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Car Pc Install


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Here are some pics of my car pc install in a 98 GS300 (if I knew how to paste pics into this post I would).

The original idea was to build a pc to play my MP3s but as these things do, it developed a life of its own and now its used to play DVDs, TV, etc.

GS300 car pc pics

Thanks to all the people that have helped me.

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Looking damn fine is that :)

I wish i had a satnav screen in my car.

How well does the PSU work?

and have you managed to get windows to boot up quick?

the main gripe about mine is the boot up time :(

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Here are some pics of my car pc install in a 98 GS300 (if I knew how to paste pics into this post I would).

The original idea was to build a pc to play my MP3s but as these things do, it developed a life of its own and now its used to play DVDs, TV, etc.

GS300 car pc pics

Thanks to all the people that have helped me.

AWESOME.... this is very nice pieces of kits matey... B) B) B) B) B) :) :) :)

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dlayen:

Here is the link to the composite to RGB converter I used - www.converters.tv/products/converters/rgb_converters/42.html. I choose this one as I read a report on www.clublexus.com that someone had used it and it had worked. Possibly a better choice would be www.converters.tv/products/converters/rgb_converters/40.html as this converts from VGA to RGB and should give a better picture with more adjustment, although I dont know if it would work. Originally I was going to use the PC VGA output with some software called Powerstrip to set the required frequency but was unable to get this working correctly.

Brettster:

This is the circuit I used for the PSU controller - http://linuxcar.sone.jp/pic.en.html. The regulator was changed for a low dropout version which I got from RS electronics. This circuit then supplies the Morex PSU.

My boot up time is around one and half minutes this is from power on untill the application is ready. I have done some optimisation but it has'nt made much difference.

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How does that psu cope when you switch on things like heated seats or if you turn on the rear demister?

at the moment im using an ITPS with a morex 12v 60 watt psu, it works fine unless the weather is cold and I need to use the heaters.

Im very tempted to buy an opus psu.

I've managed to get my boot time for winXP down to around 60 seconds by turning everything not used off on the mobo bios and by using the WinXp Lite program but im using a laptop hd which is only 5400 rpm.

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Brettster:

I have no problems using pc with the heated seats etc so itt sounds as though your ITPS psu controller is not supplying the Morex with enough voltage. Check the regulator specifications for the drop out voltage. The one I am using has a 0.3v drop out so it needs at least 12.3v to supply my Morex 60w PSU.

I also use a laptop drive but I think it only runs at 4800rpm. What is WinXP Lite? Is it available to the public?

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Chunky

winxp Lite is a program that strips out the unwanted stuff from win XP I got it from kazza.

yeah I think the ITPS is my main problem as it needs a high voltage to run something like 13v plus.

there is a new psu out now that snaps onto the mini itx mobo and can take an unregulated voltage from 11 to 19 volts and its rated at 70 watts, I could just use the ITPS as a shutdown controller then and bypass the voltage regulator part...

fidgits

Windows mobile?

is that the Windows XP embedded?

I have no idea how to make an embedded file :crybaby:

but that would be the best option im sure

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Originally I was going to use the PC VGA output with some software called Powerstrip to set the required frequency but was unable to get this working correctly.

I don't think you would have much luck with powerstrip as the scan frequency is much higher on even the lowest VGA signal compared to TV standards which the screen uses.

have you managed to get windows to boot up quick?

can you not use standby rather than a full power cycle?

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Colin

Powerstrip does have an "arcade mode" which sets the horizontal frequency to 15Khz but even with this I could'nt get it to sync. Thanks for your help in the past with questions about the Sat Nav display.

I did consider standby but I prefer to have it shutdown completely when I'm not in the car in case the Battery runs flat.

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If you hibernate, it copies a ram image to the HD and shuts off (no power). Restart reloads the image and continues execution. Usually faster than complete boot & shut down. Hibernate option may need to be enabled (usually only used on portable computers) - there's a setting somewhere (probably in power settings) to enable it.

As Fargo says, standby goes into low (not no) power state.

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Looks like it needs some hardware support - possibly not available on the VIA systems - worth a look though (see if you have a Hibernate tab in you 'Power Options').

To manually put your computer into hibernation

You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of either the Administrators or Power Users group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.

Open Power Options in Control Panel.

Click the Hibernate tab, and then select the Enable hibernate support check box.

If the Hibernate tab is not available, your computer does not support this feature.

Click OK to close the Power Options dialog box.

Click Start, and then click Shut Down. In the What do you want the computer to do drop-down list, click Hibernate.

Notes

To open Power Options, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Power Options.

When you put your computer into hibernation, everything in computer memory is saved on your hard disk. When you turn the computer back on, all programs and documents that were open when you turned the computer off are restored on the desktop.

To put your computer into hibernation, you must have a computer whose components and BIOS support this option.

Using Power Options in Control Panel, you can adjust any power management option that your computer's unique hardware configuration supports. Because these options may vary widely from computer to computer, the options described may differ from what you see. Power Options automatically detects what is available on your computer and shows you only the options that you can control.

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fidgits

Windows mobile?

is that the Windows XP embedded?

I have no idea how to make an embedded file :crybaby:

but that would be the best option im sure

erm...

Yes its an embedded O/S, but if you can get hold of a copy, then you wont have any issues installing it on the PC.

It is kind-of XP, but a light version, designed for PDA's, and specifically aimed for touch screens, and hence includes an on-screen keyboard...

Worth having a look for mate, 0 boot time, very stable, and Nav software like TOMTOM is designed specifically for it :winky:

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if you use standby then you will need to draw power all the time..

It may be worth measuring the current being drawn whilst in standby. It may not be very much, not much more than the alarm and stereo, which isn't going to affect a large car Battery especially if you upgrade the Battery to a larger capacity. If you are going to leave the car for a few days you can always shut it down then.

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erm...

Yes its an embedded O/S, but if you can get hold of a copy, then you wont have any issues installing it on the PC.

It is kind-of XP, but a light version, designed for PDA's, and specifically aimed for touch screens, and hence includes an on-screen keyboard...

Worth having a look for mate, 0 boot time, very stable, and Nav software like TOMTOM is designed specifically for it :winky:

is it windoes CE? Im not sure my other software would work on it, but it sure would be nice to use tomtom on the PC its very nice Nav software

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