not enough by any means. I need a USB port to connect an external HD. A possible workaround would be a WiFi hard drive like the GoFlex Satellite hard drive. This HD has a built-in wireless access point that you access via WiFi. Using an iOS app developed for this wireless HD, you can browse the drive and play your media. This sounded like an attractive solution, but it's not right for me. When I use my carPC, I want a unified and streamlined interface. I do not want to open an app to play music stored on the iPad and then run a different app with a completely different interface to watch a movie. I'm looking for a media center/front end experience (i.e cover art, synopsis of the movie, IMDB rating, etc.). Furthermore, when the tablet is connected to the WiFi hard drive, you cannot access other WiFi hotspots for internet access. This is a huge problem. Another workaround is to stream movies from my home to the iPad or use Pandora/TuneIn Radio/apps to "expand" my library. Unfortunately, I do not have an unlimited data plan and will not get one because of cost.

I want the option of expansion. If a great USB device comes out then I want the option of integration. I may get a mobile hotspot if carrier prices are more reasonable. Again, the lack of ports does not provide me this flexibility.

This was the nail in the coffin for the iPad 2. I was disappointed because the iPad, to me, is the gold standard of tablets. The quality, speed, responsiveness, and OS provides a great user experience. The only option left is an Android tablet. My experience with them thus far has been poor. The hardware is less than powerful, the quality is below the iPads’, and many tablets have soft keys (home, back, search, etc). The soft keys bother me because it's wasted space in a car. If you fabricate this into a dash, then you have this large section you need to expose just to have these keys accessible. This results in a clash of two different styles (stock car dash vs bezel of the tablet). This will not look stock at all. For these two reasons, I am very hesitant to use an Android Tablet.

Project Suspended (Nov 2011)

There are no Android Tablets that match my goals. I’ve been reading reports from Engadget about Google pushing manufacturers to build higher quality tablets, but nothing official has come to market. Apparently ASUS is working on a new line of premium tablets, but nothing for me to purchase yet.

Early reports about premium Android Tablets are becoming a reality because ASUS releases the Transformer Prime. This tablet showed me that premium android tablets were on the way, but I had to wait to see if they are any good. Planning is still suspended and I wait.

Hardware - Determining the Android Tablet (Jan 2012)

The world of Android tablets moves fast. Google releases new Android versions quickly and not all tablets will get the upgrade. This is disconcerting because no one wants “yesterday’s model” and everyone wants the “latest and greatest.” This is another reason this tablet needs to be premium: future proofing. Although when it comes to Android Tablets, future proofing buys you an additional 6 months. Not very long at all.

Premium Android tablets are now being manufactured and the project resumes. I make a checklist for my tablet after some research:

1) OS is Ice Cream Sandwich. This will be Google's latest OS which is more tablet oriented and supports USB host.

2) USB port(s).

3) Tegra 3 processor or suitable next generation processor. After I looked past the marketing hype, I found the Tegra 3 to be a very good processor with power management improvements over its predecessor. Other processors with good reviews are OMAP and SnapDragon. As long as it's a next generation CPU/GPU then I'm happy (i.e., not Tegra 2).

4) IPS display. Excellent quality screen and, most importantly, good viewing angles so that many people in the car can see the screen clearly. And just as important, you can still see the screen in direct sunlight.

5) XDA support. This may seem minor to some people, but to me it’s very important. As I mentioned above, manufacturers drop support for Android tablets quickly. I want a tablet that is still usable years after it’s manufactured (from a software standpoint). XDA is a group of software developers that hack all sorts of electronic devices. Phones and tablets are very popular on these forums. They create custom OS’ (called ROMs) which add additional functionality and, often times, improve upon the original software from the manufacturer. Most importantly, it keeps your tablet alive for many more years. I am making a significant investment with this project and I want this tablet to last as long as possible.

6) Root and bootloader unlocking.

I absolutely need root. For those unfamiliar, rooting an android tablet is the same thing as jailbreaking an iPad. And for those unfamiliar with jailbreaking, it essentially means gaining low-level access to a tablet which allows you to run unapproved apps (meaning apps Google or Apple block from the store) and make major modifications to the operating system. You’re essentially “breaking out” from the restrictions the manufacturer has placed. Certain apps I need will require root and these apps will be key to the tablet experience. I will expand on this later.

Unlocking the bootloader allows a person to install custom ROMs. ROMs are a complete replacement of the tablet OS. Most importantly, its ROMs that add longevity to devices. You can get more years (yes, I literally mean years) out of a device and get more features. Meaning, even when Google releases new versions of Android, it’s up to the manufacturer to incorporate the updates to the device. Many Android tablet manufacturers will provide updates for ~1-2 years (if you’re lucky) and then move on o the next flagship product. XDA Developers will incorporate these changes into their ROMs when manufacturers have dropped support.

My basic approach to looking for a suitable tablet are: 1) Search tablets that meet my previous checklist and 2) Read the reviews. Pretty simple and probably similar to what other people do. When reading reviews, I find it’s important to NOT focus on the final score. Reviewers have a different set of criteria than I do when judging a tablet. They are not reviewing a tablet with the intention to mount it in a car. Some examples of what I mean:

-Camera: I do not plan to use the camera on my tablet. I can think of cool things to do with it (Skype, face unlock), but I already know this will not work for a variety of reasons (camera cannot be moved without extending cable, will not be pointed at driver, etc, etc). If a tablet loses points for the camera/video quality, then I am not concerned.

-Build Quality: Since I will not be holding the tablet, the actual materials and finish of the tablet do not concern me. If it easily falls out of a users’ hands, then I do not care since it will be mounted. If a tablet loses points for the build quality, then I am not concerned.

-Battery Life: I will provide continuous power to the tablet so I am not concerned about how long a charge will last. If a tablet loses points for battery life, then I am not concerned.

These three factors are commonly reviewed in all tablets and factor into the final score (rightfully so given the intended use of a tablet). If a tablet loses points based on these three factors, then it could still be suitable for my purpose. The two factors that are important to me are performance and screen quality. I will especially look at these two when reading reviews.

The first tablet I looked into was the Transformer Prime since it’s the only available premium Android tablet. It’s powerful and received excellent reviews. It's one of the first Android Tablets that is on par with the iPad and is nothing like previous Android tablets that were cheap, unpolished, and slow. However, the more I looked into this tablet, the more I didn’t like. XDA-Developers has many threads on problems with GPS. While these issues are not widespread, I believe they are credible and I do not want to deal with the hassle. ASUS would later release a GPS dongle as a solution (confirming it was a legit issue), but I did not like the added bulk it would bring to my install. But an even bigger problem is the lack of USB ports. This tablet comes with an optional dock that turns it into a "laptop." This dock has a USB port, but this will make the install even bulkier. So now the Transformer Prime is out.

I know the specs needed for my tablet and still wait. I've seen matching tablets at CES 2012 (a popular electronics trade show held annually). The tablet that caught my eye is the upcoming Toshiba Excite line. The available sizes will be 13 inches (it's huge), 10 inches, and 7.7 inches. I'm thinking the 7.7 will fit well in my dash with the 10 inch likely being too large. Other potential tablets include the new Transformer series from ASUS. Unfortunately, this series does not have a separate USB and charging port. In fact, many of the upcoming Android tablets do not have separate ports except the Toshiba line. Separate ports makes my install much easier. The problem with one port is you cannot charge and use USB devices at the same time since there is one port. I keep my eye on the Toshiba Excite 7.7.

Researching Android Tablets (May 2012)

The Toshiba Excite 7.7" is released. It gets decent reviews and should suit my needs. The last part now is waiting for the Excite to be unlocked and rooted. If the device is not rooted, then my vision for this install is significantly hampered. I peruse the online forums and see that Toshiba is highly unlikely to unlock the bootloader or give consumers root access. I even start a petition at change.org to convince them otherwise. But still nothing. I absolutely need root and still don't have it. After months of waiting, I'm so close to my ideal tablet, but still must wait. I hope the talented community of XDA can crack this tablet. The wait is killing me.

It’s Sept 2012 and I’m still waiting for root access to the Toshiba Excite. While I wait even longer, I plan the remaining hardware and tackle the fabrication process.

Fabrication

To fulfill my goal of a "stock" look, I'm going to need help. I hate this. I disliked paying Circuit City to install the amp in my 4Runner and I equally dislike going to a shop for fabrication. I like doing everything myself. It's what makes projects like this "fun" (and frustrating). But I have zero fabrication skills and high expectations. Expectations that far exceed my own skill. I will need a shop to complete my install. And the worst part...it's going to cost a lot.

I research local installers in the Maryland and PA area. After several phone calls and visits, Audio Connection are the people I want. I spoke with Sean (General Manager) and I was very impressed. He clearly knew the technical aspects of my car and they have worked on Mercedes vehicles before. Other shops were hesitant to work on a Mercedes due to the complexity of its security system. Others were all too willing to work on my car which made me very nervous. Sean introduced me to Steve who would be doing the install. All of my interactions with both of them told me they were the right people for the job. The only thing left to do is buy all the hardware.

While I wait for a suitable tablet to buy, I plan the remaining hardware.

Hardware - Determining Additional Components

PERIPHERALS

I am going to purchase two OEM PS3 dual shock controllers. These operate over USB cable or bluetooth. Playing games in the car (obviously not while driving) is one of the coolest things to do and wireless controllers are a must. No wires mean a cleaner look.

In order to use all of my USB peripherals and leave the option for future USB add-ons, I purchase the MP3Car Carnetix Hub. I’ve personally seen it in action during AFKFest. It works well and is easy to operate. While it is expensive, the forums have given it good reviews and it sounds like a solid product. I also buy two USB extenders. They will be mounted somewhere in the center dash and provide 2 open USB ports. This will allow me to charge devices (phones, PS3 controllers, etc) and connect USB devices (thumb drives for transferring content).

AUDIO

I need a way to route audio to my stock system. Fortunately, my SUV has an iPod dock in the glove compartment that serves as AUX input. I can bridge the connection wirelessly using an A2DP Bluetooth receiver. The receiver plugs into the iPod dock cable and accepts bluetooth connections from any device (in this case, my tablet). Once the two devices are paired, I can stream all audio wirelessly. What's even better is that my steering wheel controls should work too. The only downside is a loss in audio quality. While I am very particular about this install, I am not an audiophile and will accept the loss in sound quality. I buy the ML-D100 based on the favorable results from this user. Just like I got lucky with the placement of my touchscreen in the 4Runner, I am fortunate to have this solution already integrated into the stock system.

STORAGE

There is a shift in the tablet industry regarding storage. Manufacturers are abandoning storage expansion for the cloud. Newer tablets are dropping microSD support and separate microUSB & USB ports in favor of fixed HD space. Basically, if you need more storage than you need cloud services. And of course, these companies provide cloud services for extra money. Unfortunately, this is a tough issue to deal with when planning this install. I have lots of media in the form of movies, tv shows, eBooks, pictures, and music. I prefer to store everything on a HD. The problem is how to access this HD from a tablet? It’s simple to connect a USB cable between an external HD and tablet. But the problem is the tablet will not be charged. I need a tablet with separate USB ports so that HD access and charging can happen simultaneously. This is the exact reason I want the Toshiba Excite tablets, however, root is still unavailable. Another option is to buy a tablet that has simultaneous USB access/charging. However, I am unaware of such a tablet.

An alternative is a wireless HD which I described previously. Hard drive manufacturers know tablet storage is a problem so they’re taking advantage by creating external HDs with built-in wireless access points (AP). It’s an emerging market. For the end user, they connect to this AP from their tablet and then stream content. The number of simultaneous users varies, but the Seagate GoFlex supports 3 people. I personally think this is a great idea and great product. I can picture my tablet playing a movie in the dash and then passengers connecting to the same wireless HD with their phones to listen/watch other media. All of this happens simultaneously and everyone is happy.

This is a great product and solves the problem of storage, but there’s one disadvantage: You lose internet access. While you’re connected to the wireless HD, you cannot access the internet without disconnecting from the wireless HD and connecting to a different AP. Huge disadvantage and, unfortunately, I do not want to be in this position. I buy an external HD and will address how to connect it later.

I purchase the Western Digital My Passport 1 TB USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive because: 1) It received good reviews, 2) Runs completely off USB power and, 3) Is quiet.

Hardware - Still Determining the Android Tablet (Oct 2012)

Almost all of the hardware purchasing is complete. The only thing missing? The freakin’ tablet. Unfortunately, there has been little interest from XDA and Toshiba has not responded to the petition. Even though the Excite was just released, I would have expected some news by now regarding its potential for rooting. At this point, I would settle for root and forgo an unlocked bootloader because I want to get this installed. I began looking for other options and drop the Toshiba Excite.

In my search for an alternative, high-quality Android tablet, I go back to the ASUS Transformer line and research these new tablets.

The Transformer Infinity is the definition of a premium Android tablet. It has received good reviews from several websites. Additionally, some interesting accessories have come to the market since my last look including an ASUS Connect Dock that was released in Europe. This is NOT the mobile dock keyboard.

While the reviews are good, XDA highlights some problems with this tablet such as: Quality control issues, sluggish performance, low quality RAM, screen separation, and trouble with the unlocking process. These reports make me pause and question whether this is the right tablet for me. I try to look at this objectively, but it’s difficult. Something to keep in mind is XDA and its users are not your average tablet user. People come to XDA with an intention to modify their product. It’s only natural that these people have a higher expectation of their electronics and harsher criticisms. I do believe these issues are present, but I do not believe they are widespread. The only problem I do believe is the sluggish performance. But performance is entirely subjective and I decide to continue researching this tablet.

This review sold me (look at the screen in direct sunlight . The Transformer Infinity is the tablet for me. I investigate some solutions to the following issues I notice during my research:

Size. Audio Connection didn’t think a 10” tablet would fit. I’m not sure if the size constraints are due to width or length. I’m going to ask them to reconsider. Hopefully they can find a way to make it fit.

USB port. ASUS makes a USB adapter. This adapter plugs into the charging port and creates a USB 2.0 port. I can connect this to my powered USB Hub and then connect my USB devices. The issue is, will this charge the tablet at the same time? I don’t know. I asked this question in the forums and no one knew either. Furthermore, it'll complicate the install because there will be a small dongle coming out of the tablet which adds length. The other option is to buy the recently released ASUS Connect Dock. This dock will charge the tablet and give me Audio Out with 2 USB Ports. The ports will be located in the back and make it easier to run wires. But again, it’ll add bulk to the install process which may become a problem. I personally prefer the dock solution because I gain two USB ports. I’ll need to talk to Audio Connection.

I talk to Audio Connection and they believe the Transformer Infinity will work based on these pictures. I provide a cardboard cutout of this 10” tablet and it seems to fit well. But what makes this tablet really work is the Connect Dock. The limited user reviews (link) are decent and it’s confirmed that a USB hub will work. I now have a way to charge and use USB devices simultaneously. This is was key problem that is now solved. I finally decide on my tablet: The Transformer Infinity. It matches all of my Android Tablet checklist items.

The Big Picture (Jan 2013)

Here’s a complete list of parts and how it fits together.

1. ASUS Transformer Infinity (TF700)

2. ASUS Connect Dock

3. Carnetix Powered USB Hub

4. WD MyPassport 1 TB HD

5. USB Extenders x2

6. USB Car Charger

7. OEM PS3 Dual Shock controllers x2

8. ML-D100 A2DP Bluetooth Adaptor

The tablet will always be connected to the dock. The dock will provide power to the tablet. The dock will have two connections: (1) Power adapter to the USB Car Charger. The USB car charger will be plugged into a cigarette lighter. This is switched power meaning the cigarette lighter only receives power when the car is on. And when the car is on, the tablet will ultimately be receiving power. When the car is off, the cigarette lighter does not receive power and thus, neither does the tablet. At this point, the tablet is running off its internal battery (2) A USB cable to the Carnetix USB Powered Hub.

This hub will have, for now, six connections: (1) Direct line to the battery. This will be constant power. (2) Ground connection. (3) Another power connection, but to a switched source. This tells the hub when the car is on or off. If the car is off, the hub will stay on for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, it shuts off and kills power to all USB devices that are connected (4) USB Cable to the external hard drive. (5) First USB extender cable to the center console. (6) Second USB extender cable to the center dash. The hub will be located behind the dash and hidden from view. The external HD will sit in the glove box and allow me to remove it easily.

The glove box also houses the AUX Connection. This is where my ML-D100 plugs into. It’s completely powered by this cable and accepts the Bluetooth connection from the tablet via the A2DP Profile. Once connected, all audio from the tablet will play through the speakers. Two PS3 Dualshock 3 controllers will connect via Bluetooth to the tablet as well. They will be stored in the center console.

Configuring Software

Once I determined I was going to use an Android tablet, I began researching apps to make everything “talk” and “connect” together. I kept these details separate because it’s an extensive discussion that deserves its own section. The following areas will be discussed: Root & Bootloader, ROM, Media Players, Homescreens, and Tools.

ROOT AND BOOTLOADER

Before modifying software on the tablet, you must unlock the bootloader and gain root access. Unlocking the bootloader allows you to install custom OS’. This is important because XDA Developers improve upon the stock ASUS experience that they provided on the Infinity tablet. Tweaks to the operating system, additional features, and removal of useless ASUS apps are a few examples. Most importantly, it ensures the tablet will be up to date and still useable in a few years. Root access allows you to run unofficial programs/use programs that require access to core components of the OS. By default, this access is blocked for privacy and security reasons. But there are legitimate needs for root access such as backing up files, controlling Android services, etc.

Unlocking the bootloader is actually easy. While many companies prevent users from unlocking the bootloader (Toshiba I’m looking at you), ASUS actually provides an app to help you. The only trade off is you void your warranty. Needles to say, I’m more than willing void my warranty. A side note for those thinking about doing this, the tool requires an internet connection to ASUS servers to unlock the bootloader. These servers may be under a heavy load or the internet connection is actually poor. I’m not sure which it is (or both), but unlocking took me one week. Every day I would run the app and not connect to ASUS. I ran it multiple times per day and finally it connected. Do not be discouraged if you have this problem.

For instructions on unlocking and rooting, please refer to this XDA Guide.

ROM

Once you unlock the bootloader, a custom OS can be installed. I installed CleanROM Inheritance. The developer, sdbags, makes constant updates and answers questions quickly. He created a great ROM. Please consider donating if you use his ROM. The XDA thread and instructions on how to install are located here.

MEDIA PLAYERS

This is one of the most important aspects of the software for me. The reason being it directly relates to the user experience. The apps I choose will set the stage for the user experience.

One of the downsides of Android is the lack of suitable tablet apps. There are plenty of media players for the phone, but not as many for tablets. It’s true that phone apps will run on the tablet, but they are not optimized for the tablet. In the car, I need tablet optimized apps for myself and the passengers.

There is currently no all in one media app for Android that I like. The addition of XBMC to Android is great news, but the project is still developing and it’s not suitable for everyday use in my opinion. What I largely need is a great skin for XBMC. Once this happens, then I’m sure I will make the jump to XBMC as my sole media app.

There are many many many many music players for android. I've tried almost all of the free ones. WinAmp is nice and so is DoubleTwist. But the app that I like is Google Play Music. The interface is simple, sleek, easy to navigate, and mostly operates with gestures. It’s also optimized for tablet. There is no perfect front end, but this app will work for now. As the name implies, Google Music Play only handles music, not video. The video app I use is Mizuu. It is a polished application with a great user interface and displays your media in a clean grid. While it's not as polished as Google Play Music, it is relatively easy to use and has on-screen seeking and volume control. Mizuu does not decode video files so you need a separate video player app. I use MX Player because it handles high definition with ease.

So these are my three apps that I will use to play media. Again, I'm not happy with this solution, but will live with it until, hopefully, XBMC “catches” up and provides an all-in-one solution.

HOMESCREEN

Since a single app is not an option at this point, I'm going to use a concept called "Hubs" that I found on XDA-Developers (http://forum.xda-developers.com/show....php?t=1039586). Hubs is a design concept where each Android homescreen is dedicated to a single category with simple navigation between each (tutorial 1 2 3). For example, Screen 1 is is your "Office" screen that features reading & writing apps. Screen 2 is your "Games" screen with Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, etc. It requires several individual apps to make it work, but the end result is a visually appealing, customizable interface that can be anything you want.

I have 5 Homescreens: Games, Travel, Music, Video, and Read/Writing. With Hubs as my inspiration, I create a simple & minimalistic homescreen for each category. I also use mycolorscreen.com for inspiration too. If you haven’t seen that website then you should. It’s almost like art and it’s impressive what those users have created.

The apps I use are: Apex Launcher, MultiPicture Live, Minimalistic Text, Eye in the Sky Weather.

All of the backgrounds were created in Photoshop.

For details on creating a homescreen like this, please visit the Hubs Tutorial. It provides links and YouTube videos.

TOOLS

This is a miscellaneous section where I describe all the “behind the scenes” apps.

Tasker: Many Android users are familiar with this app. For those that are not, it is a powerful automation app. Tasker performs actions that are triggered by events. For example, “When connected to home Wifi sync music folder”. Or, “When time is 8:00PM change screen brightness to 50%.” This is a tiny example of what Tasker can do. It basically adds "logic" to the android tablet. I will devote a separate post to this app later.

FolderSync: This syncs my music folder on the external HD with my music folder at home. My home network is considered the master library and I copy/stream this media to different media players in my house. FolderSync is activated when I reach home and connect to my home network. Tasker makes this happens. The basic setup is: I park in my garage, the tablet connects to my home WiFi, this triggers Tasker to run FolderSync, and then new new music is added to my external HD in the car.

SixAxis Controller: Since Ice Cream Sandwich, Android supports Bluetooth controllers natively. Currently, Jelly Bean cannot differentiate between two different PS3 Controllers. If you pair two PS3 Controllers via Bluetooth, Android recognizes button presses as one controller. This obviously makes two player emulator games impossible. To allow Android to distinguish button presses from two different controllers, you need this app to “add” the second player. This app is not required if you play one player games. If this is your case, then pair the PS3 controller like any other Bluetooth device in Android Settings.

Emulators. To play classic Nintendo, Super Nintendo, and Genesis games I use NESoid, SNESoid, and GENSoid. These apps are not available on the Play Store, but at this website. The reason I chose these is because it supports multiple players. For Nintendo 64, I use N64oid.

Tablet Talk: This app allows you to initiate calls and respond to SMS from your tablet. The tablet is paired with your phone via Bluetooth and provides an interface for you to type messages, view contact details, start a phone call, ignore a phone a call, etc.

Aldiko Booker Reader: To read Books. I like the simple user interface.

Due to cost, I do not plan on getting a separate data plan for my tablet anytime soon, so I imagine the other apps I will use will be an eBook reader and non-internet based games. My requirements for these apps will not be strict at all and I'll run them from the home screen.

Surgery (February 2013)

After nearly a year and a half of planning and purchasing, I finally drop my car off at Audio Connection. Aside from being nervous about the entire process, I am very excited to get this started. Here are some pictures they took of the install process:

One of the biggest problems regarding the fabrication process was space. Accommodating a 10" tablet with the stock radio took up all the room in the dash. Needless to say, my original mock up was completely wrong. This required the hazard lights module (not sure what the official name is) to be moved inside the center console. I was very disappointed with this, but it was necessary. The idea of having to open the center console and push the hazard lights or seat warmers was not ideal. But it was a necessary sacrifice for the 10” tablet. A sacrifice I did not expect was moving the climate control module to the cup holder area. This was necessary because, again, there was no room in the dash. The very thought of flipping the module vertically and interacting with it this way sounded awful to me. I was also mad at myself because this was poor planning on my part. In addition to being disappointed, I would also be embarrassed to drive a car with a vertically flipped climate control module that’s clearly in the cup holders. I appreciated all of Steves’ work and the thought he put into every aspect of the project thus far, but this was a deal breaker for me. My vision of the project was already compromised by moving one module to the center console, but this was something else entirely. I personally would not be happy with this and urged them to find another solution. I also knew another solution would cost more money and I was willing to accept this. To make this work, I had to break Goal #10 and let Steve cut into the actual structure. This allowed him to fit the tablet, radio and Climate module in the dash. The cup holders were preserved and hazard lights module remained in the center console.

The final obstacle, although minor, was the tablet was not charging. I suspected the cigarette charger was to blame because the tablet uses a non-standard cable charging port. I thought, incorrectly, the cable had to be proprietary, and it could be plugged into anything. I bought a proprietary car charger from Caseen and everything worked.

Finally, on March 8th, the car was finished. The tablet was installed, the entire dash looks stock, and I also got a remote starter as well.

Picture 1: View from the backseat of the finished dash. The fabrication turned out well and it looks stock (a stock look was a big goal of mine).
Picture 2: Closer view of entire dash.
Picture 3: Closer view of dash, but focusing on cup holders as well.
Picture 4: Glovebox with external HD and AUX Cable w/ Bluetooth dongle.
Picture 5: Close up view of BlueTooth dongle.
Picture 6: Location of 2 USB ports. These are located below the center armrest on the outside. From the viewpoint of the driver & passenger, you cannot see it unless you learn forward and look for them.
Picture 7: Location of hazard light switch assembly. It was necessary to move this to make room for the tablet. It is located inside the center armrest and functions normally.
Picture 8: Car on. Tablet on with music playing.
Picture 9: Closer view with car and tablet on. Factory head unit and climate control assembly function normally.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I am very happy with everything. I did go over my budget and had to break Goal #10, but things turned out well. The car is amazing and having a tablet makes the experience much more enjoyable. Steve & Sean of Audio Connection (Columbia, MD) were great to work with. They are professionals, honest, and talented individuals. I highly suggest them for any car work you may need.

I am not sure if Audio Connection is comfortable with me posting prices so I will not post a total price. But the ball park range for this install (all expenses) is about $4000-6000. I expected to spend ~$3000 and I easily went past that. But I'm still happy with the end product and it was worth it.

In the coming posts, I will discuss issues I've had to deal with post-install including: Tasker profiles, PS3 Bluetooth Controllers, and the ML-D100 Bluetooth Dongle.

Attached Images

Calibra Turbo CarPC - Serbia

CweLe — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 23:42:15 GMT

Hello, heres another project of mine. Its a CarPC for my mates vectra but it will be in my Calibra for some time. Dashboards are same in both cars but he painted hes interrior parts glossy black, thats why custom lcd bezel is also glossy. I used eeepc 901 which had broken screen and faytech 8" vga ts. I made plexiglass pc case and fiber bezel for display using spare factory dashboard part and display case. Installed Windows XP with some tweaking and making light installation. Added virtual ram drive, minlogon and ewfmgr so HORM boot is around 30sec.

Testing before fitting

Android miniPC into BMW E9x

whats77inaname — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:54:42 GMT

I put together a Windows-based CarPC for my old Acura Legend a few years ago, and the infotainment center of the M3 left me desiring more to say the least. But I wanted something Android-based this time around, and something light (i.e., low power consumption and not so large).

Everything Android works, including the Microsoft webcam as well as Google maps and Google voice. There are a few other things I'm working on (such as rooting it, settling on a launcher and increasing the font size), so I'll post up more as the week progresses. Everything is powered through cigarette adapter USB ports for now, which is pretty awesome, and everything functions well, but I think I'm going to get a small inverter as I want everything to continue running when the car is off.

A little background....as I mentioned earlier, I put together a Windows-based carPC in my Acura Legend, complete with a 7" HD touch screen and navigation. Later I used a Samsung Galaxy Tab in the same fashion for my VehiCROSS. At some point and time I knew I was going to do the same for the M3, it was just a matter of finding what I wanted. One of the key criteria to my mods, as always, is to keep the interior looking as stock as possible, with the exception of the P3 vent gauge I installed a few weeks ago. I also wanted to integrate a multi-camera DVR setup some how. And everyone knows that the best navigation is Google navigation, so I wanted that, too. The thought of having to pay for a DVD to upgrade navi is ludicrous, and with a once yearly update, you run a chance of getting incorrect directions.

Even though it is the low point of the system, I had to use the OEM screen. After I took apart the dash a bit ago, I determined that the best way to pass a signal was the modmynav (www.modmynav.com) box, so I picked up a used one. With Kris' (the guy that sells them) help and patience (that dude is AWESOME, thanks for all the help, my man!), it was determined the harness was damaged, and subsequently it was replaced. Part 1 was complete.

Next came identifying a source. I pretty quickly eliminated having another traditional CarPC as I couldn't really find any place to hide it, and I knew I wanted something Android-based. I contemplated using a Samsung Yelp, or a decommissioned Android phone, but passed on those as they both had a screen, and I'd have to come up with a mount for them. A bit of searching around and a little passage of time, and AndroidTVs, aka MiniPCs, were introducted. Basically, the Android OS is loaded on a memory stick w/an HDMI output, so you can plug it straight into the TV, log into your Android/Google account, and go. There are dual cores and quad cores available, play @ 30FPS, have bluetooth, b/g/n wireless, and offer U2G, or USB to go. I was unsure about getting a USB video camera to work through it, so I did a little research and found out that through the U2G functionality of the main unit, there were people that were running webcams. SCHWEET! My setup is comprised of the following:

a) After comparing a few of the units, I settled on this one http://www.geekbuying.com/item/iMito...ck-312720.html You can read the specs from the page, no sense in regurgitating it to y'all.

b) Since the car doesn't have a touchscreen, an input method was needed, and conveniently, they also offer this http://www.geekbuying.com/item/RC11-...ox-306420.html which is pretty spiffy.

c) I purchased this USB hub from them http://www.geekbuying.com/item/High-...er-300706.html

d) I had this Microsoft HD webcam http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Life...soft+hd+webcam lying around, and eBayed this Logitech unit http://www.mydigitallife.info/new-lo...rl-zeiss-lens/ so I can play around with both of them. Key thing about both units is that they have built in mics, critical for using Google voice.

e) HDMI to Composite conversion is handled by http://www.geekbuying.com/item/MINI-...ok-305475.html These units are sold on Amazon, and the feedback is glowing.

f) The hard part was GPS. I have a USB GPS receiver from my previous carPC setup, but I was hesitant about using it in as no one has tried it. A few days of research and I came across a BT GPS receiver http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Electroni...&qid=136138107 I found a used one on eBay for $80 and picked it up.

g) Audio is passed via BT using the Samsung HS3000 headset I mentioned in this thread.

