I finally got my carputer completed.... or at least some what enough to use. I will work out the little things in the coming months which means spending some more money here and there.

1Ghz PC with 256DDR ram, 20GB HD and DVD-ROM. Additonal addons to the PC are the GPS receiver and 7" Touchscreen.

Here are some pictures of the install

Here is a picture of the motherboard in the small ass case.



Here is the center console half removed so I can run the wires to the PC.





Here is a picture of the LCD mounted in the car. The wires right now just go under the ash tray down under the center console for now. I will work it into the dash soon enough when I have time. Rushed it so I could make it to Toronoto.



Here is a picture of the GPS unit I have, the Navman E Series. There are some what cheaper ones on ebay that work the same. I don't see a difference and I have both. The one on ebay is cheaper and smaller. The wires run under as well, all hidden.



Here is a picture of it on and using the GPS unit and software to track my position, speed, heading and elevation not that I need that much info but it is good to know. The speed is very accurate to the speedometer.



I remember there was a guy in Toronto that was interested in something similiar and was looking at the Lilliput 7" Touchscreen, this one I have is very similar to it. It just happens that I am in Toronto for the next few days.

I will post more pictures tomorrow of the PC and the rest of the items.

 

wow! looks awesome

 

So this is what you were up to!!!

 

Only see X's................

 

hahahah I usually use a laptop but I had some computer parts lying around so I just put in a little more money and tried this. I won't use it much when I am in nyc except to play mp3s or movies.

 

me too

 

hmm it loads fine every time I load the page.

Here is a picture of the motherboard in the small ass case.

http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02574.JPG

Here is the center console half removed so I can run the wires to the PC.

http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02611.JPG

http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02612.JPG

Here is a picture of the LCD mounted in the car. The wires right now just go under the ash tray down under the center console for now. I will work it into the dash soon enough when I have time. Rushed it so I could make it to Toronoto.

http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02615.JPG

Here is a picture of the GPS unit I have, the Navman E Series. There are some what cheaper ones on ebay that work the same. I don't see a difference and I have both. The one on ebay is cheaper and smaller. The wires run under as well, all hidden.

http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02616.JPG

Here is a picture of it on and using the GPS unit and software to track my position, speed, heading and elevation not that I need that much info but it is good to know. The speed is very accurate to the speedometer.

http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/upl...4105_0_ALB.jpg

 

BXSCIG got to see your ride before you leave bro.....

 

Definitely, I wanted to show Tatewaki also since he was interested in doing something similar a while back.

Right now I use the stupid tape cassette to play the sounds off the PC but eventually I get the blitzsafe adapter.

 

deyum thats hottttt. how big is that computer case?!!?

 

Good job dude!!!!

Looks like you used the Xenarc screen. I always wanted that screen...

Austin from the "other" site has that setup, he molded the Xenarx in to the dash, and while its really cool, unless you have a stylus, the touch screen is impossible to use.

My carputer is a Celeron 600 so i can keep it cool, 20 gigs with a DVD/CDRW combo... Its in a mini tower case mounted in the trunk with all my other shit. But i just used the s-vid out on my vid card and shot it in to the A/V in of my KVT-911DVD. And i use a wireless trackball so i can keep my eyes on the road a little easier.

I still wan tthe Xenarc screen, cause, well, its cool but i cant justify the cost and where the hell would i put it???

My GPS reciever is coming in in a few days, but i still have the 802.11G with the omni-directional antenna goin so i can pick up random wireless networks...

looks good dude!!!

 

hahah Yeah it is the Xenarc. I plan to mold it some day when and if I remove the HU. The stylus is good and I use it to use some of the regular windows. I can use my finger to play mp3s and videos. I'll post pictures of that when I get a chance. Get the lilliput then, it is a cheaper soultion. I didn't buy the screen yet. I just borrowed a friends but I assume that a used one can go for $250 to $300 while a new is $450 to $500. The lilliput new is $300 on ebay. Cheapest all alround unless there is a group buy.

The Gps receiver, the ebay one is just good enough. I didnt know that before and ended up getting a $100 one while a $60 ebay one would of worked the same. I have both now.

I am sure that you'll find a way to mount it. I drilled it into that useless tray. It appears the the 99-01 TL tray works even better than the 02-03 one.

 

A din size .... 2 by 7 by 10

 

Here is the screen and gps unit.



Here is the PC pulled out.



Here is the PC pushed under the seat.



The inverter that I had hardwired. The PC only uses like 60Watts so that is good. The screen is like 7Watts.



The button that I use to turn on the inverter.



Here is the screen loaded up with the Acura symbol as the background. You can see the other icons. I made the icons huge so I can use my finger.



