Building a Carputer
Budget: $1500 USD
Time frame: 1 – 3 months
Introduction:
In this advancing era of iPods, electronic gadgets, and technology, a simple 6-CD changer just doesn’t cut it for car-based entertainment. Sure it might suffice for the daily commute to work, but what about those long-weekend snowboarding excursions to the Sierra’s, or surf trips down the coast of Baja? The iPod, or any MP3 player, really only expands the length of one’s music playlist. PMPs (portable media players) take it a step further and offer a larger screen for watching videos and maybe browsing the internet if a WiFi hotspot exists nearby; this would be nice for the passenger, not so much the driver. The next step up is simply a complete computer system that does all the aforementioned and everything else.
I’m sure most of you have watched episodes of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” where someone’s ghetto hooptie transforms into a glistening orgy of LCDs, amplifiers, gaming consoles, and subwoofers. Well, we all aren’t so fortunate, or rich enough to afford systems like those, but it would still be useful to have a computer in the car. With some inspiration, a bit of research, and some knowledge of computers and electronics, you can pimp your own ride for a reasonable price.
This will document my progress designing and building a mini-ITX computer system for playing music, DVDs, GPS navigation, web browsing, war driving and anything else. This is not a step-by-step guide—as every system should be different to accommodate one’s specific needs—but rather function as a reference to myself and others who undertake similar projects.
Research:
I spent weeks reading threads and posts on the mp3car.com forums to familiarize myself with what I was getting into—comparing hardware, power supplies, LCDs, cases, software, vehicle models, viewing images of installations, reading about what works and what doesn’t, what to do and what not to do, success stories and failures. There is invaluable information there, and I HIGHLY suggest spending a few weeks just reading.
Once you have an idea of what you want to accomplish with the system, select the hardware that can handle everything. The hardware you choose will narrow down your choices of enclosures, or if you are daring, you can build your own case. Take your time again, and make sure all the hardware will work together correctly.
Useful resources for parts:
http://store.mp3car.com/
http://www.logicsupply.com/ (great customer service and support techs)
http://www.newegg.com/ (great prices on hardware and peripherals)
http://www.radioshack.com/ (or any other electronics store for generic needs – wires, connectors, etc.)
Complete Parts List:
| Part | Description | Source | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainboard | VIA EPIA CN13000G 1.3GHz | logicsupply.com | Matrix |
$174.00
|
| Memory | 512MB DDR2 533 RAM – 240 pin | logicsupply.com |
$51.00
|
| Power Supply | 90 Watt M1-ATX | logicsupply.com |
$79.00
|
| Case | VoomPC-2 Automotive Mini-ITX Case | logicsupply.com |
$119.00
|
| CD Adapter | Slimline CD to 40-pin IDE Adapter | logicsupply.com |
$7.00
|
| HD Converter | Notebook 2.5″ to 3.5″ IDE Converter | logicsupply.com |
$9.00
|
|
Subtotal: $439.00
+ Shipping: UPS Ground (5 Business Days): $14.11 |
$453.11
|
||
| Hard Drive | HITACHI Travelstar 7K100 80GB 7200 RPM ATA-6 2.5″ Hard Drive – OEM | newegg.com |
$84.99
|
| CD / DVD | LG Black 8X DVD-ROM 24X CD-R 24X CD-RW 24X CD-ROM ATAPI Slim Combo Drive – OEM | newegg.com |
$46.99
|
| GPS Receiver | PHAROS PB010 iGPS-500 GPS receiver | newegg.com |
$89.99
|
| WiFi Adapter | LINKSYS WUSBF54G IEEE 802.11b/g USB 2.0 Wireless-G Network Adapter | newegg.com |
$79.99
|
|
Subtotal: $301.96
+ Shipping: UPS Ground (3 Days): $9.02 + Tax: $21.89 |
$332.87
|
||
| Monitor | Xenarc 700TSV – 7″ VGA Monitor with touchscreen and inputs | xenarcdirect.com |
$369.00
+ Tax: $403.60 |
| Software | StreetDeck North America | mp3car.com |
$199.99
|
| Extras – Miscellaneous | |||
| Fuse Holder | 30-Amp(Max) Inline Mini Blade-Type Fuse Holder | RadioShack |
$2.99
|
| 10 amp ATM Fuse | 10A Mini-Blade Automotive Fuse (3-Pack) | RadioShack |
$1.99
|
| Fuse Taps | Blade Automotive Fuse Taps (4-Pack) | RadioShack |
$1.49
|
| 18AWG Hookup Wire | 25-Ft. UL-Recognized Red/Black Paired Hookup Wire (18AWG) | RadioShack |
$5.99
|
| 12AWG Hookup Wire | 20-Ft. UL-Recognized Red Hookup Wire (12AWG) | RadioShack |
$4.99
|
| Butt Connectors | Crimp-On Butt Connectors (10-Pack) | RadioShack |
$1.99
|
| Quick Disconnects | 1/4″ Fully Insulated Quick Disconnects (10-Pack) | RadioShack |
$1.99
|
| Multimeter | 29-Range Digital Multimeter | RadioShack |
$29.99
|
| Wire Stripper/Crimper | Kronus™ 4-Way Crimping Tool | RadioShack |
$6.99
|
|
Subtotal: $58.41
|
$58.41
|
||
|
Grand Total:
|
$1,449.78
|
||
Assembling the computer:
The particular model motherboard, power supply, and enclosure are designed for one another. It was simple to attach the motherboard and power supply to the baseplate of the case. The VoomPC-2 case also has a small front panel board for 2 extra USB inputs, left and right channel RCA audio outputs, 2 case fan power headers, system LED, and headers for the audio and USB connections to the motherboard.