At this point, not including the modmynav, I have invested $260 for everything. All the components, minus cables:

After looking at mounting options for the cameras, I've decided to stick with the Logitech. I'll be purchasing the 8MP of the version I have now, as it records excellently, and it'll be more easily mounted. When the new one comes in, I'll fab up a mount to connect to the rearview mirror. Here's a still of the pic it produces on the screen when in use by the app Dailyroads Voyager (more on that below).

Here's a shot of future camera placement:

In both my other carPC setups, I made sure I had DVR capabilities. This setup won't be any different. I'm going to use an app that I had for my tablet, Dailyroads Voyager http://www.appbrain.com/app/dailyroa...m.dailyroads.v The features are phenomenal, and it's free. The interface is slick, and it ties in w/the GPS. Great for day to day use. Even better for track use.

Here are a couple shots of the OEM launcher that comes with the Android unit. You can really see how the large icons are optimized for the small BMW screen, although it could use some work.

I managed to get the miniPC, the converter, and the USB hub installed in out of the way places. If you looked in the interior and tried to find them, I doubt you would. They're all within reach of the driver. Their diminutive sizes certainly helped.

More to come....

Open-source OBD-II data logger (based on Arduino)

stanleyhuang — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:26:36 GMT

I have developed an open-source OBD-II data logger, which displays (on a 128�64 OLED display module) and records (to a SD card) the OBD-II data (engine RPM, speed etc.). The device is based on Arduino, a SD reader breakout board, and a monochrome OLED display module.

By pulling out the SD and inserting it into computer's SD card reader, the data can be illustrated into a chart like this:

Objectives:

Displaying realtime engine RPM and vehicle speed on OLED screen
Recording realtime OBD-II data to SD card in text-based CSV file format
Illustrating the recorded data in as chart with two data lines

Recorded data includes:

Engine RPM
Speed
Throttle position
Engine load
Engine coolant temperature
Intake pressure
Intake temperature

The recorded data is stored in a SD card in the format of CSV. Each line represents a record with time, data type and data value like this:

[Time Elapsed],[Data Type],[Data Value]

Time Elapsed is the time elapsed in milliseconds since previous data record. Data type is the OBD-II pid number which is defined in the OBD-II library (e.g. 0xC is engine RPM). Here is an example data clip:

169,D,0
171,11,12
170,43,21
165,B,30
175,C,705
169,D,0
170,11,12
171,43,21
170,C,702
169,D,0

For more details and source code, please visit my website.

Custom Foobar Skin for 7"/800x480 Screen

Wy2quiet — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:00:21 GMT

Thought I would start a thread to share the skins we have made. I made the colours match the rest of my things.

Seekbar with track information built in. Fairly large album art. Simple. Foohacks for no border.

95 Lexus sc400 vertex widebody, volk GT-V, custom audio system, fully modded $11,000

sam s — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:53:56 GMT

Approaching 100k miles but runs like new. Vertex ridge wide body kit, custom paint job Nissan skyline midnight purple 2. Volk gt-v wheels. Bf goodrich kdw2 tires. clear side blinkers, Twin turbo supra 4 piston brake callipers. Ebc green-stuff brake pads. Tein comfort spec coil overs with edfc, new bushings, front strut bar is cusco, audio system two 10 inch type r subs in the trunk, 2 alpine amps, trunk has full custom sub and amp enclosure, all alpine speakers throughout the car, pioneer navigation head unit with Sirius xm and Bluetooth. Kicker tweeters, engine is stock except for intake which is injen short ram, just replaced spark plugs, both distributor caps and rotors and all plug wires less then 300 miles ago car runs like new. razo adjustable sport petals. Aftermarket halo headlights, blitz 7 color eye blinker, custom tinted rear tail lights, viper alarm system with trunk pop, window up down, autostart (currently not working due to broken remote). Custom exhaust, tenabe mufflers. best sounding sc400 i have ever heard!!!! Selling the car because don't have money to store and further keep the vehicle. Looking to sell to Lexus enthusiast. I'm a certified Lexus technician and I know my car very well. The body work and paint cost 10,000 alone have tons of spare parts that will also come with the car . perfect project car only thing left to modify is the engine. Always maintenance properly, oil change done every 3k all fluids and filters new I don t have time to work on the car.i drive it often but only for short amounts of time. i love this car! handles like a true track car, not some ricebox with the rock solid horrible suspention feeling. I drive it around the block or warm it up at least once week but im just looking to sell a good project car. and if you don't want a project car this is running perfectly and will be a completely reliable vehicle. Looking to sell for 11,000 NEGOTIABLE!!!! I have much more money then that in the car. For more pictures or videos please email me or text me at 917-664-2565. I'm busy during the day so i will return any calls as soon as possible.

View My Video
the video is horrable but it shows the interior a little. the cut on the drivers seat and the exhaust sound.
View My Video

Ford Flex Toshiba Excite 7.7 Android Tablet Install

pcpete — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 03:21:41 GMT

Ford Flex Toshiba Excite 7.7 Android Tablet Install

Hi folks , after a long hiatus from the carpc world, I�ve come back now with an android tablet install!

My previous install was a classic carputer based setup with emphasis in sound quality(Zapco Processor and Amps, Scan-Speak speakers), OEM stealth integration and use-ability. The link in my sig should still point to that install.

My Mazda Millenia died 2 years ago, and with that I sold off most of my setup, and decided to buy a larger vehicle to accommodate my family of 3 kids, hence the Ford Flex.

I decided on a slightly used 2010 Ford Flex with Microsoft Sync and the upgraded Sony sound system. I made sure it did not have the factory navigation, as I knew I would eventually want to integrate a carputer or tablet.

Having used an android based phone for the last 3 years, and using that as a temporary carputer in my Flex, I naturally was leaning in this direction for my new install. The apps and ease of installation and configuration available for Android is simple awesome. In my opinion, it is the best platform right now.

I wanted to mount the tablet as close as possible to my line of sight, be able to slide it in and remove it easily, have no cables sticking out, be larger than 7�, have a docking station on the long end of the tablet with ports for power, usb, line out and hdmi.

After waiting and searching and hoping for 2 years for such a beast�..Toshiba released their excite line of tablets in the spring of 2012, and low and behold, there she was!

An awesome 7.7� Amoled (Samsung I believe) based tablet with the perfect landscape docking station, bluetooth, wifi, GPS and 64GB SDCard support. The station has separate power (19V) , 2 full size usb, line audio out and HDMI. It came preconfigured with 32GB memory and Android ICS 4.0.3 .

The only 2 cons , and the reason I waited 6 months to get her was a locked boot loader, so no root or custom roms, and the price was kinda steep , $500.

Even without root, I highly recommend this tablet! The screen is breathtaking! The performance is a respectable Tegra 3 and Jelly Bean upgrade has just been released.

I have just finished Phase 1 of my install, the tablet integration into my dash, steering wheel control integration, usb keypad integration. I used a local shop here in Toronto (Reino at TCA, he is awesome!) to help with my dash integration , PM me if you want to know how to reach him.

The Dash integration is still a work in progress, I have to clean up the lower relocation of the factory led info panel, as well as make a nicer Galaxy Note cradle�

Audio, is for now, going line out from the docking station to the car Aux in port. Hands free phone is handled by my Samsung Galaxy Note which also provides internet access to the tablet via wifi tether. The Galaxy Note is used for phone, the primary GPS screen, and for internet access. The tablet is for music and entertainment and information (I do not watch videos or browse while driving�just music and secondary GPS screen when needed ).

Here is the list of components and apps I have successfully integrated as well as pictures and a YouTube video�

Hardware:

Toshiba Excite 7.7 with 32GB built in and 64GB SD Card, total 96GB

Toshiba Excite Multi Dock for 7.7

DCDC-USB Intelligent DC-DC converter (provides 19V power to dock)

CarPC Joycon EXR USB to Steering Button Interface (plugs into usb port on dock)

X-keys XK-24 Programmable Keypad (USB keypad for additional control, plugs into usb port on dock)

Generic Bluetooth OBD dongle

Apps of note:

Android ICS 4.0.3

Apex Launcher

Neutron MP Music Player

XiaaLive Pro Streaming Shoutcast Radio Player

Audio Glow Live Wallpaper

Super Video pop up video player

MX Player video player

Shazam and Sound Hound

Headset Droid ( allows media buttons to be directed to specific player)

Wake Lock , used to control power states

Wifi Manager

CoPilot GPS for offline gps backup when no data available. Google maps/Navigation is used mainly.

Dash Command and Torque for OBD info

HD Widgets

Hackers Keyboard

External Keyboard Helper Pro , used to remap USB keypad buttons.

Simple Last.fm scribbler

TubeMate

VS Shortcut

I do not use Tasker, but I do have it installed, and will probably use it eventually to automate a few things in the future.

My phase 2 will be upgrading the audio components. I plan to keep the factory system but enhance it with a processor, preferably one that can be configured with android. The RF 3sixty.3 was supposed to have this ability, but it seems to be put on hold. Phoenix Gold is teasing a 5 channel amp that has a built in processor with android control, but that could take a year to be released ( ACX 600.5 ), as well as some units from SoundStream and PPI. I plan to get the audio out of the tablet either through a high quality USB DAC (android is now starting to support usb dacs, mainly the newer samsung phones and tablets for now), or via an hdmi to optical spdif converter.

I will be adding a 5 channel amp for a 2 way active front stage and subwoofer in the back. I�m thinking Alpine PDX-V9. As for speakers, either Focal or Scan-Speak. I already have an Image Dynamics IDQ12v3 subwoofer in a sealed enclosure.

Here are some pics and a link to youtube video that better shows off the install...

Stock Dash...

Dash modified at shop...the shop chopped off the top part where the factory info lcd was, and created a wooden insert for the tablet to slide into and painted it it all black. I relocated the info panel to the bottom. The dock fits perfectly under the lip of the bottom part of the factory lcd bezel..it was unreal how it just wedged in there..no modification was required! Ill try to get pics of it in there later....

Various pics of the dash with all components installed...

Here are some pics of the components used...

Toshiba Excite 7.7 32GB

Toshiba Excite 7.7 Multi Dock

X-keys XK-24 Programmable Keypad

DCDC-USB Intelligent DC-DC converter

Here is the link to the YouTube video!

Well, that's it for now!

Attached Images

05 Lincoln Navigator with Push Start Engine and 7" Acer Tablet JellyBean

Mloureirojr — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 02:49:01 GMT

Hey Guys Just start new project couple months ago I did my Expedition because this car is not confortable I swith to a 05 Nav, Here is the beginning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8CmjFnj_jw

Acer A110 Iconia 7"
JVC KDX50BT as Sound AMP and Bluetooth device
Factory THX Amp Bypassed Original speakers sound great
Spy Push Start Engine Start with proximity sensor

What is comming

15" fahrenheit Motorized 16:9 waiting some wiring
Acer Laptop D270 Atom 1.6 Media Center with External HD and PLEX as movie Server it will play Blurays Downloader movies
ATT Hotspot 4G internet
Roku Player or Apple TV
Windows 7 will be show remote on Tablet or with Bluetooth Keyboar on 15" Monitor
HDMI Switch with 5 inputs
Xbox 360 modded with Xkey and 2Tb hard drive

The monitor has IR transmitter which make the whole system dual zone for my kids they will be able to watch movies or play xbox or use the computer with headphone and I still can listen to my music in front..

I will be posting pics and video when it get more updates I working too much and dont get enough time to finish this project but I think another 2 weeks should be done...

Thanks for looking

Manny

sorry about my english I'm brazilian living in USA :)

1996 Audi A6 Car PC

wprime — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:44:25 GMT

Finally finished my Car PC (well it'll never really be finished, but it's usable now). The software I developed myself, the LCD is a lilliput from our host and the frame I had custom made.

Here's a video of it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjCnpwsdOS8

2009 Peugeot 307 - BRAZIL- Removable Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 II

DefaultBR — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:20:15 GMT

Its not the most beautifull thing of the world, but "do the same job" as i used to mount this -> http://www.mp3car.com/worklogs/15072...y-tab-7-a.html

thx for the removable idea from him

will post first only the video, i will take the Picture of the things latter

i only need some ideas to do the frame around the tablet, peugeot 307 dont have a VERY GOOD space, i had to cut the things using warm box cutter ^^

Itens:

- Samsung Dock for Galaxy Tab 7 PLUS (had to do some stupid rub cut to fit to the galaxy tab 2)
- The Tab

"only" this are different from a normal carpc...

sorry bad english :(

Armored 2008 Audi A3 Full Car Pc Install Brazil (lots of pics)

nandosreis — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 02:27:46 GMT

Hey guys,
I've been wondering around the forum for the last few years always dreaming of the day I would do my own.
I learned a lot here with you guys and your installs, and my install is based mostly on your ideas and some of my own.

What I learned by doing this install is that this project WILL consume you totally, it becomes an addiction, at least for me I did.
My focus really grew on this project about a year ago, when my 18th birthday began approaching (in Brazil we can only get a license when your 18) and I began negotiating with my father which car I would get for my 18th birthday. We ended up settling on his 2008 Audi A3.

The A3 is really an amazing car, with a 2.0 Turbocharged engine that delivers 200hp it really goes when you step on it. For the US it's a small car, but in Brazil it's actually a really nice car to have. Because of the taxes that we have here, we pay like three times what the car is worth in the states. So obviously, I was incredibly happy when the car became mine, I have a lot of history with this car, its the car that I learned how to drive in.

Unfortunately, due to the situation in Rio four years ago when my father bought the car, he had the car armored. I know it sounds like something you only see in movies, but in South America its not uncommon to armor normal cars. Armoring the car involves changing out all of the tempered glass for 32mm thick armored glass, and covering all of the interior of the car with either kevlar or ballistic steel(underneath the trim). Visually it is impossible to distinguish an armored car from a normal one. However, the armoring does add about 200kg to the car, which weighs it down(thus compromising some performance) as well as promoting much more increased wear on the car's suspension and power train. Oh, and the rear windows are forever locked in the up position, the rear window motors are disabled. The armoring also provides a challenge for the carputer install, since I had to deal with running wires and mounting things over and through the kevlar. All of the yellow stuff you'll see in the pictures is the kevlar.

Well, enough background information, lets do this, first of all, following tradition, here is a picture of the car:

Obviously this isn't my car, but I don't have a picture of it from the outside so ill have to upload another one later.

Through my research I found out that the stock audio system has a subwoofer in the trunk, hidden behind a trim panel on the left side of the trunk. I decided to remove this sub and install all of the PC hardware in that space. To compensate for the lack of the subwoofer (the stock sub is a joke anyways) I decided to install another sub in the trunk. As my ideas for the project grew, I eventually decided to change out all of the audio gear in the car(sub, amps, speakers, tweeters and wiring) and also to add a sound processor to make the audio in my car audiophile quality(or at least close to).
I also thought that to be worth it doing such a large install, I had to have a pc with a lot of features, in other words, lots of peripherals. My goal was to to have my car pc be a superior system to the factory Audi MMI in my fathers A4, which he bought after he gave me the A3. So in order to have a lot of peripherals with a lot of features and still be very responsive and reliable and having a fast boot up time, I was resolved on having a powerful system. So these are my system's specs:

- Asus Motherboard (forgot the model number, will update afterwards)
- Intel i5 3.4Ghz CPU
- 8GB GSkill DDR3 Memory
- 120GB OCZ Vertez III SSD (Sata 3 yummy)
- M4 ATX Power Supply
- 669GL Lilliput with MoCoSo custom made capacitive touch

And for peripherals:
- GPS
- Directed HD Radio with Mitch's interface
- TPMS
- Front and Rear Parking Distance Control
- 3G Cellular Internet
- Handheld Keyboard and Mouse
- Bluetooth
- CD Drive and two USB ports in glovebox
- Joycon EXR for maintaining steering wheel controls
- Backup Camera
- Mitch's relay box for controlling my home's gates
- OBD-II with RossTech's VagCom cable
- Over the Air TV

For Audio:
- JBL MS-8 DSP
- JBL MS-62C Speakers and Tweeters in all four doors
- Bazooka BTA8250D Active 250w Sub
- 40W Sony Amp for rear speakers

I spent about 4 months slowly buying all of the parts, as my father and I slowly brought them to Rio during trips to the states. Buying all of these parts in Brazil would have been ludicrous, since electronics goods are extremely taxed here. Here are all of the parts once they were all together:

I then started assembling all of the parts in a Morex case, at the time I was using a Zotac mobo which later out turned out to be fried and set back the project a month:

I then removed most of the car's interior, including driver's seat and a lot of panels in order to run wires:

I made my own "harness" to run from the front of the dash to the trunk, it has 6 USBs, 1 RCA, 1 HDMI and a wiring harness that I bought from MoCoSo for a power button and power led up front, all cables have 16 feet:

Then I ran my harness through the lower part of the drivers side (dont know what its called, dont even know if there is a name for that area):

Then I ran all of the new speaker wires through the car, german cars make it a pain to run wires to the doors, being armored made it even harder:

Then I proceded to install the actual speakers:

Then I ran the power wire from the battery to the trunk for the M4 and the amps, I purposely ran it up through the A pillar, through the roof and down the C pillar, making sure that the electromagnetic field that the wire produces doesn't interfere with the data cables in the main harness. I used a grommet that I new existed where the clutch pedal would go in a manual transmission A3, but the kevlar on the inside of the firewall didnt make it very easy for me to find the grommet, so I had to remove the battery and some other crap from under the hood until I could see the grommet, and from there using a really long drill bit I was able to drill a hole straight through the kevlar into the other side underneath the dash in the driver's footwell:

With most of the wiring run, I intalled the Amp and the DSP in the trunk behind the rear seat on the right side of the trunk. The JBL MS-8 is on the bottom, and the amp is on top. The MS-8's internal amplifier is bi-amping the tweeters and mids in the front, and the amp powers the mids and tweets on the rear doors which are running through the crossover that came with the MS-62c kits.

Now this is where I start missing some pictures, I went through the entire night working on the install at this point and my sleep deprived brain partially shut down impairing me from taking photos hahaha...

Basically I chopped up the Morex case since it was too big to fit in the space previously occupied by the subwoofer, and I kept only the part of it that had the motherboard standoffs. In other words, I converted my Morex case into a motherboard tray. Then with a lot of hot glue and a 90degree mount usually used for shelves that I picked up at a local hardware store I fixed the tray into the car. The disadvantage of having kevlar all over the car is that there isnt much exposed steel to mount stuff to. The advantage is that hotglue adheres pretty well to kevlar, so I was able to basically glue everything in place.

Once my "tray" was finished, I dropped in the mobo into it with everything installed on it. I fixed the M4 to a piece of ballistic steel that was exposed just under where the mobo was mounted. To do so I used some adhesive backed nylon PCB standoffs that I had laying around, these secured pretty firmly to the steel.

With the mobo in place I began connecting all of the cables to it, here are some pictures of how it looks after all was connected:

I added an extra cooler with a very high flow rating on top of the Intel CPU cooler to make sure that a lot of air gets to the mobo. With a black car in the Rio summer the interior can get to like 60 degrees Celsius which is a whole lot of fahrenheits hahaha. So I thought it was important to keep good air circulation through there. I might add a few more later for the M4 or something.

With the glovebox out of the car, I took it upstairs to my room to hack it up a bit. The idea was to add a CD drive in it in some way that wouldn't look too conspicuous and add two USB ports in front of where there used to be a now deactivated iPod dock for the Audi factory system. I also added a 12v powered USB hub(taken apart) to the back of the glovebox. This way I was sure that the two USB ports wouldent lack any juice to charge my cell phone or operate the CD drive reliably. Here are some pictures:

I installed the MS-8's screen in a custom fashion, I removed it's back and built it into the A3's center console. I removed the factory phone preparation that the car ships with and installed the screen on the front part of the console. Then I used the "flush mount" dock for the remote and dremeled out an oppening for it where the preparations connector used to be, final product looks and works nicely:

Attachment 68415

Attachment 68414

Attachment 68413

I also modded the Andrea Superbeam Mic so that it would fit in the place where the Audi phone preparation mic used to go, didnt get many pictures of it though, sorrry :(

Attachment 68417

Attachment 68416

I had to hack up the harness that used to go into the factory sub in order to find myself some ACC power, to feed into the M4 Atx. I couldn't use the blue "amp on" wire that I ran along with all of the other cables because I built a small "valet switch" circuit. I hid a small button in a small compartment on the driver's footwell panel. When I push this button in it cuts the power on the blue wire, which shuts down my amps and the Lilliput. This way when I hand my car over to the valet I can keep the PC running, he just doesn't need to see or hear the system working. For someone who doesent really know what it is, it just looks like any average random radio in the dash that happens to be off. Im going to get some pictures of this and post here. Here's me hacking up the factory harness:

With everything connected I was able to boot the PC for the first time in the car. I had already set it up and installed Windows 7 on it on the bench, but I lost all of the bench pictures that I had for some reason...

So I finished up the wiring in the front of the car and snapped the touchscreen into place in the dash. I also re installed my modified glove box and the driver footwell panel. This is where things begin looking more final product like:

For now I consider the project pretty much finished. I've been driving it normally... Just need to close up the rear and tidy things up a bit.

Hope you enjoyed!

Please please please comment and ask questions, give me feedback, I want to know what you guys think!!

Attached Images

Saab 93 OEM installation (Now running Android)

reinoso — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:26:44 GMT

Hello,

Since I saw the first factory colour screen in a car I always liked to expand the functionality of this display, mantaining the factory looking of the dash. That is my main goal. I think factory screens have the perfect resolution/quality for the purpose they are designed for.

My car is a MY05 Saab 93 SS. It comes with the ICM3 colour display. The first problem was it does not have any external video input. So I had to disassemble the whole unit and spend some weeks of reverse engineering the LCD. Internally, it was like some other screens I have seen, analog RGB with NTSC timings. Time to design a video switch circuit.

But I wanted to convert into touch screen too, and, why not, connect to the CAN network and catch events like reverse gear insertion (intended for automatic reverse camera switching) or button pushing (manual video switching using factory buttons). The CAN network (GM SWCAN) takes me another couple of weeks of decoding commands. How to sniff the SWCAN here

The circuit. It has the USB touch panel controller integrated:

The adapter integrated inside the screen ecu:

The touch panel installation

And the external connection:

Testing the results. PC connected through the VGA connection of the converter and an special driver:

Running emulated Windows Mobile in XP:

Note: the display is 400x234 pixel res.

The next step was the reverse camera connection. But most of the cameras are CVBS video signal (composite). So I had to design a CVBS (RCA) to RGB video converter. I know there are some converters of this kind in the market, but I want to make it myself, according with my personal requirements. After a few "fights" with old analog TV ICs, I decided to go into fully digital conversion. The results were worth it.

The converter has two CVBS (RCA) inputs and one RGB (VGA). One RCA is reserved for reverse camera, the other one is generic. The VGA input is intended for connecting the Carpc.

The installation diagram I have planned:

Here is the converter internals:

And externally:

Drilling the trunk:

Rear camera installed:

Routing the camera wires through the trunk lid:

Video converter instaled in the trunk:

And the final result:

Genos 9" android tablet install with sync

geno51 — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 21:33:03 GMT

9 " levono android tablet

Metra dash kit for a double din.

Build went super fast one day total.

Will have torque,pandora music app, google maps youtube . and a few other things.
Hell I can even stream Netflicks for the kids in the back seat to watch.

Ford sync with the Bluetooth makes it super easy to get sound. I still have the factory stereo behind the tablet so I kept suris raido and all the steering wheel controls. I can even change songs on pandora and music app wit the steering wheel.

Android has an app called tasker that allows you to set up the tablet so that when it gets power it turns on the screen links bluetooth and wifi. then when you turn off the key and it senses that it is not charging it kills all apps and puts it in hibernate. So it works like a Double din touch screen Deck. Just alot bigger with 10x the features and only $250 bucks vs $1000

First picture is before painting and during fitting. Rest are 95% finished just need to make a few changes I put the circle in the middle up top to be able to use the front facing camera but now that its in I dont like the look and I will be filling it in and covering it up in the near future.

Last pic is the android TQ app. I will be making some custom screens for that

Following on I covered the hole in for the camera I made it look 100x better and nicer finish and put a video together for the F150 guys

Final install pics, Ended up just painting it myself and I am happy with how it looks.. Turned out almost factory looking :)

Final mock up before the last coat of clear and buffing

And installed pics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=955mjzf753k

Attached Images

my Lenono 7" a2107 tablet install

Contra — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 05:50:13 GMT

my Lenono 7" a2107 tablet install in a 2007 Ford Focus
currently I have 3 video of the progression, today I did the most work and it think it looks great, best of all it is removable

from begining to end the install cost me less than $200 and yes that includes the price of the tablet
I will post up video tomorrow

I use
CarHome Ultra
PowerAmp
and
NavFree USA (if you use the stock google software, you must use your data plan, this actually uses just the built in GPS
so it actually works like a REAL GPS, not a phone triangulation (meaning you need the data connection from your phone "tethered" or a 3g tablet)

Attached Images

1964 Ford Falcon Ute, full Nexus experience!

columnmn — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 06:12:59 GMT

Hi all,

I've just found this forum, and I think I'm in geeky heaven. So I thought I might show my current project off. And see if people can poke holes in my plans.

My plans are to have two Nexus tablets, one 7", one 10". The smaller will be the dash of the car, so hook up Torque, and fiddle with it so it's reading all the fuel tank, speed, temp, ect. It'll all be welded in a flush design (no plastic bits in a 52 year old car) (and yes, I realise that there is no ABD2 adaptor in a car that old, I found a way).

Then the fun bit will be with the nexus 10. I'm planning on welding it (well a support it can sit in) into the middle of the dash, and then delete all the exisiting controls. So use the tablet to control all the air-con, windscreen wipers, headlights, car ignition. I think with a bit of fiddling, I can set it to sense the temp, and start the air-con accordingly.

I'm planning on getting an bluetooth relay board, so I just need to hook in the switches, and make some widgets that talk to the android relay app, and cross my fingers I'm not ignoring something stupid.

It'll have a passive RFID alarm, so you walk up to the car, and it unlocks automatically, then put the sensor somewhere, and it turns it onto the on position, and the first image from the tablet will be a big start button widget. Press it, engine starts, automatically (using tasker) switches to the controls that sort out the air-con and so on.

Some pictures, cause I can.
This is when I first got it (sort of)

Two years worth of work:

And the dash I plan on welding the tablets into:

I'm on a few other forums, but I get very confused blank looks when I talk about my plans, so does anybody know why it won't work? Or have any tips to make it easier?

I was going to use this relay board:
http://www.tinyosshop.com/index.php?...product_id=371

And for Torque, since it's an older car without ABD2, I was going to use this:
http://www.proenium.com/products/pge1/

2010 Mazda 6 with everything.

2013superfly — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 01:34:01 GMT

Hello everyone, first I would like to say thank you to all of you who have posted their pics online. It's because of your ideas that I am here today.
Below will be the evolution of my car over the last 2 years from stock to today. Hope you enjoy.
Stock (Not actually my car here, mine has black interior)

Here is the aftermarket kit being modified to accept a monitor for my carpc. My Iphone ran secondary video and audio.

After this I decided it didn't look right so I took it apart and started over.

I left it like this for a little while then decided it needed something else. (more pics coming soon)

2010 Mazda 6 with everything.

2013superfly — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 20:16:32 GMT

Hello everyone, like a lot of people out there I have been watching this forum for a long time and after getting some many great ideas I decided to post the pictures of all the work I have done so far.
As you will see this has been an on going project and has evolved from factory to cramming everything into the car that I could currently get my hands on. I didn't want to give up anything so I have successfuly installed a radio, tablet, monitor and pc to make sure I wasn't missing anything. enjoy the pictures. (I am submitting a stock photo first just to make sure this is working. Thanks

2007 Subaru Liberty GT CarPC Install

Daniel Caruana — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 07:25:13 GMT

Hi, I've almost completed my CarPC install in my Subaru Liberty GT Spec B tbSTi. Took me a few months to gather parts and setup the software correctly but I'm very happy with the result so far. I wanted to keep this project looking as OEM as possible and have been rather successful in that regard.

Anyway, here's the parts used.
MB: Asrock H77M-ITX
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333Mhz
SSD: OCZ Agility3 60GB
CPU: Intel i3 2100
PSU: M2-ATX
Screen: Lilliput 669 (touch, auto switching, high brightness)
GPS: BU-353S4
Bluetooth: ebay CSR Radio
Software: CF 4.2.7
OS: Windows 7 64bit

Photos:

What I started out with.

Tight fit, but it'll work.

The fun part...

Better than OEM :)

Some of the important bits.

Testing, it all fits. Just.

All powered up.

Almost done.

Just a matter of tidying up the wiring and putting the trim back.

Let me know your thoughts.

