Carputer!, yay! Options

[orvillescelica]

I never show off stuff i do, but im actually pretty excited about this. I finally got done with my permanent install of my Car computer. Thanks to all who have helped out by answering my wiring questions.


This is the first time ive built my own computer. Here is the bench testing of the special car computer power supply and setup of the software. To simulate the car battery, i used a 60V variable power supply i borrowed from my lab.


I couldnt find a place to properly put the tiny case i had made. So I ended up ripping all the components out and turning the glovebox into a computer case.


Final install of the monitor. Notice the special Celica front end skin i created!


Here are the specs:
VIA EPIA Mini-ITX M10000 motherboard
6.5 IBM laptop hard drive
Toshiba slimline DVD-Rom
M1-ITX 90W powersupply
Lilliput 7" touchscreen monitor

I-Guidance GPS software
Holux GM210 GPS reciever
Media Engine front end
Windows XP

[Defgeph]

very cool. you should mold that screen into the dash.\

Sweet
DEF

[ghostdog]

looks good. I like the celica skin .. now if only it wasn't running windoze

[juBz86]

wow that i nice setup!!! hows the cooling? do you think you'll have a problem with it in the summer? o yea had how much did the system run you??

This post has been edited by juBz86: Apr 29, 2005 - 12:14 AM

[shid]

Wootage

[Sev408]

orville is sick wit it.

i give you bow dude, i love building custom computers for my self, mainly water cooling setups, but i have never considered puting a computer in my glove box.

[vangSTa_celica]

Fricken' awesome job.

[audioOutput]

Thats freakin awsome!!...

i was thinking about puttin a computer in my car... but maybe jus moubt my laptop somewhere... never thought about building one...

much kudos

[nObOdy]

thats absolutley awesome man - i build comps all the time - my only question to you is where do you have the exhaust fans hooked up?? unless you got water cooling which in this case i would think would be very stupid - also what about shock reduction? do you have any?
looks great keep up the good work.
nobody

[Drocay]

looks like my setup will have to be next, first shid and now u haha. good job bro.

[Akimbo]

Build me one! Anyone given thought to the Mac Minis? I got a friend who wants to try that.

[orvillescelica]

Thanks for the compliments guys!!

very cool. you should mold that screen into the dash.\
[right][snapback]279860[/snapback][/right]

I actually didnt want to mold the screen in. While some people like the factory look, i like the 'functioning work in progress' look. It makes it all look like its there for purpose, not for show. Plus, i wanted to keep my head unit and not rely on my computer soley for entertainment.

looks good. I like the celica skin .. now if only it wasn't running windoze
[right][snapback]279861[/snapback][/right]

Yeah, i know... But all the relevent software that i wanted to use was for windows.

o yea had how much did the system run you??
[right][snapback]279871[/snapback][/right]

the major costs were: motherboard and power supply together cost $225, The monitor was $250, and the GPS software and reciever was $150. All together, the entire system to have GPS, DVD, MP3, etc.. was just under $750.

thats absolutley awesome man - i build comps all the time - my only question to you is where do you have the exhaust fans hooked up?? unless you got water cooling which in this case i would think would be very stupid - also what about shock reduction? do you have any?
looks great keep up the good work.
nobody
[right][snapback]279938[/snapback][/right]

I have a 3" case fan mounted at the top. Its the blue thing in the pictures. Half of the fan is over a hole to exhaust and the other is tilted so as to promote circulation of air over the motherboard. The entire back of the glove box was cut out, so there is also plenty of ventalition that way. Even this i think is an overkill since the board never gets very hot even after running for a long time. Shock reduction is basically mounting everything with some bubble wrap underneath it.

Build me one! Anyone given thought to the Mac Minis? I got a friend who wants to try that.
[right][snapback]280082[/snapback][/right]

The mac minis are very cool because they are SO tiny. You could mold one into a single DIN area supposably. I was considering this too, but really wanted to buid my own computer to see how i do.

For all those interested, i got tons of help here: www.mp3car.com

[Drocay]

yea i agree mp3car.com is the best, its were i get all my info too.

[celicarocker]

is that a touch LCD screen? or do you have a keyboard and mouse tucked away somewhere? and what is its function?

[chucho]

i think i know what I have to do after my next project

[dustin15brown]

very nice

[946thGenGT]

is that a touch LCD screen? or do you have a keyboard and mouse tucked away somewhere? and what is its function?
[right][snapback]280359[/snapback][/right]

Here are the specs:
VIA EPIA Mini-ITX M10000 motherboard
6.5 IBM laptop hard drive
Toshiba slimline DVD-Rom
M1-ITX 90W powersupply
Lilliput 7" touchscreen monitor

I-Guidance GPS software
Holux GM210 GPS reciever
Media Engine front end
Windows XP
[right][snapback]279858[/snapback][/right]

[turboinduction]

my only question -

How do you overcome power. Everytime time you pull your keys, power stops (and open doors ). Are you shuting windows down. I was thinking of running a car-puter in standby mode and relaxing the processor speed to consume less power. Then at that point, just run dual batteries with caps in there too. Dont know how long I can go, but if it can run the computer in standby for 3 days, then its worth it. I guess I'll just have to experiment with it myself. I like that front end. I'll do some research on it. Thanks and good work

-Ti

[creis]

just shut down the computer when you dont want it.

Thats pretty sweet and all but i really dont think its gana last, all thoes parts are not ment to handle movement very well, the HD mostly will just not take the bumbs of reagular driving, or any driving at all really, same with the other parts. plus in summer heat it can get up to 140+ degrees in there, your gana cook it, plus in the winter its gana frezee. but anyway thats pretty cool, and I hope it really works out for you.

[turboinduction]

just shut down the computer when you dont want it.

Thats pretty sweet and all but i really dont think its gana last, all thoes parts are not ment to handle movement very well, the HD mostly will just not take the bumbs of reagular driving, or any driving at all really, same with the other parts. plus in summer heat it can get up to 140+ degrees in there, your gana cook it, plus in the winter its gana frezee. but anyway thats pretty cool, and I hope it really works out for you.
[right][snapback]280526[/snapback][/right]

Well I would shut it down when I dont want it on too. But I dont want to shut it down everytime I hop in and out of the car. Also, HD's are fine for bumps if you get the right specs. Look at laptops, those get tossed around pretty good. Also, haven't you watched those IBM commercials. Harddrives with airbags - in a sense. And on weather. Heat is a problem, winter isn't. Computers run better cold than in any other state. As long as there isn't moisture in the air or frost inside the car, the computer would be fine. His moniter however being a touchscreen would blip out around 30-40 degrees. But theres ways around that too. Like not turning the computer on until the car is warm.