Thread: NEW VGA Touchscreen? Need some ideas.

Originally posted by dscustoms
My manufacturer in Taiwan keeps telling me he can make a better screen than the xenarc/gain screens. Better LCD panel, maybe an 8", Better connection on the controller card and power supply. I guess we can use the same touchscreen too. Anyone have any ideas on improving it?
This would not be a bunch of random parts, They would be brand new and built and assembled by a real manufacturing company. DSCustoms would probably buy the tooling, so it would be really inexpensive for us to produce them.
If people could just post some features, or design ideas (mounting, look) I'd pass them on to the engineers.

Please don't say in-dash. The housings are so much more complicated and expensive. At this point, we will try the GAIN/Xenarc indash when available and see how it goes. If theirs is too expensive, maybe then we will have one made.
Dave

I wouldn't but one now, but I think if you don't want to do a flip out in dash, a screen that fits exactly into a double DIN space in a car would be nice. I would also like to see some sort of brightness that could be controlled via USB or Serial, so I would be able to change it on the fly from within windows. Alternatively, I would like to see a day/night line that I could trigger via a relay or something.

If there is extra room around the screen, I would also like to see a knob that could be used for volume and/or some simple unused pushbuttons.

Twostep

I agree install a feature where you can manually control the brightness. My LCD is bright at night a lil too bright actually so I had to turn the gamma control down. but then in broad daylight its a pain to actually see it.

I really like the double din sized screen Idea. If it could contain any other simple control buttons that would be great. Volume nob would be superb.

A day/night brightness setting would be nice, a brightness adjustment of some nature would be spectacular.

I second the dimmer trigger line. Make it work just like the illumination connection on aftermarket headunits.

As far as size, double DIN doesn't do squat for me (damn Chrysler and their DIN+1/2 openings!). Perhaps an overhead mount option? I am planning on mounting my new screen between the visors, and will probably have to fab up a custom mount/enclosure scheme to get the right angle while not obscuring my rear view mirror.

A HUGE feature for me would be the ability to tie in a rear view camera (image reversed to maintain perspective). I frequently tow a travel/toy hauler trailer with my truck, and am eventually planning on mounting a camera on the back of the trailer to improve my field of view. OT: anyone coding automotive based MP3 players would be well advised to add a feature where a rearview camera input is used as the background image (kinda like a HUD).

hey Dave -- how about a brighter nit rating.. 200cd/m2 doesn't cut it compared to some of these professional lcds which are 1600 or something crazy bright.

If you offered an upgrade with better (brighter) cold cathodes, it would be a sweet incentive...

200 is ok for me -- for now (see my other thread) haha..

My ideal screen would be 8.4" native XGA resolution at least 500-700 nits with high contrast so you can desdinguish white from light tan or light yellow in day time. The metal boarder should be as small as possible to make the overall size as small as possible. dimmer input to switch to 100 nit at night (my xenarc at 180 nit is still too bright at night), at least 1 +12V trigger wire to activate video1 input (hook it up to the reverse light and automatically switch from VGA to video1 for rear view camera), all the buttons and knobs and switches should be on a seprate hand held box so that the actual screen can be as small as possible. crash proof touch resistive screen. The actual video can be flipped upside down and mirrored right side left. The mirroring part is for installing the monitor on top of the dash for head up display in the windshield. voltage input range can be anywhere from 8volts to 20 volts. signal sensing auto turn on and off.

I just have one idea. $300 or less

Hi.

This is my first post on this board. Seems to be the perfect spot. So far, my first in-car computer project has been mostly a search for the perfect monitor.

Here are some of the features that I'm looking for:

- 8.4" or 10.4" TFT LCD

- SVGA (though XGA would be nice on the 10.4" if possible)

- 4:3 aspect ratio (this is a must)

- >300 nits (500 nits would be great)

- Resistive touch screen (4H hardness)

- VGA cable unplugs from monitor; uses std 15 pin connector. Ditto for TS cable; uses std 9 pin serial connector, or USB (whichever type is being used at PC). I don't want to have to remove cables when removing monitor.

- Good vertical view angles. I originally thought that the only way I would get a 10.4" screen in my dash would be to rotate it 90° to portrait mode (3:4 aspect). After realizing that vertical view angles on most monitors would not work well for my portrait install, I found that a 10.4" will fit in the std 4:3 direction. Although I probably will stick with 4:3 for this project, for future projects 3:4 would be nice as an option.

- The dimming feature that was mentioned would be great. I would like to have a few "brightness profiles" that I can set up, and switch to quickly. I would love to have it hooked to my headlights. When monitor recieves +12VDC signal (headlights on) monitor dims. No 12V signal and monitor goes bright.

- I wouldn't mind having s-video and composite in, but I will also have vid capture card in PC, so it's not necessary for me.

A 2xDIN size would probably sell a lot (though not to me).

Double Din mount is nice, but what would help even more is if there is a cover or something. One of the better reasons to have an in-dash is because people can look in and see something in the DIN, but not know what it is. If a monitor is right there BAM in the center, with its dull gray face looking straight at you... I dunno.

Just a thought. don't take it seriously.