Timmy C Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Ok after my exams im planning on using my old sony vaio laptop to make an in car PC. The laptop will be hidden in the dash where the passenger air bag is on some models and its power button will be linked to the ignition so that it comes on when the car is started with a manual overide of course. The system will mainly be controlled by an 8" touch screen LCD built into the dash where the radio and casset tray go. The laptops own screen will disconnected from the laptop and hidden in the passenger side of the dash as an extra screeen To the laptop i will add: A wi-fi pcmcia card to allow remote access updates and transfers of mp3s and movies from my home pc A GPS reciever for nav, speed cam detection, performance meter DAB radio reciver High quality external sound card Blue tooth dongle for hands free mobile phone functions Usb hub built in to the dash for any other connections I cant see why this wouldnt work and it will give me the function of £2000 worth of kit for just £250 ontop of the value of my laptop. Anyone else ever done this and has anyone got suggestions for software?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Ummm....imagine trying to wrestle Windoze into submission at 115mph down the A1....I totally think your idea would be awesome to achieve but making a usable bit of kit might prove a pain in the arse!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devboy Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 maybe run linux? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy C Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 Ummm....imagine trying to wrestle Windoze into submission at 115mph down the A1....I totally think your idea would be awesome to achieve but making a usable bit of kit might prove a pain in the arse!!<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Yeah that is a problem but there are ways round it. You get a front end program with big buttons to access your main programs which pops up on start up. Also theres some pretty good voice recognision programs developed especially for car PCs. However i do it im gona make a propper job of it tho. Gona start on it after july 5th cause i need the laptop for an engineering competition on that day (£2500 first prize) definatly worth it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluliz Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 nah make a website, with large pictures that open the software. would be a piece od p1ss to make and get to run at start up. i can do html etc, so would be able to help ya or even make it for ya. get a joystick type wireless mouse for easy control. whats the spec on the laptop? i wouldn't have thought u would need a decnet sound card on a sony viao Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy C Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 (edited) I want seperate phono low-voltage outputs to my 3 amps and 4 point surround sound with seperate subwoofer control. This i could not get with any standard laptop sound card lol. Touch screen should be easy ehough to control on the move. Making a html front end is a decent idea though if i cant find a ready made front end program that meets my needs. The website www.mp3car.com has loads of links to decent software for car PCs Edit: The laptop is 1.4ghz pentium 256 ram 40gb hdd. Good enough for what i want tho. Edited June 10, 2005 by Timmy C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluliz Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 html would be sooo easy. but u can set the size of desktop icons, sooo make em huge and just have the right icons on the desktop sound yeah got me on that. touch screen might need to use a usb connection, not sure. cant see it being a problem. specs are fine. morethan enough guts to do what ya need. might want to add an external 160Gb hd. depends if ur gonna put movies on it. sounds a class idea. saw an ERST at FITP, 17" tft up front with the laptop in a frame behind and between the front seats. no back seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy C Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 Yeah it should be pretty good. There are problems ive thought of though: Vibration damaging laptopMust make sure i can hide the screen to prevent break in, maybe a slide over jobbyHard to update gps navigation and speed camera software as most require subscription Theres more you can add on to it though, web cams round the car etc It will definatly require some thought....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluliz Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 u wont have to worry about virbration problems. laptop hard drives are pretty heavy duty. my mates laptop fell off the roof of his car. damn fool got in and left it up there. worked fine! defo a cover for the screen. yeah, road angel for cameras etc. gps navigation, yeah yearly subscriptions etc. cool to have tho. shutting down, u can program the laptop to shut down when the battery gets to a certain %. set it to 98,% then it will auto turn off after about 5 mins when u stop the car. set it to 85% so it would stay on for a bit. auto trun on. will be harder that a normal style pc in a car. might be worth getting remote alarm with remote start. have it wired to the laptop. i'll keep thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy C Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 I thing a relay connected to the radios live on ignition wire and to negative could be used to activate the laptops push putton. If a relay doesnt do the trick like if the button needs to be released aswell then i would just get a pic microcontroller to do it which ive had experience with in my systems and control course. And the on/off button can be set to hibinate or standby etc. So i think ive got the turning on and off with ingnition sussed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blimey Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Wouldnt u have to design software to work especially with a touch screen, to describe what function is located in which area of the screen, dont think its as simple as displaying windows and touching the screen to make it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmy C Posted June 11, 2005 Author Share Posted June 11, 2005 If you buy a USB touch screen like this one you get the drivers with it to use touch screen with your operating system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devboy Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 if your making it wireless how about this, For a frontend use some html/php/mysql and create a wicked looking frontend maybe with a theme changer. Next setup a webserver on the lappy so you can control it remotley!!!!so your in your house or on someones lappy next thing you know your car is bashing out the beats from your control? heh Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoo2000 Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 its called remote desktop devboy no need for any fancy frontend IMO, windows media player will play, and aint hard to use with a touchscreen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyCanning Posted June 11, 2005 Share Posted June 11, 2005 i thought of doing this but just remeber you need lots of fans as the laptop gets warm, so warm it can melt the plastic. they did this on pimp my ride ages ago and it went to warm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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