This computer has so much potential. So far I've got, reversing camera, OBD monitoring, GPS, handsfree bluetooth. Not sure what other cool stuff I can get it to do :)

Attached Images

Dedicated Android device using bluetooth touchscreen overlay

GimReap3r — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 05:01:13 GMT

Item's I've purchased:
PAC VCI-NIS2 ($233)
ViewHD Universal HDMI to Composite ($37)
Backup Camera ($90)
Atrix2 with broken sim slot ($125)
Rear OEM spoiler with camera cutout ($92)
x3 Momentary switches ($3)
Toggle switch ($7)

Item's needed:
MimicsX2 ($250 - Paid)
Probably some ods & ends like an ODB2 sensor

The plan:
To use the new MimicsX2 module to push touch screen input from an overlay that sits on the OEM screen of my monitor. Have that input sent to the Atrix2 that is dedicated to the vehicle. There is a second module here that splits the input to the OEM screen between three devices, the new backup camera, the Atrix2, and the OEM signal. I drew this diagram for my wiring. Still updating as I continue to wait for the release of the MimicsX2. Things like whether to power the devce all the time with a 4000mah battery, or just solder some kind of relay between the battery and the motherboard of the device. I'm already planning to solder leads off of the power switch for remote access to the switch. All switches will be flush mounted on empty switch space in the car. It should look Very OEM after installation.

Attached Images

2001 VW Golf MK4 GTI - 7" Android Tablet Install

Alphatier2012 — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 09:30:46 GMT

Hi there!
I'm new here and would like to present my project. I am from Germany, so I apologize for my not perfect english.
My Car: VW Golf IV GTI 1.8T
Tablet: Ainol Novo 7 Advanced II

I chose this tablet because it is almost double DIN friendly. It fits not without Adaptation, but it had the approximate dimensions.

First I put my headunit in the glove compartment. For this I had to extend the wiring:

Next, I built an aluminum frame for the tablet:

The Frame is lined with soft fabric inside, so it does not scratch the tablet.

Now, i have set the frame into the car. Here is the first test:

The center console has been processed so that the frame is integrated properly.
The first function tests:

The music is sent via Bluetooth to the radio.
By OBD2 adapter and the App �Tourque� i can see all data:

The project is not yet complete.
more and newer pictures will follow

Attached Images

In Dash 7" Android Complete With Pics & Video

Little Darryl — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 07:17:47 GMT

Car: 2004 Sedan Deville With Onstar Without Bose, Standard Audio, Built In Amp

Parts Used:

GMOS-06 Harness : $66 Best Buy Sale
Dell Streak 7 : $132 Frys Open Box Sale
Pioneer 6.5" In Front, Pioneer 5.4 In Back : around $110 At Walmart For Both
4 Gauge Amp Kit : $25 Walmart
8 Guage Amp Kit: $20 Walmart
Extra Car Battery For Amps : $69 Cause I Didnt Have A Core
Battery Ground Cable: $5
2 Extra Sets Of 15FT RCA Wires : $20 Frys
3.5 MM to RCA Adapter : $15 Walmart
Wood From Home Depot To Make Dash Plate: $8
Velcro: $4
Performance Technique 500 Watt Amp For Highs: $40 on Craigslist
Kenwood EQ, Has Front, Rear And Subwoofer RCA Outputs, 1 Input: $30 on Craigslist
2 Rolls Of 50 Ft Speaker Wire: $20
JL Audio W7 13.5", Custom Built Box, Hifonics Brutus 1600.1 Amp : $450 On Craigslist
Leather Material To Cover Wood: $5 Walmart
Spray Adhesive For Material : $10 Home Depot

Had to get a GMOS-06 Wire harness to remove the factory radio to complete the network loop. Without it weird things in the car would of happened. Originally I tried to avoid using the EQ and Extra Amp for highs and use the cadillac factory amp, but it wasnt powerful enough to power the speakers over the bass, so i had to take apart the whole car, and rewire every door speaker to the back trunk to the amp. I wanted to leave factory wires there if i ever decided to sell car. The EQ is now hidden behind the custom plate i made, the tablet sits out a little bit because i made it flush so i can velcro it on for easy removal to add more songs and stuff to it. I have a kill switch for the bass as well, and the speakers sound great with and without the bass turned on, so i am very happy with the way it turned out and all the great new functionality i now have in my car... the only thing i am missing is the ability to have phone calls through the unit...

if you have any questions on anything please feel free to ask, as i love to help and i am new here, glad i found the community, wish i could of found it before i got myself into this to help with any questions i had... but thank goodness i was able to complete it all.

and for those wondering how i am getting power to the unit, i am just using car lighter charger for now until i get an extra usb cable in for the streak because frys didnt have any , once i get it in from ebay, i will be hard wiring another cig lighter behind the unit to keep the charger there.

I will also be feeding it internet through my rooted samsung galaxy 3 via wifi 4g tethering.

the iheartradio app alone makes this all worth it for me because i can now hear my radio stations from back home which i was missing dearly since i moved.

the extra battery is wired in parralell with the original car battery, which keeps the beast of an amp i have in the trunk fully fed so the rest of the car is not starving for power.

I am getting a steady 14.3-14.8 volts on the dash

Attached Images

2008 Chevrolet Corvette 7" Android Tablet Install

SDB_FTW — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:59:14 GMT

Hey everyone, long time lurker, first time posting. Thanks in advance to this forum and its members for advice in many aspects of this install!

I recently finished installing a Samsung Galaxy Tab2 7.0 in my corvette to replace my current pioneer stereo! I'm far from finished, but the initial install is done.

For reference, my original install thread is HERE.

Still to do:
1) Install Parrot CK3000 bluetooth hands-free kit
2) Build circuits to interface steering wheel controls with tablet

--------------------
MOUNTING SYSTEM
--------------------
First, I fab'd mounting brackets out of 1/8" flat steel rods from Home Depot. I bought a cracked console bezel (hence the tape) to use for test fitting. I also bought and murdered a metra double-din adapter from crutchfield.

--------------------
DISASSEMBLED DOC
--------------------
I bought and disassembled a Samsung tablet doc so that I could have a very low profile interface connection. The vette left almost NO room to either side for connectivity, so this had to be thought out a fair bit.

--------------------
CYANOGENMOD AND EXTERNAL MIC
--------------------
I rooted and installed cyanogenmod10 on the tablet, and bought a right-angle 3-signal headphone jack interface with the electronics and external microphone.

--------------------
INSTALLATION
--------------------
Here are some pictures of the actuall install into the corvette.

--------------------
DEMO VIDEO
--------------------
See it in action!

Automated startup demo

Starting my first build

thacarter546 — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 05:15:28 GMT

I am starting my first car pc build.

Car is a 1992 Chevrolet Caprice Classic LTZ white lowered 2 inches on Impala SS rims.

PC is
MOBO: HP OEM ASUS MOCA-AR Calcite $20
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 $30
Ram: 2GB Hynix ddr2 laptop Free
HDD: Probably gonna use an IDE 80 gb seagate, and a 320 gb laptop drive in an enclosure for my music etc. Free
ODD: slim toshiba DVD drive drive free enclosure $7
Screen: Proximus 7" touch screen $42
Power Supply: M4-ATX $55
I will have my existing video screens driven either by the onboard graphics through the on board composite out or by the onboard vga through my adapter. Cost $15 for the adapter and another 50 for a good video amplifier

Various odds and ends
10 port powered USB HUB $10
7 Port USB hub $4
ATX to HP slimline power adapter $10
Heatsink $8 Zalman knock off. Hope it works! If not ill need to find a smaller guy.
3.5 to rca adapters $15
USB extensions $10

Interfaces so far
ADS instant FM gotta build an adapter cable to use my cars $6
eBay chinese bluetooth dongle $1
eBay chinese wifi adapter with external antenna $6

Front end Im still deciding, but FreeICE is pretty awesome Ive downloaded it and ride runner for a few test runs

Things to go:
Sound card. I dont know if the realtek 7.1 on board will be tolerable.
Nice equalizer with an 8 volt line driver.
Active crossover.

Sound equipment in the car

Fronts
Infinity 6.5 Kappa mids with polk tweeters on a passive crossover
Rear Infinity 4x6 plates
Highs amp Rockford punch 600.4
Sub Custom built 15" by team psi based off of a AA Havoc motor
Sub amp Power Acoustik A3000db

to be
Front and rear mids Dayton pro 6.5
Front and rear tweeters something large format preferably PEERLESS
Sub: Another custom build, Im gonna put a new top end on my TC-3hp motor

2008 VW GTI Nexus 7 Tablet install

maresgti12 — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 23:46:49 GMT

new to the site... just thought id make an account and show you guys my recent project.... my Nexus 7 in my GTI its a work in progress for sure, i got all my audio pretty much laid out and waiting for the weekend to come to install all my goodies:D heres a quick pick... i should have more pics up by the end of the week once i start the tear down and a video of a complete breakdown of all the products used to make this tablet work..

Attached Images

Out with the Pioneer, In With The Tablet (Build Log)

focused313 — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:10:15 GMT

Making a new thread...

Head Unit - Acer A100 8GB
Front Components - Alpine SPS 610C
Rear Speakers - Kenwood 6x9's
Subwoofers - (2) Alpine 1243D
Ported Enclosure
Hifonics TXI6006
Hifonics BXI 2008D
EQ - Clarion EQS746
Deka 9a34
9" Flip Down Monitor
Custom Switch Panel (bass control knob, amp power, park brake switch, last one not being used)

Switch Panel:
The former bass knob, will now become the tablet volume control. The tablet will output to the LC-1, then the LC-1 wil go to the input on the EQ. The first switch will continue it's function as the on/off for the bass amp. The second switch will be the power for the charger for the tablet (hopefully I'll automate it at some point). The third switch doesn't have a function just yet, but I'm sure it will as I continue with the build.

vid above on photobucket

*all wires have been cleaned up (except the RCA's) as I haven't finished with them yet. Hopefully, I'll be getting the case that I'll be mounting in the dash area tomorrow. Everything (the ash tray, the shifter bezel, etc...) will be sanded and repainted after everything is in place and working correctly.

8" Archos tablet ICS 4.0 on my 2005 Expedition need new ideia for Back screen

Mloureirojr — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 23:04:35 GMT

This is my tablet installed on my expedition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAQqqfkXuiA

Now I need install a 19" screen on the roof , problem it has to be with hdmi input, my tablet has hdmi and I have one 2T hard hard drive with a lot movies in 720p and 1080p , I try to do some search and no even china they make a nice screen with true HD resolution for cars , I want a big screen(19) and fold up and down on sunroof

I was thinking to buy some actuoars and Nice 4x8 board of wood finish and boxe it out a 19" LED tv and setup on the roof so it open fold up and down with swtich give some leather finish...any one has a nice idea

Thanks

Elm 327

zahra — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 08:47:36 GMT

Hi , I'm working on a project that useing the ELM327 and scantool software, for diagnosis my truck,
it's uses ISO 9141 and the ECU uses 24 v battery.
I want to know if the ELM 327 can support 24 volt or not.
Thank you so much

MacMini Carputer Setup Audi S4 2005 B6

miked7419 — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:41:01 GMT

Here's the youtube link to my project, for those of you who might be interested :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxA6035BY8g

Attached Images

1951 Ford Calendar Contest

bones5133 — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 14:00:22 GMT

Hey everyone.... Could use your help here..... My car made the finalist for the LKQ Calendar contest. Winner gets to be on the cover of the National Calendar and gets a trip to Vegas to the SEMA show. Please vote for my car. I just finished the interior this year and it has a windows 7 Liliput in the dash now!!!!

Retro Meets Modern day!!!!

Here is the link to vote. It is the Yellow 1951 Ford. I will attach some pics of the interior project as well.

http://app.bronto.com/public/webform...aa0/addcontact

Thanks Everyone

Trever

Attached Images

2001 Acura CL-S T-Mobile Springboard and a good use for a 3d printer

crutonius — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 10:09:23 GMT

So, my third car pc setup. If you count an Android tablet as a car pc. So in my previous build I used a Samsung Galaxy Tab as my head unit. This went pretty well except there was one irritating problem I just couldn't seem to fix; connecting the hdmi out would kill the gps signal. So I decided to upgrade to a T-Mobile Springboard. And to make a new bezel I decided to try to figure out this 3d printing stuff. It came out pretty good. I the closest I've come to that factory look I've made so far.

In my old setup I used a McIntosh 6 channel amp. It sounded great but it wasn't very good at powering a subwoofer. Since I didn't want to have a second amp taking up space I thought I'd try one of these fancy new class d amps. I regret selling the McIntosh but I have to say I'm impressed with the JL audio. It has no trouble powering the sub plus it sounds just about a good as the McIntosh.

Originally to power on and off the screen and to start and stop music I'd use Tasker to read the charge state and switch off of that. This approach has a number of problems though. Sometimes I'd leave the car in the garage long enough for the tablet's battery to run out. Also Tasker doesn't have a way to actually pause and play music, it has toggle pause. So the play state would occasionally switch for whatever reason. So one other change I made was using an Arduino BT to read the ignition state of the car. The tablet is linked to it through bluetooth. An app called Amarino reads what I'm spitting out of the Arduino and an app that I wrote called Dreambar reads that and turns the screen on and off. It also uses Poweramp's API to pause or play the music. One day I'll get around to interfacing the steering wheel buttons and whatever else I feel like through the Arduino.

Hardware
T-Mobile Springboard
HDCP HDMI to VGA + SPDIF RGB Component Ypbpr Converter v1.3b
Audison BitOne processor
JL Audio HD900/5
JL Audio TW5 subwoofer
Some kind of components up front and 6x9's in the back, can't remember the model
Arduino BT

Software
Cyanogenmod 9
Google Navigation
Pandora
Power Amp
Rhapsody
Dreambar(my own software for talking to the Arduino BT)

Attached Images

Kindle Fire Rooted with ICS CM9 installed into a Volvo S70

knownchild — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 05:49:47 GMT

The Kindle Fire has almost the exact dimensions of the double din in a Volvo S70, (98-2000) as far as i know....

I simply create a hotspot on my android GsII or a mobile hotspot device and have the Kindle Fire connect to that, that being said it has GPS (through Hotspot) and internet.

Kindle Runs to my audio input and thus awesomeness.

Over all the project was around $230

I did very slight dremeling to dash, all looks oem.

Please let me know if you would like more pictures and please leave comments :)

Attached Images

Integrated iPad/iPhone/iPod Dock Project - 2009 Mazda MX-5 (Replacing The O2 Joggler)

XGEOX — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 17:21:31 GMT

Hello folks,

Last time I posted here it was to document my O2 Joggler Project.

Now two years later, I've replaced the Joggler with a new installation - this time using an iPad:

In hindsight the Joggler hardware worked fantastically well, however software problems that I was unable to resolve (increasingly slow boots, buggy audio drivers and unstable OS/browser) caused me to look for another solution. I've since gone through a few more traditional (undocumented) car computer installations using a netbook and another Windows-based tablet computer - but these all had the same problems of slow boot times and occasional instability.

So several weeks ago I decided to ditch the computer from the plan entirely and go with a tablet-based solution (as many of you have done before).

As with my previous installations, the installation needed to look as close to a 'factory look' as possible, whilst also retaining the steering wheel control functionality.

As before I bought and modified another Metra double-din fascia; using an old soldering iron to meld together various pieces from the new and old fascias. Due to limited space within the area occupied by the original head unit (and a desire not to modify any of the original car's parts or trim), I could not build a 'enclosed' dock into which the iPad would slide. Instead I created a small protruding dock connector onto which the iPad (or iPod/Phone) would sit, supported laterally by two metal bars (in the style of those on the 'new' Mini), and additionally by series of magnets, which would interface with a metal plate attached to the iPad's protective case. This positioning would avoid any obstruction to my field of vision whilst driving.

To make better use of the space behind the docked iPad, I molded in two storage trays from the fascia kits - making sure they were not deep enough to prevent me from fitting the required electronics in the cavity behind the fascia.

Interfacing the iPad with the steering wheel controls would be more difficult than with the Netbook or Joggler, as I could not use the Joycon EX device. Instead, I located documentation for the Apple Accessory Protocol (that permits communication with a docked Apple device using serial commands). In order to generate these commands and to read changes in resistance from the resistor network within the wheel, I needed a microcontroller.

After doing a little research I decided on the Duinomite Mini - primarily because despite it's tiny size and low cost (�17), it's also a self-contained computer with video and keyboard connections, allowing me to code and debug on the device without shifting around SD Cards or USB cables, or needing to compile any code. The Duinomite runs on a variant of BASIC, so it was extremely easy to pick up. Whenever powered, it immediately and automatically runs a program called 'AUTORUN.BAS' on the SD Card, so no special relays or starter systems are required.

If you're interested in how the Duinomite reads the wheel input and generates the commands for the iPad (and stepper motor, which I'll explain later), I've included the full source code below. At the top you'll find a full list of 'Mode 2' commands that can be sent to an Apple device, even though I only used a small selection of these. Note that the last value on each command is a check-sum byte that is required in order for the device to accept the command. I had a bit of trouble calculating these as I wasn't initially clear on which parts of the command needed to be included in the calculation (thanks to some conflicting online documentation).

Code:

' Define Variables '



Boolean_Pressing = 0

Float_Resistance = 0.00

Integer_Steps = 5



' Define Commands '

Command_SetMode$            = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H01) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&HFA)

Command_Release$            = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&HFB)

Command_PlayPause$          = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H01) + Chr$(&HFA)

Command_VolumeUp$           = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&HF9)

Command_VolumeDown$         = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&HF7)

Command_NextTrack$          = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H08) + Chr$(&HF3)

Command_PreviousTrack$      = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H10) + Chr$(&HEB)

Command_NextAlbum$          = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H20) + Chr$(&HDB)

Command_PreviousAlbum$      = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H40) + Chr$(&HBB)

Command_Stop$               = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H03) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H80) + Chr$(&H7B)

Command_Play$               = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H01) + Chr$(&HF9)

Command_Pause$              = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&HF8)

Command_Mute$               = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&HF6)

Command_NextPlaylist$       = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H20) + Chr$(&HDA)

Command_PreviousPlaylist$   = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H40) + Chr$(&HBA)

Command_Shuffle$            = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H80) + Chr$(&H7A)

Command_Repeat$             = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H05) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H01) + Chr$(&HF8)

Command_Off$                = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H05) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H04) + Chr$(&HF5)

Command_On$                 = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H05) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H08) + Chr$(&HF1)

Command_Menu$               = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H05) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H40) + Chr$(&HB9)

Command_Select$             = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H05) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H80) + Chr$(&H79)

Command_ScrollUp$           = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H06) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H01) + Chr$(&HF7)

Command_ScrollDown$         = Chr$(&HFF) + Chr$(&H55) + Chr$(&H06) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H00) + Chr$(&H02) + Chr$(&HF6)



' Configure Pins '



SetPin 1, 1  ' Wheel Resistance '

SetPin 18, 8 ' Stepper Coil 1 '

SetPin 17, 8 ' Stepper Coil 2 '

SetPin 16, 8 ' Stepper Coil 3 '

SetPin 15, 8 ' Stepper Coil 4 '

SetPin 14, 2 ' Limit Switch (Clockwise) '

SetPin 13, 2 ' Limit Switch (Counter Clockwise) '



Open "COM4:19200" As #4



' Interaction Loop '



Do

       ' Read Wheel Resistance '



       Float_Resistance = Pin(1)



       Print Float_Resistance



       ' Handle States '



       If Float_Resistance < 1 Then



              ' Detect Button Release '



              If Boolean_Pressing = 1 Then



                     ' Send Release Command '



                     Print #4, Command_Release$



                     Boolean_Pressing = 0



              EndIf



              Pause 100



       Else

              ' Detect Button Press'



              If Float_Resistance < 3.2 Then



                     ' Check For Held Button '



                     If Boolean_Pressing = 0 Then



                            ' Send Mode Command '



                            Print #4, Command_SetMode$



                            Boolean_Pressing = 1



                     EndIf





                     ' Identify Button Pressed '



                     If Float_Resistance < 1.5 Then



                            ' Speaker / Mute Button Pressed '



                            Print #4, Command_PlayPause$



                     ElseIf Float_Resistance < 1.9 Then



                            ' Mode Button Pressed '



                            Print #4, Command_Shuffle$



                     ElseIf Float_Resistance < 2.3 Then



                            ' Down Button Pressed '



                            Print #4, Command_NextTrack$



                     ElseIf Float_Resistance < 2.7 Then



                            ' Up Button Pressed '



                            Print #4, Command_PreviousTrack$



                     ElseIf Float_Resistance < 3.0 Then



                            ' Volume Down Button Pressed '



                            Print #4, Command_VolumeDown$



                            If Pin(13) >= 1 Then



                                   ' Engergise Stepper Coils '



                                   For Integer_Step = 1 To Integer_Steps



                                   Pin(18) = 1

                                   Pin(17) = 0

                                   Pin(16) = 0

                                   Pin(15) = 1



                                   Pause 2



                                   Pin(18) = 1

                                   Pin(17) = 1

                                   Pin(16) = 0

                                   Pin(15) = 0



                                   Pause 2



                                   Pin(18) = 0

                                   Pin(17) = 1

                                   Pin(16) = 1

                                   Pin(15) = 0



                                   Pause 2



                                   Pin(18) = 0

                                   Pin(17) = 0

                                   Pin(16) = 1

                                   Pin(15) = 1



                                   Pause 2



                                   Next



                            EndIf



                            ' De-Engergise Stepper Coils '



                            Pin(18) = 0

                            Pin(17) = 0

                            Pin(16) = 0

                            Pin(15) = 0



                     ElseIf Float_Resistance < 3.2 Then



                            ' Volume Up Button Pressed '



                            Print #4, Command_VolumeUp$



                            If Pin(14) >= 1 Then



                                   ' Engergise Stepper Coils '



                                  For Integer_Step = 1 To Integer_Steps



                                   Pin(18) = 0

                                   Pin(17) = 0

                                   Pin(16) = 1

                                   Pin(15) = 1



                                   Pause 2



                                   Pin(18) = 0

                                   Pin(17) = 1

                                   Pin(16) = 1

                                   Pin(15) = 0



                                   Pause 2



                                   Pin(18) = 1

                                   Pin(17) = 1

                                   Pin(16) = 0

                                   Pin(15) = 0



                                   Pause 2



                                   Pin(18) = 1

                                   Pin(17) = 0

                                   Pin(16) = 0

                                   Pin(15) = 1



                                   Pause 2



                                   Next



                            EndIf



                            ' De-Engergise Stepper Coils '



                            Pin(18) = 0

                            Pin(17) = 0

                            Pin(16) = 0

                            Pin(15) = 0



                     EndIf



              EndIf



       EndIf



       Pause 15



Loop

Rather than paying for an expensive breakout board for the Apple dock connector, I acquired a cheap 'dock extension cable'. Each end had a connector containing an easily solderable breakout board. I soldered the male end to a 10-way ribbon cable, then embedded into the protruding dock on the fascia.

Getting the iPad to charge properly whilst docked (and in 'serial access mode') requires various pins to be set to specific voltages and resistances (not just 5v and ground, unfortunately), so I also designed and constructed a one-off circuit board that would provide these voltages in addition to a quick way of connecting and disconnecting everything during testing. It also stacked nicely with the Duinomite and my chosen amplifier board using Nylon standoffs. I should note that the resistance values shown on the schematic worked during testing but are no longer the ones I use - I found I had to tweak them to get charging to work properly once everything was in the car. I'm not sure what they are currently set to on the installed board.

As you can see it's an entirely passive circuit and simply reduces the cable mess between the Duinomite, dock connector and stepper motor (more on that in a second).

For power purposes I re-used the same Current Logic 50W 12v-5v converter from the Joggler project. I did however obtain a new higher-quality amplifier board than the one I was using before. This is a Class-T amplifier offering slightly better audio quality and increase power (although not by much). Since I'm still using the factory fitted speakers, I wasn't looking for anything particularly powerful.

Controlling volume would be a problem, as the Apple dock connector outputs line-level audio and iOS disables volume/level control when it is used.

Initially I planned to use a digital potentiometer, controlled by the Duinomite using a protocol called SPI - but I had real difficulty getting it to respond as desired. Eventually I ditched the digital pot and attached a small, low-power stepper motor to the amplifier's rotary pot. Whilst this may seem a little Heath Robinson in nature, it actually works very well; it removes the possibility of sudden volume spikes and avoids any potential noise problems caused by a (inevitably badly designed) volume control circuit. Additionally, the volume level always stays wherever it's currently set when power is removed from the system. I can also adjust the speed (and acceleration curve) of volume changes by tweaking the stepper control code in the software.

I did allow for the addition of limit switches to prevent 'over rotating' the pot - however I soon discovered these were not required, as the stepper was connected to the pot via a piece of plastic tubing that could slip (and the stepper itself was not powerful enough to apply any stress to the amplifier board or frame, even when intentionally 'over rotated'). The maximum volume is uncomfortable to listen to, and muting is achieved with the Play/Pause command, so actually encountering either rotational extreme under normal operation was highly unlikely.

The plastic parts seen above are from a construction set intended for educational use. I've found it to be useful for these kinds of projects, but I'm afraid I've long since forgotten what it's called or where I bought it. I have a Solidoodle 3D printer on order which I intend to use to print a proper enclosure for the whole amp/controller/board assembly, eventually replacing this makeshift frame.

With the electronics in place I finished up the fascia by adding the supporting steel bars (actually door handles) and insetting the magnets. As the iPad itself is non-magnetic, I had to glue a ferromagnetic plate to the plastic case I'd bought. Luckily the iPad's magnetometer is at it's top, so it does not appear to be affected by the magnets in the dock (which are positioned near the bottom where the iPad's back comes into contact with the fascia). In the end I used 24 rare-earth magnets (10mm x 3mm). These keep the iPad completely secure against the heaviest acceleration the MX5 is capable of producing (though at 0-60 in ~10 seconds, it's not exactly quick - a more powerful car would probably make such a docking solution impractical).

I made the spacing between the supporting bars a little wider than required in order to accommodate larger cases in the future. To provide a soft cushion between the case and bars, I wrapped small cuttings of foam around them and then heat-shrank them to achieve a neat, rubberized look. Smaller Apple devices don't have anything like as much inertia, so they can sit in the dock without requiring the bar/magnetic support that the iPad does.

Once installed into the car, the whole assembly actually requires very little room - even if it is a little messy without an enclosure.

The installed dock looks reasonably 'factory fitted'. I attempted to get the closest possible finish and ended up going with Tamiya TS-6 paint for it's fantastically smooth spray. Unfortunately as a convertible the difference in colour becomes more pronounced when the top is down and the sun is out - but not so much that it looks 'wrong'.

I've been using the dock now for a few weeks and it's working perfectly. Apart from an initial bug in my software, I've had no problems at all with the wheel controls or audio noise. The volume control setup remarkably worked first time - although I've since sped up the volume changes to make it more responsive.

Being able to drop the iPad or iPod into the dock and immediately press 'Play' on the wheel is extremely satisfying after spending years trying to get elaborate computer-based setups to boot quickly. The 3/4G connection and GPS hardware also makes navigation, browsing (whilst stopped, of course) and music streaming over Spotify possible. I'm looking forward to the release of iOS6, as it will add voice controlled navigation and Siri to the iPad, which should greatly enhance the 'in motion' functionality of this setup.

Of course as it's all based on a standardized connector and protocol, all Apple devices (with the likely exclusion of the new iPhone coming in October) can dock, charge and be controlled by the steering wheel.

If you're interested in seeing other (car and non-car) projects I've worked on, I've just put up a new blog documenting a few of them here.
You can find the original Joggler Car PC thread here.

Galaxy Tab 2 Install (Honda Civic)

PacosTacos88 — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 06:30:40 GMT

Cars and audio has always been a runner up to paintball as another hobby of mine. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but finally got the money and time to do it. I'm a broke college student, so keep that in mind, lol. I had a lot of fun doing it, hope you enjoy watching it.

What I've done:

-Taken a Samsung Galaxy 2 Tab and fit it into my double DIN dash
-Moved the head unit from the dash down next to hand brake
-Extended the wire harness to the new head unit location
-Ran a 6' aux cable from the Tab to the back of the head unit
-Cut up a leather case with microfiber padding to make a sleeve to slide the tab in and out of to make it easy to remove

Why I've done it:

-Already had a Tab
-Love the touchscreen interface. Most cheaper double DIN's are resistive touch (gotta press hard on the screen) and difficult to see at wide angles.
-Powered by Android. Lots of apps, Google maps, theming abilities, and plenty of music player options.
-Portable. I can remove it from the custom sleeve I built into it and use it like a regular tablet. Or take it out for fear of theft.

What's left to do:

-Fit this dock into the dash so that when it slides in, it connects to the dock which connects to the power and automatically turns the tab on when the car starts
-Wire in another car charger to connect to the dock
-Save some money for some decent subs. Current only running amp to rear speakers
-Magnetize the dash section where the Tab sits so I can pop it out easily for quick removal

Thanks:
-Mp3car forums for allowing me to lurk and get ideas from the couple installs already done there
-Civic Forums here for the DIY's on removing dash pieces and taking out the head unit
-and to anyone who may leave a nice comment or some helpful ideas to keep this build going

Anyone else looking to do this, feel free to ask any questions you want.

Thanks.

