Need help with install of carputer using a laptop...

slimcubby · 04-26-2004, 02:54 AM

I am new to this forum I have been trying to find out help with installing a carputer and LCD in dash touch screen. For starters my laptop is a HP compaq nx9010 2.4GHz mobile intel P4 40gig HD 192mb RAM Windows XP Pro and I would prefer using this rather than buidling a carputer from scratch. Will this be possible? How can I make the laptop boot up when the ignition is turned on and shutdown when the ignition is turned off. Please help me here is a link of a similar car to mine but with everything installed and working :-( and with the stock stereo in the glove box. This guy has his computer in his trunk. I would like to have mine under the passenger seat so I can have easy access to the DVD drive. etc. Please help me out with information and help.
Here is the link of my laptop specs

bankingdom · 04-26-2004, 05:29 PM

I don't wanna say it, but

This has come up again and again, and again, and even again....

But to help ya out, to get the laptop to turn on and off with ignition is possible, but tough, esp if you have a new laptop and don't wanna start messing with the internal organs. Search around and you can see people have done it with relays and the such, but its too complicated for me.

The best bet, what I do, is just turn the laptop on (bend over to the passenger seat) once during the day. Then, when you want to leave, just put the system on standby. I'm sure with a new battery, your laptop can stay in standby for at least a day or two. When you want to turn it back on, just touch the screen (assuming you have a touchscreen) or press a keyboard button or something. Works like a charm, and you have a brand new laptop to take in and out whenever you please (less chance of it getting stolen). Check out my system....

http://www.bankingdom.com/carputer/carputer.html

Lemme know if you have any other questions....

ozoffi · 04-27-2004, 04:25 AM

To switch off the Notebook is very simple:
Place in the power management that with supplies Power from Notebook-Battery to x minutes switches off the Notebook, or go in Hybernate ...
To turn on, ist is not so simple...
I lead out the power on switch with a cable to a external switch.

kiltjim · 04-27-2004, 12:44 PM

I've set my laptop up with a remote switch. It's not that hard, as long as you know what you are doing with a soldering iron. If you can crack the case open, you can connect two wires to the power switch terminals. On the other end, you can put in a momentary switch. This would allow you to turn on, and off the laptop by using the switch.

To turn the laptop on with the ignition, you could put in a 555 timer, set to one-shot mode, and hook a relay to the output. WIth the 555 timers input hooked to the ACC wire, it'll trigger the relay once you turn the car on, and never again, until it loses power. This would be just like pushing the power button when you turn the car on, and never again until you turn te car off.

for schematics on the 555 timer, and relays.

samc · 04-27-2004, 12:55 PM

basically with a laptop you just need to get a car adapter (ebay that shiz), and a fancy way to dock it. I think it will be easy for you to just wire a switch to your notebook, as the guy above me has mentioned, just a simply + and - momentary switch.

And that screen above is a xenarc with hours (Im sure) and hours of fiberglass and bondo. Anyone can do it it just takes patients.