WRX Carputer :D

[p8baller07]

I thought about this problem for quite awhile when I started designing the PC for my Nissan Murano....my solution was simple and has proven to be very reliable. The first thing I did was decided to mount the HD vertical instead of horizontal. The reasoning behind this was that if I hit a bump it would more than likely just knock the read/write head out of position over the disk surface not knock it INTO the disk surface. With this thought in mind my hardrive is hard mounted in the car with no rubber mounting or other isolation in place at all. The other thing I did was bought a hardrive with a 16MB Cache so if there was any read/write head movement it would be negated by the large HD memory cache. To answer the question of whether or not this setup works let me just say that the Hockey arena that my son plays at decided to put in five huge speed bumps in a effort to slow people down in the parking lot which I generally hit at about 25 to 30 miles an hour in succession without a hickup in audio or video playback on my system. B:)

 

 

+

 

 

Good luck with your build...you're going to love it when it's done B:)

 

You're the one i was thinking when i was debating whether or not to use a normal AC to DC PSU..

 

Looks like you did, you're not having any problems with cranking the car or anything? Alternator spikes...ect?

 

How did you hookup yours to your headunit/speakers? Are your speakers amped?

[Schaft]

Very excellent. How will you do power.

[gotdamojo06]

you could do a y-spliter RCA cable and plug it into the onboard audio port, or if you have a soundcard just plug it into the audio port of the soundcard...

[Fueler]

You're the one i was thinking when i was debating whether or not to use a normal AC to DC PSU..

 

Looks like you did, you're not having any problems with cranking the car or anything? Alternator spikes...ect?

 

How did you hookup yours to your headunit/speakers? Are your speakers amped?

 

First I'm going to answer your questions right off the bat and then I 'm going to go into quite a bit of detailed information about how I finally set things up and why so that you can avoid some of the pitfalls I ran into along the way.

 

The system I installed is not the standard fare that you are going to find at sites like Cardomain.com and other sites along the same lines. Most ..but not all of the systems discussed at these sites are the mini PC variety and pretty much all follow the same hardware paths. The custom built software front ends are written for these types of systems and were not of much use for the type of system I wanted to install.

 

My system is really no different than what you would build for a good home HTPC. The components I used were a :

 

BIOSTAR TForce6100 Socket 754 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

 

 

AMD Sempron 64 2800+ Palermo 1.6GHz 256KB L2 Cache Socket 754 Processor

 

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory

 

 

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS SB0350 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Card

 

 

FSP Group (Fortron Source) FSP300-60GLS-R Micro ATX12V 300W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL,CSA, TUV, NEMKO, CB & CE

 

 

ATI AIW X800 PCI-e

 

 

Linksys Wireless Desktop Adapter (WMP54G)

 

 

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard

 

 

Because of the very limited space I had available for an LCD monitor I modded a PS/ONE LCD to run off the VGA output from the ATI video card.

 

Now to answer your questions, there are two reasons why I went with a standard 120v power supply and a dc to ac inverter. One was (at least at the time) the dc to dc power supplies that were available at the time had a max rated output of barely 180 watts and that just wasn't going to cut it. Second it was not just a little but a lot cheaper to buy a good quality 120v power supply and a 750watt dc to ac inverter than a dc to dc power supply. Now that said the dc to dc power supplies did offer features that weren't available if you go the other way not the least of which was an automated shut down of the PC when you turned the key off in your car, but I found a way around that.

 

And yes the system drives 1000+ watts of power amps to drive a full compliment of ADS (Analog and Digital Systems) speakers. When I watch a movie in my car it is in full 4.1 surround sound and it kicks a**.

 

More to come but I need to cook junior some dinner before he keels over ( at 6'2" and 185 pounds you'd think the lazy little SOB could make his own dinner )

[gotdamojo06]

You would think that he could...I still think that thats a bad @$$ build...I would rate it 10/10

[DWILLWY]

You would think that he could...I still think that thats a bad @$$ build...I would rate it 10/10

[kingdingeling]

that is one badass ... I meant badaxe build! Especially in the car, VERY nice!