BMW E46 Android install (INCLUDES BUILD LOG / DIY)

bmdroid — Sun, 29 Jul 2012 02:39:17 GMT

Hi guys,

This is my attempt at installing the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 into a BMW E46

Key goals and achievements:

- OEM look (thanks to Rich for an awesome bezel (http://www.mybimmer.net/CarPCLCD.htm))
- Kept original BMW stereo system in place
- Ease of use
- Ability to control volume level using steering wheel controls.
- Never needing to use tablet's hardware buttons (app replacements and booting the tab automatically if it is OFF).
- DLNA WiFi router + portable HDD
- Torque

.. Still working on IBUS integration.

Enjoy the photos and video below :)

An article on how i built this can be found here: www.bmdroid.co.nz

Since the photos were taken, the tablet has been upgraded to CM10 with JellyBean
Video:

Attached Images

galaxy tab 2 install in 2010 mustang gt

crazietj — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:40:16 GMT

So the 2010+ mustangs are a pain to install aftermarket head units. The bezel houses a circuit board that the radio contols and hvac in one unit with the main part the radio/cd is behind it. Did some research and found the scorch replacement bezel that gives you your hvac, but it relocates the head unit down infront of the shifter. The hvac controls look cheap. I decited to hack it apart.I dont have sync, so no bluetooth. So I had keep my volume controls. I cut the top buttons off the circuit board. I had out where the buttons and the info screen was, the fiberglass and bondo the indentions where the info screen was. I made a cradle for the tablet to sit in. I tapped into the fuse panel for auxillary power to charge the tab. I also added a pc fan to keep it cool during charge. I used a 90 degree headphone jack and ran a cable to the mp3 port in the center consle. I want to redue the bezel later but i think it turned out nice.

Attached Images

Mini PC to Navigation display

wnrussell — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:35:32 GMT

After 6 months of trial, I finally found the perfect PC for my 535i. The Stealth.com LPC-460.

Link to specs: http://www.stealth.com/littlepc_460_mobile.htm
Xenarc sells this for $359

Features:
Built for Mobile, In-Vehicle Computing
Start Up/Shut Down Safety Feature
DC Power Input 10V-26VDC
Powerful Intel Core 2 Duo Processors
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
3D Graphics with 16x9 Capability
Built-in Gigabit LAN, USB 2.0,
1394a Firewire, Audio, Serial, Video
Low Profile Rugged Aluminum Chassis
Slim Slot Loading Optical Drives
Solid State Hard Drives (SSD) optional
Windows 7 & XP Pro Compatible,
*other O/S Options Available

Dimensions:
5.7"(W) x 9.9"(D) x 1.65"(H)
(14.6 x 25 x 4.2 cm)

I turned my car into a mobile office with a rear display (Touch panel) my passengers can use while I am driving. The car has:

CarFi on board: Autonet Mobile
Slingbox
Skype
Google Talk/ Video Chat
Netflix
Windows Media Center
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Office with voice translater
Optical drive to play movies
Voice activation: Google search and video chat.
Safe driving, no physical input. Say "Home Depot" and you're on your way.
900 TV Channels if connected to FiOS.

Windows 7 with 5 input options, including voice:

Google home page, with GoogleTalk chat session:

Logitech Webcam covers both front and rear passengers:

Full internet capability:

Rear seat touch display:

Slingbox works great

Installed Outlook on Stealth today, and activated the Windows 7 Speech recognition.

Everything is working with voice commands i.e. say "Start, Outlook" and you have it hands free. Then you can say "Press Down" to scroll through the messages, "Press Enter" to open them, "Reply" and start dictating, "Send", "Close window", etc.

For anybody who hasn't tried the Windows 7 Speech recognition yet, it just needs to be turned on and configured for the microphone. It is blazing fast and accurate.

2007 Citroen Android Carputer Galaxy Tab 7" Full Android Experience

ricpf — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 16:07:50 GMT

Hello mp3car.com folks,

Here is my finished android carputer setup. It's running CM9 4.0.4 Android with GPS/3G/Wifi/Mic integrated to car roof (Hirschmann Antenna) and the results got better than I expected.

I recorded a 12 minutes video (in bad english) showing up. Hope it worth the time spent.

Comments and critics will be highly appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uxwi3wlXPo

Project Viper

Johnny_Truant — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 23:24:22 GMT

Alright, Ive been lurking around here long enough, figured it would be time to tip my hat and show what Ive been building.
The truck that's getting all the attention is a 2005 Dodge Ram SRT-10

And a pic of the Viper motor that powers this beast of a truck

And a stock photo of what the interior used to look like

As you can tell there isnt a lot of room for a monitor, and I didnt want a flip out monitor because I just dont like em, and a V-10 truck needs a 10" screen, so I broke out the dremel and got to work.
I got rid of the little storage container under neath the HVAC controls because it was affectionately known as an 'ejection port' anything stored in there was ejected into the back seat any time I got on the gas pedal, so that was gone, then to fit a 10" screen I had to move the HVAC controls down a tad. Once all the cutting, sanding, fiberglass, vinyl was done, and the bleeding stopped the final product was this:

I ended up taking off the vinyl and fixed the low spots on the lower right of the screen and to the right of it, then test fit it in the truck and prayed everything fit and worked correctly.

Thankfully, with the exception of the areas that needed to be touched up evertying was a go and I was on to working on the rest.
From there I started working on the computer part of the project, I picked up an ASUS AT5NM10-I and an M2-ATX. I wasnt a fan of sticking it in a stock computer case and stashing it in the truck somewhere so I broke out the dremel again and some Plexi and got to work. Under the center front seat there is a storage area that was the right size to house the brains of this project. I started off mounting the motherboard to a peice of plexi with some threaded rod and nylon spacers (for air flow), then I added more spacers and a second level of Plexi to hold the hard drives and then a final top vanity layer. The computer stack looks like this when you open the lid to the storage area:

From that, you can remove 4 nuts and remove the Viper vaniity plate to reveal Level 2, the harddrive layer:

**Replaced one of the HDD's with an SSD to hold the OS and programs to improve boot times**
Under that layer we come to Level 3, the power supply and mobo:

The reason for the handles on Level 1 is two fold, one, for general stuff you can remove the 4 nuts and take the top layer off, reason 2, is I want to take the computer completely out for general maintenance or upgrades I can remove the 6 screws from the black outer containter and lift the whole stack out in one solid unit.
Picture of the computer stack being built:

So now comes time for audio. Stock just isnt my stylee (yes, with 2 e's) and given that its a truck there isnt a lot of places for me to hide a couple amps and a power cap and all that stuff. I played with the idea of putting them under the seats like most do, but Im pretty clumsy and drop stuff under the seats all the time. Most people with cars just tuck everything in the trunk, but trucks dont have trunks.. or do they? I have a tonneau cover and so I treated the bed of the truck like a trunk and got to work with some 3/4" MDF and more plexi. I started with a few dozen sketches and a few dozen beers and got my measurements. The layout I came up with was an amp on each side with the power cap in the middle:

Once that was done, I added a 1/4" plywood face plate and added in the plexi windows to keep everything protected from dust and anything I might be hauling in the bed. After that I added a few coats of clear coat to keep humidity or any liquids from getting to the MDF (wet MDF = destroyed projects) then wraped the whole deal in black carpet and mounted it to the back wall of the bed:

Now that that was nice a buttoned down, I needed somewhere for all that sound to go. The truck comes with an Infinity 8 speaker set up, but thats just not good enough for me, so I added component sets to the front, woofers and tweeters in the front doors and mid ranges to the dash, three way crossovers are inside the door panels. Two way speakers to the rear doors and a couple of 10's under the rear seat (for the ladies).

**Didnt take pictures of the doors, so use your imagination**

Stuff you cant see.
USB OBD-II under the dash to keep an eye on things
BU-353 GPS receiver mounted under the dash
Viper 5701 Alarm to keep it all safe
Patriot Ram

Stuff still yet to do:
Front end.. Leaning towards Centrafuse but Im not too confident with all the bad stuff Ive read from the interwebs so I might give it a go and compare it with RR to see which one suites my stylee more
TPMS to keep an eye on tire temps
Back-Up camera
Front mount camera
HUD reflected off windshield like the Corvette
Valentine V1 connected to the computer
JoyCon to use steering wheel controls
Serius/XM

Bits and peices details:
Monitor : 10.4" Resistive touchscreen (was capacitive but accidently put my thumb through the glass when mounting it and couldnt find a replecement)
MOBO : ASUS AT5NM10-I
Power : M2-ATX
Amps : Doors: Rockford Fostage Power T400-4 400watt Subs: Rockford Fosgate Power T600-2
Cap : Rockford Fosgate 1 farad
Speakers: Front: T165S 6.5" component Dash: 3.5" Rockford Fosgate P132 Rear: Rockford Fosgate T1675 6.75" Subs: P3D4 10"
GPS : BU-353
OBD-II : Dont remember, its an ELM something or another

Attached Images

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Custom Car PC

doncarbone — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 01:29:53 GMT

doncarbone's Car PC

I'm a 22yo webmaster and computer geek...decided some time ago to attempt to get a working computer in my 2003 Lancer.

A brief back story... Over a year ago, I started by mounting a cheap 3G netbook onto the dash. I bent some aluminum to craft a monitor stand which held in place a 10" netbook laptop which had the monitor flipped the opposite way around (so the keyboard/base was behind the monitor on the dash). I powered this with a 300W inverter and connected the laptop's sound to an AUX-in on a single pre-out JVC head-unit that I bought for around $50. Since then, and after being laughed at by passengers, I've decided to try and do something a little more 'complete' and higher quality.

I'm by no means a professional and actually this project marked my first time working with fiberglass and a lot of the required tools. It has been both a fun and frustrating experience. I welcome criticism and suggestions of any kind!

**EDIT: I didn't bother posting a picture of the full "before" as the members of evolutionm.net (where I first posted this build progress) are familiar with the Lancer. Now this is not my exact car, but the interior looked identical to this before I got started:
as you can see, there is adequate room for a 7" if you relocate the climate control, as I did, but I wanted to go with a bigger screen (10.2"), so it required a very custom approach as you will see =). Climate control was relocated, hazard light switch moved, clock above hazard was ditched, vents were closed off and rerouted to under the dash (extra leg vents)

Components/Materials:

- Kinetik HC1400 power cell (front/starter)
- Kinetik HC800 power cell (rear auxiliary)
- Stinger 300amp isolator
- 10.2" Xenarc 1020TSV touchscreen monitor
- 300W inverter (from before, will power the monitor and be used for misc)
- Griffin Powermate programmable dial
- Opus Solutions 350W 12V power supply
- PC with 4GB DDR3 ram, Dual Core 2.4Ghz athlon cpu, 120GB solid state drive, Creative X-Fi sound card + two 120mm blue led fans (fabricated in trunk)
- Focal 165A1 components/tweeters
- Focal 165CA1 coaxials
- Two 10" Image Dynamics IDQ10V3 2ohm subwoofers
- Hertz EP4X 4-channel amplifier (150W x 4)
- Alpine MRP-MR1000 Monoblock amplifier (500+ x 2)
- Dynamatted the entire interior/trunk/doors
- Applied 0.5" thick neoprene foam throughout the vehicle to absorb road/engine noise
- Two 60mm Prosport volt gauges (for each battery)
- 3-way USB hub
- key/lockable LED valet switch for PC power

Pictures:

This was the first batch of pics I uploaded on my build thread at evolutionm.net (lancer enthusiasts)

Removed entire dash panel / climate control / stereo / trim, two PVC pipes where gauges will eventually go. At this point i was Noob Level I.

Metal screen frame glued in place and fleece fabric stretched over top...i think at this point i said to myself more than once "what the **** am i thinking?" Mixed my first ever batch of fiberglass resin for this step.

Glued the frame in place, cut mold

"Well it will look strange if the rest of the panels dont match?" - ah screw it so started smearing fiber-enforced filler across. :lol:

Starting to take shape, added the gauge pods above

Sanded a bit and testing fitment...decided to have it stretch overtop the instrument/gauge cluster above steering wheel

Wish i took some pics between this pic and the last, added in USB ports from hub, hole for valet switch, hazard light and 2 component switches

Primed and sanded, still lots of dents and scuffs

painted, bit too glossy, I have since applied quite a few layers of dead flat toner

stripped interior, time for dynamat -__-

have dynamatted the entire floor, front doors, trunk and doubled up on trunk lid

Neoprene, 1/8" strips glued together, this particular piece went in the door. Couldnt find thicker neoprene from a Canadian dealer, so went with the only roll on amazon.ca (1/8")

Now to move the climate control panel

i hate working with this stuff

-__-

bit better

in the meantime, will spray on some toner

looks a lot better, i think since taking this pic ive used more toner

new battery, 0 gauge, inline fuses and isolator all fixed in place

all internal wiring fed underneath the carpet, two USB extenders, monitor cable, monitor power cable and 0 gauge from front to rear battery fed through

side note, since i spilled resin on my front seats and they are pretty poor seats in the OZ rally, i bought these new ones! very comfortable and the bolster support is great! (in anticipation for the 4G69 + mods)

climate control relocation starting to come together

painted, still needs toner to match dash

more madness! filled over where ash tray used to be, time to get the griffin dial mounted

angled base toward driver, griffin pictured top

light guard and some finish (this dial has a very bright blue LED on its base, i wanted to contain it a bit with a guard)

getting the guard in place

what a mess

cleaned up a bit, good ol' bondo

spot putty and some sanding

primed, griffin in place, will be attaching it to the base via velcro

Attached Images

what would be best? two kickerL7 12" or a single Kicker solo X 18"???

Ahaulss — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:20:57 GMT

im wondering which would be best? the price is a little higher for the single 18 but im wondering if it would sound louder than the two 12"?? i have a MTXthunder1500 that pushed two 12" L7 that i blew out easy.... so should i by new L7 12"s or the single solo X 18"???

2001 Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi CarPC with ByByte Double din Black Box and Lilliput 629GL

pons_saravanan — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 15:38:26 GMT

LCD Screen ByByte

Double din Black Box Enclosure with selected 7" LCD VGA Touch screen monitor pre-assembled LCD PANEL: 7" Lilliput 629GL
Lancer has double din slot. So I did not make any change to port to the dashboard. Thought the gaps are uneven, I did not find difficult in seting up out of the box.

Computer Setup
Intel Mini ITX board : Intel� D510MO
Harddisk : SataII 500GB
RAM : 2GB
Operating System: Windows 7

Navigation : GPS Receiver (USB GPS Receiver 20 Channels SiRF StarIII sg1)

Navigation Software : Garmin Mobile PC(GMPC)
Map data : earlier in Singapore used Malfree maps, India forgot the provider name

Main software : Developed by me in .Net 4.0 with WPF and MS Access

Sorry I was quite rush while co-ordinating installation of the car pc. Hence did not take pictures properly. Will update the pictures soon.

Attached Images

2010 BMW X1 (E84) Car Computer Install

TrevorC2 — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 14:00:57 GMT

My BMW X1 install is now in a state that it can be shown:-

The car is a 2010 BMW X1 (E84), (2.0D SE, S-drive model)

Before:

The system schematic below shows all of the components that have been installed:-

Click here for a larger image

LCD,

The front bezel has been made from 4mm thick acrylic and sprayed matt black. I have had to move the A/C controls down as far as they will go so I can accommodate the screen above them.
The VGA touch-screen is a 600nit Sunlight readable 7" display from LinITX. In my previous E46 BMW I had a standard 7" touch-screen, however as the interior of this new car is beige the reflections made it hard to read on all but the cloudiest of days. The sunlight readable display was expensive but it is a lot brighter. From the image below it can be seen that the camera flash is barely visible on the new screen.

Computer,

The computer has been mounted in the boot. This is hidden under the boot floor and well protected during day-to-day use.

The Computer is based around a VIA 1.5GHz ITX motherboard, (This has been used in my previous BMW E46 for the past 3 years, it's a bit old but very functional)

The front-end is Ride Runner, running on Windows XP.

A Kingston SSD gives a POST and boot time of <45 seconds. The install is from my previous car and is about three years old. If I was to do a re-install it would probably be quicker but then it would take an age to re-configure everything again :)

The amplifiers are driven by a Creative USB sound card. This has been modified to output 4x stereo signals to each of the amplifiers.

HD webcam (mounted behind the rear view mirror)

'3' Mobile broadband, for live tracking, internet radio, weather etc..

Automapa GPS software.

BMW k-can interface,

I am using a small Arduino uP to translate the BMW k-Can bus into i-bus. (This is only because I'm not sure where to start writing my own Ride Runner plug-in).
ibusRR, gives me:-

Fuel tank Range,

Engine Coolant temp,

Steering wheel control of Ride Runner (next screen, play / pause, up / down track, up / down volume etc...)

External temperature

I am also using the external temperature variable to tunnel the following into a flash animation gauge:-

RPM*

Accelerator position.

Climate control temperature setting

Internal cabin temperature

Indicator status

PDC (rear parking information)

Clutch and brake information

Steering wheel position

*RPM could be done with ibusRR itself but the old iBus is only actuate to 100's of RPM i.e 1800 RPM. The k-can contains higher resolution data i.e 1765 RPM

Click here for more information on the K-CAN codes for the BMW E84

Audio,

3x Alpine Amps.

3x sets of Ground Zero speakers. These fit relatively easily into the standard BMW holes without too much butchering. (The car is still under manufacturer warranty so I want to go a little careful!)
GZRC100FX: for the front door,
GZMW200NEO: Mid woofers for under the drive and passenger seat
GZHF402X: full range for the rear boot sides.

The above set is actually designed for the 1 series BMW and fitting it into the X1 took a small amount of drilling in the speaker surrounds. It also appears that the under-seat mid woofers are now glued
together rather than screwed. This took a bit of brute force and ignorance to get apart but it didn't actually break it. With the use of the ground zero GZBR200BMW adapter rings it all fit back together
nicely.
The GZMW200NEO mid woofers have been used as they are very slim at only 59mm deep.

1x 8" Cerwin Vega sub-woofer. Previously I had twin 8" subs dropped into the spare-wheel well but with the advent of run-flat tires the spare wheel well is a thing of the past.
The sub-woofer can be seen in the image above of the boot, the sub is the cube on the on the right hand side of the boot.

Most people have a bit more sense than to start taking apart a 2year old BMW, but I think it has been tastefully done and looks pretty much OEM. (and at a fraction of the cost of iDrive)

Honda Civic 2007 DXG Install

tracker64 — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:54:59 GMT

A few pics of the install

Attached Images

Nissan Qashqai+2 embedded carputer tablet version ;-)

aziodale — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:34:41 GMT

after 3 years i upgrade carpc system with a Huawei Mediapad 7"
of the previous configuration has remained only the carnetix p2140 appropriately reconfigured;
i only changed the center console to add tablet
this is the preliminary test

tablet specs:
Operating System
Android ICS

CPU
1.2GHz Dual Core

Display
7'' LCD WXGA (1280x800 IPS)

Camera resolution
5 Mega-pixels AF camera & 1.3 Mega-pixels camera

Capacity
8GB
Extended
up to 32GB micro SD

Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11b / 802.11g / 802.11n
Bluetooth 2.1

Headphone
3.5mm stereo audio jack, Stereo speaker

Location
GPS/A-GPS

Accelerometer sensor

Ambient light sensor

Compass

Battery Type
Li-Polymer Capacity 4100mAh

positive side
global cost
velocity
simplified installation
monitor resolution and quality
boot velocity
integration without particular frontend
no crash or operative system error
no drivers to install
minimal configuration

negative side
rear cam; temporarily lost functionality (I have an idea :-))

The tablet is powered by a Carnetix P2140 dual channel
5v for Tablet and usb hub
12v for silent 92cm fan behind tablet inside enclosure
and programmed for send and cut dc with no delay

for OBDII i use a modified Bluetooth adapter

Software:
widget auto pro as launcher
WeFi Pro - automatic and seamless Wi-Fi connectivity whenever you are!
Torque for OBDII data
Tasker for automations
- on (Enable the system, wireless connections etc)
- off (Go in Stand by mode, Aereomode, pause music etc)
- Say if wifi connection is on or lost
- Say every 15 minutes what time is it

Central consolle command interface fabbrication

Powered +5v HUB USB with velcro fix

OBDII bluetooth adapter with 12v under key permanently connected
no danger of battery drain ;-)

microphone location

Attached Images

Toyota Camry 2007, White Beauty.

bossman137 — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:14:38 GMT

My goals:
1. Have a few completely unique ideas to my own setup
2. Audio quality
3. Audio quality
4. Construct a NON TOUCHSCREEN setup. I've had several touchscreen headunits and always end up using the buttons to navigate more often.
5. Use my setup as a computer made for a car and not a computer made to act like a aftermarket dvd headunit (ie. no centrafuge, riderunner, or any frontend software made to dumb down my COMPUTER to a high end car headunit.)

So I always hate having to scroll to page 10 to find the completed pic. So i'll lead with it here on my worklog :eyebrows:

Its late :sleep: and It took longer than i thought to figure out uploading pics lol. I'll add component list, process, and my words of wisdom tomorrow!

Operating System:
Motherboard: F1A75-I DELUXE asus ~ 150$
Hardrive: Force Series 3 CSSD-F60GB3A-BK 2.5" 60GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ~ 90
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB(2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 ~ 60$
CPU: AMD | A8-3870K 3.0G 4M FM1 R ~ 125$
PSU: M4-ATX 250W Intelligent DC-DC PSU ~ 78$

Monitor: LP101WH1-TLA3 ~ 75$
Controller: ~ 75$ (I contacted a handful of chinese manufacturers, in all emailed and called probably 10 different people looking for a controller to drive this AMAZING 10.1 in lg screen that is meant to replace some asus netbook. I had many a nay sayer on this forum point me back to a lillicrap "we're been in this scene for 10 yrs, there is a reason people don't try new things" lol, and i finally found a controller that works great! bought from lcdparts.net, but WOULD NOT RECCOMEND them, morocity is an active member of this forum and has the same equipement i just found out about him too late.

Equalizer: Clarion EQS746 ~ 58$
Best purchase i've ever made for audio. I have it going to 2 - 12" infinity subs seperate fiberglass enclosures i made. 2 pairs of infinity component speakers, and 4 rockford fosgate rear 6x9. This clarion is phenominal.

So here is what a stock camry dash looks like, this isn't mine just a google search pic

Kinda grandpa-esk i know. So it ALLL began with taking those 3 pieces of the dash out. I then used JBweld (used A LOT of this amazing stuff, easily best binding material I've EVER used. I believe its a steel composite and when it hardens after 7 hrs, you its harder and stronger than ANYTHING it will be gluing. But i glued all the pieces together into one big piece. Then went at it with the bondo, filled in all cracks and just made a smooth level surface all even. I Had to cut new holes for the climate controls (worst part of the whole project), because they wouldn't fit the screen in their origional position.

It also helped that this was partially for my degree, and i ended up solidwork modeling all my plans before hand.

There was like a millimeter of clearance on bottom edges, but it was enough :)
Once i got the screen and clarion equalizer fitted well. I began assembly of my computer. Componenst listed above. runs at 3.1 GHZ. I would highly reccomend this motherboard Cpu setup to anyone. I eventually plan on installing some play while i wait games maybe. But with the 8gb RAM, solid state hard drive, and proccessor everything is instand, its phenominal. And my pc boots up from off to desktop in like 10-15 seconds, before i get out of the driveway.
"picture here"

I installed the whole setup PSU PC on an aluminum sheet custom drafted to fit perfectly in my glove box, trade mark pending :) And i went to my university and cut it out with the waterjet. I grounded the PSU and PC to the plate and grounded the plate to car chassis.

I installed everything and i had HORENDOUS induction noise in my audio. And as stated above my main objective was to have clear audio t match and drive my system. SOOO i set about hunting the grounding loop problem. The aluminum sheet was actually my initial attempt at a fix, which helped a lot. Then i tried grounding my rca's coming from the pc to equalizer. Then i tried a common ground. The rca grounding helped a lot. But in the end it magically resolved itself, the gods of car audio though i had enough... it was wierd.
my tips for chasing a ground loop:
1. Ensure you have common ground with PSU and PC, use copper or aluminum as they are better conductors than steel
2. Ground RCA
3. Use high quality RCA (this may have actually been the final fix i can't tell for sure)
4. Have ONE common ground for amps and pc setup if possible. For me it wasn't. If i were to go back i probably would have planned a trunk install.. IDK maybe not it work not :)

I installed a DC-AC inverter in my dash and here i am mounting the plug plate. Its a crying shame this doesn't come standard in cars yet... so so sad

Removed all GRAY panneling in car and covered it with 3m dinoc white carbon fiber. Great stuff. Ran me 50 bucks for 2x4 foot sheet. Was plenty to do everyting. sturdy. and looks SOOO much better than paint. vinyl wrap in general is the was to go for sure

And Future Plans:
my piece de resistance is going to be this lil beauty. She will pan rotate and extrude from the dask the monitor according to my needs and desires. Its driven by a few servos, turntable, and an arduino board.

2004 rx-8

Oily — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:53:29 GMT

Thought I'd show my pc install on my RX-8,this is the first time I've attempted anything like this so if you see anything that needs attention then please let me know.
I used a OEM sat nav hood,bought from a scrap car,I junked the OEM screen in favour of a Lilliput 629.
OEM screen

Replaced with 629,had to re-locate the IR receiver off the Lilliput PCB to the OEM aperture

PCB's for the open/tilt functions and screen,sponge in between them

Finished!

Bench tested

Now fitted in the car,running CF 3.5,Aqua skin

Integrated DashCommand into CF

Running GT-R style dashboard

and Garmin PC

I've used a Sumicom S625 PC which I've installed in the glove box,running W7,to power it I've used a DCDC-USB Intelligent DC-DC Converter which I've set to automotive mode,15m offdelay and 'never' hardoff(I need are an enclosure for the PSU)

I admit the wires need a little tidying :o
A few other mods,oil pressure/temp gauges

The car itself

Problems I have so far are:
1.PC doesn't shut down properly for some reason as I turn the ignition key on the pc asks me 'do I want to start windows normally'?Probably some setting I need to check somewhere?
2.The I Blue GPS receiver is making the mouse pointer go crazy,for some reason in the device manager it thinks it's a serial mouse?Soon as I disable it it stops but then my sat nav doesn't work!
3.Can't seem to access the Lilliput menu to get the screen to power up automaticly?I've put the code in,588998, after reading so many threads, and it brings up a language menu and that's as far as I can get?
So,any comments,suggestions,good or bad welcome.

Cheers
Darren

CarPC and Head unit intigration on my 2011 Toyota Prius

alfa737 — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:25:38 GMT

Hi folks.
thanks to all the amazing projects i saw here i atempted to install a carPC in my 2011 Prius.

I put the monitor in the top glove box and the computer in the lower glove box.

I considered buying a carputer but the price range was coming to about 400-to 500 (for a good one). So then I looked into making my own which is a better option but would take up extra time and still cost like 300 or so.
So I decided to go with a nettop ( for about $150). Not the best choice for a carputer because it does not have a regular ATX motherboard and not very rugged but I only need it for internet access.

Since the nettop does not have a motherboard power switch header that would normally connect to the push-button on the front of a personal computer case. I solder couple of wires to the on/off button which I used to place a small push button under the center consol.

My car does not have a conventional starter, there is no high amp spikes, so i dont need a DC to DC regulator.
I taped +12 from the lighter socket and ground near the bottom of the glove box. and installed a small push button to turn on the computer.

I Installed the nettop holder in the lower glove box and made some vent holes.

Found some space behind the lower glove box where i stuffed the computer power brick and the wires for the LCD touchscreen

I removed the stock CD player because it did not have and aux input and bought a cheap genaric chinese Headunit off of ebay. I output the audio and video from the CarPC to the new head unit.

Routed the wires and hooked up the CarPC.

Problem!! the 7" touchscreen was too big to fit in the upper glove box so I ended up cutting the bottom off, squished the electronics together and repositioned the buttons.

After hacking up the monitor it still did not fit the glove box so i had to cut up the glove box to make it fit.

put everything to gether .

Finally testing if it works and yes everything is up and running. and when the glove box is closed no one knows there is a computer there :lol:.

Attached Images

PaulF's 2002 Volvo S60 version 3 - the half watt system

PaulF — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:17:45 GMT

For me, the fun I get out of the car computing hobby is all about the custom remote control of devices in the car. I've gone through a few revisions of always on systems and have never been able to say "this system will absolutely not kill my battery."

Brief history of my systems - I make it sound too easy here haha
Version 0.5 - Just a PC

AMD based system with Micro ATX mobo
No fancy microcontrollers/fusion brains
Relays "cleverly" attached to different things to turn the PC on/off with no intelligent startup/shutdown controller and turn the amplifiers on etc

Version 1.0 - PC + Sheeva Plug

Same system as version 0.5
Addition of sheeva plug
Sheeva plug was on 24/7 attached to 3g, hosting an access point and allowing for remote control
Fusion brain attached to sheeva plug control devices
Big access battery to keep the sheeva plug powered
Plug into house at night to charge

Version 2.0 - Single, always on PC to replace both the PC and the Sheeva Plug from version 1.0

Initial plan was to USB PandaBoard, decided not to due to tons of weird linux/arm bugs when using a full desktop OS
Used a FitPC2 instead (~8 watt consumption vs ~5 for PandaBoard)
Windows 7 + Centrafuse + custom control software, etc, etc
No plugging in at night
Fancy high quality sound system
30 watt solar panel
Completely dead battery, always.

Now in theory, I can fight very, very hard and trim that power consumption, maybe get bigger, better solar panels, but I'm really not interested in that fight. I also know a LOT more now than I did even 2 years ago.

