Ok, prepare for a long post, but first, something to pique your curiosity:
What started everything was my desire to be able to have access to all of my music (40+ GB of
oggs) in my car. I came accross
mp3car.com, and it was all downhill from there. I realized that the most expensive part of a car computer is the display. So I said to myself, why can't I just use the screen on my Zaurus? It's 640x480, touchscreen, it's perfect! And so began my quest...
I want this post to serve as a guide for anyone who might attempt something similar, so that they don't have to make the same mistakes, and agonize over the same problems that I did. So if you just want the pics, feel free to scroll down, otherwise read on.
Here's what makes it all work:
Stuff I had-
*
Sharp Zaurus SL-C750 running
pdaXrom (Linux)
* Old PIII 500MHz, 256MB running Windows 2000
* Seagate 200GB 7200RPM HD (a bit overkill)
* Sony CDX-7000X head unit
* Sony
XA-300 Auxiliary Input Adapter
* LG VX3200 phone (Verizon service)
Stuff I had to buy-
*
400 watt inverter
*
Opus 150W DC-DC power supply
*
8 10' USB extension cables (only using 5, but buying 8 gave me free shipping!)
*
4 port USB hub
* 6 AWG wire from a local car audio shop (FYI, don't buy cable from Home Depot, that stuff isn't meant for cars, I found that out the hard way)
* Lots of other small wire and connectors from Home Depot
* 80 amp in-line fuse close to the battery (is this too much/little?)
* Universal PDA car mount off ebay (got it for $10!)
*
LG USB cable
My first attempt at getting everything together was with the inverter (I didn't have the Opus yet). As soon as I plugged in my computer the "fault" light on the inverter would come on, and the computer would not power on. I spent a while searching these forums, and eventually I found an answer. I had to disconnect the ground wire in my computer's power supply:
Apparently this is a problem specific to Vector inverters, it seems that other brands of inverters don't have this problem. Obviously this is a bad idea electrically, so I made sure that I grounded the case to the car chassis. Once I did this the computer would power on via the inverter.
Next, I needed a way of getting the display from the computer onto my Zaurus. Luckily,
VNC runs on both Windows and Linux. I did have to setup an "ethernet over usb" connection between the computer and the Zaurus, which was pretty easy. Then I had to create an icon on the Zaurus to make it easy to connect.
So now I could connect, launch Media Car, and start playing music (by the way, I'm using the USB connection on the AX-300). At this point I encountered the problem that would take me weeks to figure out...
Clicking and popping noises(!!?!?)
These noises were completely different from any electrical noise I had ever heard. I spent hours, days, weeks even, grounding to different places, trying different power supplies, cables, connections, NOTHING made a difference! So then I finally broke down and bought the Opus 150W. The Opus arrived, I got everything connected and working, and to my horror,
the noises were still there!!!!! So at this point I knew it wasn't engine noise, or bad cables, the inverter, or whatever. Just for the hell of it I tried disconnecting from VNC, and to my amazement, the noise was gone!
It seems that there is something to do with the VNC connection that is introducing these clicking and popping noises. So this is a pretty big problem, as it means that I really can't be connected to the computer while it's playing music. Luckily I came up with a relatively easy way of disconnecting and reconnecting to the computer. So how it works is, I get my playlist together, hit play, disconnect, then if I need to pause/change tracks/add tracks, I just reconnect, do it, and disconnect.
It's not perfect, but it beats paying ~$300 for a display!
Ok, time for the pics...
My awesome wiring job with the 80 amp in-line fuse.
A crappy picture of the computer and inverter in the trunk. As it is, I've connected the positive and negative wires from the Opus to the terminals on the inverter. I'm sure there's a better way to connect them.
The AX-300 and USB hub are in the arm rest. All of the USB and power cables go under the passenger seat and underneath the center console.
Two USB cables come out beneath the center console.
The powerstrip on the passenger side. Right now I'm only using it for my Zaurus.
The CDX-C7000X, USB!!!
Here's what the mount looks like. All I did was super glue the battery cover for the Zaurus onto the pda mount. So far it seems very sturdy, I'm surprised. Now I just need to order another battery cover...
The mount from behind, notice the vorbis fish!
Media Engine in action, stupid glare!