Scion xB '06, in-dash Atom 330, Lilliput 889GL; details, pictures, links. Index: pg 1

**rdholtz** · 01-28-2009, 06:51 AM

In-Dash Installation

Originally Posted by RBasil

After following this thread for a while I took the plunge today and wil be installing a Dell Mini9 into my dash. I chose the mini9 because it makes a great OSX machine.

Do you have any photos of the EeePC in your dash yet?

Nope, I don't have current in-dash pix, and that's just wrong. I'll get pix today and put them up.

Nice "Heroes" xB you've built. Thanks for the salute, and one back to you, both for your military service and for your continuing work to honor the troops.

Extra Lighting 2

Originally Posted by lostreception

Pics? :0) been meaning to do this myself i'd love to see it i know youll post pics soon enough im just impatient

Impatient?

That's probably everyone here on MP3Car. Otherwise, we'd wait for the car companies to put PCs in for us. Some people say Procrastination is the mother of Invention, but I think it's Impatience.

Yeah, I'll get pix of it -- today, I hope. I put the light fixture and camera in my backpack, and I'll get them done during lunch.

Originally Posted by HiJackZX1

You could also use Epoxy. I used it for my 15" inch screen in the back. I tried to get welders to weld it on for me and they refused to do it becuase it woulod warp the roof and paint. They gave special epoxy that is aircraft grade (dont know what that means) anyways its stuck on there forever, very strong. Just in case, I also went back and used JB weld around the edges.

Good idea. I'll probably epoxy a baseplate up there, and then fasten the mounting bracket to that. If I use rivnuts in the baseplate, and slots in the mounting bracket, I could move the bracket around a bit for perfect alignment.

**WraithJ** · 01-28-2009, 03:54 PM

Ok, i am really gonna have top thread jack really quickly, I posted a thread but its been a month and no replies, and i think u cna help rd. Ive got my eee pc, and an alpine headunit. i have an alpine specific cable for phono input into headunit. When the eee pc is charging i get I high pitch buzz when accelerating, tried new adapater, tried without battery and put thoose interferance reducing ring magnets but still no joy. once again sorry to interuot but im getting desperate!!!!!

**rdholtz** · 01-28-2009, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by WraithJ

Ok, i am really gonna have top thread jack really quickly, I posted a thread but its been a month and no replies, and i think u cna help rd. Ive got my eee pc, and an alpine headunit. i have an alpine specific cable for phono input into headunit. When the eee pc is charging i get I high pitch buzz when accelerating, tried new adapater, tried without battery and put thoose interferance reducing ring magnets but still no joy. once again sorry to interuot but im getting desperate!!!!!

I'm no expert on electricity and electronics, but this is a sleuthing thing, so we have to look for connections we might be able to separate. It sounds like you're picking up ignition noise. You might try shielding the entire length of that alpine-specific cable -- just a foil wrap might work. But, since you're only getting the noise when the EeePC is charging, not when it's running on battery, you might want to investigate the link between the PC's power source and the ignition system. Does the PC power system have a good, clean ground, say, to the frame, or is it grounding into the electrical system with other stuff?

Where was your month-ago post on this -- what forum?

**MeeM** · 01-29-2009, 12:20 AM

WraithJ: To build up upon rdholtz's response, are you using a common ground for your equipment?

What you could try doing is connecting ordinary computer speakers to the Eee PC while it's in your car and not charging and turn the volume up a fair bit. You should hear the usual slight hissing noise that you hear from most PCs when the volume is turned up and nothing is playing. Then, connect the Eee's charging plug, and listen to the speakers. If you still get that high pitch noise while it's charging and/or accelerating, then you can eliminate your headunit and it's wiring as the cause of the problem.

If, however, you get the high pitch noise through the computer speakers while it's charging without the car accelerating, then it's probably an issue with the Eee PC's charging circuitry introducing noise into the audio circuitry. This can be tricky to fix because it's probably the same across all Eee PCs and you'd have to hack the motherboard to fix it.

**WraithJ** · 01-29-2009, 12:22 PM

Thanks for the help, writing here kicked into gear and ive had two replies in a day cheers, guys! thread httphere://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/general-hardware-discussion/128504-help-needed-eee-pc-headunit-wierd-noise.html#post1287124

**RBasil** · 01-29-2009, 04:40 PM

Originally Posted by rdholtz

In-Dash Installation

Nope, I don't have current in-dash pix, and that's just wrong. I'll get pix today and put them up.

Great! Looking forward to seeing your idea.

Nice "Heroes" xB you've built. Thanks for the salute, and one back to you, both for your military service and for your continuing work to honor the troops.

Thanks, and right back at ya.

**rdholtz** · 01-30-2009, 06:30 AM

EeePC in the Dash

Here, at last, are the promised pictures of the EeePC in the dash. It's mostly where it should end up, although it may ride about 1/2-inch higher if I put it on a laptop cooler, just as an insurance policy against overheating. There are no cables attached in this view, though it appears that I'll have two showing in the final installation. The power cable, on the right side, will be hidden.The sound will be visible -- it goes into the left side, toward the front -- and the USB will show on the right. I'll try to use right-angle plugs and make them as unobtrusive as possible.

These were taken at night, with screen brightness reduced, so the lighting is pretty poor. The first shot is the driver's view, and the second is taken closer, leaning over the PC so you can see more of how it lays out. You'll note that the bay in which it sits is incomplete.

Click images to enlarge.

Extra Lighting 3

And here are the promised pictures of the Lexus overhead light fixture I got from the salvage yard for $2.50. As I commented in the earlier post, the color's a little off; these are really beige, a little more yellow than I'd like, so they'll probably need disassembly and a light coat of plastic paint to make them light gray.

Click images to enlarge.

**MeeM** · 01-30-2009, 07:17 AM

That Eee is sweet

I can imagine you driving ... one hand on the steering wheel, the other hacking away on the Eee ... lol

Just an update on my progress: I've ordered my Lilliput 629-GL 7" LCD, External DVD-ROM slot-loading drive, and M2-ATX 160W PSU. Hopefully they'll all be here in a week. I've just been tinkering with stuff in my junk box and I've found two old factory Toyota headunits. I gutted them and stacked them, one on top of the other, and I figured that if I bolted them together correctly, it would basically be a double-din chassis

This was a secondary option for me: to build my car PC into the dash. My mini-ITX mobo fits in the chassis, and I have enough space for the PSU and HDD, and some ventilation space. I've also just been in my car (Camry 07) pulling out the centre console to measure up the cavity and the stock head unit is actually a double-din head unit also, it's just the faceplate that is larger than double-din. So, my double-din car PC will fit in there fine. My only concern is heat. My double-din chassis has plenty of ventilation holes already but I'm just a bit concerned that maybe with the mobo, HDD, PSU and LCD all in the dash, it might be a bit too much heat for the system and the CPU's thermal cut-off mechanism will probably engage whenever I use it. Also, there'll be minimal room around the car PC when it's in the dash because the air-conditioner vents and controls are above it and below it respectively. We hardly ever use the heater so that won't be a problem.

The good thing though is that the mini-ITX has an Atom CPU, and they're known for comparatively low heat generation and power consumption.

Any thoughts on this? If this is really a problem, I'll just build the system into the empty satellite receiver case and mount it under the seat as originally planned.

**rdholtz** · 01-30-2009, 08:18 AM

Put a fan in there, or make more holes in the chassis, or both. Realistically, you don't need a back on the system in the double-DIN slot.

Look at blk02si's units -- no back, and easy airflow. If I were starting a double-DIN system today, I think I'd have to use one of his units. Sweet design, quality production, inexpensive customizing readily available, and a good price: what's not to love?

If you use the Toyota units, I'd bet -- knowing they're from Toyota -- that they're pretty heavy material. Maybe you could fasten the sides together and eliminate the bottom of the upper unit and the top of the lower unit, or use parts of them for shelves. The back would be unnecessary. You'd get a unit that works sort of like blk02si's system.

On another note, you've done so much research and thinking that it's time for your own thread. I don't want you to quit posting here, but it would be nice to centralize all you've done. You could copy much of what you've written in other threads and put it in yours for historical reference, and it would help others to see your development process. You deserve credit for all you've done on the MeeMmobile.

When you get it going, post a link here, and put the link in your signature. I'll sign on . . .

**rdholtz** · 01-30-2009, 08:24 AM

Originally Posted by MeeM

That Eee is sweet

I can imagine you driving ... one hand on the steering wheel, the other hacking away on the Eee ... lol

Yep, those pictures make it look like you could. And I tried it. But the angle of the keyboard is such that it's pretty hard to see, especially with a black keyboard. Silver or white would be easier to see. I really need a keyboard near the steering wheel.

I think turbocad6 said it best: "If my typing sucks, it's probably because I'm driving."