Need help gathering requirements for my carpc

jamie3 · 11-14-2007, 11:06 AM

Recently purchased a Mini ITX VIA EPIA MII 10000 Mini-ITX.

Looking to put together a car pc. I know very little about cars however I do have lots of experience with computers as I am an electrical engineer currently working as a software engineer.

So here is what I want to do.

Phase 1
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1) Purchase a 2.5" IDE hardrive 40-100gb in size
2) Purchase a case which can be used to host my mobo & hardrive. Test at home using a standard ac adapter. Was looking at the Voom2 PC chassis. This phase will test the performance of the mobo using the operating system along with additional programs. I likely will be using ubuntu, with the lightweight GUI (can't remember its name).
3) A 7" touch screen will be used for testing

Phase 2
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1) Install the carputer in my 2003 Honda Civic LX.

Requirements:
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1) Need the mobo to auto turn on/off with car engine
2) Need the ability to hook up the mobo to my car's stereo system

FAQ (here is where i need your help)
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1) Will the M2-ATX satisfy my requirements
2) If my car has a 12V power socket is there anything that I can purchase such that I do not have to wire the device to my car. If yes will it support automatic on/off features.

I know this is a little vague, I will add more as I find out. Any help to documents is appreciated.

Disefyl · 11-14-2007, 01:04 PM

Yes the M2-ATX will satisfy your requirements, however it will need to be wired into your car's electrical system inorder for the auto-start/shutdown function to work. In addition to the 12v rails, the auto function needs to be connected to the ignition (the same wire that turns on your stock headunit).

jamie3 · 11-14-2007, 03:42 PM

how does one go about hooking up the 1/8" output from the mobo into the stereo system in the car?

Disefyl · 11-14-2007, 04:05 PM

That would depend upon how permanent you want your install to be. From the question in your previous post, I get the impression that you arent interested in a deeply involved install. In that case something like a casette adaptor or fm transmitter may be more suited to your situation. Otherwise there are a variety of solutions for a more complicated install. These range from simply splicing into your existing stereo wires to aftermarket adaptors that allow aux inputs for stock systems.

jamie3 · 11-14-2007, 06:53 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Disefyl

That would depend upon how permanent you want your install to be. From the question in your previous post, I get the impression that you arent interested in a deeply involved install. In that case something like a casette adaptor or fm transmitter may be more suited to your situation. Otherwise there are a variety of solutions for a more complicated install. These range from simply splicing into your existing stereo wires to aftermarket adaptors that allow aux inputs for stock systems.

ah yes. i fergot about the fm transmitter. my gf has one for her ipod. that is ideal for my setup. thanks!