Placebo

Has anybody put a carputer in their xB if so do you have a step by step guide for the retarded?

Im intrested in putting a computer in the dash in the compartment below the radio. perhaps something like this http://www.mini-box.com/m100.htm its Size: 20 cm (W) x4.4 cm (H) x22 (D) cm will it fit? If not are there any cases you guys would recommend that will fit?

Toy_xbox

I have a qiuck snap shot of all the hardware involved with my computer... I had some specs and more info somewhere...




I started to do a write up but only got so far before losing interest...

Here is what I had, hope this helps

Well the hardware and software is the easy part, hiding all the cable and equipment can cause insanity. I started out with the following hardware and software:

MVPC System Features
• 1Ghz Temperature Resistant Core Unit - able to withstand heat, cold, shock, vibration and marine environments.
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Operating System with the Truman Mobile interface
• 60GB Hard Drive, 1GB RAM
• 12V DC Powered- no power inverter needed, no additional battery drain or noise.
• Low Power Drain- won't overload your car's power system.
• DVD, CD, CD-R/RW and Data CD playback- listen to music or load your favorite PC games and applications.
• USB, Firewire, PCMCIA (optional) and other ports to attach Cameras, Wireless Networking Adapters, Cellular Modems, GamePads, Joysticks and anything else you can imagine.
• MP3 Player and Copier
• Text-to-Speech Software- have your e-mail or documents read aloud to you while your on the road.
• Wireless Keyboard and Mouse- let passengers compose E-mail, Instant Messages, enter addresses into the GPS (optional) and even create documents and sync them with your home or office network.
• Omni-directional Remote Control- one-touch access to your favorite programs, music, DVD and other applications.
60GB Removable Storage (USB 2.0 Hard Drive)- Take your Music, Videos and files with you between your vehicle and home PC.
Display Screens
• 7” TFT LCD Monitor w/ one VGA input, 2 Composite (RCA) Video inputs, 1 audio input. On-Screen-Display, and 4-Wire Resistive Touch-Screen
• 10.4" TFT LCD TV / Monitor w/ one VGA input, High-Brightness (500 Nit)
*All displays are DC Powered.
Global Postioning Systems (GPS)
• CoPilot 2003- CoPilot provides turn-by-turn directions to any address nationwide. This full featured GPS navigation system includes Dynamic Directions, Two-Way Voice Technology, RV-Friendly Routing options and over 3 million Points-of-Interest. USB GPS option.
Vehicle Diagnostics
• AutoTap Hardware and AutoTap for Windows with OBD II Generic Parameters - For Chrysler and Imported vehicles.
Feature Slot options:
• ATI All-in-Wonder Enhanced Multimedia Card

XMPCR Satellite Radio:
• USB unit with PC interface and software application

SuperCrunchyAction

check out mp3car.com for ideas. like anything car/hobby related, you can get carried away.

Placebo

yea i lurk around mp3car.com from time 2 time.

toy xbox wow thats really nice setup but that looks like alot of work

hotbox05

no offense but just a question. why do you need all that expensive computers stuff in your car? isnt that more than just a little overboard?

xBMNx

maybe cause its a show car and hes need the bling bling factor or he just has the fundage to do what ever he wants...it cool to see these car with everything done but is there a line when to much is not enough or vise-versa

Placebo

Im not looking for all of that I just want a simple lil mini-itx comp in dash for dvd,gps,back up camera,mp3 and satelite radio. I will go search around mp3car.com some more for help.

Toy_xbox

Well it started off as entertainment for when we do shows but turn into I can add this and add that and and and...

I like the autotap connection to the ODBII it does everything that gauges do plus alot more than I have figured out, the navigation is a given, all the rest is fluff except maybe the WIFI which I need to do updates and transfer files. It started off resonable and I as usual needed "More Power"

AciD

i was so goin to do a full carputer with mini-itx and stuff, but its just not in my budget. soo, im prob just goin to buy an xbox, mod it, and a touchscreen. save myself a hell of alot of $$ and i get to play xbox games. :D

Placebo

possibly would be cheaper to just install an x-box but would you still be able to get things like xm radio and gps? Just wondering cuz I know x-box is essentially computer although I have never had one and havnt really looked into what you can do with it.

mgithens

how do you intend to find drivers to support a touchscreen on an xbox?? I have a modded xbox (xenium ice) and I have a car computer (epia itx)... then what do you plan to run?? you are pretty much limited to the Xbox Media Center... but you won't have access to things like ratio adjustment, etc...

