Current solutions lacking? Mobo, sound, power consumption?

**sivart321** · 06-07-2008, 01:04 AM

This is a just a general post about what I have experienced when trying to build the perfect car pc.

It includes my current complaints about the system I have had, and about most systems out there.

Complaints:

-Resuming from hibernate takes too long.

-Standby consumes too much power and kills your battery. Even with a second battery or other solution you are still looking at only a few days of standby at most. This may be solved later by the newer memory that doesnt require power to store the data, allowing us to resume from standby with the same speed, with the same power usage as hibernate. This looks promising.

However, most motherboards do not have the ability to turn off the 5v rail powering the USB bus leaving the TONS of USB devices that most car pc ownes have powered during standby. More battery usage here.

-Mini-ITX solutions don't have enough inputs for most advanced setups. Some only have one serial port (those with HD radio modules and an XM/Sat direct would be forced to use a serial adapter, or buy another USB module for the Sat modules) Onboard sound is usually mediocre, and usually has only one line-input or mic in, not even allowing HD radio and Sat at the same time unless you use a USB sound card or fill the single PCI slot with a soundcard. Filling this PCI slot means you cant fill it with other potentially useful devices. Many USB PCI cards do not power the USB bus during standby, which could help reduce power consumption and solve the previously mentioned problems. For example, PCI network cards are usually more robust, powerful, and net faster connection speeds.

-Micro-ATX is too big for most users, and there are no mobile CPUs or chipsets to reduce the power consumption.

My previous system was this:

Micro ATX board, Mobile athlon CPU (35W CPU)
-PCI Soundcard
-PCI USB Card (that actually killed power to the USB bus) I didnt plug any USB devices directly into the Mobo.
-PCI Network Card
-XM Direct Unit hooked up to mobo serial header, line-out hooked up to line-in on soundcard
-HD Radio Module plugged into back panel serial port, line-out hooked in to CD-in on soundcard PCB.

Numerous active USB extensions running to the front of the car with the touchscreen, powermate, USB DVD drive, USB hub, USB GPS, and other deviced hooked up.

It worked great, and did all that I wanted, but the mobile athlon was still a real power hog. Also, standby would kill the battery after about 16 hours, and the thing is pretty huge.

Unfortunately, my mobo took a dump and I have begun looking for an alternative. Nothing really appeals to me though. I would be making sacrifices one way or another.

Right now I bought an intel mini-itx atom board and the items neccesary to make it work as it did before. However, the USB bus is powered, and the one PCI slot is filled with the sound card (neccesary to have both HD and XM inputs working). I only have one serial port, which is used by either the HD radio or the XM direct unit. I am going to have to purchase a USB XM module to make it work again. I had to lose my PCI network card, and have replaced it with an engenius USB unit.

Maybe I have overlooked something that would solve my problems? I know some VIA boards have 1>2 PCI risers that would allow me to use 2 PCI cards, but I couldnt find too much info on which ones work. I noticed some sites mention that this intel board works with 1>2 pci risers, but I cant find any info on that either.

I figured this post could help me express some of my issues and concerns, and maybe get some help from others so we can find a better solution to the problems I have listed.

**amapro704** · 06-10-2008, 04:32 PM

The only place you typically park for over 16 hours is your home so plug in a trickle charger to your car while home, or make a nifty device that has two prongs- 1 ground and 1 pos to the battery that make a connection when you park in an exact spot in your garage and are connected to an auto trickle charger. Oh wait, I have a patent on that! lol. If parking lengthy times elsewhere, shut her down..

Cure for your sound woes:
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/gene...ml#post1221830

**sivart321** · 06-10-2008, 06:18 PM

That soundcard has no inputs. I currently have XM and HD radio inputs that I need to connect. I don't see how it helps at all?

A trickle charge is a band aid to the larger problem of systems consuming power when in standby. In the next few years I think we will see memory that doesn't need power and will allow standby to act just as hibernation does, with much faster start up times. Also, a lot of people don't have the luxury of a garage or parking spot with power. I for one, have to park a solid hundred yards from my apt, no where close to a power source.

I dont mean to be rash, these are just some things we have to live with when putting computers in our cars. You have to make a sacrifice somewhere.

**amapro704** · 06-10-2008, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by sivart321

That soundcard has no inputs. I currently have XM and HD radio inputs that I need to connect. I don't see how it helps at all? ....

....I dont mean to be rash, these are just some things we have to live with when putting computers in our cars. You have to make a sacrifice somewhere.

You can use your mobo's inputs and this to output the sound.

Yeah, I've learned that there are still too few of us [carpc users] to have enough sway in the market to move technologies like this along very rapidly. All we can do is hope that a more influential sector has a need that also fits ours.. But no need to be pessimistic in my mind, there is enough info out there now to know all of this going into it. And it is still a fun hobby.

**sivart321** · 06-10-2008, 06:34 PM

My mobo only has one input. Any way around that?

I almost feel like my older system was better, where I could throw in a ton of PCI cards and solve my problems. :/

**amapro704** · 06-10-2008, 06:44 PM

Must have been an ATX mobo?? If you have the room thats nice, most use lots of power tho... I think I overbuilt my carpc- you just don't need that much ya know?

Yes there is a way, use a minijack splitter to have 2 sources to one input. The only thing is you need to only have one on at a time. It won't cause any harm but if you turn both on it will be playing 2 different songs at the same time

**sivart321** · 06-10-2008, 06:48 PM

I listed it above. It was a micro atx mobo. I do have quite a bit of room though, yes. I switched to the mini itx to reduce the power consumption, but have a feeling it really wont benefit me much anyway, as standby power consumption is still the demise of these systems.

I may try the splitter. I have a feeling the XM direct unit doesnt turn off though?

**amapro704** · 06-10-2008, 07:08 PM

Really? It feeds audio constantly huh? Where does it get its power? Cuz you could use a little switch or something, but who knows.. If you want to give me a little more info when you get serious about doing it, I can help put something together for ya- it won't be hard at all to switch between 2 audio sources..

What would really help you with your startup time woes is hooking up a remote start unit to turn on your computer before you even get in your car. I bought my remote start unit for $9.95! Push a button twice when your approaching your car or wire it from the dome light output of the alarm brain to trigger it when you unlock the doors... nice!

**crooper** · 06-12-2008, 02:33 PM

How about a dual battery setup, with an isolator on the second? I've read lots about those on here, although I've never tried it. I live with my 45 second hibernation resume.