So, here is revision 3.0
The idea here is to use a microcontroller for the always on portion of the install. The microcontroller itself will be able to talk without any overkill full-blown computers. This should result in something capable of running off any standard car battery without fancy charging systems/solar panels/huge batteries. I have yet to decide what I want to do for the entertainment/nav computer yet - I can use the computers from my past builds, build something new, or go with a tablet. Either way, this is 100% flexible since it can communicate with all of the above.

The parts I've selected for the task are:
Microcontroller: The 5 volt Arduino Mega Pro
Price: $45
Url: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/11007
Reasons for selection:

The Arduino makes life easy with its giant community
The mega offers 54 digital I/O ports (I could control 54 relays if I wanted)
Mega offers 15 analog inputs for reading sensors.
The mega has 4 hardware serial ports, so no need for software serial when communicating with other devices (GPS, OBD2, Cell modem)
I have a lot of 5 volt stuff, so I chose the 5 volt version instead of the 3.3 volt version
I chose the pro version because it is all for through-hole soldering, and I won't have to deal with buying connectors or lose connections
Increased RAM (8kb) vs the smaller arduinos will make programming easier
Low enough power consumption (Measured @ 33mA on the 12 volt side of 90% efficient regulator)
The pro version has no unnecessary components on board

Cell modem: Seeedstudio GPRS shield
Price: $60
Url: http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/gprs-shield-p-779.html

Designed specifically for 5 volt arduinos
Of the devices I looked at, the sim900 module seemed to be the most versatile cell module
Low standby power: 1.5mA
Max power on US networks: 1watt
The board offers additional digital I/O ports in case I decided to use a board without so many I/0s
Communicates over serial vs most modems which use USB

GPS: Sparkfun's Venus board
Price: $50
Url: http://www.sparkfun.com/products/11058

20hz GPS updates!
Full power: 90mA@3.3 volts = .3 watts
Reduced power: 60mA@3.3volts = .2watts
Nearly no power in standby mode, 1 second resume time if it hasn't moved

I plan to attach this guy to both the microcontroller and the computer (via usb/serial converter) and be able to use it for both at the same time. This thing seems superior to anything available in the CarPC community for GPS.

Cell plan: T-Mobile "Unlimited Text and 10�/minute"
Price: $15/month
Url: http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/plans/p....mc_t=OnsiteAd

All I need is texting to get commands to/from the car, when I'm in the car I have my android phone tether for 4g
Unfortunately, T-Mobile service sucks
$15 is the cheapest unlimited texting-only plan I could find
Other option was to add a line to my verizon family plan for $10/month, but verizon is CDMA and VERY picky about what devices are on their network
Texting doesn't require nearly as good of service quality as internet does
I can couple it with an awesome roof-mounted antenna for better service
Plug & Play - just stick the t-mobile sim card in my GSM modem and it works.

I'm fairly well along in this project, so pictures and updates will come in a few minutes.

3rd car - 3rd carpc & stereo install - 05 Mitsubishi Triton 4x4 Dual Cab Ute

Neophyte — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:07:24 GMT

Hi all thought I'd throw this new one in here, very recently finished.

ok so first the car 2005 Mistubishi MK Triton Dual Cab 4x4 Ute.

I will go in chronological install order as stereo went in first while I waited for carpc parts to be delivered.

The car didn't have a lot of room to install stereo equipment but I managed it :)

Couldn't afford new amps this time round so used ones from my last car, will upgrade to focal amps at some stage.

Didn't want to get a single din monitor of any kind or cut the dash up so kept a headunit in there rather than have hole and kept it functional rather than not being used.

HeadUnit
JVC KD-R526 with Bluetooth adaptor

Front Stage
Fli Loaded 900s 4 channel amp
Focal IS165 6.5" & 1" component system

Sub
Fli Loaded 1000m Monoblock
Focal Polyglass 21V2 8" sub

I welded up a frame to hold the amps on

Where the rack was mounted behind rear seats.

Frame painted and mounted

Amps mounted

Tweeters mounted in dash where factory 4 inch speakers were (they are covered by a dash grill piece, obviously not the greatest for staging, but at this point the install was about stealth)

Midrange speakers mounted ( the Triton has no door speakers installed factory nor any wiring anywhere, so all wiring had to be run and door trims cut to allow speakers.

Amps and finished subbox mounted (it's all hidden to not going to carpet subbox or anything.

Power Test...w00t it works!!!

Onto the carpc side of the install.

carpc specs.

CPU: Intel Atom 230 1.6GHz Processor
Mainboard: Foxconn 945GC Chipset Mini-ITX Motherboard
RAM: 2GB DDR2
Hard Disk: 320GB 2.5'' SATA HDD
Graphics: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator
Audio: Integrated High Definition Audio 6 Channel (will upgrade one day)
Network: Integrated 10/100 LAN
Case: Huntkey H702 Mini ITX Case with 60W Power Supply (changed power supply to m3-atx out of last carpc).
Screen: 7" Response touchscreen from Jaycar
4 port usb hub
optus mobile broadband dongle (not shown in pics)
wireless network dongle from Jaycar(not shown in pics)
optical mouse
flexible keyboard - turned out to only be semi functional.
OS: stripped down Win 7 Ultimate
Frontend: Centrafuse

Also setup dual battery system for entire audio and carpc setup. Will also be used for 12V accessories for fishing trips. Has a voltmeter installed in dash with on/off/on switch. up = aux batt voltage, centre = off and down = start batt voltage.

On/off/on switches were used to control stereo and pc use, up is used to starup/shutdown stereo and pc with keys, centre position doesnt allow anything to turn on, and down is always on (good for camping etc keys dont have to be in)

No real room or good spots in dash for a screen install, so I used the sunglasses pocket panel which is located at the very bottom of the dash in front of the gear stick.

This is the original dash panel with the sunglasses pocket removed.

This is the wallmount bezel that came with the screen.

The bezel was joined to the dash panel to allow the screen to be mounted and make it removable.but first I had to get it to sit at the angle I wanted and not have any gaps, 6mm ply was used.

Dash Panel cutout so wallmount bezel can be fitted on correct angle.

The 2 parts joined.

Ugly straight edges and small gaps so some shaping was needed to make smooth curves.

more shaping and smoothing was done, undercoated and made nicer, then it was time to paint. I decided not to match the dash colour as instrument panel and hvac controls have a matte black insert so I painted the panel matte black as well to break up the grey a bit.

Test fit of screen again

Time to bang it all in.

PC under seat

Dual Battery setup ( I bought another battery cradle from supercheap and welded brackets onto it to fit in place in engine bay, wired up isolator and circuit breakers between isolator and each battery.

Voltmeter mounted in dash

LED mounted in dash for isolation verification

'97 Civic DX 2dr ~ Turtlegrip's NeuroPod -MicroATX Slim-

turtlegrip — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 07:19:55 GMT

Hello and Greetings,

My name will be Turtlegrip and this is a post to show you my 'CarPC' that I built for my 1997 Honda Civic DX Coupe. I decided to start this project because I love my car and I love computers... So I guess I will just get to the point and give you some specs...

Computer::spy:
Gigabyte Motherboard, older and dont remember exact model
Pentium 4 Dual Core @ 2.8GHz
1G RAM (1333) x2
Patriot 60GB SSD
TP-Link WiFi USB
Bluetooth USB
420 watt Micro ATX PSU
Rosewell MicroATX Slim Case\
ELM ODBII-USB

Monitor::cell:
TFT LCD 7" LED Backlight

Stereo::tune:
6" Acoustic Speakers x2
6"x9" 3-way Alpine SPJ-69C3 x2
12" Rockford Punch x2
Sony xPlod 600 watt 4 channel Amplifier
Performance Tenikue 1000 watt 2 channel Amplifier

Power::second:
Interstate Basic Battery
Optima Blue D31
BOSS 2-Farad Capacitor x2
Cobra 800 watt Inverter

Protection::peep:
ANL 150A Fuse x2
PAC-500 Isolator
1/0 Gauge Wiring and 4 Gauge Wiring

Technically I am not entirely done, I need a high output alternator...

Here is my project in chronological order, I kept a "work log" on another forum...

Anyway, long story short, I upgraded my 97 Civic's heater core/blower, dash, climate control to a 99-00 Civic model:

And everything is mounted in the trunk, eventually I will move the amplifiers and inverter to the back of the rear seats, and make panels over the PC and battery, but that will but cosmetics in the future (I know it is pretty sloppy right now):

Here is also a picture of the switches, (not my kill switches lol), the red button is the PC power with a green LED as the power light, then the left switch is the amplifier power and there is one just like it on the right that powers the inverter, it just is not in right this moment:

While I did this I also painted the interior black and refabriced the headliner and visors black, got new floor mats and plan on getting del sol seats.

To break down the way power is run: Parallel with the engine battery is the Optima Blue Top D31-M, both being grounded to the chassis, right before the 1/0 gauge cable leaves the engine battery is gots to a 150A ANL fuse then to a PAC-500 Isolator, the wire then runs through the firewall, through the car, into the trunk where I have mounted the Optima. From the Optima the 1/0 gauge starts anew and runs directly to another 150A ANL fuse and then to a 1/0-4 gauge 5-way Distribution block. From the Distribution block then runs out 4 4 gauge wires, 1 to the inverter, 1 to each amplifier and 1 is split to the capacitors. The computer and monitor are powered from the 2 AC slots from the inverter.

The computer has a USB splitter in the trunk to make 1 port run the WiFi adapter and Bluetooth. The computer then runs 1 VGA and 3 USB cables to the front of the car, there the VGA and 1 USB go to the 7" touch screen mounted in the dash, another USB goes to the ODBII-USB module, the last USB is free to be split for flash drives and what not. I had a sound card but it was causing more trouble than it was worth, so for now I have on board sound running to a 3.5mm Stereo split, then each stereo is split into RCA cables, 1 RCA pair runs to the rear 3-way speaker input on the sony amplifier, while the other runs to the sub woofer input on the other amplifier, the sub amplifier have an pair of RCA outs on it, so those run to the front speakers RCA input on the sony amplifier. A little confusing but it sounds fine and works until I can one day find a suitable low profile sound card.

Software wise, I use Project64 and play super smash brothers haha. Then I have windows 7 running and use media player classic for videos, while I have been using Centrafuse for music and everything else (currently on the free trail version, I will end up buying the real thing once this runs out). Also using a free ODBII reader until I can afford PCM scan, or at least just DashXL. Ill try to get a video up of everything running soon...

2001 Civic with In-dash Acer Iconia A100 Android tablet

btbond — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 23:41:54 GMT

Hopefully I'm posting in the correct thread. I apologize if not.

I just wanted to post a video of my Android tablet installation that I "completed" recently. It's a 7" Acer Iconia A100 installed where the factory radio would normally be. I pulled out the stereo and pocket and then removed the metal bracket that holds those in place. I had to notch the plastic posts that hold the bracket so that the tablet could slide into place. Everything fits pretty snug and there hasn't been any noticeable movement.

The only issue I'm having is figuring out where to install the EQ. I'd actually be happy with just a volume knob installed next to the cig lighter, but I'm not familiar with the hardware that would accomplish that. It would have to have an RCA input like the EQ does. If anybody has any suggestions I'm all ears.

Jeep Wranlger Sport 2011 - You've Officially Been Pimped!

PetBANG — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 02:37:33 GMT

Hello, first of all, forgive my English so I can defend myself XD, is the first time I ride a carpc and have had no help except from the internet and all posts that have been published, thanks to all for your dedication. I'm fan of the personalization and I like to take full advantage of technology, today I present my Jeep Wrangler and I've done with it.

* According to all I have time I will put more detailed, I hope you understand.

Materials ------------------------------------------------- ----

-New SAMSUNG 7 "LCD Touch Screen Monitor LED Outdoor Kit
-Zotac Fusion-350 A-E
-DDR3 PC1333 -2 x 2GB CL9
-120 GB SATA III SSD Vertex Agility 3
-CarPC JoyCon exr-Steering wheel controls USB interface
-60CM USB 3.0 Male to Female Extension Cord Cable 4.8Gbps
-New Dock Cradle Desktop Sync Pod Charger Station For HTC
-150 � wide angle Waterproof Night Vision Car Rear View Rev
-Android bluetooth-CustomGadz
-Switch-CustomGadz TouchScreen Type A
-ATX 24pin 200W-12V DC DC
-III GPS USB GostGet StarSirf
-TDT Analogic / Digital / FM
-High-Peformance 475th Infinity 4-Channel Full-Range Amplifier
-Subwoofer vetoes
-2.5 mm wire-20m
-5m 5mm wire
-3 X double RCA
-40A-Fuse

-------------------------------------------------- ---------------------

So is the finish, I still have to come CustomGadz the touch screen, so not finished, nor will I put the frame.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well started the process, we have to carefully remove the picture, has tabs, but they are very resilient. I decided to withdraw its original radio and media to have hollow metal enough, I must comment that the uconnect (bluetooth) I have maintained to keep the original function of the car, I mention below as well as the inconvenience of the buttons to pick the calls.

This is the original radio removed, I did to find out where each wire (I was excited too hehe), is very simple, highlight the PIN 2 and 13 (CAN BUS) I think it's Uconnect control and steering wheel controls , I'll investigate later (if anyone knows thank help). Also left the outline of the radio (for those who serve, apologies are in Spanish).

This is the screen SAMSUNG 7 "LED
Resolution: 800 x 480
Brightness (cd / m�): 300 (w / TSP)
Contrast Ratio: 400:1
Power Consumption: 1.2 - 2.0 W
Outline dimension (mm): 163.20 x 104.00

Below you can see as I have molds taken from a computer if caps! hehe, I like the left. But I have not finished, as I said before I need to get the screen capacitive CustomGadz android interface, then you will apply fiberglass to the restraint.

If you look the screen comes with remote control and infrared plate that I have left temporarily hidden (works perfectly), I've also added a stereo microphones famous curiously one of mp3car install xD (Here everything is unmounted).

Testing correct operation of the screen (you can connect directly to the battery of the car), works perfect.

The computer is a 350 AE Zotac Fusion SSD Vertex works super fast, along with Consumer Preview Windows 8 starts in 5 seconds, the drivers are a problem but work well, (if I can upload a video for your enjoyment). The source is 200w, but I am aware of ahoramismo solve a problem starting the car, apparently to start ruling remains in the source and the voltage must be disconnected, if someone gives me a suggestion Thank you.

For the power button I aquipo something more complicated but has been worth it for her I had to remove the service instrumentation and have used buttons into disuse and is reversible.

For hard drive I found the perfect hole, literally paste handsfree uconnect system, very simple.

The uconnect has a simple connector with three cables, Left, Right and common. All this input line of the plate, so we uconnect function list. I have to solve the CAN BUS to pick up phone calls, the Wangler has two buttons on the car radio to hang around and talk and another to talk on the microphone (assistant). For this I use CarPC JoyCon exr-Steering wheel controls USB interface, and I'll comment, I accept suggestions.

As you can see the gap mentioned before I used it to put the Zotac and all wiring, including power, tdt, gps, etc. .. has been pretty good, at first I must admit that Estana not very confident of this. Hope you like.

I also wanted to integrate a camera performs very well, I leave a test image I made with an mp4 with video input. I've placed well back with a perfect viewing angle (if I can I upload a video) and all cables with tube (came with the kit), the night is just great.

I still have much work to both software and hardware, I have problems with the lighting that I hope to solve tomorrow, as well as the steering wheel buttons that I consider my top priority. I left the screen to turn on and off with the ignition key, but the computer as it is logical to always stay on for the one with the consumption of energy goes into suspension and I am considering the possibility of putting a self-feeding system such as notebooks or tablets that is just perfect. If anyone has any suggestions on this topic is welcome.

Thank you all for your attention and apologies if the picture quality is not very good, later put more details of the process and wiring, as well as the process for mounting the stereo. I leave the next day an advance update more pictures.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOFTWARE:

Installed: Windows 8 Consumer Preview

RUN!
I wanted to get a start in less than 10 seconds to do this using a SDD and Consumer Preview windows 8, with the PB Zotac set to boot from the bios faster skipping some testing and what better than a video to prove it.

Enjoy! :tard:

Attached Images

02 Dodge Neon

IslandBoi — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:14:47 GMT

Hello it's been a while since i posted anything on the forum. I am getting back into the carputer technology with a little bit of biometric included. Now i got some questions about the most secure place to install the products below

Computer Enclosure (M350 Mini-Itx Enclosure)
Amplifier

I am trying to decide of the best place to mount these, at the back of the seats may not be a good idea as it makes these products easily to stolen. Anyone got any ideas please?

2010 Toyota Corolla S - Custom CarPC Build (Lots of photos)

XAndyJX — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:29:12 GMT

06/01/12 - Dual Screen upgrade on pg.4

This is my CarPC project - I will be installing it in my 2010 Toyota Corolla S. I have quite a few pictures of the build and I finally received the last of the parts that I needed to complete it. I will be installing it this weekend hopefully. I have just about 2 weeks into this project, I lost count of the hours and $$$ that it took to design and build it. Lots of custom fabrication work on my end. Have a look at my progress so far :nutz:

The barebones of the build consists of a ASUS F1A75-1 Deluxe Motherboard, AMD A8 3870 APU, and 8GB of DDR3 1600 RAM.

Bundled with the motherboard was this rather convenient wireless remote/keyboard that seems to be perfect for the CarPC

This is the back of it

The in-dash monitor is a modified Lilliput 669GL-70NP/C/T with the Resistive touch replaced with a Multi-Touch Capacitive panel - it's VERY nice!

Monitor assembled in the Double-DIN mounting bracket

I have a 4-ch JBL amp and a Monoblock Kenwood amp to power my speakers - I will be using this Clarion EQ/Line Driver to up the sound cards output to 7Vrms to reduce any noise and lower the gain on the amps

I didn't want to use any pre-made cases, and most mini-itx cases wouldn't work with what I wanted anyhow. I decided to install everything in my Glovebox (my car has 2 compartments so I didn't mind sacrificing the lower one). I needed to level out the base of it and make a durable platform to start with. I used 22ga steel as the mounting plate for the components - contoured to the inside of the Glovebox.

I needed to make my own motherboard tray, so I used 22ga aluminum for that.

Pattern is stenciled out, stand-offs are in place, and it's ready to be cut out.

This was just a test fit to make sure everything was in check

I will be using a 250W (300W Peak) Intelligent Automotive ATX PSU, a Sony Blu-Ray Slim Slot-Load Optical drive, and a Samsung 128GB SATA3 SSD (over 500MB/s R/W)

Standard Metra mounting bracket I modified to fit the Blu-ray drive under the monitor - just a test fit

I will be using 2 60mm High RPM fans (1-in/1-out) to keep everything happy and cool - stencils I used for the cutouts

The APU is an AMD 3870 3GHz Quad-Core (I OC'd it to 3.3GHz)

Random install picture :rolleyes:

I cleaned off the factory Thermal Paste and used Arctic Silver Thermal Paste

It's a light coating even though it doesn't look like it

8GB of DDR3 1600 Corsair RAM

Motherboard assembled

The ASUS F1A75-I Deluxe motherboard is VERY feature rich - SATA3, USB 3.0, UEFI BIOS, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI, list goes on. *On a side note, even though the onboard bluetooth supports everything for a mobile phone it is not recognized by Centrafuse unfortunately :sad:

This is the Metra kit before my Carbon Fiber overlay

This is it after, but pre-clearcoat

Another test fit before I cleared it to make sure the added thickness didn't affect anything

Clear coated and fully assembled!

This was the first power-up - Installing UEFI Windows 7 x64

Overview picture of the system

Windows WEI Scores - The Samsung SSD is maxed out at 7.9 - From cold boot to fully ready in less than 10sec - no joke!

Final Product - WiFi antennas down :)

Final Product - WiFi antennas up. I know it's not the most pleasing eye-candy to look at, but it's fast, it works, and hardly anyone is going to see it in the Glovebox anyhow.

Rest of the parts came today. Sirf III GPS antenna with modified Baud Rate, Directed AM/FM/HD tuner with USB interface kit, Joycon EXR Steering Wheel Interface, Phoenix Audio MT107A Echo-Canceling Microphone, and Centrafuse 4.0 with Navigation.

I will add more pictures of the actual installation this weekend!

UPDATE!! - Install Completed :)

Ok, after about 7-8hrs of installation time it's finally installed. I ran into quite a few issues with fitment (mainly the Glovebox due to the external fans) - but it wasn't terrible. I ran 8ga wire to the Power Supply since it can draw upwards of 25A at peak power (I know 8ga is tad overkill for 25A but I had it laying around). It's fast, runs great, and one of a kind

8ga power wire (this is on top of the 4ga I have running to my amps - tight fit)

Glovebox installed

I noticed this space here was easily accessible and I was able to fit the mics perfectly

The monitor and blu-ray bracket installed

Re-installing Windows after I accidently crashed the damn thing banghead

Everything buttoned up and me checking my e-mail

Attached Images

2005 Dodge Magnum _ Galaxy Tab install

shiltz — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:13:02 GMT

I've had a carputer in my Magnum for many years but after using my android phone for music the PC frontends felt so clunky in comparison so I finally decided to ditch the carputer and go with an android tablet, I ended up choosing the Galaxy Tab (7") for it's size and that it was capable of being charged and having audio out thru the same connector port.

The old carputer install:

The car:

The new install.

I ended up with a new headunit because the old one got stolen when the car was in the shop, fortunately the shop payed for it and the new one was an upgrade so it was a win win situation there.

I purchased the dock for the Galaxy Tab and the car charger:

Since the install was for the tablet is horizontal and the dock is designed to hold it vertical I had to do some modifications to it, I wrapped the tablet in plastic wrap, stuck it in the dock and wrapped the back side and bottom edge with fiberglass to hold the tablet in the dock while horizontal, I then attached a hinge to the base of the dock which is on the right side and on the left side I mounted one of those magnetic cabinet catches they use on desk hutches where you push it it and then it pops out, this way I can remove the tablet easily while maintaining a clean looking install.

When the tablet is in the dock it's being charged via the car charger installed behind the dash and hooked up to the line input on the headunit via the line out on the dock.

Here's a picture of the dock without the tablet installed:

And here it is with the tablet installed into the dock:

I've had it installed for a few weeks now and took a 1500 mile road trip and thus far I love it, the music interface is very nice, especially for advancing tracks, having google maps for GPS is awesome, plus being able to use apps that alert me of speed cams, speed limits, etc is great, plus no more waiting for windows to boot up, I simple start the car, pop the tablet in, unlock it and hit play, the only downside is that while the music player app can start and stop via plugging and un-plugging the headphones it doesn't work via the dock so I have to manually pause the music when I get out of the car and unpause when I get back in.

Attached Images

2006 Mustang gt Worklog nook color (lots of pics!)

brian31389 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:32:33 GMT

Hey everybody, it has been a long time but I thought I should post a work log of my nook color that I just finally finished. I posted this setup a while back but was only installed in the car and not complete. Here is how it all went down.

First off here is my ride at infineon raceway ( i drag and circuit )

At first I rooted the NC with phiremod (now Im using cynogen 7.2) then proceeded to take it apart.

Here are the connections for volume, power, home...

Due to the dimensions of the NC I wanted to make my own buttons for the setup so I extended them.

All worked great without a hitch (btw I dont have a pic of the home button here but I had a small momentary switch that I used to extend since the original home is a surface mounted one)

Here is where I made the front bezel and tested it out with the faceplate.

Here is a shot of the back so you can see how it is mounted, just a few brackets of plastic so nothing to fancy.

After a lot of toying around with software that works great for the car and now having a bluetooth dongle for gps (i use my cell for hotspo) it works amazing! Here is the finished product.

This unit is powered by a small 75w ac adapter from radioshack and my sound is managed through my clarion equalizer. The speakers are powered by two 2ch motor cycle amps behind the tablet. Hope you guys enjoyed this short worklog, also to note, since I get tired of things quickly I am selling this setup so I can make another one with a transformer prime or a huge screen as an external touch screen for a phone.

Attached Images

2003 Nissan 350z Nook Color Build

Omyn.Z — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:51:01 GMT

Hello, this is my Android based Nook Color build in my 350z.

The tablet is running CM7, tethering wifi from my android phone (Nexus One) for mobile internet. I can also tether GPS through my Nexus for GPS. The nook does not come with the hardware for GPS so tethering or an external bluetooth adapter is the most common methods of making it GPS able. I have the OEM USB cable running along the side of the center console to the rear cigarette adapter. I opted for this option, as opposed to wiring it right into the cars power, because I wanted the option to plug it into a laptop easily. Transferring files this way is much easier. I also have the option of pulling into the driveway and wifi'ing files to my device. The nook has 8gb of internal memory plus a 16gb SD card so it has plenty of space.

I purchased the nook from B&N store on black friday for $120. I wanted to keep my stock bose system so I also bought the adapter to do AUX right into my OEM Bose system. The adapter also came with an Ipod cord.

Adapter is the USA SPEC PA11-NIS:

My car was not equipped with factory navigation. The opening was the same size as the nook display. The opening should fit any 7" tablet.

I mounted the device with plastic weld and a reinforcing aluminum brace. Just used aluminum strips from home depot.

I relocated the power and home button the the small panel in front of the display using momentary push buttons from radioshack. I used random connectors I had to make taking off the small panel easier.

I had to cut out some of the plastic in the dash to get the charger cable and the cornered AUX cable to fit.

Final install

I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Looks factory and the lid makes the display very visible in high light. The audio quality I was concerned about but it's not bad at all. I have the OBDII adapter on order for use with Torque. Poweramp is really nice music player with a built in EQ.

Feel free to ask any questions.

Attached Images

My project, Volvo S60 T5R

Draax — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:54:16 GMT

Hello!
This is my project ive been working on for the last few weeks.
Updates with pictures will be posted, this is just a sketch of what ive ordered and waiting for.

Here is the url for my setup:
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images...oxc702006.gif/

1: Solar Powered Universal Laptop Power Supply. Price: 33 Dollar
2: 10A 24V PWM Solar Panel Battery Charge Controller Regulator LED Light Display. Price: 171 Dollar
3: Car Power Supply Converter Adapter 150W DC to AC 220V. Price: 13 Dollar
4: AC 220V-240V Digital LCD Power Programmable Timer Time switch Relay 16A. Price: 10 Dollar
5: Fashion Cellphone PDA GSM Remote control Socket Power GSM Switch PHONE PLUG dd. Price: 39 Dollar
6: Power strip with 4xCEE 7 / 4 socket, 4xIEC 60906-1 socket, 1xCEE 7 / 7 connectivity, master / slave, over voltage protection. Price: 171 Dollar
7: Additional car battery 12V (Dont know the amp yet.). Price: 100 Dollar

The main function on this setup is to be able to call my car and start the heating fan from where ever i am.
Also I have ideas on how to wire up the AC to this system on the summer.
There is allot ideas of what I can add to the car, one thing witch is really cool is starting your car with your phone or some kind of remote.
Thousands of ideas comes throw my head on how to improve and make the best configuration of what ive got.
A car pc monitor is already ordered and on the way, I am not sure of witch PC setup I will use but my biggest problem right now is how I will wire up the car speakers to my feature pc.

Here is a picture of my car monitor I ordered:
Lilliput 7" 669GL-70NP/C VGA HDMI DVI Car Monitor
Specification:
Panel Size: 7" TFT LCD
Resolution: 800 x 480, input up to 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
Brightness: 250cd/㎡
Contrast: 500:1
Viewing Angle: 140�/120�(H/V)
Input Voltage: DC 12V
Input Signal: PC(VGA), AV1, AV2, HDMI, DVI
Power Consumption: ≤8W
Audio Output: ≤1W
Size(LWD): 185.5�122�32.5mm
Weight: 450g

Price: 171 Dollar

This is how the car looks like today:

If you have any suggestion don't hesitate on posting a comment or sending me a PM!
Thanks for reading and stay put for the update!
~~Draax

Attached Images

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR

agentq — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 04:24:58 GMT

Not too much of a work log so much as pictures of what I have done to give others ideas, or answer questions.
Carpc is a zotac ionitx-L-E ssd hard drive fast boot/os and a platter drive external for storage.
Carpc and 5ch amp actually sit on the sub box, no probs at all with the platter drive.
System does 5.1 surround and uses SRS audio sandbox as the driver to do speaker fill.
Had to mount the 8" lilliput hdmi LCD into a 2din, and had a guy off evolutionm forums custom fab the hvac relocation.
Gutted out the dash clock and installed a Valentine1 radar detector remote display to have it a bit stealthy.
Carpc power button kinda stealthy right above the dimmer knob.
Custom trunk board so I can still get to the spare tire.
Post if you have any question or comments.

Attached Images

E36 and E46 CarPC complete installation

agya4000 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:17:20 GMT

Centrafuse 3 Aqua SKIN of BMW
Garmin Navigation With Egypt Map
Bluetooth
Wifi
OBDII etc

On My E36 And My friends Zayed E46 Modified M3.

Attached Images

Fix install charge and discharge current instrument with A, Ah, V and more

JuniorGeezer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:39:50 GMT

I monitor my aux battery with two Doc Wattson charge current, voltage and ampere hours meters of this type:
http://www.rc-electronics-usa.com/am...y-monitor.html
One for charging, one for discharging.

This requires a 1 milli-Ohm shunt between the battery's negative terminal and the chassis ground. The two Doc Wattsons must be rid of their enclosures and the original shunts and mounted into a suitable panel.

Nice project that took some work.