The VoomPC-2 case front panel has a DE-9 (9-pin) USB header for connecting the extra USB ports on the front panel to the motherboard and supplies the necessary cable to make the connection. However, the EPIA CN family motherboards have a true DB-9 (16 pin) header and the Voom cable will not fit the on the pins.
SOLUTION:
I contacted LogicSupply tech support for a solution, and they mailed a modified DB-9 cable the next day.
The 3-pin system fan header on the EPIA CN family motherboard is located near the back panel. I did not have a long enough fan cable to reach the front panel in order to power the 2 case fans.
SOLUTION:
I had a few extra fan cables from an old fan controller, so I spliced the two male ends together using 3 self-piercing telephone wire splice connectors.
The rest of the assembly went smoothly; all the pieces fit in their respective places. I planned on purchasing a Xenarc 700TSV 7″ touchscreen LCD which requires a regulated +12v power source.
In order to provide the screen with a regulated +12v current, I used the remaining 4-pin ATX power molex from the power supply as the source. With an extra female molex, I snipped off the +5v rail and 1 ground rail leaving the +12v rail and the other ground rail butt-spliced to a spool of 18AWG paired hookup wire. This will power on the screen the same time the system boots.
Booting it up:
Initially, with the system out of its enclosure, I used an extra ATX power supply (not the M1-ATX DC-DC automotive power supply) to make sure all the hardware was working and to setup the operating system and applications. Everything here went as planned. Once the system is in the VoomPC-2 enclosure with the power leads connected, there was no way to further boot the computer using a regular ATX power supply.
Using an old external 3.5″ harddrive enclosure and power brick, I managed to splice the +12v and ground rails to the power leads coming out of the Voom case. The ignition rail simply connects with the +12v rail for this purpose. The M1-ATX waits about 3 seconds and the computer boots.
For some reason, there was no VGA signal coming from the motherboard, nor was there any TV-out signal or S-Video. The boot screen did not show, but the system booted successfully into Windows, as I could see it on the network.
SOLUTION:
Kill the power, take the system out of the enclosure and clear the CMOS by shorting pins 2 & 3 of the CLEAR_CMOS motherboard header. Return the jumper back to pins 1 & 2 and put the system back in the enclosure. VGA signal is restored.
Assembly Images:
Update! FJ wired, screen mounted, switch installed, DONE!
Wiring the FJ was by far the easiest task of the entire project. The general consensus in the mp3car.com forums was to use between 8 and 12 gauge (AWG) wires to run from the battery to the computer. Since I wasn’t running the wires to the trunk, 12 gauge was sufficient; plus, the inline fuse holder had 12 gauge leads so I stuck with that.
I was hesitant at first to run the wires through the firewall. In most documented cases (especially those with beefed up audio systems) a hole had to be drilled in the firewall to accommodate the larger gauge wires. Since the FJ is only six months old, I didn’t want to mess with any warranty issues; luckily, I found an existing hole where the hood release cable goes through the main electrical grommet. The two 12 gauge wires fed right through (second installation photo.) From there, the wires went through the center console – passing underneath the stock stereo – and out the other side.
Having a manual on/off switch is definitely useful, and was really easy to implement. Using 18 gauge wire, I tapped into the ignition fuse in the fusebox by the hood release (third installation photo), connected to one lead of the switch while the other lead follows the power wires through the console. There are two push-button-like placeholders for optional accessories to the left of the steering wheel which pop out – the perfect place to put the switch. (fourth installation photo) The plastic was soft enough to cut a hole using an x-acto knife. Now if I need to reboot the computer, I don’t have to kill the ignition, or if I am just moving the car a short distance, I can do it without having the computer boot.
The stand that came with the Xenarc 700tsv happened to be perfect for mounting the screen on the passenger side of the dash. This allows the screen to swivel to face the driver or the passenger. I used 1/2” self-drilling screws to secure the stand into the plastic of the dash. And that’s all she wrote!
Mission accomplished.
Installation Images:
