car puter *pics*

Topic: car puter *pics* (Read 7040 times) previous topic - next topic

car puter pics

July 03, 2005, 02:20:37 PM

After baxo had to show me up I decided to step it up a notch. Exept with a pc (macs suck

.....j/k) So here is the motherboard I am going to use.
http://www.viaembedded.com/product/epia_ml_spec.jsp?motherboardId=301

I already have it but I am having problems getting it to post. Supposedly any ddr 266 will work. I put some in and it started smokeing :bs:. I am setting things up with via to either get a replacement or get mine fixed.
It is 6.5 x 6.5 and about 1 1/2" maybe alittle bit taller.here is a pic for scale http://www.via.com.tw/en/images/products/processors/eden-n/nano-itx.jpg The mother board I got dosent have tv out. It does have intigrated surround sound (5.1 compatable)
So here are the parts that I need.
-Mini itx motherboard (purchased)$125
-touch screen $200
-laptop hdd and cdrom (freebie)
-adaptars for laptop to ide cables $10
-keyboard and mouse usb $20
-Video card with t-v out (optional)
Anything else you guys think that I will need?
I think that is it. Baxo what do you think of this so far

Re: car puter

Reply #1 – July 03, 2005, 06:53:20 PM

the 6.5 x 6.5 dimensions are the same as the mac mini, so you'll have no troubles replacing the radio with it, if you choose as such. However, i have a question.. do you plan on buying a regular in car screen? judging by the fact that you want a video card with tv out, I get that impression. The 8" lilliput I got has touch screen, S video, RCA as well as VGA for computers, so I didn't need a special card all i needed was a DVI to VGA adapter, which came with the Mini. I think you'll be better off getting a screen that has VGA rather then trying to adapt your computer to suit a regular car monitor.

I really dig the intergrated surround sound. Wish the Mac Mini had that, but oh well i'll have a solution to that.
What size is the laptop hard drive?
also, is the cd rom slot loaded, or does it have a tray?
And, you'll definitely have to look into powering that thing properly, I suggest you look at http://www.carnetix.com and see if any of their power regulators would suit your motherboard.
Also, if you're still interested in doing the monitor my way, I'll write up a detailed instruction sheet of what I did.

Re: car puter

Reply #2 – July 03, 2005, 07:59:17 PM

I'd love to do something like that, but even a laptop hard drive would not fare well in our -30 to +30 celsius temperature range. If I could rig something up with the OS installed on a flash-type drive (solid state) and use a USB flash memory drive and a DVD ROM for media it'd be OK... If, say, I were to get a 1GB flash drive I could store plenty o' MP3's on it, and when I got bored with the MP3's I could plug it into the laptop and upload a bunch of new ones. And I could install Winders XP or 2k on a 2GB flash drive. No moving parts except the fans and DVD ROM drive :D

I wonder if it would be possible to make it "sleep" when the key is off and "wake" when the key is turned on, the way my laptop does when I close and open the lid?

Re: car puter

Reply #3 – July 03, 2005, 08:53:44 PM

Quote

I wonder if it would be possible to make it "sleep" when the key is off and "wake" when the key is turned on, the way my laptop does when I close and open the lid?

OH it's possible and that's pretty much exactly what my Mini will be doing. the Carnetix p1900 regulator controls taht.. i can set it to go to sleep mode 30 secs - 1 min after the car is turned off.

Re: car puter

Reply #4 – July 04, 2005, 12:22:29 AM

Quote from: Thunder Chicken

I'd love to do something like that, but even a laptop hard drive would not fare well in our -30 to +30 celsius temperature range. If I could rig something up with the OS installed on a flash-type drive (solid state) and use a USB flash memory drive and a DVD ROM for media it'd be OK... If, say, I were to get a 1GB flash drive I could store plenty o' MP3's on it, and when I got bored with the MP3's I could plug it into the laptop and upload a bunch of new ones. And I could install Winders XP or 2k on a 2GB flash drive. No moving parts except the fans and DVD ROM drive :D

I wonder if it would be possible to make it "sleep" when the key is off and "wake" when the key is turned on, the way my laptop does when I close and open the lid?

I have been looking at stuff on carmp3.com. I am more an oportunist. I have been checking out ebay alot. I am looking at the same screen as you. But I want to get a monirot flip down to replace a small tear in the head liner right next to the light thingy. I would be interested in the way you mounted it, But I dont care about the dash too much. If I screw it up I have two other cars just sittin(shh ;)). Such as, my ac is bypassed on the car I am going to put it on. This is gonna be kinda ghetto with no real "professional" install. I will make it look okay, But I am not gifted with a steady hand.

The power supply I am looking at a opus or I may still just splice in a regular power supply with an inverter. I havent decided yet. It will all come down to cost. The opus would be perfect. Rather then shutting down the ocmputer it puts it in soft off, aka sleep mode. I will run windows 2000 off of a 4 gig laptop hard drive. I will mount a removable hard drive tray some where hidden. The laptop drive is a pop out kind and it isnt even a cd burner, but that is temporary. This is more or less an experiment. If I cannot get it to work I will just mount it all inside of a power supply makeing the case look empty and hang a disco ball in the empty spot.

Re: car puter

Reply #5 – July 05, 2005, 03:25:02 PM

haha well yeah.. experiment around.. you'll find some solutions in no time.. Eric and I had to do a lot of figuring out to get mine in. And most of the planning happend as i went along and thought "now that I did that. how would I do this?" and it was all a hit and miss situation.. and a hell of a lot of improvisation..

Re: car puter

Reply #6 – July 05, 2005, 03:40:23 PM

Yeah I am not goint to mount it until I get it working off of a small motorcycle battery. I will prolly even just leave it on a charger in my room when I get all of the peices. I am really looking to just hook it up to a power inverter with a regular power supply and then hooking it up to a battery back up so it wont restart when I turn the car on or off. Also then I can just keep it in sleep mode where it shuts off the fans and stuff. If it dosent draw too much power I will prolly just do that. $45 bucks for a 60w power supply, Or make my own that runs off of 12v, or just an inverter hooked up with a regular one..... I already have a regular power supply, and a inverter so. What do you think ?

Re: car puter

Reply #7 – July 05, 2005, 04:25:58 PM

OR you can save yourself the troubles and for $90-someodd you can buy the p1900 power regulator that controls startup/shutdown and power on/off, sleep/hybernate..
For me this regulator will automatically set the computer into sleep mode about 30 secs after i shut off the car. the only drawbacks to the p1900, is that currently i have to cut the power wire to attach it to the inverter.. but the company's working on making a plug that'll plug straight into the mini.. unfortunately it won't be out before CJ so i'm left with the cut and paste method.

To be honest i would have probably went with a regular inverter.. but then I learned the Mac Mini runs on 18v power not 12v.

Re: car puter

Reply #8 – July 06, 2005, 12:18:28 AM

Woooo, i dont want to hijack but how works that "flash-type drive (solid state)" I dont know anything about that !

Re: car puter

Reply #9 – July 06, 2005, 08:21:43 AM

It is a drive that is completely solid state, with no moving parts. You know how hard drives still have those discs inside that rotate? well the solid state flash drives don't have em. But it uses the regular IDE ports, so it's pretty much just a replacement of a regular hard drive.. I guess for car applications it's perfect because it's a lot more rugged then a regular harddrive. It also operates in a more wide temerature range.

Re: car puter

Reply #10 – July 06, 2005, 09:04:21 AM

Think of it as a big card reader. That is mostly what it is. Its a really big card like in a camera.

Re: car puter

Reply #11 – July 18, 2005, 05:48:59 PM

http://www.mini-itx.com/

lots of tips and kits here

Re: car puter

Reply #12 – July 19, 2005, 09:33:39 AM

yep linked there many times.

Re: car puter

Reply #13 – July 19, 2005, 11:26:01 AM

http://www.mp3car.com is the shiznit though.

Re: car puter

Reply #14 – July 19, 2005, 11:39:31 AM

mp3car.com is the more upperclass expensive for people with too much money, and not new idea's.(no offense or nothign) I didnt even know about the whole carputer thingy, I thought that I made it up.