Here is a better picture of the background I used. Acutally this is the same exact file.



There will be lots of other pictures. It is much easier so demo this in person though.



http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02636.JPG
http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02637.JPG
http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02638.JPG
http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02639.JPG
http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02640.JPG
http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/DSC02642.JPG
http://acura-tl.hytekhosting.com/uploaded/Acura.jpg

 

That's sweet! Good job!!! Now all ya need is WI-Fi or something to connect to the internet...

 

How did you mount the screen and that is a sweet setup... i need to do the same....
where did you pick up that small a case???
How much was the GPS receiver and where did you get it?
What kind of software are your using???
Total price of the setup??

Sorry for the 21 questions, just want to be fully informed and knowledgable before I invest some capital on this project..... Once again, nice job.......

 

If you really want to do the same case, the I can help you for sure. I spent more money than I wanted because no one helped me. You need .8" high ddr ram, and it isn't available any where except for a few places. The case is C134 case, it is a mini-itx case. There are other cases that are a bit bigger. Originally I thought that I can stick it in the glove box but it is just like an inch too short. I might just cut it and make it fit. Otherwise it fits under the seat ok. I might mount it in the trunk as well.

The gps receiver... get it from flashmaker003 on ebay. look up "gps receiver laptop usb"... it works the same as my navman e series on as u see in the picture. i'll post a pic of the other gps receiver. I have both. it was about $60 to $80 shipped. There are no buy it nows so you have to bid on it. Tons of those auctions per day.

Total price? with the screen? that is the $$ part but the pc itself like $300 to $400 for me since i had some of the parts like Laptop HD, and Laptop DVD rom.

 

I had the hardest time with the memory trying to find the right size. I kept asking for ultra low profile and they shipped me low profile so I wasted some money on ddr ram i don't need. Didn't return because of the 30% restocking fee. Low profile = 1.25" Ultra Low profile = .8" Old ass memory is like 1.75"

 

I have a very similar setup (same MB, 40 GB HD, DVD/CDRW, GPS mouse, Lilliput) even down to the chapstick in the center console!!! Nice work on the install; I'm cutting and welding the metal to make my flip screen mechanism so that I can keep the stock stereo.

I was actually able to fit the MB, HD (3.5"), and mini-ATX power supply all in the glove box. I had to remove the black plastic "basket" and then reattach the actual front panel that has the latch. It worked out nicely because then all of the cables (USB, video, etc) can run out of the bottom/back of the glove box to the rest of the setup.

Also, I removed the fan from the top of the power supply and mounted it to the top of the glove box on the dashboard side so that it can suck air from the floor board and spit it out into the rest of the dash board area. You can still open the glove box just fine, but all you see is the computer setup.

I'm sure that your setup, just like mine, will be a neverending work in progress. I don't think I'll ever get it exactly how I want it... but that's half the fun.

 

Cool, post some pics too. I think the EPIA VIA M10000 is the smallest board out there. There are some other cool items that would work nice... the OPUS so that it can serve the crank. That is just a little annoying. Will putting a cap in there also help it serve the crank?

I would love to see some pictures of how you mounted it. Also the glove box of how you removed it. I tried but couldn't figure it all out. I didn't spend that much time trying to remove it though. The Lilliput and Xenarc is very similar.

If your bracket that you are making for hte flip works, I would definitely be interested in one as well. Let me know.

 

how would you get the audio from the computer to ur speaker in the car?! this is the coolest thing and i want to run a setup like this in my car. except use my pioneer flip tv as the screen. does the board have all the fuctions of a normal computer?! like a mouse and keyboard connection? cus then i could do a wireless mouse and keyboard like one of the other members on the forum

 

I'm actually trying to use the AUX input by taking advantage of the digital output from the computer. The Blitzsafe requires you to still have an analog signal before it reconverts it to the digital AUX signal.

If anyone has any more information about the Acura CD Changer protocol (even the name of it) then I can finish up using a microcontroller to interface the computer's digital out to the stock stereo. Otherwise I'm going to splice into the wiring harness and have the computer control the audio muxing (choosing the stock stereo audio or computer audio) through the EQ wiring.

I'll post pics after I finish up the flip screen and all.

 

Right now I just use the tape cassette thing for now. I didn't have a chance to work on it much. Wanted to at least get it working for my trip to Lake George and Toronto. You can use any screen you want but if you use the RCA video input and even if you use S-Video, the text unless it is big might be fuzzy. This screen has a VGA input as well as two other RCA inputs which allows me to hook up as PS2 or even DVD player to it if I so choose. Maybe even a Camera as well and use it as a backup camera.

 

man that looks great. Look fwd to meeting you in person these few days. You beat me to this carputer project Nice job!

