scouk Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 (edited) Been working on this for a while now but haven't got as far as I'd of liked.. But getting there... Idea is to have an onboard computer on the car attached to a touch-screen display for doing all sorts of stuff liek sat-nav, video, photos, music, telemetry + more! Here's some quick pics from todays test: (Excuse the poor quality, pics were stripped from a video clip) The current Interface (can be completely altered to suit) Watch videos of TG on teh go! (Not the driver obviously) Real Time car telemetary & logging.. Interface need a bit of work... But have tested it seperately and it works! Only recently foudna suitable sat nav application for it... Was trying to get TomTom to work but it was too slow THis one is simialr though yet much quicker! All controlled via touch screen display! Looking promising so far... Just need to get the telemetry/gauges stuff sorted out, so it looks pretty, get rid of the annoying beep everytime the screen is touched. test a few more applications for potentially TV/Radio / Phone & a couple other things I havent mentioned and find somewhere to mount the PC in the car.. The possibilites are endless really.. Sadly it won't be able to enable attack-mode like the new KITT... I've got a video of the above but it's a bit big at the mo.. I'll try shrink it down to a sensible size and post it up later... Edited to add video now on YouTube - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tr8Nakf55ig P.s. Tissy has a similar system installed on his own scooby Edited October 18, 2008 by ScoUK
cullenmin Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 You are nuts, looks like a good system once you get it all up and running. I take it your going to plug it all up so you can map the car at the same time?
st3ph3n Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 Good project Al. I had specced one up a good few years ago now when the mini-itx boards were just coming out. The problem back then was the sat nav aspect which was basically not doable at the time so glad you've got that part sussed.
euan_r Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 cool. nice big screen to get engine data displayed on too rather than pod.
scouk Posted October 18, 2008 Author Posted October 18, 2008 Cheers guys.. Really hoping I can get it sorted the way I want it.. BTW - this was done with the laptop sitting ont eh driver seat so not a permanent fixture yet.. I do have an ITX system set-up but it's a little underpowered, may just need more memory... It's got a DVD WRiter as well at the mo Also couldn't get hte CutDown version of WindowsXP to install onto it properly last time I tried SO just just running it off the laptop at the mo.. Yeah the SatNav has been the killer for a few months Got TomTom working on a windows Mobiel emulator but was WAY to slow and processor intensive., but recently came across This one: http://www.sygic.com/ Other problem was finding software to attach to the car's ECU and still deliver a decent interface for gauges.. Came across StiScan which shoudl allow me to design my own gauges and stuff so with a bit of time that should be sorted too.. Sadly no real time map switching the software I use for mapping doesn't allow on the fly map swapping.... yet... Would be cool though! Could "potentialy" have any number of temporaty maps lined up.. (Woudl need to be V careful with that one though...) FYI - for anyone interested most of the InCarPC info can be found here: http://www.digital-car.co.uk/ (UK Based) http://www.mp3car.com/ (US Based - But MUCH bigger) Also here's TIssy's project page: (Where the interface was "borrowed" from ) http://www.wrx-carpc.co.uk/
scouk Posted October 18, 2008 Author Posted October 18, 2008 Got the video clip uploaded to Youtube if anyone interested in seeing it in action: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tr8Nakf55ig
thefastone Posted October 19, 2008 Posted October 19, 2008 ooh... now this is something that I was looking at a wee while ago, but i wasn't going to go down this particular route... what i was pondering was going down the off-the-shelf number... my bro had seen an article in... Max power - I know, I dont think that he reads it regular to be honest... and it was on in car PCs, and i had my eye on a nice little double din number, touch screen, and the whole thing is integrated... rather than having to find a home for the control unit... Link to it here: http://www.jkmentertainment.com/jkm/ It was something that I was considering doing this year, but I've decided to hold off, and I'm not going to be doing anything else to the car for a while, unless I have to, so next year perhaps... only complication from my point of view, is that my car is only Single DIN, so I have another facia to cut up to get it right, but thats a job for later... Also - Thanks to The_Ex_leper and Selkie for loaning me their standard sterieo for size testing purposes....
