Thread: PPC Car GPS and MP3 mini How To

I see that some people are talking about using a PPC for in their car, like found in this thread: Pocket PC-based carputer idea.

I thought should write a little PPC GPS and MP3 player How To Example.

I have been using a PPC in my car for about 6 months and I love it!

I have another system in my jeep (pictures found at http://www.basten.us) using a MiniITX, Lilliput LCD, and opus power supply. In comparison it is just as good.

The specs:
- 300MHz touch screen (I already had but can be found for $150 on ebay)
- 4GB compact flash for MP3s ($180 on ebay)
- GPS and GPS navigation software (I already had but can be found for $200 total w/ software)
- Cable / Cradle Accessories ($75)

Here is how to make a PPC system:
1) Buy a PDA with compact flash slot and serial port like a Axim X5, try ebay.

2) Get a PDA cradle from someplace like found here: http://www.gomadic.com/pdamoauho.html

3) Buy a mouse GPS like found here: http://www.deluoelectronics.com

4) Next buy a GPS software like iguidance found here: http://www.inavcorp.com/ (I would recommend buying version 2.0!)

5) Build / Buy a GPS to PDA cable. You can find some cables for a GPS you already have found here http://www.gomadic.com/gpstopdacables.html or build your own. In my setup I built a special cable that will keep the PDA charged and connect the GPS.

6) Get a HITACHI 4GB MICRODRIVE compact flash card. You can find them on ebay for about $180. This leaves a lot of room for MANY mp3s!

7) Map the buttons.
button1: start/switch to MP3 player
button2: start/switch to GPS software
arrowbutton: next prev mp3 song
button3: Play
button4: Stop

Software Idea:
Since the prototype worked I want to write a little software that recognizes when the accessories power from the car is charging the PDA or not. This will tell the PDA when to turn off and when to turn on automatically. For now I have to reach over and turn it on.

The final product: