MP3Car.com - The Review Palace http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ Product Reviews and Stuff Yo :) en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:43:11 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/images/misc/rss.jpg MP3Car.com - The Review Palace http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ Hardware review: GP83 DC-DC Intelligent ATX PSU http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137406-hardware-review-gp83-dc-dc-intelligent-atx-psu.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:53:14 GMT a Big thank you to Mp3Car for giving me the opportunity to review the GP83 DC-DC Intelligent ATX PSU. What is it? The GP83 is a 160W DC-DC converter, with a 8-mode selectable output making it suitable not for only the Carputer afficionados, but also caters for the ever-increasing ITX-community... a Big thank you to Mp3Car for giving me the opportunity to review the GP83 DC-DC Intelligent ATX PSU.

What is it? The GP83 is a 160W DC-DC converter, with a 8-mode selectable output making it suitable not for only the Carputer afficionados, but also caters for the ever-increasing ITX-community in general.

What's in the box? The packaging was done with protection in mind, and testament to Mp3Car's dedication ensuring your parcel will arrive in good nick, even if crossing the world's oceans on it's way from the good ol' USA to the Land Down Under.

Inside I found the device itself, and even though I decided to toss out all the foamy bits, I could not locate any documentation or disk containing information on the device -> WYSIWYG. Basically you'll have to scour the www to find info on this little guy - or you can use my conveniently attached pdf at the end of this review.

On my way opening the box:



Working my eager fingers through the foamy bits to get to the unit - eventually - did I say it came well packaged:



and then the other side, showing the anti-static plastic bag enclosing and protecting the device:



The contents of the bag reveals the device itself, with a 20-pin ATX cable, and your standard 4-pin auxilliary (P4) power connector. Pre-connected to the PCB is your power-led, remote on/off switch, as well as motherboard switch cable, and lastly the AMP anti-thump control cable:



Description: Looking at the backside of the PCB, I observe a relative clean track layout, with a proper coating protecting the circuitboard against oxidation/degradation. This is a common practice nowadays, but you will occasionally still find electronic circuitboards without a decent protective coating, leading to problems down the line. The solder-work is not that great though, with to big solder-joints formed, and the quality of these joints are not that great either, meaning way to much solder used to fuse components with copper vias.



On the top-side, I'm glad we have a screw-terminal connector block allowing a quick, easy connection of your input (GND, BAT+ and ACC) signals, making this a rather painless process. Here you can also see the AMP anti-thump control cable:




In the next photo, right at the lower left edge, you can make out a small white switch, and three small surface-mount LED's.

Gone are the old, traditional jumpers, and instead this small surface-mount switch, controlling, with 3 LED's indicating, in binary, the mode selected, varying from standard ATX mode up to a variety of on/off delays to suit mostly every need out there:



At the opposite end of the component-side of the PCB we have the standard 20-pin ATX-, auxilliary power, as well as aforementioned remote on/off switch, power LED and motherboard on/off control cable.



Test Platform1:
Zotac Mini-Wifi ITX board, E7500 CPU, 4gigs Ram, Intel X25-M G2 SSD.

I proceeded to test the PSU with only a single harddrive connected to load up the outputs, as some PSU's will not start up with at least a harddrive connected, even though the motherboard is connected. In this case though, it was more as a preventative measure to ensure proper function - which is not always a successful test, as the following will indicate.

Thoroughly tested the device normal startup/shutdown control via ACC line by selecting Mode1, which = 5sec on delay, 45 second off delay. (For all modes, please see page 12 of 14 in the attached pdf document, which I discovered after an elaborate search on the www)

Back to testing - all outputs behaved proper, and I selected a 12V input, to determine the regulating capabilities of this DC-DC converter. The following conditions were observed, using an industrial-standard calibrated Fluke 87 Process Meter:

Input: 12.1 Vdc

Outputs:
3.3V rail -> 3.38 Vdc
5V rail -> 5.12 Vdc
12V rail -> 12.09 Vdc
-12V rail -> -11.96 Vdc

These numbers are very decent, indicating a well-performing regulating circuit.

One small problem I observed here, which was indicative of what was to come, is that I could only select Mode1, thereafter the mode-selection failed to respond to any more presses of the mode-switch - I was stubbornly persisitent, however, no joy.

Anyway, after semi-successful static test, decided to connect the Zotac Test Platform1 to it - but, it was a NO GO.

The GP83 would fire up in proper sequence determined by (the stuck) Mode1 selection, but, the Zotac refused to initialize completely. The NB fan would spin up, all onboard LED's will activate, but no POST.

Indeed something got trashed in the BIOS, as I could only revive the board back to life after connecting it to normal ATX PSU, and removing CMOS battery, jumpering CMOS CLR, and then resetting to defaults after.

Please note this is a repeatable result - this GP83 doesn't go with the ZOTAC - do not try this at home, as you may end up with a corrupt BIOS, and unless you have a spare CMOS chip, you'll have a nice paperweight.

Well, not to be undermined, I decided to go onto the next step ->

Enter Test Platform2:
Commell LV-677, T7200 mobile Core-2-Duo, 2gigs Ram, Seagate Momentus 100gig, 7200rpm HD.

After the disappointment with the Zotac, I decided to repeat the test on my trusty old Commell platform - alas with similar results. The only difference is that I failed to "corrupt" the BIOS on the Commell, potentially indicative of the industrial-focussed design of this motherboard.

This is reeking of the same issue that plagued the earlier M2-ATX controller when they first came on the market -> with the exception that I only ever had issues with the M2-ATX and the LV-677, which could very well have been an issue with the LV-677 itself.

As some of you may remember, the M2-ATX was notorious for failing to start up certain motherboards, and tied with the LV-677, made for one such combo. Over here I detailed a mod to sort out "timing" issues between the M2-ATX and the Commell LV-677, and it has been running flawless since.

I have a suspicion this is one and the same problem, and one forum member has mentioned in another thread that he thought the GP83 was a M2-ATX knock-off...maybe, maybe not - the sympton on this certainly mirrors that of the M2-ATX without the capacitor mod.

Positives:
1)Clean design, decent layout, and some innnovative features wrt mode-selection, and providing remote on/off switch capability.
2) Now familiar form-factor, which will allow installation in most mini-itx enclosures available to the entusiast.
3) Either headers or screw-terminals for every connection, a big plus - thank you Genius-PC (Manufacturer)
4) Decent design, with logical location of most components/connectors.

Negatives:
1) Not so evident, but soon someone should design this form-factor controller with 4, as opposed to 2, mounting holes - this 2-hole design is an invitation for disaster, as it doesn't mechanically anchor the board as well as it should, especially if you're the sort who will constantly fiddle with cables, especially plugging/unplugging the ATX 20-pin one.
2) Failure of the controller to work on both my ITX platforms - while the M2-ATX pretty happily performs this same chore, with 20W less to boot.
3) Absolutely no information shipping with the device.
4) Why no 24-pin ATX capability?

Verdict: With the final test outcome, I would neglect if I fail to advise against using this PSU with either the Commell LV-677 or Zotac 9300-series WiFi motherboards - I cannot speak for any other combinations, but, for now, until this issue is resolved, I will certainly avoid this one. It would be good to pen down your experience with the GP83, in this thread, if you own the same, or other brands of motherboards.

Armed with this information, we can report back to the manufacturer, and, should we prove an issue exist with this PSU, they may decided to investigate and fix the potential issue(s). This is pure conjecture on my part though, as one should not draw any conclusions from a single test-sample, as we're all well aware.

I know a few will point the obvious, stating the possibility my systems have power requirements exceeding the capabilities of the GP83 - well, my little 150W Pico-PSU, as well as 140W M2-ATX, happily starts both systems, time and time again, without fail.

Specifications:
On paper, the GP83 has pretty impressive specs, allowing a wide input range of between 8-28Vdc, with no less than 90% output efficiency across the input voltage range - this at maximum load!

Ripple Voltage will also not exceed 300mV p-p at 28V DC input, and maximum 15A current. Impressive, for a converter in this price-range.

Maximum current output on both the 3.3V, 5V and 12V rails is 8A, with peak loads of up to 12A's are allowed, with the provisor it is for a period shorter than 60 seconds.

Should you consider using this PSU, with an input approaching +18Vdc, the manufacturer's recommendation is to use positive airflow to cool SMD's, as efficiency, reliability and longevity all tapers rather sharply past the 50 deg C mark

For further specifications, please refer to the attached GP83.pdf file. It should also answer any other questions you may have.

As a result of the outcome of this review, I will write a report and return this unit to Mp3Car, who should use this opportunity to send it back to the supplier to investigate and rectify the potential issue. Pending this outcome, I will update this thread in the (hopefully) near future.

Thank you for reading, hope you will find something useful to take from his :)

Kind regards,
Phillip aka mrbean.
Attached Images
File Type: pdf GP83.pdf (568.5 KB)
]]> The Review Palace mrbean_phillip http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137406-hardware-review-gp83-dc-dc-intelligent-atx-psu.html Hardware Review: IBox In-dash Monitor http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137399-hardware-review-ibox-dash-monitor.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:16:37 GMT Since english is not my native language, I am sure there will be lots of spelling mistake and grammar error, please forgive me.

Summary:

Hardware review: IBOX 7" in-dash motorized touchscreen monitor
What it does: Touchscreen computer monitor with built-in AM/FM radio
Manufacturer: Star Harmony
Model: IBOX 701A
Specs: 7: 16:9 Widescreen TFT vGA Touchscreen (USB/Serial)
Price: $300.00
LCD Manufacturer: Hitachi
Purchased from manufacturer directly.

Pros: Easy to install, easy to connect, built-in AM/FM radio, built-in amplifier, motorized, up to 1024 x 768 resolution, reasonable price, autoswitch to backup camera, auto on/off option, turn on/off computer if computer is from same manufacturer, excellent service.
Cons: No direct button for major functions, user menu is confusing, some bugs in monitor firmware.

Rating:
Functionality: 9/10,
Quality: 7.5/10,
How easy to operate: 9/10,
How easy to Install: 9/10,
GUI design: 5/10,
Service: 9/10,
Over all: 8.5/10.

Here is the detail review.

I started looking for a carputer system since 2007. What I need is a system doesn't need too many wiring work, single din size, can run GPS software smoothly, and have a built-in radio. About 14 months ago, I happen to see this monitor on internet. It has built-in radio, single din motorized touchsceen, meets my requirment perfectly. The most important thing was monitor can control computer without installing new buttons and new wires. Sorry I am kinda off the topic, let's see some pictures of this monitor.

Front View:

The panel doesn't look straight, but I think that because of my camera. Monitor quality is better than I expected.


How it look like with powered on, the bottom unit is one din size computer. I will review it later. The small display in the middle shows time, radio frequency etc etc. It is easy to read in darkness, but almost impossible to read under sun light. This is one of my main complains.


Rear View: As you can see, back panel is very neat, only has main connector, antenna and video conntion.


Main connector plugged in


Accessories: You may have noticed that on monitor side, it has DVI connector but on the computer side, it has VGA. Sales explained to me that they use some pins in DVI connector to control computer so I don't need to install additional cable. That make sense but it also means you cannot change video cable if you don't like thin, unshielded OEM video cable. After a year, the cable works fine, not as bad as I think it would. Accessories also include a user manual , a fuse, installation harness and a remote control. This cable has lot of connectors, on monitor side, it has DVI, 2 video input, 1 audio input. On computer side, it has serial/USB control and VGA.



Installation of this monitor was easy, remove the old head unit, connect wire adapter to car head unit wire I bought from Ebay, then pairing all wires. I have to say Star Harmony didn't pay much attention for details. All wires on main connector neither follow color coded protocol, nor have lables. I have to compare with user manual to figure out ground, acc, +12v and eight speak wires.

I spent most of time in wiring video/control/audio cable from dash board to back trunk. Other than that, it didn't took me much time. No need to drill holes on dash board to setup power button. Once everything is set, I push the power button on monitor, everything is up and running as they should.

The biggest complain about this monitor would be terrible user interface. It only has 4 buttons on the panel. It is very confusing. I still don't fully understand how to use them even now. And touchsceen GUI is not anything better. They should have fired the guy who wrote it. Lot of items were misplaced, and too many unnecessary things were thrown in. For example, they even have a control menu to control dvd player software which I totally don't know how to make work, and who is going to need this menu if you run something like roadrunner?


This project was finished about year ago. I only had one problem in the past year. It happened right after I installed whole system on my car. I parked my car for 4 days and battery was drained out. Finally I figured out it was because the monitor was not completely off. So I called Star Harmony and they admitted there was a design problem in that batch. I shipped old one back and get new one from them with any trouble. I also talked with their technical on the phone for a few times after I found some bugs in firmware. They send me a sepcial cable as well as firmware updates so that I can update by myself. Complained that there was hissing noise from speakers while drive, they sent me a noise reduction circuit box free and problem solved.

All in all, I am very satisfied with my choice. It does what I wanted, after a year, it still works good. No overheat in over 100F degree days. Price was reasonable for a in-dash monitor, service is excellent. Just wish they can pay more attention to details and find a new programmer to re-design user interface.

I will add review of computer later when I have time. Thanks for reading. ]]> The Review Palace dyyzff http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137399-hardware-review-ibox-dash-monitor.html Foxconn 45CSX vs Intel D945GCLF2 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137360-foxconn-45csx-vs-intel-d945gclf2.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:26:30 GMT I found the Intel D945GCLF2 BIOS to be slow at POSTing and I heard that foxconn motherboards have a reputation for fast BIOS operations so I purchased a dual core Atom 45CSX from newegg.com for $70. These motherboards are extremely similar with the same audio chip, same COM1/Parallel port, etc so I... I found the Intel D945GCLF2 BIOS to be slow at POSTing and I heard that foxconn motherboards have a reputation for fast BIOS operations so I purchased a dual core Atom 45CSX from newegg.com for $70. These motherboards are extremely similar with the same audio chip, same COM1/Parallel port, etc so I will only list what's different between the two.

Intel:
one fan
8 total USB connections
Supports IDE
3 pin system fan
requires P4 power connector
3 year warranty
comes with 1 long SATA cable

Foxconn:
fanless
6 total USB connections
No IDE support, only SATA.
4 pin system fan
does not require P4 power connector
1 year warranty
comes with 2 short SATA cables
approx $20 cheaper

The Intel BIOS is very slow to navigate and slow to draw screens, it feels slow like an 8088 or XT processor from twenty-five years ago. The fastest I could get the BIOS to boot is 5 seconds after alot of tweaking.

The foxconn BIOS is fast like we are accustomed to when navigating around. There's a lot more options available to turn things off, or do it manually. You can even program the BIOS to turn off your motherboard if the CPU exceeds a certain temperature. From power up I initially thought the BIOS only took 1 second to boot because that's how fast the BIOS information is shown on the screen before it starts loading from Windows. However when I examined closely the BIOS screen is black for 3-4 seconds prior so there isn't much of an improvement in BIOS times.

The four pin system fan socket is new to me, and it is backwards compatible to the 3 pin system fan plug found on my Mo-Co-So computer case fan. However, with a 3 pin fan the foxconn M/B can no longer control the speed and causes the fan to run full blast. So now it runs louder until I can find a 4 pin replacement fan.

The foxconn doesn't require a P4 power connector so you can't accidentally damage your motherboard/CPU which is good, and also saves you a few bucks from having to buy that separately.

I've attached two pictures, one with the foxconn motherboard and M2-ATX power supply attached to the Mo-Co-So bottom case, and the other picture of the D945GCLF2 motherboard by itself.

Here's a video with the Foxconn demonstrating how long it takes to boot from hibernate. Hardware: 512MB ram, 5400 rpm Seagate 60GB EE25 automotive SATA drive.
Foxconn 45CSX taking 11 seconds from power on to Streetdeck software.

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Conclusion: If you can live with 6 USB ports and planning on only using a SATA HD interface then this motherboard is a better choice over the D945GCLF2.
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]]> The Review Palace BlackStealth http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137360-foxconn-45csx-vs-intel-d945gclf2.html Infrared night vision camera review. Sold by MP3Car. http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137279-infrared-night-vision-camera-review-sold-mp3car.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:01:36 GMT Infrared, Night Vision, Waterproof, High Resolution Camera review. MP3Car was nice enough to send me this night vision camera for free in exchange for a review, so here goes. http://store.mp3car.com/ProductDetai...ctCode=COM-105 What is it? This is a CMOS night vision camera sold by... Infrared, Night Vision, Waterproof, High Resolution Camera review.
MP3Car was nice enough to send me this night vision camera for free in exchange for a review, so here goes.


http://store.mp3car.com/ProductDetai...ctCode=COM-105

What is it?
This is a CMOS night vision camera sold by MP3Car. Night vision is through the front mounted IR LEDs. It's advertised purpose is mostly for surveillance, but as we will see in the review later on, this camera is actually better suited as a parking cam. The store's heading for this product advertises it to be a CCD camera, but the specifications mention that it is a CMOS (which is what this camera actually is). The camera runs on 12v and is waterproof.

In the box
Here is a picture of the box and what's in it:


Very basic stuff. You get an RCA cable, a sliced power cable, a sheet of paper as the manual, and of course the camera itself. The manual is written in chinglish with obvious grammar mistakes, but it's not that bad and completely understandable.


Description
First of all, I'd like to comment on the difference between a CMOS and a CCD camera. CCD is better quality and more expensive than a CMOS. The benefits of CCD technology over CMOS is that they are better under low light situations and overall better picture quality from lower noise. This infrared camera that I am reviewing is CMOS based and Ill be comparing it to a Sony CCD camera that I bought off eBay a while ago and have been using in my car's surveillance system.

Although this camera is advertised to be a surveillance camera, I actually think it would be best suited as a parking cam instead. If you look at the video footage below, you'll see there is actually some sort of permanent trapezoid shape on the video output of the camera which I am assuming is to help you judge distance.

IMPORTANT POINT #1: the manual recommends running it off a 12v regulated source. Im assuming the camera has no internal voltage regulation, so you probably do not want to plug it straight into the car's electrical system. It probably would work fine, but who knows what long term effects all those voltage irregularities will have on the camera. To play it safe, I'll be running the camera on 12v regulated. This shouldnt be a problem for more CarPC'ers as you can just easily tap into the +12v of your PSU.

IMPORTANT POINT #2: If you look at my video footage (it looks like I am driving on the wrong side of the road), you will see that the image from the camera is actually REVERSED. For this reason, I do not recommend using the camera as surveillance or as a front mounted dash cam. It's only really suited to be used as a parking camera.

Here is some video of the CMOS camera:

CMOS Camera in daytime:

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CMOS Camera at night:

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and as comparison, here is some sample video footage from my Sony CCD camera. Note that at the end of the night-time video, I am driving in a completely pitch dark construction zone. There is no lighting other than my headlights. You can see me playing around with the different headlight settings on my car in 0:36. In pitch dark conditions illuminated by only my headlights, I was unable to see anything with the CMOS camera, it was just all noise and fuzz. Interesting thing to note, I actually found myself glancing down on my screen when driving down this pitch black road because my Sony CCD provided better night vision than what my human eyes can see.

Sony CCD camera at night:

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Sony CCD camera in the daytime:

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Although the MP3Car camera has IR illumination, they are practically useless in far range situations. The reason is that the CMOS image detector itself is not as sensitive as CCDs and the IR illuminators simply are not powerful enough to illuminate far distances. As a parking camera, your rear tail-lights will probably provide more illumination than the IR LEDs. Night time driving shots are decent enough, and in fact, this camera is much better than my previous CMOS camera in low light conditions. However, the CCD camera is much better for low light situations. If low light quality is important, then I would recommend using the camera only in closer distances where the IR illumination actually has any effect. The CMOS camera is actually usable in pitch black conditions, but of course, only when the surroundings are close enough to be lit up. Just to give you guys an idea of how bright the IR LEDs are on the CMOS camera, here is a picture I took with my digital camera (in case you guys dont know, most digital cameras can "see" into the infrared region). The lights on the left are from the camera and the single light is a standard TV remote. You can see that they are pretty much similar in brightness.



The IR on this camera is controlled by a small photoelectric sensor, so the IR only comes on when it's dark. I also did a power consumption test. At 12V, the camera draws 100mA (so 1.2W) in the daytime with the IR off and 111mA (1.3W) at night when the IR is on. In comparison, my Sony CCD camera draws 0.15mA (1.8W).

Nevertheless, video quality in the daytime is very similar to a CCD. CMOS technology is inherently noisier than CCD but that is not very noticeable in the daytime.

As for mounting the camera, you can see in this picture how the little rings slide off. You simply drill a hole, silicone the surroundings, slide in the camera, then tighten up the rings.


The Positive
-Low price
-Durable, waterproof. I wanted to take the camera apart to see what's inside, but the camera is so sturdily built that I cant find a way to take it apart.
-Very good quality for a CMOS camera. Quality in lighted conditions is very similar to a CCD camera
-IR illumination for night vision even in pitch black (only useful if the surroundings are close).
-Trapezoid on-screen guide to help judge distance (a positive only if you are using as a parking cam)
-Image is reversed (a positive only if you are using as a parking cam)

The Negative
-Night vision is limited by how far away the surroundings are.
-In low light conditions, the camera is very "noisy" and resolution is not very good. Still much better than most CMOS cameras.
-Not very practical for use as a surveillance cam.
-Requires regulated +12v power, meaning it might not be a good idea to hook this up straight into your car's electrical system without some sort of voltage regulator inline.

The Verdict
This low cost CMOS camera is best suited for use as a parking camera. The reversed image and on-screen trapezoid for judging distance is an indication of this. Video quality is comparable to a higher quality CCD camera in the daytime, but at night, images are fuzzy.

Specifications
(the MP3Car store has slightly different specs listed, I will post the ones from the manual)
-CMOS technology, PAL and NTSC
-Input voltage: 12v regulated
-1 inch diameter mounting hole
-Pixels (H*V): 628*582 PAL, 510*492 NTSC
-Resolution: 380 TVL (Enhanced)
-Viewing angle: 120 deg
-Video output: 1.0 Vpp composite video at 75 ohm
-Min illumination: 0.1 lux (IR on)
-Operating temp: -20C to 70C
-Weight: 300g ]]> The Review Palace nobb http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137279-infrared-night-vision-camera-review-sold-mp3car.html Hardware Review: Intelligent DC-DC converter with USB interface http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137140-hardware-review-intelligent-dc-dc-converter-usb-interface.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:49:58 GMT Intelligent DC-DC converter with USB interface review. After struggling with mini-box.com, i canceled my order, received the refund and was looking for an alternative to power my brand new Zotac A-U board. mp3car.com gladly sent me the device in exchange for a review. so here it is. The... Intelligent DC-DC converter with USB interface review.

After struggling with mini-box.com, i canceled my order, received the refund and was looking for an alternative to power my brand new Zotac A-U board.
mp3car.com gladly sent me the device in exchange for a review. so here it is.



The device:
The Intelligent DC-DC converter with USB interface by mini-box.com is a buck/boost converter/regulator that can be used for a wide variety of application, it can be used to power any device that needs 6-24VDC, and the input range can be anything from 6VDC to 34VDC. The device can also send ON/OFF signals to motherboards based on IGN or ACC voltages.

The box:
UPS brought me a box that weight a little more than air itself, i was wondering if there is actually anything inside. before filing the claim that somebody stole the device out of the box i decided to open it anyway (;
there it was, a small green board with a few short cables and a little bag with a few tiny jumpers. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and test the &*%$ out of it, but to my surprise there was no manual, no CD, no USB cable. i found a very basic manual on the mini-box.com site and the journey began.

The work:
Without the availability of the USB cable and lack of software, i went ahead configuring the device to my needs with a basic manual and a few jumpers.
I need 19VDC to power my Zotac A-U mobo, the device CAN produce this voltage but with the USB software, i set the device to output the nearest voltage that can be set with jumpers which is 18VDC, the multimeter shows 18.24VDC i then set the device to operate as a regular converter/inverter and connected it to my mobo. pushed the power button, the fan started to spin, and the mobo seems to run just fine. +/-1VDC inst crucial for this mobo. i then tested the output voltage range of this device and the device does what it is suppose to do. no matter of the input (as long as its within range) the output voltage will be what it is set to be. then i set it to automotive mode which adds timing options along with ON/OFF pulses to the mobo. i set the timing to send off pulse to the mobo as soon as ACC is off and completely turn off the device after a minute - it did just that. my Zotac now powers on and off automatically. because of the wide input range the device has absolutely no problems surviving engine crank. however once the device starts the timer, it cannot be interrupted, meaning that if i shut off ACC the timer will start and will count a minute, in this time frame if i turn the ACC back on the device will not power up the mobo, nor send on/off signals. but if i leave the ACC on until the timer finished it will power up the board and send ON signal. temperature wise this device does just well, it get a bit warm when powered for a long time, but absolutely nothing to worry about and nothing that will require additional cooling. in my setup the device does exactly what it is described to do.



The good:
The device can be used for a wide variety of applications, it is very accurate, small profile, easy to setup,survives engine crank, appears to be reliable (i used it a few days already and it powers up and shuts down every time without problems) and the price is right.

The bad:
I am not sure how it is shipped from mini-box.com but the device should most defiantly come with advanced documentation or at least some documentation. even though most of us SHOULD have the proper USB cabe, it should be included in the package, the configuration software should also come with the device or at least be available for easy download. otherwise more configuration options should be available on the device itself. mini-box.com use jumpers that are smaller then the regular computer jumpers, i don't see a reason for this, should just use regular jumpers.

The truth:
All in all the device is great, does what you configure it to do and does it well. for this price ($59+shipping) you cant go wrong with it. though with more documentation, software and USB cable the package would be complete.


The rest: (from mini-box.com)
- Applications: powering motherboard with single rail power from any voltage to any voltage, laptops, custom electronics. This module can be used to convert any voltage ranging 6-34V to any output from 5-24V.