So I have a permanent display of voltage, power, current in Ampere and the accumulated charged and discharged Ampere hours. When charging, the left instrument shows the charge current and the right one shows zero. When discharging, the right instrument shows the discharge current and the left one shows zero. When the motor is stopped, there is always discharge. When the motor runs it depends on the load and rpm whether there is charge or discharge.

In winter, I get about 15 - 30 A of charge current when the battery has been discharged considerably before. In summer, it's about 20 - 40 A. But the current decreases after about 20 minutes to about 10 A. Even with 14.7 V charge system voltage the battery will not get fully charged quickly. This is a problem with all these super duper batteries, they provide lots of current but the charge currents are low. The Yellow Tops that I use are among the best in this respect. I had a Varta AGM 90 Ah that was tired from the beginning.

Photographs:

Music listening with the motor off. The right instrument shows the discharge current:

Motor runs, battery is being charged. The left instrument shows the charge current.

The car has two batteries: Aux battery (front of photo) and starter battery:

For the measurements, the aux battery needs a 1 milli-Ohm shunt:

The instruments in the original state:

Original shunt removed:

Two instruments installed in a panel and wired:

It takes four wires from the battery to the instruments, shielded.

1) Shield, chassis ground.
2) Plus 12 V (with a fuse, consumption only about 5 mA)
3) Shunt 1
4) Shunt 2

I only had a coax cable handy with shield and two inner wires and wired the plus separately. A coax cable with shield and three inner wires would have been nicer.

The third, simple volt meter shows the voltage of the starter battery.

Very well working battery isolator that does not require a signal connection to the alternator:

Sony Ps3 to carpc

pcmoto.com.au — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:52:38 GMT

FINALLY FINISHED THE CONVERSION AND MANAGED TO USE EXISTING PS3 TOUCH SENSOR ON/OFF BUTTON. I HAD TO MAKE A TOUCH SENSOR(compacitance) SWITCH MODULE TO GET IT TO WORK WITH PC. COSTS APPROX. $12 IN PARTS FROM JAYCAR ELECTRONICS(AUS) AND TAKES LESS THAN AN HOUR TO BUILD. IT TOOK 2 ATTEMPS AS I NEEDED TO ADD A RELAY TOO. I MADE A VIDEO DEMO OF THE SYSTEM AND TEST THE ON/OFF BUTTON.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIvnDQJtATk
I HAVE ALSO POSTED SOME PICTURES OF HOW THE SWITCH IS WIRED AND PARTS NEEDED BELOW IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED IN DOING THE SAME.
Attachment 64294
Attachment 64289 Attachment 64290 Attachment 64291 Attachment 64292 Attachment 64293
Attachment 64288
Attachment 64220 Attachment 64221

MotoPC v2.0

Hicotton02 — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:51:54 GMT

So after my initial bout into carPCs I decided to put one on my 2008 Suzuki hayabusa (http://www.mp3car.com/worklogs/14355...otorcycle.html)

After messing with that and replacing part after part, I made some discoveries and adjusted the install as nessesary. Mainly a better touchscreen and dealt with extreme vibrations. So then I did an overhaul and just got it up and running.

Parts:
Mobo - Intel D525
Case - Some small G-Atlantic case
power - M4-ATX
OS - Windows 7 Ult.
Frontend - Ride Runner w/ DFX 5.1
TS - Lilliput 7" sunlight readable

Sent my undertail off to Tiger racing and had them make a custom aluminum one that looks way better than that piece of crap that I did. got a smaller case. and had to get the m4-atx power supply because the D525 motherboard has that extra 2x2 cpu power pin. and you cannot use an adapter cable to power it from like a M3-atx like I was hoping. the 12v rail is 2amps less that what is required for that motherboard. went from Garmin GPS to iGuidance for various reasons. I will add pics of the install and the monitor mount specifically. As far as the install goes, I have hotglued everything.... The screws backing out from the vibrations was my worst enemy. Thats it for now.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 7.1 Audio

Paulloyd — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:28:12 GMT

Attached Images

Jeep Grand Cherokee 7.1 Audio

Paulloyd — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:59:58 GMT

Attached Images

02 Range Rover

boardthis74 — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:41:33 GMT

Ok, figured I'd post my project and lame first attempts at doing this. So far, I'm trying to fit my bybyte frame into a slightly enlarged opening where my gps used to be. An uneasy hand and a rotary tool caused some jagged edges that I'm attempting to fill in and smooth out, but since it's on this fake wood trim, it's just not going to look right unless I paint the entire piece, which I may go back and do. In the frame will go a capacitive lilliput 669GL which I have apart and somehow managed to really botch the soldering of the IR extension to the button board. A buddy from work is going to try to fix that tomorrow for me.

In the back where the DVD GPS used to reside is where the computer will sit. It consists of an ASUS E35M1-I DELUXE, OCZ Sata3 60G SSD, and 8G of RAM. I'm hoping to mount a slot load dvd where the old slot load dvd was in the GPS.

I guess that's all I have for now. Other things I'm running are permently mounted scantool, joycon for steering wheel control, powered USB hub for the front, card reader, and a blitz converter to take my useless cd changer and turn it into aux in for my stock radio till I can afford to buy speakers and amps.

Attached Images

iMercedes (Need Feedback Regarding iPhone Integration w/ OEM Pop-Up Display)

Brad Davis — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:39:41 GMT

Ok guys, I'm looking for some sort of validation to this concept. Provide suggestions, ideas, possible hurdles, etc. I will be completing this install but I want to make sure I'm doing this in the best possible fashion. Take a look.

1993 ford mustang lx

celicarider1991 — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:53:58 GMT

First we start with the car

Battery terminals

Headunit

PLC

AMP

SUBS

Litte projects im doing,

:bowl: i keep going. lol any questions just ask,
Looking to buy a car pc just nothing in classifieds lol.

My Volvo XC60 Andoid tablet (final images)

Jaylo — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:42:19 GMT

Well,

I bought my Volvo XC60 without navigator, basically because I don't want to pay 3000 euros for a limited, closed and 2D navi.

I was looking for an android tablet because of easy integration and the thousands of free or cheap applications available.

I bought this tablet:
. Viewsonic Viewpad 7". capacitive 7" screen, 3G, WiFi, BT, G-sensor, multimedia, etc.

I have internet (WiFi/3G), OBD-II (Torque), an inclinometer, On-road (Sygic) and Off-road (TwoNav) navigators, etc, etc, etc.
I bought a cheap bluetooth OBDII sensor in DealExtreme (the blue one) and it works good.

I tried some front ends, but I think Android is friendly enough.

All works good: the multimedia, navigators, OBDII, ...even, if I like the radio music, I can see author with Soundhound.
The tablet is connected to cigarette supply through USB wire (5V/2A).
The 3.5mm sound output is connected to my car AUX input

I also installed "noBlock" app to avoid blocked screen, and "Softkeys" app to use the classical four Android buttons with the touchscreen. (I cannot use the hard buttons because there is no space to show them)

The tablet can stand up to 100 hours in "stand-by mode", and it starts automatically when it detects external supply. When I stop the car, the tablet puts in a low battery mode. The Tasker application do it very well. But, if the car remains stopped more than 100 hours, the tablet shutdowns definitely and pressing the ON button is required to start it again.

Well, if once a yaer I need to push On button, it takes 3 minutes to open the dash and press the button.

I love Tasker. You can automatize tasks as:
. send an email/sms when you are arriving home
. send me an email with gps position if car is moving without me inside
. change sound volume depending on speed
. change screen light depending on date/time

The car integratin was easy. I bought the original Volvo navigator version dash, with the 7" hole in it, so I change the closed dash for navigator dash. Then, I fit the tablet in this correct position.

Here some images...

350z carpc, autopc project

thestonedone — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:13:48 GMT

Project took 5 days total and about 400 dollars worth of parts and tools.

Finished project:

How it began:
I found a laptop on craigslist that had a cracked touch screen and broken outer shell for a hundred bucks. This gave me the idea to install it in my car to replace my 7 inch touch screen stereo. Here's what the laptop looked like.

The first thing I had to do was to replace the touch screen. I found a vendor in china online and managed to pick it up for 150$. Part arrived in about a week. Install took about 20 min.

My next task was to fabricate a bezel that I could mount the screen to in the center of the dash where the original radio had been. This is the original setup.

As you can see the screen was very small and it was hard to navigate while driving.

This is the factory bezel cut out with card paper cut and formed to the general shape I needed. I coated it with fiberglass resin to make it stiff.

I then fiberglassed and applied bondo, then sanded the bezel.

A couple more applications of bondo and some primer...

J B welded 2 studs to the back of the bezel to hold the screen in.

Gutted the passenger side of the dash to make room for the laptop...

Test fit the bezel.

I bought an Audigy 2 ZS for the laptop to run sound to the Bose amp which was very easy as I had an aftermarket adapter with 2 pair of RCA jacks and the zs 2 had 5.1 out, all I had to do was wire the Bose amp to acc. power and buy 2 adapters for headphone jack to RCA out so I would have front and back speakers. I ran the power to the laptop from the acc power for the radio and grounded it to the radio ground. I was blowing fuses so I had to buy an inverter to run the power supply through. I finish bondoed and sanded the bezel and covered it with carbon fiber print pleather I bought from a marine upholstery shop for 5 bucks. This is the finished product so far.

This was my first time dealing with fiberglass, bondo, and upholstery, so I learned alot and had fun doing it. I used this forum for reference and am thankful you guys are here. My next project is to remove the pod gauges from the center console bezel and mold it smooth into the top of the screen for a more curvy look. I will then replace those gauges with a dash commander lcd screen hooked to the laptop, which will also replace my speedo cluster.

Attached Images

Project MotoBus 30' Bus, PC, Xbox, Stereo, Fiberglass, Ligiting and MORE!

edge2k — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 03:06:35 GMT

So I've finally been able to get some progress started here on this project that has been titled the "Motobus" for a friend of mine, skipping all the vehicle technical nonsense its rough around the edges but should look great by the end of this project.

Heres the bus as I saw it first, being stared down by my beastlike chopper.

Step one, deciding what all is going into this thing, when I was recruited to help on this I was basically given open creativity to do whatever I wanted, as long as it was functional and looked good, the only specifics were an overhead monitor, something in dash to control the multimedia, a 55" sony lcd tv, an xbox, and plenty of sound to pump throughout this bus.

We talked about some different ideas and concepts, myself being big into the mobile computing scene, I brought up the idea of a pc based system to control all of the audio/video/web/navigation and whatever else possible, and it was decided thats what it would be!

The interior was in for an overhaul, while the repairs to the floor were being welded I took the panels back to my laboratory, and by laboratory I mean my front porch and started planning and sketching out some different ideas and tried to figure out how to make everything work together.

I started first with the dash, I chose a Lilliput FA1011-NP/C/T 10" monitor with a capacitive touchscreen, the size is perfect for a dash application, it has HDMI, DVI, & VGA inputs, a resolution of # 1024 x 600, Brightness: 250cd/ and a Contrast ratio of 500:1 bought from the awesome folks over at mp3car store at

" http://store.mp3car.com/Lilliput_FA1..._p/mon-130.htm "

This monitor was looking great, nice and new with that fresh smell of win still lingering prior to ripping open its carefully designed case to remove the stand and non essential parts for this particular application.

I removed the button board and the buttons themselves, to relocate the board to the back of the monitors case and remove the button for power and the source select to tap into the circuit and relocate somewhere on the dash with a larger, more attractive push button for ease of use.

A handful of screws and a few pop tabs and the stand was off, and the case was open, I removed the back and the lcd assembly so I could trace the shape of the front of the monitor onto the dash panel to know exactly how much to trim out.

I used some of the scrap plastic left over from cutting out room for the monitor to serve as a backing for the large gaps to fill and to keep them as structurally sound as possible, being flexible and plastic and all.

After all the filling and sanding, and sanding.. and sanding was taken care of and I was happy with the look of the monitor, I reassembled all the pieces from the backside, I cut a hole out of the back cover of the monitor case to let me run the cable out that goes to the button board, and secured it to the back of the monitor case to keep it from flopping around, once the dash is finished, painted, back together and ready to go into the bus for good, is when I will tap into the button board and extend the connections out to new push buttons on the dash.

On a completely embarrassing side note, in the picture of the monitor up close the diagonal line in the corner is not a hair, or a smudge, but yes, unfortunately I did somehow manage to put a pressure crack into the corner of the touch overlay during testing/reassembly, being my first time experimenting with a glass overlay I didnt realize just how fragile these things are and serves as a reminder for everyone [mostly me lol] to take your time on these kinds of projects, pay close attention and dont rush things, LUCKILY the dudes at mp3car.com support was able to source me a replacement for just the overlay, added it to the website and I had waiting at my door in about a week, if annnyone else out there is into the carpc scene, yes you can find most things a couple of bucks cheaper on some other websites, but never have I had a company go out of there way to help me like that before, and I cant say enough good things about them.

I have a lot of pictures to organize and go through of everything I've done so far, the next update should be sometime tomorrow, and will be the progress of the fiberglass overhead panel for the 20" slave led monitor and 6.5 arc audio components.

Feedback, questions, opinions, suggestions, *coughdonationscough* is as always welcomed.

2004 Ford F-150 Carputer Build

jonnychapps — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:57:05 GMT

Hey guys and gals. I am in the process of building and installing a computer in my F-150 and wanted to document what I'm doing.

So far I have all the hardware and am putting together and getting it installed. I will update on the progress. Watch the following videos I have of the hardware and the Amp install and tell me what you think and ask any questions you may have:

Computer Hardware
http://youtu.be/EiMTVt8VbTI

Amp Install
http://youtu.be/tx2796oGyBw

Hardware Specs:

The computer is cased in a mITX PC Car Chassis Case Enclosure, the case is very small and only allows enough room for a Mini ITX motherboard and a notebook hard drive. There is no room for a disk reader or any other type of hard drive. The small size is perfect for car installation when room is taken into consideration.

I have the Intel Desktop Board D510MO with 2 sticks of DDR2 memory at 2Gbs each. As far as the hard drive, I purchased the Western Digital 250 GB Hard Drive. I also have an external DVD�RW Drive and a wireless USB keyboard with touch pad.

For the monitor I have the Mimo 720-F Touchscreen Monitor. With this being a USB monitor it can be used as the primary, and only, monitor but you will not see anything on the screen until windows has loaded and booted the drivers. No big deal, but if you have to set the BIOS or change those type of settings you will need to connect a VGA monitor. You will also need to do this to download and install the drivers for the touch screen. (NOTE: along with the VGA monitor, you will also need a standard CD/DVD reader and a PSP mouse and keyboard to get the initial setup and drivers loaded)

For powering the computer I have the M3-ATX Intelligent Automotive DC-DC Car PC Power Supply. For internet I have Intel 6200 IEEE 802.11n Network Adapter.

This is enough for a basic set-up. :tard:

I will list the extras I have below without going into much detail:

1. Bluetooth USB Adapter
2. SIRIUS SC-C1 Vehicle Tuner
3. SIRIUS Universal Interface
4. GlobalSat BU-353 Waterproof USB GPS Receiver

SIRIUS Satellite Radio Install
http://youtu.be/24eIDSzw_wg

2003 Digital Eclipse Remastered

david69leonard — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:19:50 GMT

Digital Eclipse 2.0

After reupholstering my dash in leather last year, It looked great at first but the heat completely destroyed my dash, I didnt realize the extent until I removed the leather. Needless to say I had to bust out the ABS welder and piece it back together. After a week of sanding and painting here is what I have so far... Enjoy!!!

Here is the most recent updated video:

I've completed the 10.1 Lilliput Multi-touch LED monitor install, here is it in action!

Car PC Specs:

Zotac Ion D-E MB
4 GB DDR2
Fusion Brain
Elm 327 OBD2
SSD (on order)
2TB WD HD
M4 ATX PSU
Microsoft GPS
4G wireless internet
Win 7
DashCommand
Centrafuse

Lilliput 7" USB Monitor (gauge panel)
Lilliput 10.1 Multi-touch HDMI monitor

Costley - Holden VE SSV Apple Mini Mac Install

Green_M4chine — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:19:39 GMT

Hi everyone, I have spent a while on this project but finally I have something worth posting here.
First of all the aim was to have an apple mini mac carpc running on the OEM screen with no impact on OEM functions and controls.

Parts

Power Supply (CarNetix P-1900)
Display OEM Head unit
Touch Screen Overlay
Computer (Mac Mini)
ELM327 Bluetooth OBD
PICO VGA to RCA Convertor
GPS (USGlobalSat BU-353)
VE Video In Motion kit (VIM)
Aux-in (RCA) cable
Windows 7
Centrafuse
3.5mm to RCA
Apple Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse

Install:

CarNetix power supply [Installed]
RCA Aux-In for OEM DIsplay [Installed]
VIM Module - this overrides the OEM display cut out at over 10km/h [Installed]
Apple Mini Mac [Installed]
Touch Screen Overlay and usb module [Installed]

Tasks

Route all wiring to back of glove box [Complete]
Connect VGA to RCA Convertor to computer and aux-in [Complete]
Connect 3.5mm jack to RCA aux-in [Complete]
Hide GPS Unit in dash [Complete]
Software - Install windows 7 and Centrafuse [Complete]
Connect Bluetooth Periphals [Complete]

Wish List

External WiFi Antenna [Planned]
Working Wireless Broadband - using BLINK [Planned]
Camera to record driving events [Planned]
Powered USB Hub [Planned]

Now this is the vehicle it is installed in;

Now pictures of the setup and stereo...

Here is a quick video of the OEM head unit;

Subaru Impreza CarPC Project Vol.1

secured-nor1 — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 01:59:47 GMT

Hi all!

This was my first CarPC project started at 2009 and finished(car stolen&found) at 2010.

As it was my first build I wanted the things to be simple and plug&play so I decided to buy Lilliput TC-2000 and Indash GL701. I bought both of them directly from China for 988 USD. I actually thought that I could be spent much more money if I go DIY route. I also love the factory look.

For the frontend, I start with Road Runner and found my self buying Centrafuse in the end. This was because the RR seemsa bit chaotic to me.(no offense) Everyone has something to add on RR but finding the reliable one was not easy and time consuming process. So Centrafuse was really good for the money.

I am not a commecial ecu mapper but I tune my car since 2003. The most beautiful part was to get rid of the Defi Gauges from the A pillar and monitor it from CarPc. On my car I am running a high-end Syvecs ECU. Oh let me show you the intelligent drive button that I adapted from Powermate USB volume controller.

Syvecs supports up to eight calibration maps. You can also enable anti lag or launch controls etc.. from that button. I think I have seen this button from mp3car store and hacked it that way. So this was working like BMW's intelligent drive but i was using the maps like E85 mode, Scary mode, ECO mode, Valet mode and thief mode. When the car was stolen I was working on the button and not yet activated. If I would do it(was working on it) it wont be able to stolen. Anyway.

I found it like that.

Comments and questions are welcome.

If you want to see more spec sheet of this car click here

Vp calais set up. System testing. Stand still and road tests

pcmoto.com.au — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:59:05 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVFLPuTtFI4 just a vid testing of new system in vehicle. standing and on rough road tests with navigation and music. remote on/off switch, cold boot, quick shutdown, system sleep, resume from sleep(long video approx 10min).

(short video approx 4min).
Im not a mass manufacturer or anything. Just a system builder. I do these as a hobby. I simply enjoy building the systems as well as do custom installs. Like everyone else on this site i guess :)

2009 Mazda 6 - Complete, but not complete.....

cnewman402 — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 01:37:48 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/user/cnewman4.../0/3OFDJda7tpw

It's a work in progress. PLEASE release a Elite 2 BETA! The project has a lot of work left but I just started a way bigger project, so it will do for now. :becky:

I'll keep it updated as I add. Maybe get some pictures of where I went through the firewall at and the USB/VGA junction. I have some pictures somewhere while I was installing. I will try to find them.

Drew's 2009 Toyota Tacoma CarPC

BimmaDrew — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 20:46:24 GMT

Here is my latest mode of transportation:

It's a 2009 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4x4. It's much more versatile and can haul around my ever growing family much easier than my small coupes of yore (although I miss those fun little cars)! I bought it last year and started installing my system around the New Year. I've done all of the work myself (as I have done with all my systems in the past).

I also wanted to keep things fairly stock looking…which I am not finished working on. Right now, I have everything operational; I just need to make it look pretty.

Although it is the same computer that I have used in the past two cars, I decided to upgrade some of the components while it was out. :D Here's what I have:

CarPC Components:
Harware:
•Castronic/Travla C-138 case
•Zotac H55ITX-A-E WiFi (Mini-ITX Motherboard)
•Intel Core i3 530 CPU
•2x 2GB DDR3 GSkill 10666 RAM
•Intel X25-M 64GB SDD (for all software)
•Additional 500GB 7200rpm sHDD (for the music, pics, and videos)
•M4-ITX 250W DC-DC power supply
•Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium soundcard
•XM PCR (XM radio receiver to USB)
•XM PCR Optical output add-on
•7" Transflective Optically Bonded Lilliput 669GL Touch Screen Monitor with HDMI (an amazing screen)!!!
•Qstarz BT-818x (GPS receiver)
•OBDPro Smart Switch (OBD II reader to USB tool)
•Viston HD radio (HD & standard radio to USB controller)
•External slot load DVD Drive
•JoyCon EX steering wheel controller (not hooked up yet)
Software:
•Windows 7 32-bit Home Premium
•RideRunner frontend with DFX 5.1 skin
•Winamp
•Media Player Classic – Home Cinema
•Garmin Mobile PC software
•GPSGate
•DashCommand OBD II software

Audio Equipment:
•Audison BitOne.1 sound processor
•JL Audio HD600/4 amp (powering tweeters and mid ranges)
•JL Audio XD600/6 amp (4 channels bridged powering woofers and 2 channels powering coaxs)
•JL Audio HD750/1 amp (powering subwoofer)
•Morel Elate 9 3way front speaker system (all active crossover with the BitOne)
•Focal 165 CVX 6.5” coaxial rear speakers (for the kids)
•Image Dynamics IDQ10V3.D4 Subwoofer
•Mr. Marv custom ported subwoofer box (1.0 cu ft tuned to 30Hz)
•KnuKonceptz Kolossus Flex KFX-PK20 (0/1 gauge wiring kit & distro blocks)
•Plenty of sound deadening material from sounddeadenershowdown.com

Other Mods:
•Escort Passport 9500ci stealth system
•Access Limited Edition soft tonneau
•Wet Okole full piping seat covers (charcoal w/ black piping)
•WeatherTech side window deflectors
•Weather Tech digital cut floor mats (gray)
•Window Tint - Solar Gard HP Charcoal 28 (front) & HP Charcoal 50 (on top of factory tinted rears)
•LED lights inside and out (except main Headlights and fog lights)
•Oznium High Intensity Flood LED’s under the hood and in the bed (soon to be added)
•Pop N Lock PL5300
•Yakima Bikelock
•OEM bed extender
•Extra D-rings in bed

Performance Mods:
•SS braided brake lines

Future Mods:
•Anytime Rear-view camera switch
•Color Matched Grill and mirrors
•HID’s behind Modified grill
•Goodyear Wrangler Duratrcs (265/75/16) on my stock rims (I really like those rims)!
•SpiderTrax wheel spacers
•Toyotec lift kit w/ new leaf pack (not going for full 3” lift…just something to improve ride and level things out)
•Catback exhaust

Although this is something that I could do in about a week, it ended up taking me many many months thanks to work, school (online), my family, etc… The only way I was able to get as far as I did is because I’d work on what I could during some lunch breaks or between coming home and eating dinner. So I drove around without any music (or even any seats except the driver’s seat) for many weeks in a row. But it is well worth it!!! Plus, there is always that something extra special about knowing that you did the work (and saved thousands in labor).

Sorry I didn’t include more pictures of when the truck was completely gutted. It was the last thing to cross my mind during those busy times…plus, there are already some good pictures of sound deadening installs in the audio section. But here are the pics that I do have to share.

Here's the interior as of August, 2011:

I have to point out how awesome this optically bonded screen is (from Mo-So-Co). it's expensive, but well worth it! Here it is in direct sunlight at high noon:

The amps and sound processor are under the rear seats. Even though they are in there pretty securely right now, I plan to build a small amp rack so that it doesn't look so messy. Sorry for the washed out pics...it was really hot and sunny that day. Here is where they are hiding:

Behind the rear seat is where the IDQ 10" sub resides in an awesome box made by Mr. Marv:

Here are a couple pictures that Mr. Marv (of TacomaWorld.com) took just before he sent the box to me:

Mr. Marv also made the speaker ring adapters for the Focal's in the rear and the Morel Elate 9" woofer in the front (looks like I didn't take pics of the focals):

And here it is mounted before the door went back on:

Here is the Morel CDM-88 3" mid-woofer. I was originally going to mount it behind the stock mid grill, but I wanted to play with the imaging so I currently have it temporarily mounted on the front side of the door. It's funny how most people don't notice them since they're black...

Here's the door as it sits today (notice the Morel MT-23 tweeters in the sails):

The actual CarPC resides under my driver's seat:

The XM PCR and the Viston HD Radio reside under the front passenger seat:

I didn't like how dark the cabin was, so I went to Autozone and picked up some LED's for the Dome/Map lights. Even then, I wanted a bit more. So I grabbed a 12" strip of LED's, soldered them to the dome light switch, and installed them in the front foot wells:

Although I haven't done much to the exterior, I know how much everyone likes to see more pics of our Taco's...

Hope you enjoyed! I will update more as I can, but considering that I just bought my first house, it won't be anytime soon. Until then, comments and questions are always welcome.

Cheers!

My low tech, low budget headless car PC

Arrowhead45x — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:17:23 GMT

I've been lurking here for a few years and had orginally wanted to build a car PC for my hot rod. The longer I planned the more the technology changed and I came to the conclusion that a smart phone would do 90% of what I wanted anyway so I picked up a Droid X. It's been a good phone and came in handy quite a few times but have never followed though with the application in my hot rod other than using the car dock for GPS.

I really was resisting the idea of a built in head unit or touch screen as I like the simple look in the interior and the dash is already cramed w/ engine and transmission computers / wiring. So I came up with hair brained idea of using the Droid as the music player and a Bluetooth reciever for a source for the stereo amp. I could have just used the audio jack on the Droid, but I would have to plug and unplug everytime and I didn't want to do that.

I got a bluetooth headphone set for $50 and disected the guts so I would have speaker outputs to run to the amp. One of the speaker pods has on/off, track, volume controls so I'll use that as a small hand held control.

I know there are probably a lot of much better ways to acomplish this, but I was getting really lost with all the high tech jargon and software being tossed around online and my head just hurt trying to sort through it all.

The right side had the controls and the left had the internal battery.

I hardwired the speaker outputs. The Bluetooth unit still needed the internal battery connected to work even with external power connected. I'll hook up a 12-5vdc power souce so it will get power from the car battery. I extended the leads for the battery so it can be concealed under the dash.

All-in-one BlackBox install - Toyota Yaris 2007 sedan

nivanov — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:46:16 GMT

The project worklog is located here, however i've gone through too many hardware revisions so I decided to just create a new post, listing what I've done.

Ingredients:

Computer: MaxData QutePC-3020 (Atom 330 / ION) with 500gb hard drive, 2gb RAM and 802.11n wifi

Power supply: DCDC-USB

Monitor: Lilliput 669GL

Amplifier: TDA7850 with Denoiser

Enclosure: BlackBox v1

Sound Card: GWC USB 5.1 Channel Audo Adapter AA1500

USB Controlled Relay

Array Microphone

Bluetooth

OBD2 Elmscan

HD Radio with Mitch cables

BU-353 GPS

Screen installed, hooked up to the unit:

Amp, prepped and ready:

Everything wired together:

Enclosure enclosed:

Installed and operating:

The reason I needed a USB Controlled Relay is to eliminated amplifier thump. I had to turn on the amp after the sound card is initialized. The way I did it was to wire the amp to the ACC circuit and also put the same ACC line to the Mute pin via USB Relay's NC connect. Basically, the amp turns on as soon as the car is on, but it starts off muted (so no pop). Once Windows boots up, I wrote a service that sends the On command to the relay, so NC connector becomes open, the Mute pin goes low and the amplifier unmutes.

Feel free to ask questions!

P.S. Many thanks to everyone that helped me along with this project, especially SoundMan - he's been following it from page 1 and offered a lot of valuable advice :)

Adaptable carpc/homepc system

pcmoto.com.au — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:26:52 GMT

Hi, ive been building and installing car pc's for a little over 5years. This is the latest run of models im building installing at the moment. The intention for this model was to make it more portable and adaptive as well as more user friendly.Attachment 62931There is an on/off switch on the front of system as well as plugs at the back for remote on/off switch(located on car dash) to plug into. This enables system to boot without relying on ignition
It can be taken out of car/rv and used as a normal desk top in the home with a 240v laptop power adaptor.Attachment 62932It is has an:
ASrock micro atx m/b
2.6ghz Intel dual core cpu(boosted to 3.4ghz)
4gb 1333mhz ddr3 ram
60gb ocz vertex2 ssd 2.5
250gb seagate XT hybrid hdd 2.5
160w psu
Sony self loading laptop dvd player/burner
built in digital tv/ digital radio/ am/fm radio tuner
built in bluetooth
win7 64bit o/s
centrafuse 3.6
The dimensions are:W= 260mm(aprx 10 inch) x D=190mm(7.5 inch) x H=75mm(aprx 3 inch).
Attachment 62933 The case is made out of 3mm clear perspex and and alluminium frame then painted to customer specs. The perspex is a good insulator from external heat. This allows the unit to easily operate at temperatures exceeding minus 2 degrees celsius to 75+ degrees celsius without slowing down or crashing
Attachment 62927

Ford Fiesta MK5

HollyTracey — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:25:35 GMT

Hello,

I have a ford fiesta MK5, 2001 and it still has its original cassette player in it. Im trying to change it to a normal CD stereo, but not sure how to remove it and if a normal sized stereo would fit in? any ideas?

