[DIY] My E46 carputer project

[aidilj]

Hi guys, I am sharing the project that I've been working on in the past two months. It's a PC to handle entertainment, navigation, on board computer information etc. Any comments are welcome.

How much? Table below lists purchases related to the project. Please keep in mind that this is a low budget project.item noitemsourceprices&hprice (RM)17 inch touchscreen lcd monitoreBayusd 88usd 454272M350 enclosure and M3-ATX power supplyeBayusd 94usd 314023BMW E46 double din bezeleBayeur 41eur 313024D410PT Intel Atom motherboardlowyatmyr 1951955Samsung 500GB 5400 hard diskBJ complexmyr 1581586Kingston 2GB DDR2 800 SDRAMBJ complexmyr 1251257USB GPS - Globalsat BU-353eBaygbp 10gbp 15.201248Reverse cameraeBaygbp 211039Pico-psu 80WeBayusd 23.95usd 6.999910Electronic parts #1 - for amplifierlocal shopsmyr 686811Melexis TH3122 K-Bus transceiverreslers.deeur 10eur 66612R17 BMW E46 ISO harness adaptoreBaygbp 3.99gbp 54413TDA7560 4x45W quad bridge amplifiereBayusd 10.583414TP link wifi-g dongleBJ complexmyr 252515Logitech ps/2 keyboardBJ complexmyr 242416Cliptec usb bluetoothBJ complexmyr 1515total2211SpecificationsProcessor : Intel Atom processor D410Number of cores : 1Clock Speed : 1.66GHzMemory : 2GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHzGraphic : Onboard - Intel integrated GMA 3150Sound : OnboardHard disk : Seagate 5400 60GB1 Construction1.1 CPU Power supplyPowering the CPU motherboard is M3-ATX, a purpose-built power supply for vehicle use. It can survive engine cranks, remote wire for amplifier, can turn computer on when key is turn to position 1/ACC. In picture below, M3-ATX is on the left while on the right is PicoPSU-80. The PicoPSU, unlike M3-ATX assumes regulated 12V input while M3-ATX has a wide 6-24V input.

1.2 CPUThe Intel D410PT has the single core Atom processor soldered and passively cooled, onboard graphic with VGA out, 10/100 LAN, sound, 8 USB, SATA for hard disk and serial headers.

A hole was made for the serial interface

1.3 MonitorThe monitor comes off eBay, it employs four wire resistive touch sensor. It has two video inputs other than the VGA and a reverse camera trigger. Surprisingly, when disassembling it I found out that most of the monitor components are held together by hot glue!

1.4 AmplifierDriving the speakers is a home made amplifier using the personal favorite TDA7560 quad 4x45W bridge amplifier. It is built so to use the remote wire feature from the power supply, this would help reduce power when computer is not in use and eliminate "thump" upon power up. Some construction pictures.

http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2515.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2523.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2529.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2573.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2528.jpg1.4.1 Ground loop problemThere were a lot of nasty CPU noise in the first revision of the amplifier. Turns out the problem is ground loop between the computer and the amplifier. Combating this, the loop was broken by separating power and signal noise with a 10ohm resistor.Quote from http://ludens.cl/Electron/audioamps/ta8215.htmlIf you compare this schematic to the one in Toshiba's data sheet, you will notice that it's almost an exact copy, except for R3! Toshiba ties the input ground directly to the output ground. In a PC, this leads to trouble! A computer is a noisy machine. There are quite strong noise currents circulating through ground, for example. If you tie all grounds together, it could well happen that a noisy power ground return from the hard disk takes a route through this power amplifier and the sound card! This makes some nasty noise show up in the speakers.It's important to understand that the TA8215, like many such chips, has the preamplifier internally separated from the power amplifier. This is very useful to get rid of the described ground loop problems! I left the input ground separated from the output ground, except for the 10 Ohm resistor. If you happen to use this amplifier with a signal source that has a floating ground, the resistor is low enough to apply proper power ground to the preamplifier stages, and it works well. But if you install the amplifier in a PC, the 10 Ohm resistor is high enough to break up the ground loop that would otherwise form! All sensitive input points, such as voltage divider grounds, feedback returns, and ripple filter capacitor ground, are directly connected to the soundcard ground, and separated by the resistor from the power ground. The result is a very good rejection of noise. In my system, I can't hear power supply noise at all, but if I short out the resistor, the noise is all over the place!
1.5 IBUS interfaceIBUS interface was built with the KBUS tranceiver IC (Melexis's TH3122) bought from reslers.de. It is the serial/rs232 version of it. A minor correction was made to Rolf's schematic on the max232 portion. Also the NTSC wire was omitted.Rolf's schematichttp://www.reslers.de/IBUS/img/IBUS_V4b.GIFfrom Maxim's datasheethttp://aidilj.com/carputer/max232.pngConstruction pixhttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2611.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2654.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2664_G.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2668.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2669.jpg1.6 Wiring harnessFor this, the 17 pin to ISO radio connector was bought to get a clean install. Wiring harness include a 22000uf 25V cap and 10A fuse stolen from the removed head unit. Being cheap, the wires are all from broken ATX power supplies.http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2608.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2607.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2716.jpg1.7 BezelThe bezel is another part that came all the way from Deutschland after the KBUS transceiver. It is actually designed for double din radio so a little modification/hack is expected. I chose this over the TFT bezel because this is cheaper. The LCD is held onto the frame with epoxy.http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2683.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2691.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2702.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2713.jpg1.8 SoftwareThe computer runs on Windows XP PRO SP2, there are two frontends that I'm currently evaluating, Centrafuse and Riderunner.Windows installation through USB thumbdrivehttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2434.jpgCentrafuse screenshttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2465.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2449.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2455.jpg1.9 Putting it all togethermockuphttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2635.jpgCramping all in, amplifier sits behind the screen while the CPU will be in the gloveboxhttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2718.jpghttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2737.jpgNavcoder showing whats happening on the IBUShttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2748.jpg2 Using itDesktophttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2741.jpgRiderunner with Simplistique V0.3 skinhttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2746.jpgRiderunner with Reborn V1.07 skinhttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2747.jpgCentrafusehttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2744.jpgKylie Minoguehttp://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2749.jpgOwh, Taylor!http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2728.jpgGarmin Nuvi 205w and Garmin Mobile PC side by side. GMPC is actually using NMEA stream from the Nuvi using GPSgate, until I receive the Globalsat USB GPS.http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy197/aidilj/carputer/IMG_2754.jpg3 Still to do3.1 Find and install mic for phone integration3.2 Glare: tint the car and put some 3M Vikuiti on the screen3.3 Add subwoofer for lows3.4 Install reverse camera - maybe during CNY break3.5 Buy USB OBDII interface3.6 Reset button3.7 USB portCheersAidil