 

Yeah almost anytime is good as long as it doesn't rain. How about Pacific Mall with their indoor parking lot. Or some other place where it is sheltered from the rain.

 

Darkshear, please post pics on your setup. I have the kvt-910 dvd model and I'd like to know how you ran the wires clean and the screen quality you have.

 

Here is a sample of the application that I use to play mp3s. The buttons on the app is big enough for fingers so no need for a stylus.

The one I am using is similiar but just with the Acura logo instead.

 

Steve let me know when you guys are hooking up...would not mind seeing the set up.

 

darkshear, where you able to use your touch screen w/ your computer?

 

Bxscig, what GPS program are you using? I really like the interface and search ability in MediaEngine, but I've had problems running Microsoft Streets and Trips as an external application. It doesn't let the MediaEngine control bar stay on top and MediaEngine doesn't reside on the task bar.

Also, how are you handling the shutdown of the system? Is your power inverter wired directly to Battery 12V?

By the way, I think I'll be done making the in-dash flip screen mechanism by the end of the weekend. I'll try to take pics and make a quick DIY for how to make it. Looks like (if you already have a dremel or something similar) you could make it for under $25 out of random metal from Home Depot and J.B. Weld.

 

hmmm I don't recall having a problem running it. The only thing was that I don't remember being able to run ME playing mp3s and have Street and Trips going. I will try again later. I am able to have the ME control bar stay on top or I can move it to any of the corners.

The shutdown? If I use ME I just hit the shutdown icon. I haven't decided if hiberate or shutdown is better. I might do standby if I can get a seperate power source in there. I was wondering how would I put a capacitor in there if they will help and how would I hook it up. Right now I have a switch that turns on the inverter via a regular relay up front that supplies the power directly from the battery. After all the items are powered off I turn the inverter off.

I made a little bracket from Home Depot parts to hold it right now. I would like to see what you have planned. Hopefully I can replicate it.

 

Here is the gps software running while I am coming up Warden Ave

 

The PC is in a normal mini-tower case. Asus board, Celeron 600 (keeps cool in the trunk) 256MB, 20 Gigger, DVD/CDRW combo drive, Sound Blaster Live.

The PC is powered by a DC to AC inverter of course. The inverter is powered by the main battery, but connected to a relay so it only turns on with the ignition.

I ran the computer's power switch up front so i can manually turn it on and off, cause i dont want it on ALL the time... And the power settings are rigged so pressing the power button puts it in to hibernate to save boot time the next time around.

The KVT-910 has 2 A/V inputs, the PlayStation 2 is connected to one of them, and the PC has a video card with S-Video out, which is converted to Composite with a Radio Shack adapter, then inputted to the brain of the KVT-910. The audio just outputs directly form the sound card to the audio input on the KVT.

The touch screen does not work obviously, as theres no way to connect the touch screen to the PC. And i decided its better that way. So i use a Logitech cordless trackball that sits on top of my cup holder door on the center console.

I was thinking of going the Xenarc way, but i dont have a good place to put it, and i used the one in Austins car, and its too much of a pain in the ass to use the touch features while driving.

The only good thing about the Xenarc is that since its a VGA screen, the resolution is great. Since im outputting the PC to TV, i had to jack up the font sizes to make them legible on the screen of the KVT. But im happy

These images are old, the HU is mounted better now and i use WinAmp + Geiss instead of media player. But you will get the idea. Check out the vid.







VID:

http://www.acurainspired.com/gallery...1052&pid=25984

 

How are you guys mounting these?

 

You shoudl be upgraded to a moderator lol!!!!!

 

Overall it works good and there are just a few things to work out but it works. A few of the Toronto ppl saw it this afternoon

btw... giovanni, Tatewaki, & Residual Freedom it was nice meeting you guys. definitely a lot more TLs in Toronto than New York.

 

How are you guys mounting the monitors? Are you guys just making brackets out of metals from a hardware store? I like to know before I invest in a touch screen monitor for my old laptop.

 

That is how I am mounting mine for now. I will have to come up with a better solution. I'll take a picture of it when I get off work. In some of the pics you can see some metal right below the LCD.

If you plan to get a touchscreen kit for the laptop, you don't really have to worry about mounting it. Or did you mean the same type of LCD as the one I posted.

I believe that Darkshear's is just a regular indash LCD, the one I have is a LCD with VGA input as well.

 

Austin has Bxscig's screen mounted and molded in to the dash, looks good... mine is single din motorized, i just gotta get a dash kit molded for it...

 

Do you have pics of Austin's mold? I was thinking of taking out the stock HU and molding it there but I haven't had the balls to rip apart the Xenarc yet lol or the skillz to make a mold... but it doens't look too hard.