Pop-out (1 DIN) sunlight viewable?

**joe_p** · 08-10-2009, 03:16 PM

I always hate when my first post in a new forum is something that will likely be answered by "Search, newb!"

But I have, oh how I have...

The problem is a Miata. A '92 to be exact, in which I've been using a Fujitsu Stylistic 3400 tablet for the past couple years. It's a big ugly thing that sits on a post just off the transmission tunnel and makes people ask if I'm a cop. My primary use for the machine is actually as a tuning interface (I'm running a Megasquirt ECU, and a variety of other doo-dads such as a USB oscilloscope) rather than for playing MP3s, navigation, and all that jazz. So I'm a newcomer to the mainstream CarPC "scene", but an old hand at the problems of mounting a computer in a car.

I'm trying to come up with something a bit less intrusive. Here's what the current setup looks like: http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/...1m_de03666.jpg

The PC side of things is easy. I've got enough old tablets and laptops casting about that I can easy cannibalize one and mount it in the trunk. But the display is killing me. Although the car has a 2DIN space, the lower half of it is taken up with electronics that would be hard to find a new home for. That, and the shifter kills the view of the lower half of that space. What I do have is a single space in which I'd like to mount a pop-out style monitor. And herein lies the rub.

The car's a convertible, and the top is almost always down. Even with the "sunlight-viewable" display on my current tablet, readability is almost a joke. Of course, the Stylistic was old technology even when it was new. Now, I see that there are some interesting 7" displays out there, like the 1000nit Xenarc and the various transflective Lilliputs, but nothing of the sort in a pop-out form-factor.

I was pretty excited when I ran across the two threads talking about a transflective upgrade, though of course all the images are gone, many of the links are dead, and the threads are sufficiently old that I don't want to go resurrecting them. I'm also not finding much (well, nothing at all, really) about a transflective (or otherwise mega-bright) display in a pop-out form factor. Ok, so I could probably find a way to mount a traditional 7" standalone display in a way that's less conspicuous than my current tablet, but I'd really love to do something in-dash.

Thoughts? Help? Anything at all would be much appreciated.

**soundman98** · 08-11-2009, 11:05 AM

have you ever parked on the side of the highway and hold a hair dryer out the window?

(sorry, i had to ask

)

i really think that the best option would be a double din screen, and to relocate the electronics in the area--i have also looked at motorized transflective screens, and have come up emptyhanded,

though you could modify something to motorize a standard touch screen if there is room in the dash...

coucouillu has modified certain touch screens to work with a motorized dvd player hardware, but there are no pre-made solutions:

2006 Audi A3 2.0 TDI. Symphony II PCCAR : OEM Indash Screen Prototype. Full pics!!

http://coucouillu.free.fr/PROTO_LILLIPUT_V1/

http://coucouillu.free.fr/PROTO_LILLIPUT_V2/

**joe_p** · 08-13-2009, 10:32 AM

Thanks for the info, looking at coucouillu's build has given me a new direction to explore.

It would probably be a relatively simple matter to purchase any of the various inexpensive 1DIN DVD players with popout 7" screen that you see on eBay and completely gut it, re-using just the mechanical section to house a proper VGA display. In a really perfect world, it might even be possible to transplant just the glass & electronics out of a liliput and into the frame of the original composite monitor, so I wouldn't have to worry about mechanical fabrication at all. (Electronics is my forte. Molding / shaping plastic and making it look good, not so much.)

**coucouillu** · 08-13-2009, 03:08 PM

Hi,

Soundman98,
Thank you for refering to my projects.

Joe_P,
I would be pleased to help you as I could.
I could share my experience avoiding you to spend a lot (very "a lot") of money and time.

PROTO LILLIPUT V1 & V2 + last PROTO were very difficult (SYMPHONY II project==> 13 months, 900Hours!).

