Carputer Project build...please help!
10-14-09, 10:11 AM
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Carputer Project build...please help!
Hey clublexus family,
I'm currently working on a restoration & revamp project for my sc400 and decided to go the way of the Carputer for audio,etc. I'm currently in the process of compiling parts for my project and could use a suggestion or two for this application. First off let me explain exactly what I want out of this project, my main objective is:
(1) sound that rivals the best headunits available (no noise, correct sound imaging to all speakers)
(2) 7" glare resistant touch screen monitor in center console with all pc components in trunk on top of gas tank with minimal wiring (sheilded)
**I dont want to sacrifice any interior cabin space at all to do this project.**
-------------------------------------------------------------
(3) bluetooth capability
(4) microphone for voice activated apps
(5) solid state memory to run O/S (windows 7)
(6) Centrafuse front end software
(7) optional~ tire pressure monitoring system for 19" wheels
(8) little to no boot up times (i would like it to operate like a stock radio)
(9) vibration resistant hardrive for music storage
(10) gps antennae
(11) optional~ HD radio
(12) smart power up/standby/power down (anti battery drain configuration)
(13) compact case for all pc components (portable)
(14) extended usb ports to center console (recessed)
(14) stock appearance
With these items in mind do you all have any suggestions for hardware that would help me to achieve what i want? I've done some research and the only thing I'm pretty sure to purchase so far is an Asus Xonar DX sound card (based on the reviews)...
-sorry for the expended post and thanks in advance for any and all info given
I'm currently working on a restoration & revamp project for my sc400 and decided to go the way of the Carputer for audio,etc. I'm currently in the process of compiling parts for my project and could use a suggestion or two for this application. First off let me explain exactly what I want out of this project, my main objective is:
(1) sound that rivals the best headunits available (no noise, correct sound imaging to all speakers)
(2) 7" glare resistant touch screen monitor in center console with all pc components in trunk on top of gas tank with minimal wiring (sheilded)
**I dont want to sacrifice any interior cabin space at all to do this project.**
-------------------------------------------------------------
(3) bluetooth capability
(4) microphone for voice activated apps
(5) solid state memory to run O/S (windows 7)
(6) Centrafuse front end software
(7) optional~ tire pressure monitoring system for 19" wheels
(8) little to no boot up times (i would like it to operate like a stock radio)
(9) vibration resistant hardrive for music storage
(10) gps antennae
(11) optional~ HD radio
(12) smart power up/standby/power down (anti battery drain configuration)
(13) compact case for all pc components (portable)
(14) extended usb ports to center console (recessed)
(14) stock appearance
With these items in mind do you all have any suggestions for hardware that would help me to achieve what i want? I've done some research and the only thing I'm pretty sure to purchase so far is an Asus Xonar DX sound card (based on the reviews)...
-sorry for the expended post and thanks in advance for any and all info given
Last edited by nextlevelcoupe; 10-14-09 at 10:17 AM.
10-19-09, 04:26 PM
#2
Moderator - Electronics Forum
For the sound card I'd rather go with the Sound Blaster Fatal1ty series. Mod out the op amps. DTS decoding works VERY well. And it's a smaller card.
The SB Fatal1ty has optical inputs and outputs. Toslink.
The SB Fatal1ty has optical inputs and outputs. Toslink.
10-19-09, 08:59 PM
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thanks a million for the response Percy, I will look into it. I know it might be overkill, but i just want it to operate as a stock radio (with exceptional sound),navigation,etc. no movies,videos or anything like that. but most importantly- no noise! I have a 5 channel amp with a pair of tweeters, 2 front mids (with xrossovers) and two 3 ways in the rear, 12" sub.. would you still recommend that sound blaster for this setup?
10-20-09, 02:54 PM
#4
Moderator - Electronics Forum
Yep. The SB Fatal1ty would be quite good for audio. Has more than enough outputs for what you're looking for.
Constantly amazed at how far digital technology has come. Used to be that you had to run a separate processor for the xover, eq, etc. Now it's all done via software and some good decent hardware.
The only thing "old school" about any audio system is the amp.
Good stuff!
