pc/electronics, cops, and can they do that?

**detlion1643** · 03-18-2011, 08:47 AM

Well, after rocking the carpc for only a couple weeks, I gotta say it's awesome. Even while not fully finished, it's better than imagined.

However, the wierdest thing also happened to me today. The carpc has never had anything go wrong yet (miracle in itself) despite some crazy driving

.

On the drive to work today, after turning off my street onto the main street, I happen to be behind a cop. Followed the cop for a mile or so, stopping at lights, etc. So, I was close to his/her cop car many times, with nothing going wrong. Down the road a fair bit more, the original cop turns off and I keep going. Not long after this I see a car pulled over from a different cop (they should've been out yesterday for st. patty's day). So I switch lanes as to give them some room. As soon as I pass the cop car, the carpc/touchscreen immediately turns off. I mean, it's not like the power switch was pressed or ignition shut off (i'm still driving) because it didn't hibernate. It was 1/2 a second and everything was hard shut off. It wasn't any cabling coming lose, because I turned it back on again with my power switch a few seconds later. Of course, it was annoying sitting through the chkdsk stuff and windows didn't shutdown properly, etc...

I was in shock, but it could have been maybe I just don't know anything about PA law. So here's my question... Is it even possible for another car to have something/anything that would even cause this? Is it legal, even for cops to use if something does exist? Is there anything I can do about it?

**RaptureOz** · 03-18-2011, 09:01 AM

What PSU you runnning, maybe it detected the battery was getting low and forced the shutdown.

**kegobeer** · 03-18-2011, 09:02 AM

I'm going to say that was a total coincidence. When that happened to me, there was a battery level issue that the power supply detected, and it shut down. What that happens there is no hibernate - just a total shutdown.

**RaptureOz** · 03-18-2011, 09:10 AM

If we go with the argument that the cops had a device (EMP), you would have found your car would have stopped and those around you would have stopped Or they have EMP's that solely target CarPc's.

But being seriously for a moment, I suppose its not beyond possibiity that the Cop car emits a certain frequency that caused the psu to trigger a shutdown?? Think we need a brain bigger than mine, i just develop software.

**detlion1643** · 03-18-2011, 09:23 AM

Power supply is an M4 and battery is about a month old, carpc only in for a couple weeks. Never runs more than an hour a day, and I know it doesn't draw power without being at least in ignition, it acts like a head unit would, I tried it multiple times.

Strange enough that it would turn on after it happened though? If the battery is that low, wouldn't it have turned off again anyways because of sensing it being low? Although, I've never config'd the M4, except for the dip switch for P1 mode, and that only works when the pc is on, so it doesn't turn on with ign.

**kegobeer** · 03-18-2011, 10:06 AM

I've had my carpc just shut down before. There could have been a voltage fluctuation large enough to cause the power supply to shut down.

**detlion1643** · 03-18-2011, 10:16 AM

I still find it wierd that it happened at that exact moment...

If it was a voltage fluctuation, what are the chances that it was >30 and <6 volts, I think that's what the M4 can handle? Since I was already driving, I dont' think it should be spiking either...

Hmm, maybe I'll go joyriding this weekend and see if I can find some more cops to drive by and see what happens. Could be fun

...

**kegobeer** · 03-18-2011, 11:01 AM

I'm pretty sure that the M4 has a minimum voltage that will cause it to shut down, and it's probably more like 10V. You'd have to check your manual. Plus, it's a computer and weird things just happen, especially when you put it into an automotive environment that's dependent on a 12V charging system. Unless you keep having problems with this, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I was having some pretty weird issues with sleep and my Opus power supply, until I called them and talked to one of the guys who designed it and was told how and why it does certain things. Now I don't have any problems.

**soundman98** · 03-18-2011, 04:24 PM

it could have also been some loosely connected wires, and a bump..

but i can assure you, cops do not have EMP-type devices that they can fire at rogue drivers... too many safety risks for departments to even consider them..(most newer cars are drive-by-wire, or electrically powered brakes/power steering-- you'd loose steering control!!)