Need help with AUTO PC

Hi Guys...
Im interested in building a small PC for the car. Im going to mount a 7" LCD in the dash and maybe use a small wireless keyboard to control the PC.
I will want to use the PC mostly for music (threw my amps and speakers), viewing DVD's (I'll also be mounting a larger LCD in the back for the kids to view)and was wondering about controlling car functions like the power windows, side mirrors, etc, with relays? And also, what about GPS?
I also need ideas for mounting and wiring?
I guess what Im tring to do as add some new tech to my old wagon..

cheers
Charlie

You could try to wire up some 5V relays to the parallel port. You'd be able to control 8 switches that way. No clue on how to change the bit values though.

To answer your GPS question there is a ton of software on the market for PC's that deals with just Maps and directions. As for actual GPS that would track your position I haven’t seen anything like that for just a PC. Probably because mine sits on a desk all it's life and really doesn’t move. I have however...seen GPS hand held units that plug into a PC via a USB port and allow you to download new maps and what ever you want into them. You can find the hand held ones at any electronics store.
Hope this helps some....good luck with your project.
Hope this helps some....good luck with your projct.

Placement
If you're going RF wireless you could put the computer anywhere you want. But if you want to be able to load DVDs or CDs I'd recommend considering building it as a center console or glove compartment machine. You'll need to keep it as far away from subwoofers as possible. The other problem will be the need for ventilation.

Power
You'll obviously need and inverter. Since you're working with presumably low power I'd recommend a 600mhz-1ghz Celeron Processor. They kick the pants off the weaker Via C3 processors without sacrificing smooth performance. They're also easy to cool.

Parts
Parts I recommend are
- Laptop Hard drives (low power consumption, easier to mount for vibration resistance)
- slot load DVD drive will make swapping much easier and require no clearance worries of a tray
- TFX12V PSU (it's small and very easy to hide)
- Micro ATX (ITX machines just aren't powerful enough and the MicroATX ALL-IN-ONE boards out now are very capable)

Thanks guys... keep the idea's coming!!
Im formular with the hand held GPS, thats what I was planning on connecting to the PC. Anyone have any recommendations for what to look for in GPS?
Capt'n - I have enough room under the dash and above my center console to place the PC. I'll build a specail case to house it and mount one dvd in the back of the console (for access from the back seat) and one up front.
I do have some big sub's in the back and wasnt really thinking to mount it back there. What should I look for in an inverter?

Charlie

64Thunderbolt said:

What should I look for in an inverter?

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You'll need a 100watt inverter in order to run a multimedia machine.

For the benefit of others I'll restate what I told you in PMs.

Here's what you could do to automatically force the CAR PC to shut down after you've turned off the ingition.
The electrical system (maybe through the wiring for a ceiling light or something) could be tied to a Normally-close relay which could be connected to the power button leads (you coould still have a power button, the relay would need to be an a different line). When the car is shut off the relay would go back to Normally-closed. After 6 or 7 seconds that will force the computer to hard studown.

That would still require a battery backup. The only problem being you can't use the PC when the car is off (which is also good because the UPS would eat your car battery pretty quickly).
The UPS and Power-Switch relay would obviously need to be run off a line that shuts off when the car isn't running.

ALL computers (even Macs) will shut down immediately if you hold the power button down for more than 6 seconds. That's a handy thing to know and I no longer bother with a reset switch because of it.

OK, we got the ball rolling.. How about the controls for windows and such... you know high tech through the PC kinda thing!!

Charlie

i don't remember where to get them but there are pci gps cards on the market. i was looking into them a while back for my car.

rather then using an inverter i would get a dc-dc psu and wire it directly to the battery. they are a bit more expensive then a normal psu but alot safer then using an ac-dc psu with an inverter.


controlling power windows is possible but you would need some custom software to control it.


as for mounting. if you have subs keep the pc as far away from them as possible. I am going to make a custom center console for my car when i get around to making a car pc. you could also mount it under the seats if you have enough room.


another major concern for a pc in a car is heat. you may want to consider water cooling with the radiator mounted either under the car or in the engine bay. ducting air conditioning to the cpu may work also, just make sure your freon is full at all times.


btw what kind of car is this going in?


also since keyboard are large and clunky for in a car you may consider a touch screen for the front lcd.

i personally planned on using a trackball mounted near my floor shifter and was thinking about a pda keyboard that folds to conserve space.

twump said:

btw what kind of car is this going in?