 

[jarance]

3.1 - Use handfree kit for hand phone. The integrate condense mic would suit your application and cost less than RM8.

3.5 - I got a USB OBDII interface for less than RM200 using PA Soft 1.4. Email me for detail

3.7 - just buy extender cable for the USB.

btw, good work.. and buy a drill and bit lah. They are cheap at Tesco or giant Less than RM50..

 

[bmw7833]

Wah bro, u can mass production it, sure get demand.

 

[bkslee]

Great work! :77:

So if your sound card produce 5.1 channel can u link up a 5.1 altec lancing into your car?
How do you control your pc? touch screen? kb and mouse? is your steering controller still work?

 

[johnj]

where you place the cpu?

 

[johnj]

oops...backtracked and found out..heheheh..good job!

 

[aidilj]

Great work! :77:

So if your sound card produce 5.1 channel can u link up a 5.1 altec lancing into your car?
How do you control your pc? touch screen? kb and mouse? is your steering controller still work?

Hey BKS,

Altec lansing would probably require 240V so an inverter is needed. In this case just put in multichannel car amplifier and you'll get surround sound in your car. There's also plan to upgrade the onboard sound to a better usb based one.

The pc is controlled through the touchscreen monitor which works just like a mouse. Hardware keyboard is not required except for troubleshooting, the software has its own onscreen keyboard most of the time.

The steering wheel control is still being worked on for centrafuse, works fine with riderunner. I can see the button actions on navcoder already. Retaining steering control is the main motivation to include IBUS transceiver.

 

[B33mEr]

Sweet project bro :top:

 

[jarance]

Next would be:-

1. wifi
2. broadband hookup

 

[mizhan]

i'm sure thare are poeple here who would pay you to install this in their cars.

 

[YK9]

Tabik, bro. Sweet work! Congrats.

 

[aidilj]

3.5 - I got a USB OBDII interface for less than RM200 using PA Soft 1.4. Email me for detail

3.7 - just buy extender cable for the USB.

btw, good work.. and buy a drill and bit lah. They are cheap at Tesco or giant Less than RM50..

I'm taking my time for the OBD work since it is not of high priority. Now I have the extender cable but it is just hanging out of the glovebox. Maybe something like this

image from http://www.diymybmw.com/e46/carputer/

Jarance, I think I just love the solder tool so much that it is used it for everything!

Next would be:-

1. wifi
2. broadband hookup

The computer already have wifi inside the case just need a hotspot capable handset. hmm..

 

[IanDaddy]

Awesome stuff.

 

[jarance]

try this one for USB . They are usually provided in desktop computer

Maybe it would be better to relocate the wifi modem or put an external antenna for better reception.

 

[IanDaddy]

Awesome stuff.

 

[ICEMAN 68]

great stuff there ....only if can fit on an e36 ...dammm

 

[aidilj]

great stuff there ....only if can fit on an e36 ...dammm

Hey ICE, yes you can fit it in E36 looks nice too. We even have a member that has it installed, masch/rudy

Bezel are available from http://www.mybimmer.net/

Cheers

 

[ICEMAN 68]

Hey ICE, yes you can fit it in E36 looks nice too. We even have a member that has it installed, masch/rudy

Bezel are available from http://www.mybimmer.net/

Cheers

how much for these ?

 

[aidilj]

try this one for USB . They are usually provided in desktop computer

Maybe it would be better to relocate the wifi modem or put an external antenna for better reception.

I have exactly that and am planning to install it next to the DSC button when the center console is removed to install the reverse camera.

If anybody is interested, you can try out centrafuse for 30days, download here http://www.centrafuse.com/Downloads.aspx

 

[aidilj]

how much for these ?

Mybimmer.net is charging usd 150 for the E36 TFT bezel