raverX

The Car PC project of mine began in about 2002/2003.

The aim of this project was to produce a functional in car computer, which could provide

* MP3 music playback
* Movie playback
* GPS positioning and directions
* WiFi internet access

The initial design used a Xenarc 7" VGA screen with USB touch screen inputs, a VIA EPIA-M motherboard and a 60w 12v DC-DC power supply unit (PSU) which was wired to the accessories signal to turn the computer on and off (gracefully into hibernation mode!) with the key.

The first version I built using Windows 98 lite, which is a version of Windows 98 stripped down to the bare core to try and improve performance.

Unfortunately the archaic state of 98 meant that the system had quite a few problems and crashed a lot.

After that I attempted to use a few Linux based media players, however none were really designed to run with a touch screen input in mind so this idea was given the flick. Additionally the resources required by X were beyond the feasible capabilities of the EPIA-M, running at a measly 1000mhz and having a pretty useless FPU.

Windows XP would have been the most ideal version, perhaps even Windows Media Centre Edition, however due to the limited resources the machine ran like an absolute pig so I ended up having to settle for a stripped down version of Windows 2000 (Windows 2000 lite).

I used the Media Engine front end which simply ran WinAMP to play music and videos and actually managed to remove my head unit from the system - driving the amp's directly from the audio outputs on the EPIA-M.

This had a few down sides:

1. The speakers would 'POP' when the system shut down
2. If you wanted to play a CD, you couldn't - I didn't install a CD-ROM drive, and the PC was under my seat
3. You had to wait for the computer to resume from hibernation mode to get any sound in the car (approx ~45 seconds)
4. If the PC crashed, I had to reach behind my seat and reboot the PC

Aside from that, the Car PC was installed in my Toyota Celica and was my main source of in car entertainment until it was pulled out so I could sell the car. I eventually mounted the 7" screen in the area where the double DIN was - the only downside of this is that when there was glare from the sun coming in the windows, you couldn't make out the controls on the screen.

Since purchasing the Toyota Supra I've been looking at how I could best implement the Car PC, overcoming previous problems and enhancing the experience.

I've decided that the Car PC won't drive the speakers/amps directly, and that the Car PC will only be an auxiliary device for the head unit, essentially extending the capabilities.

I never got GPS going in the Celica due to the cost of the GPS software, however with portable GPS devices on the market for under $700, this should have dropped substantially. I also never bothered too much with WiFi due to the limited WiFi coverage around S.E. Queensland.

If I do re-implement the Car PC in the Supra I think my main objectives will be:

* GPS
* Email (Outlook)
* Contacts list (Outlook)
* Movies

As my head unit connects to my ipod there is little need for MP3 playback. I am currently contemplating using my notebook from work which is nearing the end of it's 3 year life cycle as the computer to run the touch screen, mounting it in a way that it can be used day to day on jobs and plugged into the car when I want to use it.

Again, more thought needs to go into this.

I will keep the same screen, but will most likely mount it in the roof lining, behind the cabin lights - this should remove the problem of glare and also deter police from defecting me for having it in the field of view of the driver and therefore creating a distraction once the car is moving.

I also intend to install another screen I have in my brothers project car.. but that's about all I can say on that subject ;)

As Car PC's have become more and more popular, much of the hardware, software, etc can be found at mp3car.com including pre-built mini-PC's and the screens. There is also quite a lot of talk of car manufacturers implementing car pc functionality into their next generation vehicles.