Real good information :

Lilliput 1DIN Lilliput GL701-NP/C/T indash screen is equiped by HITACHI 7" TX18D series (I don't know about Lilliput GL703 new model).
the problem of these screen are fragile gears and really bad firmware bug.
I my project V2 + SYMPHONY II, I hacked the electronic and made my own microcontroller + firmware.

I found transflectives panel of HITACHI 7" TX18D series on CARTFT.COM

They sell these models which have enhanced Hitachi TX18D series panel :

- CTF700-H
- CTF700-SH
- CTF700-HM
- MH700
- MH700-S

I have choosen - CTF700-SHV2 for in order to upgrade my last project and my future one.

If you have any question, feel free to ask.

Last thing, my dreams became true when I was able to bring in my hands a Prology PCM-750T (1/2 DIN indash High Resolution screen).

It is the most difficult indash screen to buy because it is only available in Russia.

For me, IT is the better indash screen of my life. In a few days, I will put my CTF700-SHV2 HITACHI transflective panel + touch screen in order to make the worl's tiniest high ended 7" indash screen (the most expensive too, count 1000€).

I will try to hack communication beetween it and the unused analog TV Tuner in order to replace this last one buy a Ebay DUAL DVB-T Tuner.

But do not dream about that. You would have one only If you travel to Russia.

**GizmoQ** · 08-13-2009, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by joe_p

The problem is a Miata. A '92 to be exact, in which I've been using a Fujitsu Stylistic 3400 tablet for the past couple years. It's a big ugly thing that sits on a post just off the transmission tunnel and makes people ask if I'm a cop.

I'm trying to come up with something a bit less intrusive. Here's what the current setup looks like: http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/...1m_de03666.jpg

The PC side of things is easy. I've got enough old tablets and laptops casting about that I can easy cannibalize one and mount it in the trunk. But the display is killing me.

Boy I remember those days, although I chose to mount the mini-dock at the dash. I remember having the S (backlit hi-res) and the X (non-backlit daylight readable) model 3500's and had to swap the harddrive from one to another at sunrise and sunset in my 500SL and Mustang convertibles.

**joe_p** · 08-14-2009, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by GizmoQ

Boy I remember those days, although I chose to mount the mini-dock at the dash.

Wow. I didn't get the dock for my 3400, though I do have an LT-C500 with dock sitting around. I'd been planning to install it (sans-dock) in place of the 3400 as it's a tad smaller and faster, and the touchscreen on the 3400 is all but dead. Since I've come across this forum, of course, that plan is moot.

I have purchased a used transflective Lily display from a forum member here, should have it in a few days. Not sure about the model number, but it looks like this:

I'm also re-considering the 1DIN requirement. Browsing around through the various forums last night, I came across Mastero's thread about retrofitting PC control to cable-operated HVAC systems. Even though I don't have air conditioning in the car, deleting the controls has not been an option to this point as I do use the heater and windscreen defogger from time to time. But if I can eliminate the mechanical controls and transfer control over to the GUI with nothing more than a few R/C servos and a relatively inexpensive PCB, well, that opens up a world of possibility. At that point, I could open up the housing on the dash a bit and simply mount the monitor firmly in place, with no need for a retracting mechanism, and without sacrificing the 1 DIN space below the radio that I'm currently using.

Decisions, decisions... I'd really hoped to avoid working with plastics, as an artist I am not.

**joe_p** · 08-15-2009, 11:11 AM

coucouillu, thank you for the information.

I've purchased a 7" Transflective Lily from a user here, and hope to have it in a few days. I do not know the model number or any other information yet, but it looks like this:

I am presently trying to decide how I shall mount it. I am still looking into the idea of modifying an old 1DIN DVD player / monitor to house the new electronics. Lately however, I have also come across this rather interesting project by Maestro. Even though I do not have aircon, I do still use the heat and windscreen defrost from time to time, and need to retain that functionality. If I can modify these controls to be servo-operated however, then I can eliminate the HVAC panel from the dash and mount the monitor in a traditional fixed manner, occupying the upper DIN slot and the HVAC controls slot. Although it will test my rather limited plastic molding skills, this would provide the best finished product.