Thanks,
Holly

Smart fortwo :) (France)

Shinju001 — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:23:20 GMT

Few more pics when all the finitions are done.

Inside:
Alpine 9854R
Alpine 2x 16.5 S�par�s
Alpine 2x 16.5 Coaxial
Focal 2x 27V2 (27 cm) Double Bobines caisson clos (398€)
1 Ampli Alpine V12
1 Ampli Alpine V12 (SUB only)
Connexion 2RCA in KCA121B (30€)
Loop Killer between PC and car radio Caliber LT1s (35€)
Hifonics HFEQ (150€ env)

Ordinateur:
Mini box PC Advance 3906B 11 cm less deep (59€)
Carte M�re Gygabyte 525TUD (89€)
2x2Gb Corsair XMS (51€)
Carte son Wavio (Onkyo) 200PCI 2 RCA sym�triques(160€)
Disque dur 2.5 320Go 7200trs/min (60€)
supply 12V M4-ATX 6-30V DC/DC (250 Watt) (84€ +16.5€ frais de port)

Logiciels et Hardware:
screen 8.4" (800x600)
Dashcommand (39USD)
ElmScan 5 Compact Scan Tool(60USD +34€ Frais de Douane !)
Keyboard Bluetooth Keysonic 340bt(50€)
Gps USB BU-353 (39.95€)

Cable 3 RCA 2m
2 RCA 1m
Cable alim 16mm�
10mm�
2.5mm�
Cable Audio MonsterCable 4mm� SW
Oehlbach 2.5mm� (3.5€/m)

Materiaux pour les caissons et autres
Panneau en Medium �paisseur
1cm
2cm
Moquette x3 (35€)

2 plaques mousse Insonorisante alv�ol�e (1mx0.5m; 2cm auto-adh�sif)(35.05€ dont 16.64€ frais de port)

Sites d'achats:

Mousse Insonorisante:
http://www.sonatech.eu/

Autoradio HP accessoires:
http://www.sebastoautoradio.net/

Car PC:
http://www.cartft.com/
http://www.scantool.net/
http://www.palmerperformance.com/
http://www.keysonic.de/
http://www.rue-montgallet.com/

Sites d'informations:
http://www.mp3car.com/
http://www.smartupfrance.com/ (Pour Smart) :)

2008 Mini Cooper + Mac Mini = UBERmini [updated photos!]

Wilco — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:14:21 GMT

So after about 9 months of slowly acquiring all the core components, I've finally decided to take the knife to my Mini and raise its IQ a bit. I decided to take a somewhat unique (and terrifying) approach of shoehorning a Lilliput touchscreen into the speedometer designed for the factory nav system.

My original plan was to simply retrofit the OEM nav system and call it a day, but I quickly discovered that was going to be an ordeal (replacing the entire front dash wiring harness, talking my way into getting a dealer to recode the BCU to name just a couple things). Turns out doing a car PC would be much simpler (say what?) and, let's be honest, makes it a much more fun project. ;-)

Anyway, I'll update this thread as I make progress with the install this weekend (starting with some pics as soon as I get home). Wish me luck! :-D

Parts & Specs

Power Supply (CarNetix P-1900)
Display (Lilliput 669GL)
- Transflective (Optically Bonded)
- 3M Capacitive Panel (Optically Bonded)
Computer (Mac Mini)
Andrea Superbeam Microphone Array
HD Radio (Visteon HDZ300)
GPS (USGlobalSat BU-353)

Tasks [Updated 8/10/2011]

Display [Installed]
- Modify OEM navigation cluster to fit display. [Complete]
- Install Lilliput. [Complete]
Computer [Installed]
- Install MacPac ACPI Y-cable. [Complete]
- Modify OEM "secret compartment" to securely hold comptuer. [Complete]
- Route all wiring to back of compartment. [Complete]
- Redirect OEM aux and USB ports to computer. [Complete]
- Hardwire OEM aux input to 3.5mm jack. [Complete]
- Install USB Audio Switch. [Complete]
Power Supply [Installed]
- Set jumpers. [Complete]
- Wire ground, +12v, and ACC to fuse panel. [Complete]
- Wire to display. [Complete]
- Wire to computer. [Complete]
Software [In-Progress]
- Custom Centrafuse Skin (designed around custom bezel shape) [In-Progress]
Peripherals [Pending]
- Microphone [Complete]
- GPS [Complete]
- HD Radio [Complete]
  - Mount under OEM head unit. [Complete]
  - Wire to fuse panel. [Complete]
- External WiFi Antenna [Planned]
- OBD-II Connector [Planned]
- Car2PC Module [Planned]

Am I the only one?

CohesiveTech — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:59:15 GMT

With a full-blown car PC on two wheels?

Everything you'd expect in IVI, plus:

crash detection and response
weather radar
blind spot detection
embedded SBC for telemetry and security
and more...

Attached Images

300M PC install

B-Ship — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:07:09 GMT

I guess I will show off some pics of my project, It's not done yet, but I have to wait on it because my car will be in storage for the next year. It's all been running smoothly for the last few months except for one problem (in another post). I built a morex 5677 case with an Intel DG45FC Mini-ITX mother board, intel 2.7 dual core, a 40 Gb SSD, 8 inch lilliput screen, and PSU I don't care to look up, all running windows 7 and Centrafuse. Oh, and a 500 Gb external for storage.

so here is what it looked like before (not my car but it was the same)

In primer

And now

CarPC Project in Vectra C by Mayka -> Done

mayka — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:30:12 GMT

Hi for everyone, I want to show you my CarPc in Vectra C.

A have:
AsrockAD525DV
+
2GB DDR2 Kingstone
+
Hdd 250GB Samsung
+
M2-ATX
+
Nvox 808 (8cali 16:9)
+
Clarion RMP468
+
Bluetooth Airlive
+
Wifi TP-link 422

Photo making of:

And it looks that:

USB:

Enjoy:rolleyes:

Toyota Camry - Hi Tech CarPC

sneck — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 14:33:16 GMT

Hello! Let me introduce you the Toyota Camry CarPC install!

First of all, please excuse me for my english, maybe anything wrong will be with description.

If you speak Russian, you may visit russian version of this CarPC Install:
http://autopc.com.ua/forum/proekty/9...ech-carpc.html

So let's go! :)

Originally was installed 2DIN radio of this type

This device does not suit their functional limitations and does not please the eye, so it was decided to set up the computer, which will replace the original radio. Even more - there will be new features that regular radio can only dream! :)

For the project used the following components:

As the primary monitor was used Monitor Lilliput 869GL-80NP/C/T 8 "CarPC.

This model was chosen for several reasons:
1. 8-inch screen is completely filled out 2DIN frame and there are no plastic parts visible display that will give the factory installed appearance.
2. The monitor have LED LCD, as compared with the standard radio is much higher brightness, and resolution is higher.
3. The monitor has an HDMI input. When you connect via HDMI the image is crystal clear, as from interference from the board network of the car has no chance to affect the picture.

Also been purchased 2DIN frame for Toyota Camry. Further modifications will occur to embed it into the monitor (described later).

Case for CarPC - 0601. Very easy to assemble CarPC, if the installation location is not limited to a height of the housing. Its height is 80mm, so it is quite easy and not difficult to gather such a computer. Also, ventilation is better than the very low profile housing, given that the motherboard is installed with passive cooling (see below).

Motherboard ASUS AT5IONT-I. Intel Atom D525, NVIDIA ION, 2xDDR3, USB3.0, DVI, HDMI.

This motherboard is suited best for several reasons:
1. Low power consumption.
2. It is quite enough processing power for such systems.
3. HDMI output for high-quality images.
4. Passive cooling. But one a ball-bearing cooler was installed on the case.

Also in CarPC installed 64Gb SSD drive and 4GB DDR3

Power supply M2-ITX 160W ITPS DC / DC. 160 watts is enough for everything including all the peripherals. And of course such useful features as battery discharge control, intelligent control of ACC, etc.

As for sound, was used IsoAmp USB Lite CarPC power. At this stage, the sound is certainly not required to win the competitions. Maybe later the project will reach that acoustics will be completely replaced. This amplifier is equal to the sound quality of a good brand radio. Its advantages is the size of 100h83h62mm and connection method. Such an amplifier can be installed without a problem where was original radio, its connectors can make a standard connection port as the standard car radio. In our case, it will be installed in the trunk, but more on that later.

Our Toyota Camry has regular buttons on the steering wheel, of course it's need to use these buttons for maximum benefit and convenience. For these purposes, was installed adapter of resistive buttons on the steering wheel.

Of course any car must have good radio and our Camry is no exception! From my own experience I know that many CarPC Radio's do not provide high-quality reception and listening to the radio in this case, become irritable event, so for our project was used this High Quality CarPC USB FM Tuner!

As the GPS module was selected proven GPS BU-353 USB

Also our car will record everything that happens on the road in front of him. Buy expensive and / or external recorders did not want one of those reasons that HD recording is not needed, install a separate "box" for video and did not make sense, separate registrators on the glass should be given the time, constantly pressing the buttons on their. Our registrator must silence his record and when it will be necessary to see (save for another drive) video, which can be very important. Therefore, for video camera was bought the Microsoft VX-2000. The advantage of this camera is that its "foot" is even suitable for its attachment to the windshield. With its objectives, it will be easy to handle!

For peripheral USB devices will be used USB hub DLINK DUB-H7. I believe that this is the most common USB hub amateur CarPC.

+ one more parking camera front and rear view, which must be connected to our monitor, and so that the back of the camera is turned back without a false inclusion of transmission when the handle is moved to position "D" (automatic).

Perhaps for accessories is everything!

HUD One: RADAR Detector/HUD Integration Project

swarga — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 02:22:06 GMT

As you may have heard (e.g. by reading this thread), I designed an interface between the Valentine One and Passport 9500ci RADAR detectors (yes, I have both installed in my car!) and the Head-Up Display (HUD) in my Corvette. I call my interface the "HUD One."

Part I

I began working on this project way back in 2008. The first step was to determine how to communicate with the HUD and tell it what to display. By studying the service manuals for the car, I quickly determined that the HUD is connected to the rest of the car via what GM calls the "Class 2" bus. This bus is based on an SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) standard called J1850, and there is a lot of information available regarding the standard. This is primarily due to the fact that the J1850 standard owes its existence to CARB (California Air Resources Board) legislation that required all cars sold in California to provide a standard interface for smog check equipment. GM, Ford, and Chrysler decided that, since they had to provide this interface anyway for diagnostic and test purposes, they might as well use it for other purposes. By installing small embedded microcontrollers that directly control various functions and connecting them together using the J1850 bus, carmakers were able to not only satisfy the regulatory requirements but also to replace miles of dedicated wiring, relays, and other circuitry. This increased reliability, saved weight, and (most importantly) cut manufacturing costs.

Thus, although the basic protocol and the messages relating to diagnostic and smog test functions are publicly documented (and available from the SAE web site for a fee), the other functions use proprietary messages which are not publicly documented. Naturally, the HUD communication falls into this latter category. In order to "talk" to the HUD, it would be necessary to reverse-engineer these undocumented messages. This part alone took several weeks.

I also needed to understand the display protocols used by the RADAR detectors. Fortunately, the
protocol for the Valentine One was hacked out long ago and has been floating around the net for years. No such luck for the 9500ci protocol; this required another few weeks of reverse-engineering effort to tease out.

Next I needed a small embedded system on which to run the HUD-One application. I'm a software guy, not a hardware guy, so for this first attempt, I decided to use as many off-the-shelf hardware components as possible. I settled on an LPC-P2103 development board from Olimex. The LPC2103 has 5V-tolerant I/O (important for interfacing with the V1), and the board has a small prototyping area which turned out to be extremely handy. I already had all the necessary development tools from a previous project, which was also a plus.

I then selected an LDV6S to serve as the interface to the in-car network. Unlike most OBD-II interfaces which use the clunky ELM command protocol, the LDV6S uses a unique binary protocol and had other features which seemed to make it well-suited to this application.

To power it all I used an M3-ATX power supply. Total overkill, but after spending several weeks screwing around with other power supplies that didn't work well in the challenging automobile environment, I decided to bite the bullet and use something that I knew would work.

There were other problems which had to be worked out. For example, when I first hooked the fledgling HUD One up to the Class 2 bus, I discovered that the LDV6S would jam the vehicle network while it was powering up, preventing the car from even starting(!!!) I had to isolate the bus connection with a relay before it would even work. On top of that, although the LDV6S has a "bus monitor" mode where it "sniffs" all traffic on the Class 2 bus and forwards that through its serial port, it has to exit this mode in order to transmit a message - which means that any messages that appear on the bus during the time when monitor mode is turned off will be missed. This could definitely cause me problems down the road.

This is version 1.0 of the HUD-One, neatly packaged in a plastic box with a see-through smoked lid.

The box was chosen specifically to fit into the cozy little spot underneath the passenger side floorboard, next to the fuse panel and the amp for the stereo:

The V1 itself is hardwired to the passenger side headliner using a VoZtech mount:

I ran the wire from the HUD One mounting location through the inside of the A-pillar:

Once it reaches the top, it runs inside the headliner until it reaches the sun visor bracket:

It comes out through a small hole in the bracket which used to house a small yellow LED used for ambient lighting in the cockpit at night. I saved the LED in case I ever want to restore the car to factory condition. :)

carpc proton persona

zaredeens — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:08:21 GMT

just pics.im working on 2nd carpc with btter functionaly n user controller.

Attached Images

Range raver carpc help!!!!!!

bahama_newbee — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:10:22 GMT

A true newbee here.

I want to install a nettop inside a Range Rover and intergrate it with the existing touch screen.

anyone out there with the time to teach me a thing or two or three or four? lolol

Alpine head unit question. please help!

ALPINE12 — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:35:37 GMT

hello all, I have an alpine head unit, it's a bit old, but it works. IT's a CDE-7858, and i am wondering if there is some sort of adapter or something i can get to hook up my ipod directly to the head unit. I have one of those radio ipod hook ups, but it sucks. not much of a tech guy, but if you could lead me in the right direction, it would be appreciated.

Another E46 carputer

aidilj — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:20:17 GMT

Hi guys, this is my carputer installation. The installation is pretty straightforward and doesn't involve bondo or paintwork, just some sawing and epoxy. It is mostly done and there's no active development for months, but as usual there are always space for improvement. Enjoy!

This is my first post on this forum, hope I'm not breaking any rules..

Specifications
Processor : Intel Atom processor D410
Number of cores : 1
Clock Speed : 1.66GHz
Memory : 2GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHz
Graphic : Onboard - Intel integrated GMA 3150
Sound : Onboard
Hard disk : Seagate 5400 60GB

1 Construction

1.1 CPU Power supply

Powering the CPU motherboard is M3-ATX. In picture below, M3-ATX is on the left while on the right is PicoPSU-80.

1.2 CPU

The Intel D410PT has the single core Atom processor soldered and passively cooled, onboard graphic with VGA out, 10/100 LAN, sound, 8 USB, SATA for hard disk and serial headers.

Case is M350

1.3 Monitor

The monitor comes off eBay from China. It has two composite inputs and a VGA and reverse camera trigger. Unsurprisingly, during disassembly I found out that most of the monitor components are held together by hot glue..

1.4 Amplifier

Driving the speakers is a home made amplifier with TDA7560 quad 4x45W bridge amplifier. It is built so to use the remote wire feature from the power supply. Some construction pictures.

1.4.1 Ground loop problem

There was a lot of CPU and hard disk noise in the first revision of the amplifier. Turns out the problem is ground loop between the computer and the amplifier. Combating this, the loop was broken by separating power and signal noise with a 10ohm resistor.

Quote from http://ludens.cl/Electron/audioamps/ta8215.html

Quote:

If you compare this schematic to the one in Toshiba's data sheet, you will notice that it's almost an exact copy, except for R3! Toshiba ties the input ground directly to the output ground. In a PC, this leads to trouble! A computer is a noisy machine. There are quite strong noise currents circulating through ground, for example. If you tie all grounds together, it could well happen that a noisy power ground return from the hard disk takes a route through this power amplifier and the sound card! This makes some nasty noise show up in the speakers.

It's important to understand that the TA8215, like many such chips, has the preamplifier internally separated from the power amplifier. This is very useful to get rid of the described ground loop problems! I left the input ground separated from the output ground, except for the 10 Ohm resistor. If you happen to use this amplifier with a signal source that has a floating ground, the resistor is low enough to apply proper power ground to the preamplifier stages, and it works well. But if you install the amplifier in a PC, the 10 Ohm resistor is high enough to break up the ground loop that would otherwise form! All sensitive input points, such as voltage divider grounds, feedback returns, and ripple filter capacitor ground, are directly connected to the soundcard ground, and separated by the resistor from the power ground. The result is a very good rejection of noise. In my system, I can't hear power supply noise at all, but if I short out the resistor, the noise is all over the place!

1.5 IBUS interface

IBUS interface was built with the KBUS tranceiver IC (Melexis's TH3122) bought from reslers.de. It is the serial/rs232 version of it. A minor correction was made to Rolf's schematic on the max232 portion. Also the NTSC wire was omitted.

Rolf's schematic

from Maxim's datasheet

Construction pix

Navcoder showing whats happening on the IBUS

1.6 Wiring harness

For this, the 17 pin to ISO radio connector was bought for cleaner install. Wiring harness include a 22000uf 25V cap and 10A fuse. The wires are all salvaged from broken ATX power supplies.

1.7 Bezel

The bezel is from Janus. It is actually designed for double din radio so a little modification/hack is expected. I chose this over the TFT bezel because this is cheaper. The LCD is held onto the frame with epoxy.

1.8 Software

The computer runs on Windows XP PRO SP2, there are two frontends that I'm currently evaluating, Centrafuse and Riderunner.

Windows installation through USB thumbdrive

Desktop

Centrafuse

Riderunner with Simplistique V0.3 skin

1.9 Putting it all together

Mock up

Cramming all in, amplifier sits behind the screen while the CPU will be in the glovebox

CPU was moved to underneath the glovebox later

2001 Acura CL-S Samsung Galaxy Tab, some experiences with casting

crutonius — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 22:11:08 GMT

Okay here goes. This is my second car pc system. This first was a pretty standard atom based motherboard going to a xenarc 7 inch touch screen. Sorry if this post if a mess I don't make a lot of complicated posts.

Hardware
Samsung Galaxy Tab(Sprint)
Galaxy Tab Cradle Dock
HDCP HDMI to VGA + SPDIF RGB Component Ypbpr Converter v1.3b
Audison BitOne processor
McIntosh 6 channel amplifier
JL Audio TW5 subwoofer
Some kind of components up front and 6x9's in the back, can't remember the model

Software
Android Froyo(Soon to be Honeycomb!!)
Tasker
Rockplayer
Google Navigation
Pandora
Power Amp
Rhapsody

The Bezel
It seems like the bezel is always the hardest part of a car pc project. This was way worse to make than the last one. The xenarc was small enough that I was able to modify a double din stereo card with a lot of epoxy and patience.

A Galaxy Tab however is slighter larger than the foot print of a double din bezel. Also there's its peripherals that need to be open to the car's interior so the entire front has to be exposed. So to make it look as 'factory' as possible I had to cast a bezel with resin. The bezel in these pics is the fourth I've made so far.

The first was polyester which isn't strong enough for the job. The second was epoxy and on that cast I learned the importance of a release agent the hard way. The third was also epoxy, this was actually usable but I quickly found out that epoxy will deform under the kind of heat that a dashboard is exposed to.

This fourth cast is Alumilite urethane superplastic. It seems to stand up to the heat much better than the other resins I've used. Hopefully it'll make it through the summertime heat. I also poured this one around an aluminum frame. I had Lowes make a quart of paint that matched the color of the dashboard. I painted the mold with it and when I poured the cast it chemically bonded to it for a very smooth paint job. Too bad it didn't end up quite matching the color and flatness of the rest of the dashboard though the camera makes it look worse than it actually is.

Next up, handling that nasty mess of wires in the trunk.

Attached Images

'98 Toyota 4Runner SR5 - My new ride!

Meltz014 — Mon, 30 May 2011 23:53:34 GMT

Hey guys,

So it's been a while since i've last posted here, and that's mainly cause I've been busy with other things, such as working, saving money, going to school, graduating (I have an engineering degree!), and buying a new car/truck. I found a '98 Toyota 4Runner on Craigslist for a good deal, got it checked out by a mechanic, and purchased it. So naturally, the first thing i did was strip the car pc system from my old car (here's my old post. I ended up making a fiberglass enclosure for my screen which was much better than that bondo work, but i never felt like posting about it).

Some hardware:
7" Lilliput touch screen
Acer Aspire Revo running Win 7 Home Premium (used to be XP) + Road/Ride Runner - I love this thing
Alpine V-Power MRP-F300 4/3/2 ch. amp
Dual something-or-other 2 ch. amp
8 or 10" Dual subs (I bought these subs and the sub amp all from a friend for $75. Nothing special, maybe looking to upgrade soon)
Sony something-or-other 3-way 6x9 speakers (rear)
stock (i think) speakers for the front.

Anyways, here's me all happy with my new truck:

The sub box. The wood things on the ends are boxes i made to mount my 6x9s - I might cover them w/ carpet some day

Getting all the hardware set up (upgrading to win 7, etc)

Here's how i mounted the screen in the dash. The vertical dimension of the screen couldn't have fit better, although there was about a 1/2" gap on each side. You'll see my ghetto fix for that in a sec. It's being held on there with 4 sheet metal strips epoxy'd into the dash and bent behind the screen.

you can see the epoxy below:

The cable coming off is some Cat5 running to the screen's button board

There's the ghetto fix. I actually don't think it looks too bad:

The button board (haven't figured out a clever way to mount these yet:

There it is on and running in the dash:

The (pretty much) finished product in the back:

There's the computer and such mounted between the back seat and the sub box. Notice the power distro block above it:

This is the slew of cables running under the seats up to the dash:

It's really only 4 cables though: VGA (bottom), USB for the touch screen (black), and the top two are USB extension cables for misc. purposes:

The top switch is a manual shut off for the amps (they're still hooked into the acc. line though), and the bottom button is the power button for the PC. That nasty hole below them was already there, so I went ahead and put my two misc. usb cables through it.

Well that's about it. Some things i'm looking to do/add in the future:
Carpet for the speaker enclosures
Aux input using the line in jack (btw, is there an RR plugin for this?)
Still need to put my usb DVD drive somewhere. I might keep it in the back just to avoid messing with the dash again.
External sound card with 4.1 sound - I'm just using 2 RCA Y-cables to fill all 4 channels right now
A dock for my HTC Evo (any ideas? I was thinking of using the cupholder somehow underneath the clock on the dash)

- -1998 E39 528i CarPc- -

Jfive96 — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:16:29 GMT

- -Here are some pics of how it has been going. More detailed info to come.- -

E39 carpc

Jesus Freak — Thu, 26 May 2011 03:05:10 GMT

Here's a few pics of my ongoing project.

Started with wood...

Got it cut and shaped to fit the screen

Made one out of fiberglass. After bondo and primer...

Screen mounted, bezel ready for texture...

Tech specs for the build:
7" lilliput 5 wire touch screen
EEE PC

HTC Flyer Install

Russelltmhi — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:58:15 GMT

This is my second attempt at this. I previously used an Acer mini laptop in the trunk connected to a 7" Lilliput monitor. The monitor was housed in a bezel I made by following some steps on this forum. The laptop gave me problems so I decided to switch to a tablet instead of repeating the same setup. I was able to find a tablet that was a pretty close match in size to the old monitor. I had to do some sanding to the inside of the bezel and build a case to hold the tablet in place but nothing major had to be done to make this work.

So far I really like the tablet setup compared to the laptop. I'm able to use my EVO for wifi tethering. So I can use google turn by turn nav, pandora.. all that android offers.

The job is 95% done at this point. I need to adjust the way it's set a little and get power to the tablet. The standard charging cable adapter was way to long for my setup. The charging port on the flyer is on the bottom/ in landscape mode its on the right side of the tablet. So I wasn't able to plug power in and place the bezel in the dash due to space. I was able to find a micro USB charger that somewhat worked. I had to hack it up to make it fit, I'm hoping to finish that up today.

The tablet is connected to a 3.5 audio jack, connected to the factory stereo which is pushed back behind the bezel. The steering wheel controls control the radio and volume of both the factory radio and tablet. When it's all said and done and I get power going. The tablet comes out of sleep mode when its connected to power by default, so it will turn on when the car is started. I'm using a program that automatically turns the display off when power is disconnected, I can't recall the name of the program off hand but it's in the market. Finally, the bezel is removable so I can take the tablet out when I want... it isn't pretty but I can pull the bezel out and slide the tablet out of it. I added a felt liner to the back of the housing, the picture of the bezel without the tablet below has changed. I found some black felt and added that in place of the brown, it looks much better now. I did this so when I pull the tablet from the car it's not noticeable that the screen is removable if someone was to look in the window.

Attached Images

10.4" Carputer Honda Accord V6L

Jamie Knobel — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:55:47 GMT

Hello,

I have had a 10.4" touch panel and lcd panel sitting here for a while and i thought i would upgrade my car pc setup. I held the touch panel up to the dash roughly where i thought it would sit and it looked overkill, but i thought what the hell and went ahead with the idea.

I went to a wreckers and purchased the stock centre dash section for about $100 (i thought it was reasonable considering the electronics int he thing).

The idea was reuse as much of the stock dash as i could as im going for a 'stock...ish' look. the plan was to use bog as the main building material as some scrap grey perspex that i had laying around to support the screen while i shape it.
I had no previous experience using bog or making anything in this way (i had a lot of experience working with wood and metal) so it was going to be a massive learning curve for me and a lengthy process.

As i am posting this the dash is close to being finished but i wasnt able to get access to the net for long periods at a time so posting my project just wasnt going to happen.
To finish it i need more paint and some primer/filler to spray the centre dash as well as the door trim (trim as 'wood grain' which matched the centre of the dash so i thought so everything matched i would get rid of the 'wood grain' all together).
i am in the process of designing a controller to replace the control board for ac/heating as i am changing the backlighting/status lighting of the buttons and it is going to be simpler and more compact if i design it myself rather than converting voltages for lights etc from the stock controller board. I will use a microcontroller such as the arduino mega which down the track will let me control everything from an interface on the computer. i am also adding a thermister so i can setup a climate control system.

The main problem that is stopping me from finishing the project (i havent worked on it for about a month now) is the display.
The panel i have has a 20pin 18bit lvds interface which worked fine with the old motherboard (until it died) so i bought another one boasting the intel d510 chipset which supports the lvds interface, however it is a 30pin 24bit interface. So i need a converter of some type which i have only found one manufacturer for and can't get a hold of them or i need to buy another panel that supports the interface (hoping for around $100) but havent found anything that suits.

I will apologise in advanced for the layout of this information as i have no idea how i am going to set it out.

This is what it looked like with my original 7" display installed. The part i am reworking is that whole 'wood grain' piece.

This is a test of roughly where i will install the screen. if you look behind the touch panel you can still see the uncut surround.

I have covered the touch panel in white electrical tape to save it from damage and you can see i can cut out the surround so that panel sits in nicely.

Here it is sitting in the dash to see what angle the screen should sit at. (optomise the viewing angle from drivers seat, yet making sure its easily visible in the back)

You can see on the sides of the panel i have put in some perspex to support the panel. (so it doesnt fall back when in use)

Here is one of the layouts i thought of making. I decided against this one as i didnt like it compared to the next one.

This is the layout i ended up with. It makes it look less cluttered and made more sense. I put the AC button above the temperature knob and the demister button is by itself on the second row as i felt it was seperate from heating/ac controls and vent controls

As you will see towards the end; i have left out the centre vents. at the start i tried the idea of having vents point toward the windscreen out the back of the screen and thought of using some already curved plastic except i would have cut it down and had one on each side. didnt end up doing this because it would overcomplicate things, i would need to heat sheild the lcd panel and have reasonably small air ducts to supply the vents. so ill just block the outlets in the dash. i never really use the 'face' vents, normally just the ones that point at your feet.

I have done more support for the display as well as something for the bog to cling onto.

I needed something to support the front so i cut up some more perspex. gave it a little bit more rigidity as well.

More support for the sides of the display, its at the verkill level but i still needed something for the bog to grab onto and to give the insides of the dash some 'boundaries'

Starting to bog up the dash. bit challenging but i eventually got the idea.

More bog work being done.

The front has been fully bogged. fun, fun.

Here it is for the first time with some shape sitting in the car. It needs shaping but i was dieing to see how it would look.

The next week or so i probably did somewhere between 20 and 30 hours of sanding using different grits of wet/dry sanding paper. very messy. i dont have any pics of this sorry.

This is the controller board that would have sat behind all the controls on the stock dash. i want to recreate this using a microcontroller as the 'brain' but will also need another 1 or 2 pcbs (home made) for power supply, resistors, transistors etc.

This is the plastic assembly that held all the buttons etc on it and the control board sat behind it. i ending up cutting it up to support the buttons. it works, its not pretty so i may design something myself.

This is the face that i cut up to get the shapes and smooth inserts for the buttons.