I guess what I am saying is that once you research the idea that you are saying, you'll see that the solution isn't that straight forward...

also you are selling short the numerous possibilities of what a car computer can do... GPS, voice recognition, dictation, handsfree phone control, wireless networking for syncing files, surfing web, getting traffic updates, etc... the list goes on...

I bought my cpu for $300 off ebay... 800MHz, 40GB drive, 512MB RAM, dvd drive, power supply... I have over $300 in my xbox... and the xbox is great for gaming and movie playback... but that is about it... the computer wins...

getting your hands dirty, doing the work... it almost always pays off...

AciD

xbox can run linux, what do u need radio adjustments with if u already have a headunit?

orcrist86

im about to do the carputer thing using the xbox as the brain of the comp.
The box will boot to evox, with the fist item being linux, the second being an aud/vid menu, the third will be xbox typical, ie games. I have made a custom usb cable that plugs into the 4th port, it attaches to a hub, and my gps, wirelesss and minikeyboard will be plugged in there. I'm just trying to figure out where to run some of my wires right now, and wether or not im gonna pull the switch out of the box and remote it to another location in the car, so i can hide the box itself. note with linux it *should* pick up on the devices, but the drivers might have to get tracked down.

mgithens

the problem with Linux is that he GPS software blows in comparison to the mainstream (read Windows) applications that are out there... Destinator, Streets and Trips, etc... you have about two apps for NAV for linux ...

there was a guy living in DC with a Jetta that ran linux... http://www.dashpc.com/

but my point was why travel the hard road, the benefits dont' exist... the only thing you'll save is a little time on the front end, but not because of the xbox, but because there are less applications available...

check out www.mp3car.com's forums and you'll see that there isn't a single person going the linux xbox route - due to the limitations... cost is never the deciding factor... some guy was bragging about a mp3 system that he put together for like $40... using all old parts given to him by friends, etc...

also, you'll spend a few bills on building a power supply that can survive "starting" which means when you kill your car to put gas in... the passengers can keep watching a movie, but when you start the car you'll lose everything and have to reboot... you don't mention anything about building a 12v to 12v power supply for the xbox, so I am assuming you think you can get away with an inverter... but you'll see that you'll either need a really high end inverter that can operate at voltages below 7V, or your idea of saving money with the xbox won't be there...

the dollar difference is my point... you will not save money with the xbox, you will just suffer limitations...

SuperCrunchyAction

This guy makes some good points... I'd stay away from the xbox as a carputer too. I'm building one out of parts I have laying around or were given to me by family and friends. I bought an AMD Duron off ebay for 15 bucks, I have a small shuttle motherboard from an XPC and other than the touch screen and opus powersupply, I'm ready to put a carputer in my XB. You can get great deals on older pc equipment as you don't need top of the line to have a great setup in your car.

Toy_xbox

Just seen this on the SEMA website...


On-board mobile PC personalized through memory stick keyed to individual drivers. Automotive data acquisition capabilities, MP3s, DVDs, Internet access, mobile office applications, integrated phone, touch screen and cameras. Patent Pending.

TOAST3R

another idea would be look for a laptop with a busted monitor. just use an external monitor. i might do that with mine, a friend has a ibook that works great except the monitor is busted, she landed on her back from ice when it was in her backpack.

sithscripter

For the minimalists out there: I'm told that a small sealed lead-acid battery (7 amp-hour or so) can run an EPIA board for up to a week. Combine that with solid-state storage and some sort of regulated charging setup and sequencer and you've got a perfectly adequate system that can survive modest amounts of heat, cold, shock and electrical transients w/o a hiccup.

I'd imagine that a big enough capacitor could solve the voltage drop problem too ... they're not just for amps!

sithscripter

20cm x 22cm sounds a bit too big for that compartment. Maybe some of the Nano-ITX stuff coming out next year will fit.

mgithens

yeah, a battery isolator is what they use on things like motorhomes so that you can use the engine to charge your starting battery and your accessory (usually a deep cycle) battery... but added expense, and this still doesn't face the problem of how to boot up and shutdown... they have a power supply on mp3car.com for about $85 that will power an ITX board (and possibly an ATX board with minimal extras running) and it has a shutdown/bootup controller so that you can have it shutdown a few minutes after you kill your car... but it will boot immediately upon crank up...