Originally Posted by GizmoQ

Boy I remember those days, although I chose to mount the mini-dock at the dash. I remember having the S (backlit hi-res) and the X (non-backlit daylight readable) model 3500's and had to swap the harddrive from one to another at sunrise and sunset in my 500SL and Mustang convertibles.

That's interesting. I have the "outdoor" model of the 3400, and while it is not the greatest, it is possible to read in sunlight if you try. It's also backlit however, so at night I just turn down the brightness.

Assuming that phase 1 (the monitor) goes to plan, I believe I shall use an Eee 700/701 as the computer. It's tiny enough that I can find space to mount it, it comes with an SSD, and its native display is 800x480 so I know there will be no problems there. I am leaning right now in the direction of transplanting just the motherboard, battery, and a linear power regulator into a Hammond extruded case, so I can mount it in the trunk without fear of crushing it.

Hopefully I'll be posting build pics before too long.

**joe_p** · 08-15-2009, 11:11 AM

coucouillu, thank you for the information.

I've purchased a 7" Transflective Lily from a user here, and hope to have it in a few days. I do not know the model number or any other information yet, but it looks like this:

I am presently trying to decide how I shall mount it. I am still looking into the idea of modifying an old 1DIN DVD player / monitor to house the new electronics. Lately however, I have also come across this rather interesting project by Maestro. Even though I do not have aircon, I do still use the heat and windscreen defrost from time to time, and need to retain that functionality. If I can modify these controls to be servo-operated however, then I can eliminate the HVAC panel from the dash and mount the monitor in a traditional fixed manner, occupying the upper DIN slot and the HVAC controls slot. Although it will test my rather limited plastic molding skills, this would provide the best finished product.

Originally Posted by GizmoQ

Boy I remember those days, although I chose to mount the mini-dock at the dash. I remember having the S (backlit hi-res) and the X (non-backlit daylight readable) model 3500's and had to swap the harddrive from one to another at sunrise and sunset in my 500SL and Mustang convertibles.

That's interesting. I have the "outdoor" model of the 3400, and while it is not the greatest, it is possible to read in sunlight if you try. It's also backlit however, so at night I just turn down the brightness.

Assuming that phase 1 (the monitor) goes to plan, I believe I shall use an Eee 700/701 as the computer. It's tiny enough that I can find space to mount it, it comes with an SSD, and its native display is 800x480 so I know there will be no problems there. I am leaning right now in the direction of transplanting just the motherboard, battery, and a linear power regulator into a Hammond extruded case, so I can mount it in the trunk without fear of crushing it.

Hopefully I'll be posting build pics before too long.

**coucouillu** · 08-15-2009, 12:36 PM

I do not know the LCD panel model of this Lilli screen.

Originally Posted by joe_p

I am presently trying to decide how I shall mount it. I am still looking into the idea of modifying an old 1DIN DVD player/ monitor to house the new electronics

I really think it would be the hardest solution.

**joe_p** · 08-15-2009, 03:37 PM

The hardest solution from an electronic and mechanical standpoint perhaps, however modifying circuits and working with metal come easily to me. On the other hand, I have very little talent for shaping and molding plastics, smoothing body filler, and things of that nature. I would find it much more difficult to mold an unmodified touchscreen into my dashboard as many people have done, than to disassemble a screen and transplant its electronics into a different housing, and then alter the electronics of that housing so that I can control the motors.

However, I think that molding the screen into the dashboard (if done correctly) will result in a better looking, more reliable, and more functional finished product. The cost will likely be just a big higher (if I have to implement servo controls on my ventilation system) however it's a small cost compared to what some people have spent on their displays.

Right now, I am waiting eagerly to receive the display so that I can see just how well it performs in sunlight. Everything hinges upon that.