The DCDC-USB has 4 models of operation:

- Dumb mode: Acts as a regular DC-DC converter with wide input (6-34V) and produces a fixed 12V output (or any output from 6-24V)
- Automotive mode: Acts as an intelligent PSU, ignition aware, will send ON/OFF pulse to the motherboard to turn ON/OFF. Standby power consumption is well under 1mA.
- UPS mode: The unit will act as an intelligent UPS unit, will shut down at prescribed battery voltages.
- Script mode: Unit can be programmed to wake up, sleep, based on pre-programmed scripts.

Additional features of DCDC-USB:
- Remote ON/OFF switch capable of switching up to 6A, 8A peak.
- Can control motherboard ON/OFF pins
- Fused input, TVS protected
- USB mini, type B
- All Solid Polymer Capacitors, SVPD series, Sanyo, Japan. ]]> The Review Palace sergatiuk http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/137140-hardware-review-intelligent-dc-dc-converter-usb-interface.html <![CDATA[[Request] Review of LinuxICE2]]> http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/136494-request-review-linuxice2.html Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:27:38 GMT When LinuxICE2 goes final, I think it would be valuable to the forum members if we could get a non-biased review. It'd be great to get a windows user's perspective on installing, ease of use, issues you run into, benefits, etc.

Having such a review would not only help others to understand the benefits of LinuxICE, but also help those of us developing it know how to better tailor it for users who aren't necessarily knowledgeable about Linux or computers in general. ]]> The Review Palace kev000 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/136494-request-review-linuxice2.html Hardware review - ZOTAC A-U Atom 330 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/136328-hardware-review-zotac-u-atom-330-a.html Sat, 10 Oct 2009 20:01:40 GMT scroll down for pics. Ordered the board from Newegg with the 4GB ram crossair that they suggested, it was at my door within 3 days. after unpacking it, i put in the ram, connected sata HD, DVD-rom, monitor and the power supply it came with, i loaded windows 7 on it. i was very impressed with... scroll down for pics.

Ordered the board from Newegg with the 4GB ram crossair that they suggested, it was at my door within 3 days.
after unpacking it, i put in the ram, connected sata HD, DVD-rom, monitor and the power supply it came with, i loaded windows 7 on it.
i was very impressed with the performance of the Atom CPU, this little board packs lots of power in a very small form factor. being a dual core CPU, with HT enabled, windows sees it as 4 CPUs. out of 4GB of dual channel ram, windows 7 was using +/- 600MB which leaves plenty of juice for other ram hungry programs.
it has 6 USB ports on the back panel, and onboard pin connectors for 4 additional ports. with 10 USB ports from the board itself, i highly doubt i will ever need a hub with it.
i should also note that even though its USB 2, the transfer speed appears to be near double the speed i was getting on my Acer lappy which also has USB 2.
win 7 was able to recongnise most of the drivers and ran pretty well on first boot.
The driver CD that came with the board seems to have some issues with its software, when i ran the setup from the CD root folder, it showed a message "detecting hardware..." and then nothing .... the drivers can be found on the CD folders and installed seperatly. however i downloaded them from the ZOTAC site, as theres is better description of the drivers that are for win 7. all the drivers installed well, everything was functioning properly.

even though i was impressed with the performance on win 7 on this board, i wasnt satisfied enough for use in the car, boot time wasnt as good as i wanted it.
after extreme nLite configuration, i installed 2003 server and it was blazing fast. cold boot in 30 secs, response was amazing - when you release the 2nd mouse click the program/folder is open, the OS used only 100MB ram. however on the downside the drivers werent very compatible, and the OS showed errors after installing the drivers.
i then reinstalled win 7 and went on tweaking it.

after tweaking it to the max i was able to get the desired cold boot times: +/- 40-60 secs.

by now, most of you might be asking why i went with A-U (19VDC power input) and not D-E (ATX power input), and the reason is that i dont want to go with the Mseries-ATX PSU, and the other are way overpriced, it really doesnt seem logiclal to me paying for the PSU more then the mobo itself. plug since i dont have a spare AC PSU laying around i wanted to be able to do all the configuration as home before i throw the mobo in the car and therefore the AC-DC adapter it came with was the perfect choice, the PSU i will use in the car is http://www.mini-box.com/DCDC-USB, the price seem much more down-to-earth and it offers a wider range and variety for other devices besides a PC.

before ordering the board i was unshurly debating if i should spend $250 and have everything i want and need in one or go with the $100 cheaper intel board which also has atom 330.
now i know i made the right choice, having 2GB or 4GB dual channel ram does make a differance, having 10 USB ports does make a differance, having intel chipset or Nvidia ION does make a differance, and unlike the other boards, having HDMI, DVI, digital audio, wifi is a nice extra, and though it isnt needed in the car, if i ever want to use this board for HDPC i can.

