Carputer
Problem
When my radio died in my 1994 Chevy Cavalier, I priced some replacement radios and decided that it was worth slightly more to replace it with a computer. There was no car warranty to worry about voiding.
Methodology
- The screen should be a touchscreen for fast, safe use while driving.
- The audio should be able to output to the current car speakers.
- The carputer should be able to do navigation.
- The carputer should have a DC to DC power supply because it doesn’t make sense to convert DC to AC to DC again with an inverter and typical PC power supply.
Photos
Unfortunately, I can not find any photos of this project. It happened back around 2009. This was a little before cell phones gained the ability to do music and navigation. For what it is worth, I am using my cell phone connected to the car via bluetooth for both these days.
Amazing Tools
- The touchscreen I found was a Lilliput with car DC plug. The touch function was basically just a USB mouse to the computer. I ran a USB extension cable from the trunk to the screen in the dash.
- I used 0 gauge AMP install kit to run wire directly from the batter to a distribution bar in the trunk.
- The DC to DC power supply was pretty amazing.
- I found a software tool to customize the Windows XP boot up screen and had a custom carputer boot up screen.
Surprise Issues
- I found that I could not connect the audio output of the computer directly to the speakers. The audio output of the computer had to go to an amp first. Then, it could go to the speakers.
- In a car environment you have to be especially conscious of movement and bouncing. Use zip ties or whatever to keep things secure.