Build a Car Computer

by Megatron

So I'll be driving soon.  I realized that I spend so much time by my computer that it would be impossible to go anywhere in my car without at least a bare bone unit in there.

So I set out to discover how to create a small unit that would run off the car for super, super cheap.  It would be neat to have a computer in your car.  You could use it to play MP3s, hack, or as a really complex Red Box.  This article is intended to get you started on the path to an affordable car computer.  It's a little more that just sticking a laptop in your car.

As any electronics enthusiast knows there are the two obvious problems: display and power.

I hope to cover a few solutions for these as well as info on the unit itself.  I'm not a hardware hacker by any means, and some of this is simply speculation (what do you think I'm made of - money?).  In research for this article, I saw price tags reach up to 3000 bucks!  You could buy another car for that much cash!  So let's just take a look and see how far we can stretch our funds.

The Unit Itself

Before we start on the hard stuff, let's cover the actual computer.

If you have space to burn, you can use a desktop computer case and just put it by the passenger seat or in the trunk.

If you choose a desktop computer, you pick the specs.  If you want lots of RAM, fine, I don't really care.  The unit I am creating is a 233 MHz, 32 megs of RAM crapper I made with spare parts and a decent sound card.  If you want MP3 capabilities it's a good idea to have a large hard drive and a good sound card.

I'll leave the speaker setup to you.  Just go to RadioShack and buy an RCA to mini 1/8-inch jack to plug into your amp (if you even want MP3s).  Just be sure not to put your subs next to your computer if you keep the unit in your trunk.  There is already a high risk of hard drive failure with all the vibrations it gets from driving around.

If you have a little more cash and want something super small, I suggest looking at the wearable computer community.  They have done some amazing things at MIT, and there are Linux boxes that you can carry in a fanny pack.  Sound can be an issue here.  You have to compromise size for options with wearable computers.

The operating system is up to you.  I think Linux would be best - it's not as power hungry as Windows.  Plus you can make a cool looking shell for it.  Also, it's a good idea to stick in a networking card to transport MP3s and other info.

The Display

In research for this article I read a paper on a "mobile phreak unit."

This guy actually put a whole monitor in his car!  I don't condone it, but you have to work with what you have.  The best idea is a small LCD screen that is simple to install.  We want to keep it as basic as possible - don't want anyone to electrocute themselves.

The best place to get LCD screens cheap is electronic surplus stores.  I really liked www.allelec.com/VGALCD.html kits.  This is by far the best solution for our needs.  89 bucks for an ISA card that works with most every OS and a 640x480 capable 5-7/8" x 10-3/8" (9.6-inch) monochrome display.  Just plug the card into the motherboard and you're good to go.  The only problem is that card is ISA, not PCI.  This is O.K. for most people, but if you are starting from scratch and want this display type, be sure to buy a motherboard with at least one ISA slot.  This is not a good display choice for DVDs.  That good a screen will cost about 200 smackers, but still cheaper that any commercial unit.

If you are a good EE you can design a super small MP3 player that will fit either under your seat or in the radio compartment of your car with a small LED display.

The Power

Like I said before, I am no hardware hacker and when it comes to power, I know squat.

I turned to the Internet for help and guidance in these desperate times.  I am using a Statpower PORTAWATTZ 300 DC to AC power inverter in the unit I'm making.  I got this idea from Riskable's car computer (see below).  He plugs it into the cigarette lighter instead of the battery because if his computer crashes he can reboot it.  He also grounded the power by means of a ground loop isolator so he didn't get any hum.  Go to his site for more info.  If you smoke and want to keep the unit in the trunk, I think a switch would work fine.

The Interface

This one is simple.

A keyboard and mouse are the cheapest ways to go.  If you go this route, I suggest getting a cheap wireless keyboard and a wireless or touch pad mouse.  You could try to find a mini keyboard or modify a laptop keyboard.  This is entirely up to you.  Be sure to have long wires if you keep the unit in the trunk.

Conclusion

If you have an old computer and a few hundred bucks to spare, I suggest making a car computer.  Let's give it a name: The Econoline Carcomp 8000.

Yeah, that's cool.  Now let's get ready for some Hard-Driveing!

Components

It cost me 169 bucks to adapt a computer to a car.

Resources

Computer

riskable.youknowwhat.com/car.html - Some guy called Riskable who made a car comp without a screen.  Always an option.

rehmi.www.media.mit.edu/people/rehmi/HackMan0.4.html - HackMan wearable computer.

wearables.www.media.mit.edu/projects/wearables - MIT wearable computers.

Really Neat Stuff

dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Mobile_Computing/Wearable_Computers - wearable computer links at Yahoo!

Display

www.allelec.com/VGALCD.html - Best display options.

www.eio.com - A great source for all sorts of surplus electronics.

www.igadget.com/igadget/cartelevisions.html - Go here to see what the mainstream prices are (very high!).

Power

globe-mart.com/electron/powerinverters/statpower/PW-300.htm - Get the inverter for 50 bucks.
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