scouk Posted October 19, 2008 Author Posted October 19, 2008 Link to it here: http://www.jkmentertainment.com/jkm/ Cool! I do prefer the double din screen looks much neater, but I couldn't quite tear myself away from the fact the PC woudl still need time to boot-up before you can play music. et.c. So for now wanted to keep a normal head unit in there (which will get upgraded to a DVD/MP4 player with USB port at somepoint) that way I can channel all the audio through the head unit.. DId look at alternatives like mounting a head unit in the top din and usign a dual din screen but didn't quite like that idea.. fair stretch to get to the controls.. The screen I have (although not 100% neat) works quite well and hides away into a single din when not in use.. Also will possibly be looking at getting a laptop with a broken screen for using instead of the ITX system as it means I can run teh system withut draining the car battery when the engine isn't running.. as I coudl use the built in laptop batter.. Similar mods can be made for hte ITX systems but they aren't quite as straight forward.. Perhaps later down the line get a seperate amp and kit out the boot and the rest of the car with a nice set of speaker, but that's WAY down the line from where I am just now...
rosshendry23 Posted October 19, 2008 Posted October 19, 2008 would love this! ur some boy. looks good man. be good wen u get rid of that beepin too.
thefastone Posted October 19, 2008 Posted October 19, 2008 Aye but looking at the system that I posted the link to... it only takes 3 seconds to boot... I'm sure that my head unit takes longer than that! Horses for corses of course, the way you are doing it, you get the features you want, and it will probably be cheaper than the off-the-shelf unit...
scouk Posted October 19, 2008 Author Posted October 19, 2008 Aye but looking at the system that I posted the link to... it only takes 3 seconds to boot... I'm sure that my head unit takes longer than that!Horses for corses of course, the way you are doing it, you get the features you want, and it will probably be cheaper than the off-the-shelf unit... Yeah the 3 seconds is possible. If the system is left in standby rather than shutdown completely.. I.e. close the lid on the your laptop instead of switching it off.. Open the lid and it's ready to go.. Same with this..another reason why I want to use a laptop so It can run on standby with the laptop battery instead of drainign the car batt. The system /interface on that version is Centrafuse, which I looked at, at first.. Really nice and easy to use system! very fast! But I wasn't able to get the 3rd party applications like the ECU stuff working with it nicely.. THe Centrafuse does have basic ECU monitoring for CEL codes and warnings but I wan'ted the full gauge monitoring and logging.. So yeah definately Horses for courses... Prices starting from £799 Think I paid £200 for the display and the rest is free software from the net! (& of course the PC/laptop) But then it is a full product with fallback if it fails for any reason...
thefastone Posted October 20, 2008 Posted October 20, 2008 Now thats something that I wasn't sure about and I think that you kinda answered my question there, its only basic ecu stuff that it can handle... now, this is something, I might have thought that it would have been capable of doing anything, as the system is Win XP based...? I guess its a lot down to ports also...? but then also, I know that you are running press pretty abnormal programs (being that most of is wouldn't touch that stuff...) that the normal driver like me wouldn't have much use for... But yeah, the backup, and the tidyness of the system is one of the things that draws me to it... and the price tag is not THAT unreasonable considering that you can buy a lot less for more money...
iainc Posted October 20, 2008 Posted October 20, 2008 Now thats something that I wasn't sure about and I think that you kinda answered my question there, its only basic ecu stuff that it can handle... now, this is something, I might have thought that it would have been capable of doing anything, as the system is Win XP based...? I guess its a lot down to ports also...? but then also, I know that you are running press pretty abnormal programs (being that most of is wouldn't touch that stuff...) that the normal driver like me wouldn't have much use for...But yeah, the backup, and the tidyness of the system is one of the things that draws me to it... and the price tag is not THAT unreasonable considering that you can buy a lot less for more money... Years ago I had a go coming up with something that I could use mainly for the audio side... never ever came up with a finalised solution to it, and certainly not one with a screen (you kinda needed to know what buttons to press IYKWIM ). Ever since then I keep getting drawn back to it again, esp with so many advances in the screens (and the prices dropping, etc as well). I do fancy having a go at one again, esp after having a wee read of a few other forums today I do think that having it being able to read the ODBII port while you are driving along would be quite cool too... less requirement for a heap of gauges dotted about the cabin as well. Al, you mentioned your existing ITX PC was a bit underpowered, what kind of spec is it? Iain.