after all i think i investment was well worth it and i am very glad i decided to spend a little extra and go with this board and not another. i really recommend this board to anybody that want the maximum performance in this class of boards, this board should handle anything you might want to throw at it in a car envirment.

also i forgot to mention the BIOS on this board is customizable and has overclocking options, makign this board useful for more then a year or 2...

i hope that somebody can find this review helpful. ]]> The Review Palace sergatiuk http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/136328-hardware-review-zotac-u-atom-330-a.html Hardware Review: JL Audio CL-RLC volume controlled preamp http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/136283-hardware-review-jl-audio-cl-rlc-volume-controlled-preamp.html Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:03:37 GMT Hardware Review: JL Audio CL-RLC volume controler with built in 7.5 volt preamp What it is/does: allows remote volume control of stereo equipment Reviewed by: Soundman98 Manufacturer : JL Audio Model: CL-RLC Specs: 7.5 volt preamp, linkable, remote volume knob Price: MSRP $60, i paid... Hardware Review: JL Audio CL-RLC volume controler with built in 7.5 volt preamp

What it is/does: allows remote volume control of stereo equipment

Reviewed by: Soundman98
Manufacturer : JL Audio
Model: CL-RLC
Specs: 7.5 volt preamp, linkable, remote volume knob
Price: MSRP $60, i paid $55 w/ free shipping on ebay-- seller was dimensionaudio
Rating: 9/10
Manufacturer website: www.jlaudio.com
Purchased at: www.ebay.com
Pros: great if you need a volume control and a preamp even better if your need both for a multichannel system
Cons: rj-11 phone plug for volume knob wire connector might be very touchy- one defective unit--later found unit is defective, not connectors.
Pictures:

file photo courtesy of jlaudio.com


i purchased 4 of these to control my entire setup-- 3 are used to control my actively crossed-over speakers(meaning that the audio signal is divided for the proper speaker before it enters the amp), one for my tweeters, one for my mids, and one for the sub channel. the one for the sub loops into the 4th unit to serve as a independant subwoofer level control.

overall, i was inpressed by the construction of the units. they are built very sensibly, with fused power inputs, and a range of options for connecting them to your stereo.
the power and input rca connectors are on one side, with the other having a variable output pair of rcas- controlled by the volume knob, and a pair of fixed output, or pass-through rcas, which are not affected by the volume knob. they just pass the input signal on, without changing it.

i connected them with very little problems, using 2 phone jack splitters, and small phone extension cables, to allow one volume knob to control 3 units. the fourth unit was connected to its own volume knob, so subwoofer volume is controlled by the main units, but is also independantly variable.

after installation, i was finally able to turn my amp gains down(previously, all my gains were set to max-- about 0.2volts..) and fired up the carputer for some subjective listening.

as expected, going from a very poor, low level signal to a higher level input signal has resulted in much better dynamics across the board-- the subs hit much stronger and fuller, the mids, and tweets sound a lot more natural.


i have now had them installed in my car for about 2 weeks now, and have been very pleased with the result--while they are more expensive than what i would prefer to pay for something like this, there are very few solutions for multichannel volume controls, and preamps, but it has definatly increased the enjoyment i get from listening to music in my car-- i can actually turn it up now! and having a physical knob makes volume adjustments that much easier-- no more waiting for the computer to adjust the master volume.

but i have been having problems with one of the units cutting in and out-- at random, it will just stop working, and then all of a sudden start working again. at first, i had problems with all 3 of the units, and had poor connectivity over the phone connectors. after making my own phone cable jumpers, it seems to be doing better, except for the one unit.

EDIT:just a small update for those of you who might have been concerned about the issues that i said i was having with one of the units---i recently swapped it with the one that was my sub volume control(one single, dedicated knob, no other units connected to it), and it has since worked flawlessly. i have had to re-adjust the knob for the correct amount of bass though--it seems that it was expecting a different level of resistance from the knob, and linking it to the other units was enough for it to get confused as to what level it sould be outputting, so it would cut in and out as it figured out the correct resistance...

since the swap, it has worked flawlessly (i did't even think about it on the way into work today, which is amazing in itself)

edit2: it worked flawlessly until i made the post, it turns out it is still up to its old shenanagins-- ordered a replacement ]]> The Review Palace soundman98 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/review-palace/136283-hardware-review-jl-audio-cl-rlc-volume-controlled-preamp.html