Stock dash next to my "improved" version :D

Here it is with the buttons temporarily fitted to see roughly how it would look. It has a gloss layer on it as well which i decided against. it doesnt tie in with the rest of the car so please disregard it. I did find spraying a layer of clear on was worth it as it showed me the imperfections in the surface.

The last picture is how it looks at the moment (minus the buttons attached). i am happy with the shape however the surface will need work as i have intentionally left it in the sun and next to the heater so it can heat up and cool down to roughly the extremes as it would in the car which i am happy to say hasnt cracked anything (i doubt it will) however there are some small faint lines in it where some joins are which i will fix up.
At the moment i am looking for a LCD panel that has a 30pin 24bit lvds interface on ebay and other sites thanks to google. I also spent about an hour today prototyping the control board.

Once i find everything im looking for i will have to be patient as i am a student who just moved out of home at the start of the year so money is tight. Once i have the funds and make any more advances on this project i will post the updates hopefully with pictures asap.

Oh yeah, by the way, all the Hot Glue you see used in this project is just there to hold things while i bog and secure them. There will be no hot glue present in the final product. (however there may be small traces of it) :-D

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

Hopefully my post hasnt been too hard to follow and that you like the outcome.

Cheers,
Jamie :)

97 Olds Aurora 3.2 Ghz CarPc

Trav Anema — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:05:12 GMT

Hello everyone I am new to this site, I just want to say thank you to everyone for the vast amounts of info this site contains. Made integration so much easier!

Here is my car, a 1997 Oldsmobile Aurora, I have had the car for around 4 years now.

My CarPc specs are -

-Intel Core i3 550 3.2 Ghz
-Gigabyte H55N-USB3 1333 FSB Dual Channel DDR3
-OCZ 4GB DDR3 PC3-10666 Gold Low voltage dual channel (256 mb shared for video)
-OCZ Vertex 2 E Series 2.5in SATA II Solid State Drive, 60GB
-1.5 TB USB 3 Enclosure (mounted behind rear seat)
-1 TB USB InWin Ammo external hdd with rfid security tag (in glovebox)
-Sound Blaster USB X-fi THX external sound card
-Toughbox 12v Powered USB Hub
-Mini-box M4 atx 12 volt DC-DC 250 watt (300 peak) psu
-MCS USB 4 Relay and 4 input contoller (for amps, fans and power antenna)
-Mini-touch 700 touchscreen

My next add ons will be-

-to get my joycon module to properly interface with the Aurora's steering wheel buttons, works with the key off but not on accessory or power because the Aurora sends 12volts into the resistance line that goes into the stock hu. Time to go swimming under the dash to find that wire
-28mm Rear View CCD Camera with Night Vision LED's (autoswitches at monitor, CarPc can be off)
-GPS
-OBDLink Wifi Scan Tool - up to 90 real time specs at once, also works with my smartphone
-Andrea's PureAudio USB-SA mic for voice command and bluetooth speaker phone (using cellphones handheld while driving is illegal here)
- 2 watt wireless N Wifi Usb - used for sailboats for hotspots while docked in harbor, should give me some good range with my camera or anything Im connecting to

Here is the schematic of my wiring -

Let me know what you guys think! Thank you again to everyone for all the info and to Chris at Mo Co So!

BMW e36

damz — Sat, 21 May 2011 22:06:31 GMT

Hi guys, it's my first project. What do you think?

Asus eee 4G
CPU: 900 Mhz
RAM: 512 Mb
USB: x10
GPS
Wi-Fi
7" Touchscreen
HDD: 4 GB SSD + 4 GB SD + 16 GB Pendrive

2006 mustang carputer and amp rack

06mustang — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:55:54 GMT

Ok I didn't post this up while I was working on it, but here is the finished product, and the steps it took to get it there.

This is the first set up that turned out to be to long to fit in my dash.

This is how I solved that problem by tilting the motherboard up, and setting the hd radio under the enclosure.

Top of the motherboard with the center console trim off. You can see how tight it was. All of my rear usb connections were rubbing the ac ducts in the back, so it was just a matter of time before something went wrong.

Hd radio unit sitting under the pc case.

It was still very tight, so after burning up the m3atx with a wandering probe from a multimeter I decided to move it to the trunk.

This is the amp rack I made out of 3/4'' MDF. It just screws into some extended pieces of sheet metal behind the seats.

Front from behind the seats.

Back from in the trunk.

After carpet.

This is the final build, and the carputers current state.

The black box duo case, which I had to hack to get everything that I wanted from it.

The installed motherboard, hdd, and back panel. I forgot to get a pic of the m2atx when I got it in, I was in a hurry because of a bad shipment.

And finally the finished project.

And the finished trunk. Complete with 13w7 in a sealed box, and hacked up dynamat job which is now carpeted.

System specks
mobo: zotac ion itx g-e
psu: m2atx
os: win 7 prem 32bit
fe: centrafuse 3.5
mem: 4gb gskill
ssd: ocz vertex 2 64gb
hdd: hitachi 240 gb
blueray: asus SBC-06D1S-U
gps: bu 353
screen: 7" Lilliput 669G
hd radio: mp3car boomzbox

amps
rockford fosgate p400-4
kicker dx1000

speakers
alpine 5x8's
jl audio 13w7

Ford Focus Android Build

samg2011 — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:04:34 GMT

Hey Guys,

First post on this forum, but I've spent many hours lurking in the shadows looking at all your projects and they have been filling my head with ideas.

So heres the plan;

I have a 2004 Ford Focus ST170 with a Sony 6CD changer in the dash, and to be frank this head unit is driving me insane! It started eating CD's then randomly blurting out different radio stations, so it's time to go.
Here's the car:

And here is the dash as it looks currently:

Add a hitch, I really don't want to lose the remote on the steering column.

So, today I went on gumtree and bought an amp off some fella, seems to me like it will do the trick, but it's quite a bit bigger than I had planned so I won't be able to hide it in the dash area:

I don't think thats too bad for �30. Now I need some wires to fit the thing, and to work out where it will fit in the car.

I've been on ebay and bought a replacement dash bit so I don't have to worry about wrecking this one trying to make the tablet fit.

Next, the tablet.

I'm thinking about fitting a Samsung Galaxy Tab 7" in the space where the stereo is at the moment, I think it's almost the same size and shouldnt take too much in the way of bodging to get it to fit. My concerns are;

a/ how do I get the tablet to stay in the dash?
b/ how do I stop it looking like a tablet so someone doesnt decide to break my window and have an early christmas present?
c/ how do I power the thing so that it only charges when the ignition is on? I already tested the app tasker on my HTC and made the screen light up on power and kill all apps, mute and turn the screen off when the power is removed.

I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions.

This is where it gets interesting I guess.... Watch this space.

Sam

2003 Suzuki Jimny Car PC

srcars — Fri, 13 May 2011 07:57:31 GMT

I have been collecting parts for a car pc for the last 3 years and sold on several of the cars it was destined for :ohwell:

But I have finally got it fitted and running in something even if it is the smallest car with the least room of all of them. Although this has been a long time comming, what I wanted it to do has remained the same. I wanted something capable of running Sat Nav for both on road and off road trips on a reasonably sized screen making reading directions and operating on screen buttons a bit easier than the PDAs I am used to using.

So the car.... Its a Suzuki Jimny which I have carried out quite a few mods to. This is now my green lanning toy which has replaced a fairly long line of Suzukis.

Here it is parked next to a std Jimny

Being a soft top I wanted the install to be as secure as possible while still remaining permantly fitted in the car so I was decided to remove the air bags which are not a legal requirement in the UK and not entirely suited to the vehicles use.

Passenger air bag cover which clips into place and covers the screen when the system is not in use.

Dissable the air bag system and remove these

Leaving some room to work with

Screen rough fitted

And then trimmed as best as I could to neaten it up :baby:

I fitted a remote on/off switch in thew dash

And a GPS reciever

I also fitted a couple of USB ports into the center console for easy access

Here is the PC itself

It cant be seen when the seat is in its normal position.

I have both my on and off road sat navs up and running with hard drive stored MP3s available running through Media Engine which I am now playing with to design my own skin. Its all a learning curve for me but so far anything else I get working will be a bonus so I am happy :cool:

2011 Kia Soul + CarPC

Scorppro — Thu, 12 May 2011 21:54:10 GMT

Here is my CarPC in my 2011 Kia Soul +

Still have a few tweaks and painting to do.

Attached Images

1997 Acura CL (Capacitive Touch, GPS, DVD, HD Radio, Backup Camera)

m2x0p9x — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:25:19 GMT

I've been a member of the forums for quite some time. Don't know why I have never posted my projects. Recently got back into the forums and carpc's after getting a great deal on this car. This is my second carpc build. The car is a 1997 Acura CL V6 fully loaded, BOSE, lowered, headers, HID's, blah.

Hardware:

Intel D945GCLF2 Motherboard
100 GB Seagate Hard Drive
NZXT Internal USB Hub
MSI Starkey Bluetooth
HP Internal WIFI Board
TEAC Slotload DVD-RW with USB Enclosure
BU-353 GPS
Directed HD-Radio with MJS Cable
M2-ATX with upgraded PIC
MiniTouch 700 with 3M Capacitive Touch Screen
Ebay Backup Camera
Morex 5677 Case

Software:

TinyXP SP3
CentraFuse 3.1

Car Audio:

Stock Acura Bose sound system
2 Infinity 1062w
Scosche EFX sealed box
Nitro 4CH Amp 300 Watt (Pushing interior speakers, Tiny amp, will fit in the palm of your hand)
MTX Thunder 360 Watt (Pushing the subs)
PAC Audio Interface (Adapter to keep the stock Acura Bose sound system in place with carpc)

The PC:

My goal was to keep every thing internal. I wanted the install to be as clean as possible. I managed to tuck everything inside the case. I mounted the NZXT internal USB on a bracket I made from some sheet metal. Gives me 8 additional USB ports with deticated 5V straight from the PSU. Also glued the WIFI card to the bottom of the hard drive bracket. Fits perfect, and drilled a hole to mount the antenna. I made a custom shorter ATX cable with a SATA connector and 5V connector for the USB hub. You can see the difference in size in the pics.

I mounted two "L" brackets to chassis in the trunk with JB WELD. The computer mounts to these brackets with a piece of sheet metal and some padding in bewteen. The reason I mounted the PC in this location because I still wanted to have my spare tire and still have access to it. You can't see it, but the HD-Radio is mounted on the backside of the computer.

My Bluetooth, DVD, and touchscreen are extended to the front of the car in the dash area with 15FT 20 Gauge USB extension cables. Any cable thinner than that you WILL have power issues.

I made a custom usb port out of an ebay USB charger and an old USB printer cable. I gutted my cigarette lighter and the thing fit perfect. This makes it really easy if friends want to get some music, or hook up my phone for tethering. I was even able to get the led working to show power for the comupter. May be in the future I will hook it up to the M2-ATX led to show what the PSU is doing.

My backup camera is totally invisible from outside the car. You can only see it when you get down close. Its wired straight to the screens AV2 and switches automatically.

The Screen:

I purchased a Double Din ByByte frame. I extended the frame to fit my dash size with from 1/4" ABS sheets and epoxy. I used the Bondo Bumper Repair Kit. Then I gutted the MiniTouch for the LCD and controller. Added my 3M Capacitve touch screen. I made sure too take pictures of the screen in direct sunlight so you can see how great it is. The picture actually makes it look worse than it is. The modified frame I made is just a temp until I have Nexson make a better one.

Results:

I have little problems here and there, but thats what makes the hobby fun. Always something new to fix or add-on. Sorry for the pics, there were taken with my phone. I will be adding more pics of the setup and car in the next day or so.

Attached Images

2006 rsx hud...

jetpilot1978 — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 02:34:27 GMT

Here's my 99% complete heads up display project. It is not a true HUD in that I went with a specially cut mirror in the end, but only after running into issues with multiple reflections and "ghosting" effects, but it does what I want it to and is upgradeable for other potential uses like GPS directions, ect...

I ended up creating my own carputer that sits under the driver's seat and the following add-ons:
- 7" xenarc monitor (only one I could find that would create a mirror image)
- OBD II reader w/USB
- mouse trackpad mounted by my right knee near the shifter
- Rii Mini Wireless Keyboard
- wifi USB dongle (makes updates that much easier)

The heart of it is DashCommand by Palmer Performance. It works great and I ended up modifying one of the Tuxedo DashXL skins to show what I want on the main screen.

Attached Images

05 350z iPad install v2.0

wkndpaintballer — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 22:05:12 GMT

this is my second install of the iPad in my z. The first was a portrait setupand after finding several apps that look better in landscape and finally building up my music video collection a bit I decided to do a landscape. Sorry no real build log for it but just a few finished pics. But I will answer any questions you might have about how it was done

It is jailbroken and I made the theme to imitate a pioneer radio. The Nissan logo is the boot screen. I made my own av cable as the one I originally bought did not support full charging on the iPad and apparently had a short bc it kept trying to play video out every time I hit a bump.

It still has a pioneer 3200bt headunit mounted behind it as I have not gotten around to buying the eq and 4 channel amp yet. I might make a video to show the functionality of it this weekend.

2008 toyota tacoma carputer and audio upgrade

chris_h — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:04:48 GMT

Hey All. I've had my build complete for about 10 months. I've been meaning to post up a thread but haven't gotten around to it till now. I had been piecing together the parts for over a year, finally collecting everything I wanted to do my install. Here's my parts list:

Head Unit: Custom Carputer + Touchscreen
Front Speakers: Polk DB6501 component
Rear Speakers: Polk DB651 coaxial
Sub: Kicker CVR 12"
Amp 1: Audiobahn A4002T mono
Amp 2: Kicker ZX350.4 four channel

Here's a draft of my layout I did before I started shopping:

This wasn't my first car audio build, by far, but this was my first carputer install. The build was pretty straight forward. Wiring was the toughest part. I went through very thorough planning beforehand so that helped quite a bit.

I still don't have everything mounted down yet, but it's all pretty stable where it is. I'm happy to entertain questions if anyone has them.

Cheers! and thanks for looking.

---------- Post added at 09:04 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:49 PM ----------

my PC specs are as follows:

LCD: Lilliput 7", Scosche Tacoma Dash kit, Bybyte.com double-din 7" lcd adapter
Case: Morex 3688
Mainboard: MSI MS-7265
Memory: Transcend 2 x 1gb DDR2 667
PSU: M2-ATX
WiFi: Qcom LR802UKN wireless N
DVD: Panasonic CW-8124-B DVDrom
DVD2: dig_71042 (mounted in armrest)
HDD: Seagate 2.5" 80gb 7200rpm Extreme Environments drive
CPU: Intel T2500 Core Duo 2.0GHz
Software: Windows Embedded Standard, Road Runner front end
Other: Custom "P8" molex power connector to make for easy installation + removal for bench testing, etc

(Click for full-size)

97 Nissan MAXIMAPC Version 2

kasemodz — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:40:28 GMT

I decided to upgrade my carpc that I had done last year. If anyone is interested in looking at the old setup, here is the link http://www.mp3car.com/show-off-your-...-maximapc.html

Some Problems with the old Setup

Too much Power Consumption
Bugs with home made startup/shutdown controller
Static Noise heard
Long USB cables causing signal problems
Long bootup time

So I got rid of the old setup and had the following new components.

Quote:

Intel D410PT MINI ITX Motherboard w/ Fanless 1.6 GHZ Intel Atom Processor
Corsair 32GB SSD Drive
M4-ATX Startup/Shutdown Controller
TUFF N TINY 4GB Flash Drive
Nlite Windows Xp Professional SP2
Custom Plexiglas enclosure designed to fit completely behind the dashboard
OEM Nissan Heated Switch integrated for on/off purposes
Custom Integrated USB Port in the Ashtray

I still kept the same devices (like the Garmin GPS, OBDII controller) but I decided to store all my music in a flash drive. Since the software I was using was Centrafuse 3.1, it still did not support ipod capibility with iphones and itouches, I decided that there is no point in storing the music on an ipod.

Pictures

The Old Setup

A close up of the old switch

So, now the new stuff, the goal of this project was to:

Keep the existing OEM look
Fix all problems from previous setup
Integrate everything behind the dash
Keep the new project on a budget.

First, I decided to get a MINI ITX form board, because I realized I had just enough space to fit a MINI-ITX board if I could get my hands on. Now, I know that ventilation in that area is minimal, so I had to keep cooling in my mind. I came across this one day on ebay

and it was perfect for my application. It was fanless and only drew 20 - 25 watts at maximum load, which meant less power consumption, and less thermal heat, which I got for 40 bux (awesome deal). So, I ended up getting that, and while I was there I also got a M4-ATX shutdown/startup controller which worked soo much better than my old setup (got a used one for 30 bux). I also got a SSD drive, because I wanted to boot to the os fast and stop the hard drive from failing from vibrations in the car. This is the one I got, cuz I got it on ebay for just 24 dollars!! Insane steal!

Next, I had slipstream my windows xp cd, so I used nlite for that. I found an online tutorial showing how to slipstream xp cd for a netbook so I followed that and got good results. Below are a few pictures.

Next, I wired my OEM Nissan Heated seat warmer switch. I wired it up for use and then used a 2000 grit wet and dry sandpaper to remove the marking off the switch.

Next, I made my wiring diagram which is shown below.

Installation
Here are some install pictures. Below you will see my plexiglass enclosure. The design came out perfect, I had only a few mm in tolerance around the edges. I also fitted a small fan to blow any heat generated.

Now doing a test run.

TADAAAAAAA

Finishing.......FINISHED
Here is the finished setup with everything working, as you can see the new switch at its location.

My USB port integrated into the ash tray

Finished!

Everything is installed and working at the moment, I might have to upgrade my usb port as it seems it sometimes losses signal. But overall, I would like to know your thoughts and opinions on this project. So, what do you all think?

2009 Altima Dash Mount Android Tablet PC

hexxamillion — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 05:50:42 GMT

!!ATTENTION!!
This is a monstrous thread. It's some good readin' but if you just want to jump to the good stuff check these links:

------------------

I am starting this new thread which will detail my new CarPC project in my new car. My previous project worklog detailed how I was building a PC in my 2005 altima center console. It was a lot of custom cutting and hacking. Unfortunately it was not completed due to my car accident.

In this new project I will be modifying my 2009 Altima dash to mount an Android Tablet PC..I'm still undecided whether it will be 7" or 10" tablet but either way the mount should be universal.

I plan on installing the double din dash kit. Then I will "fill" the double din space with an acrylic wall..perhaps modifying something like this to the dash kit: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/90...tl=g42c355s913

I am thinking about modifying this bicycle Tablet PC mount so that it will attach to the Acrylic wall. The reason I want to use an acrylic backing vs black is because I think it will be cool to have some LED lighting inside of my dash. The LED backlight will be visible and provide a cool effect at night.

The tablet PC will be connected to a floor amp w/ remote control which will replace the stock radio... I will look into bluetooth connectivity from the tablet to the amp for audio.

Here is my stock dash...stay tuned for more.

Attached Images

HTC EVO Car Panel in Land Rover DII

logicmike44 — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:43:40 GMT

Didn't realize this "Project" Section was here...

http://www.mp3car.com/android/147517-evo-car-panel-in-land-rover-dii.html

01 montero sport carpc install finished

jav07104 — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 01:57:31 GMT

after 2 years of carefull budgeting, hard work and dedication.... i have finally seen my vision come to life. My montero sport has been a soldier through this riggorous journey gave me a few head aches along the way....but in the end persevired and i am proud of what i have built. this was no easy project but now that its finally all together its beautiful. still doing some tweeks but will post up pictures tomarrow :thumb:

Mazda MX-5 1.8 '94 starting new project

VincentMX-5 — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 18:47:45 GMT

Hello,

My name is like the username Vincent, i'm from the netherlands. I drive an Mazda MX-5 1.8 from 1994. I Almost do everything by meself. For instance all the electronics i diy.

Some of the mods i did
-lights on with acc on.
-RFID car alarm with push start putton. The car is completly keyless, just simply walking to the car opens the doors and it is ready to start.
-DIY coming home/leaving
-Automatic headlight leveling.
-almost everylight is replaced with led.
And alot of other things. To much to write here:P

some pics/video's
click on it for video.
Example Off-ACC-ON

starting the car with a push on the button, same button as lexus

Interior pics, not the greatest pic but you get the idea.

And of course the car itself

Some older pics

Why i registerd here,

I want to control everything with a carpc. Not just like a digital button, but just like bmw idrive or something. for example. Control how long the lights stay on after shutdown. Now the lights are on with ACC on just by an relay. But i want to let the pc control that, if the pc gets an acc signal than the pc must turn the headlights on. And also that i can turn it on or off. Get it?
Another example, also want an temp meter outside the car, if the temp gets below 0 degrees celsius, the pc must turn on the seatheaters. Or let the pc control the windows when theres no more ACC signal or something like that.

I hope you guys can help me with all of these, its a very complicated progress that will take alot of time.

My english is not the best right now sorry for that.

Go-PUTER: Mobile Briefcase PC - 5th Grade Science Fair!!! - Mini ITX / 10.4" TS

quantum — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 04:50:33 GMT

Hey guys,

This is pretty cool, just HAD to share it with ya!

My son wanted to do something really special for this year's science fair. He came up with the idea of putting a PC in a briefcase, based on a chat we were having about the upcoming PC install in my Escalade this spring.

He has been in the shop tinkering with me since he was old enough to stand, and has helped me with the past 2 carPC installs when he was a little younger. So, indirectly MP3car was inspirational to him. :hail:

His goal was something more powerful than a netbook, but more portable than a desktop. All of it needed to fit inside a briefcase which looked like a regular briefcase when closed so nobody would know it was stuffed with electronic goodies. Also had to be light enough to carry. Yeah, I know a laptop is the logical choice, but he's 11 OK? :p These were all his solutions BTW, including the name Go-Puter.

He decided a mini-ITX was the best balance of size and power after reading some pros/cons of various sized motherboards I found on the web.

Project: Go-PUTER

Parts list:

Intel D945GSEJT Atom N270 Ultra Thin Fanless Mini-ITX off e-bay. 12V POWER!

320 gig SATA at Best Buy.

I had a GoodDeals18 10.4" TS laying around forever, so that became the monitor. The things we do for our children... :cool:

An 80mm LED fan.

A silicone keyboard with touch pad I had shipped from China. We saw it at a Verizon kiosk, knew it would fit and solve some size problems, so a Google search netted one for $70.00.

Rocketfish USB Hub

Briefcase from Staples

12V outlets and cables from Radio Shack

Wood and Plexi Glass (his idea) from Home Depot.

The plexi would allow people to see the guts of the PC. He thought that would be cool, but knew it would trap heat. A fan and a few holes would take care of that. He also felt a little blue glow never hurt either. :nod:

The monitor went into a 1/4" MDF panel, bezel and case and all. I'll admit to cutting the hole in the wood, but the kid did the rest. He used a black foam sheet to cover the MDF and screwed it to blocks screwed to the inside of the lid.

The 'tray' on the bottom is 1/2" pine strips and 1/4" pine for the bottom. He laid out all the PC parts in the 1/4", cut the frame, stapled/ glued /spray painted and mounted the parts to the tray himself (supervised of course). We then screwed it to the bottom of the briefcase from the outside.

Last was hooking up all the components and running the wires. Important condition set forth by the boy was that it "run off car power so you can put it on the seat next to you." Not bad, eh? We opted for a 12v lighter cord hooked up the the existing power brick, and a 12v receptacle drilled right through the briefcase for quick connect /disconnect. A 12v m-m cord would work in the car just as well, LOL.

Again, he did all the pairing, heat shrinking, etc. I gave him a little help with tucking the wires away neatly and wrapping them with zip ties.

Final step was a piece of plexi, held in with 2 screws to the frame below it, and then to poke all the wires through the holes. We even installed a SS switch!

We tossed Windows XP on it, and he made a PowerPoint presentation that runs his pics as a full screen slide show in PPS Viewer for the judges, who I just KNOW are gonna think I did it for him!!! The pics are worth 1000 words in this case (no pun intended LOL). OK, the soundtrack of "Eye of the Tiger" running in the background was my input. Yes, we have audio out and a pair of PC speakers to place on either side of the briefcase at the fair.

My wife (the graphic designer and website developer) made his logo under his direction, he liked being a "client." She also helped him brand his invention (gotta have one). ;)

Yes, it closes easily and the latches/hinges still work. Not very heavy at all, he can carry it no problem. Other then the receptacle on the side, it looks like an ordinary briefcase when closed. Heat is a non issue. Speedfan says stable, ran for about 5 hrs on the bench, barely got warm.

Whaddya say guys, job well done? Science fair is next week, I'll let you know how he did. Please wish him luck, and TY!

.

Motorola Xoom tablet car installation

buurin — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 23:19:45 GMT

Finally got my Motorola Xoom installed. This replaced my old carPC which was a Windows XP setup.

Its on a pivoting mount and it connects to an amp under the passenger seat. Volume control via knob installed by the emergency brake (which you can see in one of the photos).

The mount is a Padholdr(http://padholdr.com/), and I had a local shop (http://www.benchmarkmotoring.com/) fabricate the Xoom dock into the mount for both power & audio.

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

MP3Car.com - Show off your project

98 Civic Ex Car Computer Custom CAD Install

Suzuki Grand Vitara 2006 - Android Tablet Install

Added Carputer, HDTV, 2 Recording webcams for Traffic and Backseats,ETC to Prius 2007

BMW X1 E84 CarPC application - ongoing-

2008 Mercedes ML550: Integrating an ASUS Transformer Infinity into the Stock System

Calibra Turbo CarPC - Serbia

Android miniPC into BMW E9x

Open-source OBD-II data logger (based on Arduino)

Custom Foobar Skin for 7"/800x480 Screen

95 Lexus sc400 vertex widebody, volk GT-V, custom audio system, fully modded $11,000

Ford Flex Toshiba Excite 7.7 Android Tablet Install

05 Lincoln Navigator with Push Start Engine and 7" Acer Tablet JellyBean

1996 Audi A6 Car PC

2009 Peugeot 307 - BRAZIL- Removable Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 II

Armored 2008 Audi A3 Full Car Pc Install Brazil (lots of pics)

Saab 93 OEM installation (Now running Android)

Genos 9" android tablet install with sync

my Lenono 7" a2107 tablet install

1964 Ford Falcon Ute, full Nexus experience!

2010 Mazda 6 with everything.

2010 Mazda 6 with everything.

2007 Subaru Liberty GT CarPC Install

Dedicated Android device using bluetooth touchscreen overlay

2001 VW Golf MK4 GTI - 7" Android Tablet Install

In Dash 7" Android Complete With Pics & Video

2008 Chevrolet Corvette 7" Android Tablet Install

Starting my first build

**2008 VW GTI Nexus 7 Tablet install**

Out with the Pioneer, In With The Tablet (Build Log)

8" Archos tablet ICS 4.0 on my 2005 Expedition need new ideia for Back screen

Elm 327

MacMini Carputer Setup Audi S4 2005 B6

1951 Ford Calendar Contest

2001 Acura CL-S T-Mobile Springboard and a good use for a 3d printer

Kindle Fire Rooted with ICS CM9 installed into a Volvo S70

Integrated iPad/iPhone/iPod Dock Project - 2009 Mazda MX-5 (Replacing The O2 Joggler)

Galaxy Tab 2 Install (Honda Civic)

BMW E46 Android install (INCLUDES BUILD LOG / DIY)

galaxy tab 2 install in 2010 mustang gt

Mini PC to Navigation display

2007 Citroen Android Carputer Galaxy Tab 7" Full Android Experience

Project Viper

2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Custom Car PC

what would be best? two kickerL7 12" or a single Kicker solo X 18"???

2001 Mitsubishi Lancer GLXi CarPC with ByByte Double din Black Box and Lilliput 629GL

2010 BMW X1 (E84) Car Computer Install

Honda Civic 2007 DXG Install

Nissan Qashqai+2 embedded carputer tablet version ;-)

Toyota Camry 2007, White Beauty.

2004 rx-8

CarPC and Head unit intigration on my 2011 Toyota Prius

PaulF's 2002 Volvo S60 version 3 - the half watt system

3rd car - 3rd carpc & stereo install - 05 Mitsubishi Triton 4x4 Dual Cab Ute

'97 Civic DX 2dr ~ Turtlegrip's NeuroPod -MicroATX Slim-

2001 Civic with In-dash Acer Iconia A100 Android tablet

Jeep Wranlger Sport 2011 - You've Officially Been Pimped!

02 Dodge Neon

2010 Toyota Corolla S - Custom CarPC Build (Lots of photos)

2005 Dodge Magnum _ Galaxy Tab install

2006 Mustang gt Worklog nook color (lots of pics!)

2003 Nissan 350z Nook Color Build

My project, Volvo S60 T5R

2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR

E36 and E46 CarPC complete installation

Fix install charge and discharge current instrument with A, Ah, V and more

Sony Ps3 to carpc

MotoPC v2.0

Jeep Grand Cherokee 7.1 Audio

Jeep Grand Cherokee 7.1 Audio

02 Range Rover

iMercedes (Need Feedback Regarding iPhone Integration w/ OEM Pop-Up Display)

1993 ford mustang lx

My Volvo XC60 Andoid tablet (final images)

350z carpc, autopc project

Project MotoBus 30' Bus, PC, Xbox, Stereo, Fiberglass, Ligiting and MORE!

2004 Ford F-150 Carputer Build

2003 Digital Eclipse Remastered

Costley - Holden VE SSV Apple Mini Mac Install

Subaru Impreza CarPC Project Vol.1

2008 VW GTI Nexus 7 Tablet install