Constantly amazed at how far digital technology has come. Used to be that you had to run a separate processor for the xover, eq, etc. Now it's all done via software and some good decent hardware.
The only thing "old school" about any audio system is the amp.
Good stuff!
10-20-09, 03:20 PM
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Your setup doesn't sound too difficult to achieve.
Using SSD drives would be best since you're worried about vibration damage.
For the automotive power supply, we've used Opus Solutions (google them) in our builds and they work great.
For boot up times, it all depends on your mobo/cpu along with your OS installed. I've seen some nice setups on mp3car.com that boots within 10-15 seconds from cold start.
I believe the only screen that comes with transreflective layer is the Lilliput, however I think the Xenarc screens are better quality. But they do not offer the anti-reflective glare layer.
With my car, I had regular 3.5" hard drives (mounted vertically) and I never had any problems for the 5 years I've had the setup.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Tony
Using SSD drives would be best since you're worried about vibration damage.
For the automotive power supply, we've used Opus Solutions (google them) in our builds and they work great.
For boot up times, it all depends on your mobo/cpu along with your OS installed. I've seen some nice setups on mp3car.com that boots within 10-15 seconds from cold start.
I believe the only screen that comes with transreflective layer is the Lilliput, however I think the Xenarc screens are better quality. But they do not offer the anti-reflective glare layer.
With my car, I had regular 3.5" hard drives (mounted vertically) and I never had any problems for the 5 years I've had the setup.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Tony
10-20-09, 08:09 PM
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Yep. The SB Fatal1ty would be quite good for audio. Has more than enough outputs for what you're looking for.
Constantly amazed at how far digital technology has come. Used to be that you had to run a separate processor for the xover, eq, etc. Now it's all done via software and some good decent hardware.
The only thing "old school" about any audio system is the amp.
Good stuff!
Constantly amazed at how far digital technology has come. Used to be that you had to run a separate processor for the xover, eq, etc. Now it's all done via software and some good decent hardware.
The only thing "old school" about any audio system is the amp.
Good stuff!
10-20-09, 08:44 PM
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Your setup doesn't sound too difficult to achieve.
Using SSD drives would be best since you're worried about vibration damage.
For the automotive power supply, we've used Opus Solutions (google them) in our builds and they work great.
For boot up times, it all depends on your mobo/cpu along with your OS installed. I've seen some nice setups on mp3car.com that boots within 10-15 seconds from cold start.
I believe the only screen that comes with transreflective layer is the Lilliput, however I think the Xenarc screens are better quality. But they do not offer the anti-reflective glare layer.
With my car, I had regular 3.5" hard drives (mounted vertically) and I never had any problems for the 5 years I've had the setup.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Tony
Using SSD drives would be best since you're worried about vibration damage.
For the automotive power supply, we've used Opus Solutions (google them) in our builds and they work great.
For boot up times, it all depends on your mobo/cpu along with your OS installed. I've seen some nice setups on mp3car.com that boots within 10-15 seconds from cold start.
I believe the only screen that comes with transreflective layer is the Lilliput, however I think the Xenarc screens are better quality. But they do not offer the anti-reflective glare layer.
With my car, I had regular 3.5" hard drives (mounted vertically) and I never had any problems for the 5 years I've had the setup.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
Tony
I have a few questions based on your response: How do you think that power supply compares with the Carnetix CNX-p2140 supply?(this is the one i had in mind)- Also since the boot times depend on those parts you mentioned, in your opinion-what extremely capable mini motherboard can you recommend? since cooling/speed/future capabilities+expansion is a concern, which board would you say is the end all be all of mini itx/atx boards for this application? (reasonably priced of course
) Processor: is it best to go with a dual core/quad core processor or does it matter? I think windows 7 allows the fastest boot times...do you share the same experience?
Sorry for the newbie questions, but I plan on really nailing this project- I know building a great foundation is key and I only want to do this once... also, I'm actively seeking info on this through mp3car.com to help with the potential parts list. is this the best site for this?
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10-20-09, 10:07 PM
#8
Moderator - Electronics Forum
I agree, the tech is very hard to keep up with but it's great to see things evolve. Your recommendation for this SB sound card sounds fabulous, do you know if it will fit in a small case? if so,now it's time to look around for the best prices. Thanx for the great advice!
