BMW E30 install with night vision

tekta · 07-08-2004, 05:57 PM

Evening all, finally got my install up and working after about 6 months, here are a few pics. The car is a 1990 BMW 318is. It's based on my old PII 400, running off an inverter. I went for a removable screen setup as there isn't much room to mount a screen permanently, and designed my own bracket on CAD.

Basic interior
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/equipment out.jpg

Screen and phone in position. Custom bracket rapid prototyped from CAD model. MK2 w slide in power connection coming soon (and painted black!)
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/equipment in.jpg

USB2 hub w PS2 ports at bottom, stereo on. System turned on by OEM buttons to left of hazard switch.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamcha...en working.jpg

GPS receiver
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/gps receiver.jpg

PC and invertor in boot. Yes, this is a mess. Note attractive pine case for panel beaten ATX case.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/pc in boot.jpg

USB2 webcam and trust micro optical mouse (great) in use
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamcha...plugged in.jpg

The night vision

IR webcam, wired up to USB lead in engine bay.
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/infra red cam.jpg

Software - Runs all these at the same time pretty easily, and boots in around 40 seconds. Much better than I expected.

Windows media player
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/wmp.jpg

BMW parts catalogue - now the pc is done I need to spend money on things like this :/
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/bmw etk.jpg

USB2 webcam in action
http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/webcam.jpg

(also missing pic of Autoroute in action)

The great Mediacar

http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamchap/mediacar.jpg

I have a video of the night vision in action which i'll put up soon, but it's 66MB at the moment and I have dial up

The plan is to add 2x10 IR LED arrays that I have waiting. The IR works great, 30fps, but needs more IR illumination to work well on the car.

***here's the vid: http://members.lycos.co.uk/jamcamcha...vis test 1.avi
It's in divX, using latest version of Dr DivX
Right click and save as. It's 40 seconds and 1.7MB.

I will be experimenting more with the IR camera, but it was very strange just driving via the screen

It was absolutely pitch black apart from the screen glow, and it did work. So am I the first person on mp3car to have night vision???! Please say yes

Couple of other things to add soon:
Scroll wheel in console by window buttons
get 848x480 to work properly
get bluetooth dongle to work to give internet connection

Thanks for all the help and advice form this site, I'm sure it would have been another 6 months til it was sorted without seeing everyone elses work. I am now loving my car PC

DaRacerz · 07-08-2004, 09:11 PM

Love the idea of the nightvision, interested to see how well it works when u put it up online.

dodgetimes2 · 07-08-2004, 09:15 PM

You could encode that 66MB file to Divx, and make it much easier for us to download. By the way nice setup but what is it with cartft.com LCDs? These are obviously Lilliput screens right? They can't even put their little sticker on straight.

redbeamer · 07-08-2004, 09:27 PM

Looks pretty good. I have an 89 E30 325i and I've been researching for a couple months now preparing to configure my audio system and car PC. I am going to be doing a lot of custom fabrication with my project i.e. new door panels, new kick panels, & fiberglass subwoofer enclosure. One thing I will be doing differently than you is making a custom panel to mount my screen where the ash tray/change bin area is up front. I like the visibility of your screen, but I am going to compete with the car so I need to make it look custom as possible. The only problem I see w/ your install is the exposed wiring. You should build a case for the carputer and route your wiring under the carpet or dash a little better. Other than that good job!

tekta · 07-16-2004, 07:19 PM

I was thinking about having the screen down by the ashtray as well, but with it by the air vent you can still see some of the road - I have enough problems using the phone down by the handbrake

The case is still to be finished, but at the moment it's just been good to have it working, and I can't see it in the boot anyway...all part of the NVH testing. The computer will stay on during cranking about 75% of the time too which is pretty good. I basically spent a few months gradually getting the bits, going for as cheap and useable a set up as possible. It's cost me about £400 in total ($750), with a few bits taken from my old computer.

All the wires come under the carpet on the transmission tunnel, (bit of a pain to get in there) and through the ski hatch in the boot. There's enough space in the E30 to get it done, the GPS receiver (normal ebay one) works well on the back of the parcel shelf too.

Spaghetti · 07-16-2004, 07:51 PM

Any chance of seeing some night vision in action???

Either that, or a VERY small vid....

Yuriy · 07-17-2004, 05:45 AM

Nice setup

Can't wait for some night vision footage

Xtreme2k2 · 07-17-2004, 12:23 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Spaghetti

Any chance of seeing some night vision in action???

Either that, or a VERY small vid....

tekta · 07-20-2004, 04:12 PM

night vision vid is up now

Spaghetti · 07-20-2004, 04:59 PM

Yuriy · 07-20-2004, 06:00 PM

OMG, this is so weird! I would imagine you will see things very clear at night with the backup lights on when doing reverse? Because I'm thinking about getting one

masch · 07-23-2004, 06:58 AM

Will the TM701-L indash housing fit in your BMW DIN?

cadence117 · 07-23-2004, 06:13 PM

night vision video isn't workin....
tells me i need to visit your site first.. and then i can't find it from there,

please help this sounds really cool