Click to expand...

A talking black Trans Am

its going into a built and custom 64 Fairlane wagon..

Charlie

i would think a more powerful inverter would be a better idea. for one, it wouldnt get as hot, and also, you could run other stuff off of it(camping anyone?) Anyways, when you get an inverter, make sure to getone with a sine wave output, if it is modified square wave, or anything like that, dont buy it. Also make totally sure the person who sells it to you and the box say it is a pure sine wave, no copyrighted slogans or whatnot. a sine wave inverter will proably be more expensive, but you wont run the risk of frying something, which a modified square wave inverter can do.

twump said:

ducting air conditioning to the cpu may work also

Click to expand...

That would work in the summer, but in the winter when you want full heat..... what then?

Wolfe said:

i would think a more powerful inverter would be a better idea. for one, it wouldnt get as hot, and also, you could run other stuff off of it(camping anyone?)

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lol only a madman takes a classic car that has been fixed up camping.

64thunderbolt i'm doing the same thing to a 64 bel air wagon

i'm planning on making a custom center console out of sheetmetal (complete with cupholders). in the back of the console the mobo ports will show but i wil make a cover to go over any unused ports to keep dust etc out. for a front screen i'm going to get something like this http://www.pioneer-america.com/Pioneer/CDA/CarProducts/CarProductDetails/0,1429,32434,00.html . I'm going to tie into that with a decent video card with tv-out. for the rear i will have a flipdown screen mounted on the roof facing back. I'll be using a dc-dc psu connected directly to the battery on a fused line. my setup will have no optical drives. the mobo i am going to use has onboard ethernet and i'll also have a hot swappable large hd to store all my movies and music.

with the setup i'm planning the only thing i won't have is cable tv.
i was looking at a touch screen for the front screen but they are a bit more expensive then i'd care to spend when i could get a good stereo head unit with a video screen.

i'm not sure what i'm going to do about cooling yet because my car doesn't have a/c.
i may try water cooling it and running the radiator ito the engine bay in an invisible place. probably inside the fender. a good fan plus airflow fro the car moving should keep it pretty cool.


for the time being i'm going to stick with the crappy onboard sound my mobo has and tie it directly into the amp.

for input i'll get a decent trackball and mount it on the front of the console and hopefully if things work out i won't need a keyboard at all, at least not in front. I will have at least 2 usb game controllers for the rear and if needed then i'll worry about keyboards.



thats all i can think of right now..

Good luck!

Three things:

1. Security - If some theif notices TV screens and game controllers in a car, and a pile of DVDs in the front.... Well, you can practically see the dollar signs flicking in his eyes - invest some money in a schweet, loud alarm.

2. Shockproofing - I would shockproof the DVD player- since it probably isnt optimised to take knocks and bumps as often as it will in a car - if you don't do any shockproofing you might discover that the film skips whenever you hit bumps on the road or something. You could use something as simple as a cut-up sponge to shockproof the DVD player and/or hard disk.

3. Cooling (suggestion) Find an air intake, and then make a duct, so that outside air is coming straight at the PC - since you don't have A/C, then the air outside will be the coolest attainable (that is, without peltiers etc etc, but that would eat power, and make heat a bigger concern) If the computer is going in the glovebox, make a duct to the cars' air intake (the intake for your blower), and just stick a 80mm/120mm fan in there (just run it off the cars 12volt supply) and duct it with something.

Okay, point three didn't make very much sense, but I'm sure you'll sortof understand my train of thought there.

ImG

Wolfe said:

i would think a more powerful inverter would be a better idea. for one, it wouldnt get as hot, and also, you could run other stuff off of it(camping anyone?) Anyways, when you get an inverter, make sure to getone with a sine wave output, if it is modified square wave, or anything like that, dont buy it. Also make totally sure the person who sells it to you and the box say it is a pure sine wave, no copyrighted slogans or whatnot. a sine wave inverter will proably be more expensive, but you wont run the risk of frying something, which a modified square wave inverter can do.

Click to expand...

the psu doesn't need to be inside the same case as the computer so heat doesn't have to be an issue. dc-dc psu's can be mounted externally and be perfectly safe.
a long time ago i saw a car pc on ebay and the guy used a dc-dc-psu wired directly to the battery. I checked out his list of parts and it seems like he had a pretty good system, just somewhat outdated at the time. he also used an nlx mobo for keep a low profile.

I don't trust inverters enough to run a computer off one. plus its one more part you have to find room for.


with the setup it looks like he is planning he won't need to run anything else. thats why he is putting a computer in there and not a premade car multimedia kit from pioneer/alpine etc.. with a computer in there you already have everything. you have games, movies, music, and anything else you want.. you can also get internet in the car but it would be expensive.

twump said:

the psu doesn't need to be inside the same case as the computer so heat doesn't have to be an issue. dc-dc psu's can be mounted externally and be perfectly safe.
a long time ago i saw a car pc on ebay and the guy used a dc-dc-psu wired directly to the battery. I checked out his list of parts and it seems like he had a pretty good system, just somewhat outdated at the time. he also used an nlx mobo for keep a low profile.

I don't trust inverters enough to run a computer off one. plus its one more part you have to find room for.


with the setup it looks like he is planning he won't need to run anything else. thats why he is putting a computer in there and not a premade car multimedia kit from pioneer/alpine etc.. with a computer in there you already have everything. you have games, movies, music, and anything else you want.. you can also get internet in the car but it would be expensive.

Click to expand...

Okay, further points -

Could you run all the +12volt devices off the cars' circuitry? And then find transformers that go 12volt => 5volt, and 12volt => 3.3volt?


Also, internet in the car might be possible (but slow and expensive) if you have a cellphone, and a data cable for it (get ready for 9.6kbps SPEED! Lol)

ImG

iamthegreatest said:

Good luck!

Three things:

1. Security - If some theif notices TV screens and game controllers in a car, and a pile of DVDs in the front.... Well, you can practically see the dollar signs flicking in his eyes - invest some money in a schweet, loud alarm.

2. Shockproofing - I would shockproof the DVD player- since it probably isnt optimised to take knocks and bumps as often as it will in a car - if you don't do any shockproofing you might discover that the film skips whenever you hit bumps on the road or something. You could use something as simple as a cut-up sponge to shockproof the DVD player and/or hard disk.

Click to expand...

security is a good point. all the more reason to get invisible parts.game controllers and such don't need to be out in the open all the time and can be kept in storage until needed. and as for the screens i kinda covered that already.

shockproofing isn't that hard just use laptop parts. laptop optical drives are sleaker and more compact then standard drives so they will be better suited for being run in a car.


ok i've posted enough on this for tonight.

i would be nervous trying to run all the components off the cars circuitry. a dc-dc atx psu is only about $150 and will be alot less headache then trying to wire each part individually. though it may very well be possible.



lol internet in the car is a bit extreme. i only mentioned it because it is possible.. not really practical but possible none the less.

I suppose - actually, if you used the cars 12volt power, then it would probably fluctuate quite a bit (such as when you have the bass up on the stereo, those amps will draw quite a lot, also if you use the heated rear screen, that might not do the voltages any good.)

iamthegreatest said:

I suppose - actually, if you used the cars 12volt power, then it would probably fluctuate quite a bit

Click to expand...

Correct. Batteries are just not stable enough for a computer. This is why DC-DC power supplies are so expensive. They have to filter and stabilize the incoming voltage.

An inverter and UPS would provide much cleaner power.