Thread: Carputer integration with HUGE car audio system, help please

Hello, excuse me if this might have been asnwered elsewhere (Whats a search button?)


I have a pretty intensive car audio install in my Expedition. I want to remove the head unit, and run everything off the MII 10000 carputer I am setting up.

Let me explain whats in the truck first,

2- 3400 Watt Memphis Audio MOJO Monoblock amplifiers running subs
1- 400 Watt Memphis Audio Class AB 2 channel amp running 8" midbass
1- 400 Watt Memphis Audio Class AB 4 channel amps running front and rear 6.5 mids and 1" tweets in each door.

4- Rockfordfosgate 3112 SUBS in a 12' ported enclosure. Hitting about 147DB
(currently having to replace glue on glass to keep pressure controled)

Ohio generator 260amp Altenator
3- Optima Yellow Top 80amp hour / 1300 Cold Cranking Amp Batteries
Dual 0/1 Gauge Power wire for postive and negative power system.

1- 17" TFT LCD Flip Down Monitor in rear
4- 7" TFT LCD Headrest monitors (not VGA)

4in/6out A/V switchbox
RF Wireless headphones
PS/2
Xbox
Color rear camera
Secondary single din DVD/AM/FM/TV Tuner in rear fabrication.

I only mention the above to describe what I want to do and so you all know and might offer suggestions.

#1. My truck hits 147DB (A jet flying over is like 142). The rear box is created out of 1" MDF, it was created this thick so that it doesnt flex or vibrate, the subs fire down, ports fire rear to the end of suv. I plan on mounting the MII-10000 mini-itx directly to the panel of the eclosure opposite the ports, its a good 4' x 30" panel. I plan on using no case, just ATC style motherboard standoffs (from a case) and screwing the motherboard right to the wood. I have heard that I could mount the hard drive verticaly, by mounting them directly to the wood, they would. In evaluating the mounting point, I'm going to be honest, the whole truck vibrates, the bass hits hard, I plan on using USB interfaced 3.5" IDE drives so I can put all the guts back into the external cases and move them, but currently plan on mounting them on the baffle as stated. Suggestions?

#2. I have TWO 200watt DC-DC power supply's (I havent done the math yet to know if 1 is enough or not). I plan on mounting them to the same baffle. Because my XM reciever, TV/FM tuner, Keyboard/mouse, TV out box, Wireless RF remote control, GPS, and USB 5.1 Audio Processor are all USB powered, Plus my external 2 hardrives and DVD Buner, and 7" lilliput ts VGA, I also purchased 2 powered USB 2.0 4 port hubs that run on +5v that I intent to wire to the 1st and 2nd power supply so that a majority of these devices get there power from the 2nd power supply rather than the pass through from motherboard. I think I have handle on this, interupt me if I am wrong, but the first ps will be connected to the MB to force shutdown, the 2nd will attempt to shutdown (no mb attached) but will at least time out at the same as 1st. Suggestions?

Now comes the questions.

I want the output from the carputer to be able to feed the a/v box (If I can get it there, I can use the a/v box to send it to any of the other output devices) thats what the tv out adaptor is for (I know I have one onboard, but in my experience, you sometimes have to turn this on, the vga pass through tvout box is always on, so I chose this). I understand that Im not going to have a great picture on the other monitors, not for icons and desktops, but I was under the impression that once dvds/divx/vcd/video media was playing that this output to these tft lcd devices would be of acceptable quality. Suggestions? Comments?

Now here is the part I dont know, I want the audio output to directly goto the amplifiers, this means 2 distint things, #1. I need front and rear RCA outs, and 1 SUBWoofer out. #2. That all of the other items in the car (ps/2, xbox) are going to have to pipe into the pc, and then back out the pc (audio directly to the amps) (video to the a/v switcher). Thats why I bought the External Processor (5.1), I see that it has (L/R) (surround) (Subwoofer) outputs on it via stereo miniheadphone, Im not sure about quaility, but I assume that Mini Headphone to rca cables would be used, and then y cables to break out enough connections. is the surround the same as a rear, or would one forget the surround output and split the (L/R) for the rears as well as front? Thats the output question. Now input

I have the a/v switcher, so all the other aux devices will only need to be seen as 1 composite video, and 1 2channel rca feed. I'm assuming that I will connecting this Video/Audio output to the capture video/audio of the TV/FM Tuner card. (Hopefully whichever USB Tuner I get, passes audio to the computer via USB rather than another Aux in miniheadphone jack). That handles getting Video to the PC (only for the vga controller monitor, I can send the video to the other monitors direct via A/v) but audio has to goto the PC and through its volume control back to the amps.

Now I have the XM Usb tuner that has a mini headphone aux in requirement, and the TV/FM Tuner may as well. Add that to the A/V input and Im looking at a minimum of 3 Aux IN connections to the PC? Are you all using some type of mini headphone jack Y connector and branching the inputs into 1 entering the sound devices AUX in connector? Suggestions? Comments?

The USB sound processor I'm looking at, has a I/R and Remote for it, unfortunantly it doesnt remove and remote mount, its on the device's front plate? Does this mean that the Media Engine / MedaiCar / whatever software volume controls wont be able to control it? The onboard volume controls are bypassed? or is it a configuration issue? I'd like to hope that the I/R control just controls the onboard mixer volume, and I wont use it, as I allready have a ATI Remote Wonder that controls volume as well as a thumb mouse and application shortcuts) and the interface on the carpc software be it media engine or whatever? Suggestions? Comments?

I have a laptop with the popular carputer interfaces loaded, not a single one passes the extra attributes to the XM tuner application correctly? Is this a known issue? or What? I havent bought the TV Tuner / FM Tuner yet? I have an adaptec USB tv/capture card that I will be using, leaving just the FM tuner needs, however the haupauge USB includes both and would save power I believe, any suggestions? So far I like mediaengine, it uses dlink for FM (so I guess the dlink/adaptec combo makes most sense, is the Dlink any good?

I also failed to mention that the Liliput monitor is getting glassed into the double din stereo location, although I am toying with putting a datalux 10.4" in the area since fabrication has to take place reguarless of which I choose. is the datlux anygood?

I have more, but I know this post is large, hopefully it will get some comments and then I can elaborate if I need to.

Thanks

John