Tony - how about a writeup on the carputer systems? Links, examples, etc. This is definitely the way that audio is going. I'm from the old school when they had to use all sorts of processors, analog filters, etc to get the system sounding good. Lots of us can learn from this!
I wouldn't mind hooking up a really good carputer rig to the McIntosh amps that I have.
To be quite blunt, I would be willing to bet that a really good carputer rig will beat out the Alpine F#1 Status in terms of sound QUALITY. Match it up with some really good speakers and you have one heck of a system...at a fraction of the cost of the "old days".
10-21-09, 11:36 AM
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I can only comment as to what I've used and the Opus has performed beautifully for me and for a few others i've built systems for. But, i'm sure the Carnetix as well as the M1/M2/M4 DC-DC regulators work just as well.
Opus is about 20 minutes from us so we chose to use their products & have the peace of mind of local support in case we ran into any trouble. Great guys there.
Ok, I'll try to go over what is required for a "basic" carputer build. Please keep in mind that I will not be naming the latest & greatest component because that's up to your budget & preference in your build.
All the information you need + more is on Mp3car.com.
Basic Items needed:
1) Touch screen monitor - Xenarc or Lilliput
2) Motherboard - Any size really, but for space purposes, Mini-ITX or smaller...measures 6.7"x 6.7"
*Right now Mini-ITX Intel boards have 1.6ghz atom processors onboard. Should be fine for carputers
3) Hard drives - SSD drives would be the ultimate for mobile environment, but price is still up there. You can use 2.5" drives and they can still withstand some vibration and be ok.
4) PSU - DC-DC unit, will provide startup/shutdown capabilities when your key is inserted/removed
Those are the main hardware units, ram of course is needed, but I didn't think I needed to mention that above.
Optional things are GPS, XM radio, G-Force sensors, etc.
This was a quick & dirty list, your best bet is to browse the mp3car forums and you'll quickly see what's best.
Opus is about 20 minutes from us so we chose to use their products & have the peace of mind of local support in case we ran into any trouble. Great guys there.
Ok, I'll try to go over what is required for a "basic" carputer build. Please keep in mind that I will not be naming the latest & greatest component because that's up to your budget & preference in your build.
All the information you need + more is on Mp3car.com.
Basic Items needed:
1) Touch screen monitor - Xenarc or Lilliput
2) Motherboard - Any size really, but for space purposes, Mini-ITX or smaller...measures 6.7"x 6.7"
*Right now Mini-ITX Intel boards have 1.6ghz atom processors onboard. Should be fine for carputers
3) Hard drives - SSD drives would be the ultimate for mobile environment, but price is still up there. You can use 2.5" drives and they can still withstand some vibration and be ok.
4) PSU - DC-DC unit, will provide startup/shutdown capabilities when your key is inserted/removed
Those are the main hardware units, ram of course is needed, but I didn't think I needed to mention that above.
Optional things are GPS, XM radio, G-Force sensors, etc.
This was a quick & dirty list, your best bet is to browse the mp3car forums and you'll quickly see what's best.
10-21-09, 11:47 AM
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gotta love Deron for posting a FOURTEEN POINT checklist for the car pc system. Not 5, not 8, not 9 but FOURTEEN!!
D, you will never change brother, and for that you get my respect. I still remember the first time I saw your 5" monitor for a rearview mirror. I loved that mod.
My uncle Paul (with the black SC400 that you met years ago) was asking about you last week, I told him about your engine project. He just opened his eyes real wide and said "Damn that WOULD be nice" lol
D, you will never change brother, and for that you get my respect. I still remember the first time I saw your 5" monitor for a rearview mirror. I loved that mod.
My uncle Paul (with the black SC400 that you met years ago) was asking about you last week, I told him about your engine project. He just opened his eyes real wide and said "Damn that WOULD be nice" lol
10-21-09, 01:00 PM
#11
Moderator - Electronics Forum
I can only comment as to what I've used and the Opus has performed beautifully for me and for a few others i've built systems for. But, i'm sure the Carnetix as well as the M1/M2/M4 DC-DC regulators work just as well.
