Looking for a computer solution

**mx270a** · 05-10-2009, 12:59 PM

I'm looking to add a computer to a vehicle to monitor and control some stuff. I would like to do some of the control via HTTP, so the machine would need to be capable of running a web server and processing requests. Likely it would run some flavor of linux. I don't need a ton of data, so booting off some kind of flash drive would be perfect. I also need it to be able to read sensors and control relays, so it would need to have the interfaces for that. Since it is on a vehicle, I want it to be powered by the main 12vDC line, so an input range of 6-30 volts would be great. Do you guys know of computer that fits this description.

-Lance

**malcom2073** · 05-10-2009, 01:28 PM

http://beagleboard.org/
http://www.pcengines.ch/
http://www.gumstix.com/
+
Search

**mx270a** · 05-10-2009, 01:40 PM

Yeah, I've looked closely at the beagleboard and the gumstix. What I'm finding is that most of the boards that can read sensors and control PWM outputs don't have a 10/100 Ethernet connection, or don't have a power supply designed for vehicle use. The ones that have a vehicle type power supply don't do sensors.

The Beagle board doesn't have 10/100 ethernet, and the guys using it to control robots seem to have to build an interface card to do the robot sensors/control.

I think the gumstix has all my required features, but the ethernet module is an add-on. I'm looking for something like that, but all-in-one.

-Lance

**malcom2073** · 05-10-2009, 01:44 PM

You may not be able to find an all in one, perhaps consider using add-on modules? Generally all-on-one solutions are very application specific so would be quite expensive which is why modules like the gumstix provide add-ons so people can customize what they're getting.

**2k1Toaster** · 05-10-2009, 02:12 PM

Well since you already have extensive use with the FB, you might want to look into the linux app for it. You can also look into the FitPC. It is an AMD Geode I believe. Pretty cheap, and will run linux like a champ. XP works well even so obviously most linux distros will.

**bombledmonk** · 06-12-2009, 01:09 AM

Late reply I guess, but you can easily add 10/100 to the beagleboard using a USB adapter. Throughput is good enough for anything you'd need to do in a car. Any 5V clean power adapter will do the job as it never eats more than 2.5W.