P1_Paul Posted October 20, 2008 Posted October 20, 2008 Years ago I had a go coming up with something that I could use mainly for the audio side... never ever came up with a finalised solution to it, and certainly not one with a screen (you kinda needed to know what buttons to press IYKWIM ).Ever since then I keep getting drawn back to it again, esp with so many advances in the screens (and the prices dropping, etc as well). I do fancy having a go at one again, esp after having a wee read of a few other forums today I do think that having it being able to read the ODBII port while you are driving along would be quite cool too... less requirement for a heap of gauges dotted about the cabin as well. Al, you mentioned your existing ITX PC was a bit underpowered, what kind of spec is it? Iain. Looks good, I was thinking about doing something like this using the Deltadash software and some of the customised gauge software, might do it next year using opensource once I get a dev. car.
iainc Posted October 20, 2008 Posted October 20, 2008 Looks good, I was thinking about doing something like this using the Deltadash software and some of the customised gauge software, might do it next year using opensource once I get a dev. car. Yup. Was still wondering if it was as well getting a "normal" in car screen stereo and then hooking the in car PC up to that (using the aux port(s)) rather than simply a complete in car PC doing all of the work. It'd remove some of the requirements for an FM modulator (if you want to listen to the radio) and would speed up the starting times, etc. I'd really not need the sat nav stuff, 'cos I tend to know where I'm coming/going to and there are not too many speed camera locations on my normal routes either.
scouk Posted October 20, 2008 Author Posted October 20, 2008 (edited) I'd really not need the sat nav stuff, 'cos I tend to know where I'm coming/going to and there are not too many speed camera locations on my normal routes either. The sat nav software I had running there also ahs a GPS logger, so you can log your routes.. Which coudl be kinda cool if our for a run and want ot find out where hell I really ended up! To try answer a coupel other questions. Yeah by the looks of things that package is XP based so in theory you coudl do whatever you wanted with it. Details are a we bit sketchy as to ports etc. so dunno if you can ad keyboards and stuff do it.. (Possibly Bluetooth actually) Some versions used to use Lunux for speed but with cutdown versions of XP on the go it's not really worth it given most software is XP based.. Ports wise, most things run off USB and if there isn't enough I was goign to add some ports into the center console where one of hte blanked off switches usually are.. infact was considering putting the power switch for it there somewhere.. AS for hte price tag.. I'm just a cheapskate and don't like paying for stuff I can do myself! (assuming I can do a reasonably decent job of it) I don't think I'd ever pay £750+ for such a device TBH...but that's me... Can't remember the exact spec of ITX system I have but I think it was aroudna 850Mhz process with onyl 128MB of RAM so it's clear the bottle neck is the ram.. Was goignt o boost it up to at least 1GB once I get somethign working and see if it's enough.. Not sure if the newwer high quality videos would play properly on jus the 850Mhz.. Might be a bit tight, but we'll see.. There are quite a few ECU monitoring apps out there, but not many actually give you a decent enough view that woudl look good on such a small screen.. I think I did pay somethign like £10 for hte STISCan (a.k.a. evoscan) software after months of searching for somethign suitable. It let's you create your own style of gauges and can quite neatly be run from the main interface.. (RoadRunner incase anyone's interested) If I ever get somethign up and running properly it will onyl get added to and maybe do away with the normal head-unit and put in a proper fixed 2din screen.. WE'll see.. early days... FYI - Screenshot of one of the sample gauges from STiScan: ALmost Skyline GTR style! (Need to Find a G-Meter ) More examples on this page. (scroll down a bit) - http://www.limitless.co.nz/ Edited October 20, 2008 by ScoUK
P1_Paul Posted October 20, 2008 Posted October 20, 2008 (edited) What software do you use to map? Edited October 20, 2008 by P1_Paul
scouk Posted October 20, 2008 Author Posted October 20, 2008 (edited) What software do you use to map? RomRaider... (Formerly known as Enginuity) http://www.romraider.com/ Wouldn't mind a shot of the ECUTek stuff but the licence is WAY too expensive... COmpared to Free OpenSource anyway (Did say I was a cheapskate... ) Edited October 20, 2008 by ScoUK
scouk Posted October 20, 2008 Author Posted October 20, 2008 (edited) Map switching is coming..... YUp... But it has been for over a year now.. But at least it's progress.. A couple of the developers have got it working but it just need to be implemented properly in teh software so it doesn't balls up anyones ECU's in the progress Did offer to test it but got a reply saying it's not that far on yet.. that was a few months ago now... Did consider adding the launch control for a laugh but it was crude way of doing it IIRC so haven't bothered.. Plenty of potential with the opensource software as it's developed by programmers and enthusiasts.. But it means getting volunteers to help so progress varies.. More of a "when it's done" timescale.. I've got experience with Java but woudl still require a fair bit of learning to get to grips with what they are doing.. And Sadly I don't have the time.. Edited October 20, 2008 by ScoUK
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