Opus is about 20 minutes from us so we chose to use their products & have the peace of mind of local support in case we ran into any trouble. Great guys there.
Ok, I'll try to go over what is required for a "basic" carputer build. Please keep in mind that I will not be naming the latest & greatest component because that's up to your budget & preference in your build.
All the information you need + more is on Mp3car.com.
Basic Items needed:
1) Touch screen monitor - Xenarc or Lilliput
2) Motherboard - Any size really, but for space purposes, Mini-ITX or smaller...measures 6.7"x 6.7"
*Right now Mini-ITX Intel boards have 1.6ghz atom processors onboard. Should be fine for carputers
3) Hard drives - SSD drives would be the ultimate for mobile environment, but price is still up there. You can use 2.5" drives and they can still withstand some vibration and be ok.
4) PSU - DC-DC unit, will provide startup/shutdown capabilities when your key is inserted/removed
Those are the main hardware units, ram of course is needed, but I didn't think I needed to mention that above.
Optional things are GPS, XM radio, G-Force sensors, etc.
This was a quick & dirty list, your best bet is to browse the mp3car forums and you'll quickly see what's best.
Opus is about 20 minutes from us so we chose to use their products & have the peace of mind of local support in case we ran into any trouble. Great guys there.
Ok, I'll try to go over what is required for a "basic" carputer build. Please keep in mind that I will not be naming the latest & greatest component because that's up to your budget & preference in your build.
All the information you need + more is on Mp3car.com.
Basic Items needed:
1) Touch screen monitor - Xenarc or Lilliput
2) Motherboard - Any size really, but for space purposes, Mini-ITX or smaller...measures 6.7"x 6.7"
*Right now Mini-ITX Intel boards have 1.6ghz atom processors onboard. Should be fine for carputers
3) Hard drives - SSD drives would be the ultimate for mobile environment, but price is still up there. You can use 2.5" drives and they can still withstand some vibration and be ok.
4) PSU - DC-DC unit, will provide startup/shutdown capabilities when your key is inserted/removed
Those are the main hardware units, ram of course is needed, but I didn't think I needed to mention that above.
Optional things are GPS, XM radio, G-Force sensors, etc.
This was a quick & dirty list, your best bet is to browse the mp3car forums and you'll quickly see what's best.
Goals - functionality like the Alpine F#1 Status. Extreme sound quality with huge tunability.
This should be fun.
10-21-09, 07:33 PM
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gotta love Deron for posting a FOURTEEN POINT checklist for the car pc system. Not 5, not 8, not 9 but FOURTEEN!!
D, you will never change brother, and for that you get my respect. I still remember the first time I saw your 5" monitor for a rearview mirror. I loved that mod.
My uncle Paul (with the black SC400 that you met years ago) was asking about you last week, I told him about your engine project. He just opened his eyes real wide and said "Damn that WOULD be nice" lol
D, you will never change brother, and for that you get my respect. I still remember the first time I saw your 5" monitor for a rearview mirror. I loved that mod.
My uncle Paul (with the black SC400 that you met years ago) was asking about you last week, I told him about your engine project. He just opened his eyes real wide and said "Damn that WOULD be nice" lol
What's up D? believe it or not this checklist is the consolidated version
. ..thanks for the cosign my man, I know your uncle must think I'm crazy (I must agree with him) but you know how I do!
10-23-09, 02:33 AM
#15
I use the Xenarc 700 IDT. It's a touchscreen the size of a 1-DIN and fits nicely into the regular slot.
I also recommend a FireFly remote from Slipstream for an input device. Touch screen is great and all, but you have to aim. You can instead program each button to a function or macro. Allows you to keep your eyes on the road.
Once you have the core PC in there, it's as creative as you want to get.
I would recommend the Intel mini-ITX Atom boards. It has worked well for me. mp3cars.com will have a lot of great ideas.
I also recommend a FireFly remote from Slipstream for an input device. Touch screen is great and all, but you have to aim. You can instead program each button to a function or macro. Allows you to keep your eyes on the road.
Once you have the core PC in there, it's as creative as you want to get.
I would recommend the Intel mini-ITX Atom boards. It has worked well for me. mp3cars.com will have a lot of great ideas.