Carputer Project

[subieboy]

watching...

[viperguy]

well finally after weeks and weeks of drama i finally got me hands on a screen to use for the carputer, gave it a trial tonight and works pretty damn well. I r much excited to get it installed this weekend, probably throw some videos up on youtube on the install if theres any interest.

[Drunkenmonkey]

so the screen seems all good so far interested to see how well it lasts

[subieboy]

still watching...

post em up

[petrolheadjman]

Be keen on seeing some videos

[aim]

Cool! Where the pics at man Hmm, after my exhaust is fixed, panels are worked out, new suspension setup + sway bars... I really do need a new headunit.

[viperguy]

Couldnt have wished for a better day here in welly for the carputer screen install, no real dramas besides having to make a custom USB joiner, I would have liked to have got the motorised screen i wanted originally as the one i have now sits proud of the dash a little bit due to the fold-out mechanism, and the fact WRX's are skimpy on the space behind the din panels

I didnt bring the CD headunit out of the dash to match the screen because i couldnt easily get the cup holder out, but it shouldnt really get much use now besides volume control, which in practise is still readily accessible even with the screen out

things still to do are attach my evoscan usb adapter, and permanently mount the gps unit and the wifi antenna somewhere they can get a good signal

Pulling out existing screen

Freaking out over amound of cables to stuff back in the hole

test fitting location

trimming dash bits to fit new slighty wider screen

the other side

test fitting slots

dash back together

choosing a location to hide excess cable

mounted line input to pioneer head unit box for PC audio

this was a usb adapter i had to make so that i didnt have to deal with butchering the cables that came with the new screen, or run a new usb cable through the car to the boot.... $7 well spent

tested and hot-glued so no magic smoke gets let out of anything

important carputer screen joins prior to securing to crossbar behind glovebox

all back together after 4 hours of messing around

Edited December 6, 2016 by viperguy

[Kiwiflyboy]

well done looks pretty tidy, is a shame the screen does sit out so far hopefully you dont mash ya fist into it on a gear change!

[viperguy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqTJGgEyLYE

youtube demo, available in 720p also...

a plus side of it sticking out like that is that it rests at a great viewing angle, so not all bad really

[viperguy]

just an update, have added bluetoothing with my phone so can make and take calls with phone still in pocket, computer also reads emails to me

[Drunkenmonkey]

how is the screen going no issues or hassles? still in two minds on getting one..

[viperguy]

funny you should ask...its going back because the ribbon cable joining the screen to the chassis has failed somewhere...from the looks of it they havent given it enough slack and so the folding action of the screen has quite quickly broken some wires/connection

still shows an image, but the usb for the touchscreen isnt recognised any more by the pc and it makes the windows usb unplug noise when you move the screen, id have a go at fixing it myself but it has an 18 month warranty so will just send it back for a new one and if the replacement has the same issue, then i'll mod it myself to how it should have been done ie, giving the screen cable more slack

besides this drama it was a great unit to use, surprisingly practical having a pc in the car...

[viperguy]

computer screen MKII is installed and working, pics up this weekend

[Guest boostcut]

such a marketing/sales voice going on in your video. ;D

[deathz0r]

Very nice mate.

Looks awesome. I think next year if I buy a semi-ok run around I may do this to it. No point in the rex

[viperguy]

 boostcut said:

such a marketing/sales voice going on in your video. ;D

haha i'll take that as a compliment

i'll re-do the video as i'm using a different program with a better interface, its worth showing off again now that its a bit more sorted

[Drunkenmonkey]

So they replaced the screen ok? Was there much hassle?? Still deciding on what to do

[viperguy]

 Drunkenmonkey said:

So they replaced the screen ok? Was there much hassle?? Still deciding on what to do

not yet, just bought another unit as I knew it would take ages to get the other screen sorted, I'm hella lazy ;D

personally with the lack of range of decent single din units, i would just go for the double-din fixed screen option, much less hassle install-wise as its nice and roomy behind the double din screen, and does look a lot flasher, just means your liable to lose the ciggie lighter and ash-tray if youre install is anything like mine and you plan on keeping a normal headunit

[Drunkenmonkey]

double din i dont like as its obvious you have a screen there, do they make many that do normal head unit stuff as well as the touch screen?

[viperguy]

 Drunkenmonkey said:

double din i dont like as its obvious you have a screen there, do they make many that do normal head unit stuff as well as the touch screen?

there was one, xenarc mdt-x7000, but no longer made, might be able to find one on ebay though

http://www.xenarc.com/product/MDT-X7000.html

my new screen video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsE-ecBv_fg

I also got the shutdown controller working, basically its a device which extends pulses, so when i release the button in the dash which activates the carputer power supply, the shutdown controller is triggered and takes over control of the carputer relay for a set time period (during which the carputer will go into hibernate)

The shutdown controller then times out and releases the relay thus isolating the carputer power system from the rest of the car.

The only issue i had was that the switch i was using (just a factory spotlight button, those push to hold and push to release ones) operated in a way that the falling edge i needed for triggering the shutdown controller happened at the exact same moment that power was cut to the carputer relay. So there was a fraction of a second delay between the carputer relay releasing and the shutdown controller control of the relay activating, during which power was cut to the carputer and it would crash due to lack of power.

I got around this by modding the internal contacts of the switch, simply by covering most of the contact pad i was using with duraseal basically, so that when the switch was pushed in in normal operation, the contact i was using was resting on the duraseal instead of making contact like it would normally. Then when you push the switch in to shut the computer off, the pad makes a fresh contact and triggers the shutdown controller BEFORE the switch actually breaks contact.

[viperguy]

update, have installed a modified wing mirror control insert to provide me with up,down,left,right, controls plus a push and hold button

left and right for track skipping and up and down currently are assigned to audio player/video player screen selection, push and hold button will be used for voice control triggering once i get that set up

[Drunkenmonkey]

daym dude mines still sitting on my desk lol

[viperguy]

also had issues with the shutdown controller as i wanted a push to start and push to stop solution so ended up added a latching relay into the hibernate signal line so that before the carputer hibernates it sends a signal to the latching relay which cuts the hibernate signal for the next boot, as the system was still receiving the signal as soon as it booted up and would go straight back to sleep...damned annoying

just need to add in the "code" to tell the carputer to unlatch the relay so it can get the hibernate signal for the next hibernate event

[viperguy]

voice recognition pretty much working, just need to customise commands a bit better and permanently mount microphone

using riderunner with rrvoice as a plugin for those interested, in practise though I am using a really cheap microphone so it struggles with road noise etc, I've heard that training windows under normal operating conditions helps a lot, so will give that a go sometime. failing that get an array mic with better noise cancelling.

[Swindog]

Got an update on this?