[hardnrg]

looks pretty cool overall, but the fact that it's a wooden case, wrapped in carpet, with no case fans, makes me wonder whether it'd get too hot come summer or not... even though it'd be in the trunk (therefore not baking in the greenhouse/glasshouse lol) i'd probably go for at least one exhaust and some vents, and more likely one exhaust and one intake

 

i know it's only a PIII, but i used to have a PIII-800 (slot1) and it did have the ability to get fairly hot with the stock cooler and no case ventilation aside from the psu

 

btw: nice socks! XD

Edited January 26, 2007 by hardnrg

[Makaveli]

I guess if this was mine, I woud be more concerned about the bumps messing up the hard drive than the temperature. I would definitely have exaust fans though. You probably wouldn't want to leave your car in the sun for a long period of time I'm guessing...lol

[Fueler]

Sorry about the delay in finishing up. (After dinner I just crashed and burned, been having a little problem getting my blood pressure under control....getting old s*cks)

 

OK if you decide to go with a conventional 120v power supply and a 12v to 120v inverter (and I would recomend that you do even with a PIII rig) here's what you need to do to automate the startup and shut down of your system.

 

You can thank the guys over at carPC.com for this rather elegant solution.

 

Parts:

 

2x SPDT (just a standard automotive relay available at any autoparts store or Radio Shack)

2x Diode (Make sure it can handle 12v and the amperage of an automotive battery-available at Radio Shack)

1x Automotive 12v on/off switch (available at any automotive parts store or Radio Shack-you can get as creative as you want as far a switch design)

1x Serial port connector (the cable with a male end-available at any computerstore or Radio Shack or even the cable off of an old gamepad or joystick etc..)

1x Fuse holder +fuse (or make sure the circuit is powered from a fused connection)

10g to 4g wire (depending on how far the Inverter is from the battery....this is where the "Burger Theory" applies.... bigger is always better...probably will have to

go to a highend auto stereo shop for good wire above 10g)

 

This is the original circuit diagram that I found at carPC.com but it's not the one that you will want to use....some of the reasons I will tell you now the rest you will figure out as we go along.

1) This circuit was designed to use with the mini PCs, since we are going to be using a 700watt+ inverter the circuit just wont't cut it as designed.

2) This circuit was designed to use the aux power off of the keyswitch. The problem is (and you will see why later) that cars today need all the amperage they can get to spin over the starter motors so there is a circuit designed into most modern cars that cuts power to everything except the starter motor when the key is turned on. (everybody has experienced this....when you start your car the radio goes dead....this is by design not accident)

 

 

Here is the one that we are going to use.

 

 

This is the circuit we want to build and it's not as difficult as it may appear. If you bought automotive switches then they are marked with the #'s indicated in the diagram (85, 87, 88 and 30) the end of the serial cable will also have pin 8 marked...all you need is an ohms meter to find the corresponding wire in the cable. Here's some tips:

1) The on/off switch does not have to be connected directly to the battery but it does have to be an "always on" connection not one that is turned on by the keyswitch.

2) Inverters in the 700watt+ range always have an on/off switch...this is because they need a high amperage (always connected) connection to the battery (think of it as a high powered audio amplifier....it is always connected to the battery through a large guage wire but uses a remote on/off wire to power the amp up) Remove the on/off switch...you will find that there are two wires connected to it... cut the switch off and connect the two wires to the # 87 and #30 lugs on the #1 automotive relay....this relay will become the on/off switch for the inverter...it doesn't matter which wire from the inverter switch is connected to the #87 or #30 lugs on the relay since this is just an on/off switch.

3) The diodes are VERY IMPORTANT and must be installed correctly....If you are unsure of which direction power will flow through the diode then hook them up to a 12v power supply or battery and use an ohm's meter to check which way voltage flows through the diode (for those of you that don't know what a diode does....basically it will only allow voltage to flow in one direction....ie if voltage is applied from one direction it is allowed to pass.... if the voltage is reversed and comes from the other direction it is completley blocked and not allowed to flow backwards through the diode)

4) Use an ohms meter to find the wire that is connected to pin # 8 on the serial connector (pin #8 will be marked on the connector) this is the wire that you want to connect to pin #30 on the #2 automotive relay... connect lug # 87 on the #2 relay to a 5v wire coming from the PC power supply (the red wire on one of the accessory connectors coming from the power supply).

5) Use the 12v wire (the yellow wire) from the same accessory PC power supply connector that you used to connect the #2 relay and connect it to the #88 lug on the # 1 relay (make sure that you have the diode installed inline in the wire and in the correct orientation!)

6) The rest of the diagram is pretty much self explanatory but if you are not sure just PM me.

7) Once you have the circuit above built go into the bios of your PC and make sure that it is set to restart after a "power outage" (this setting is found in different parts of the bios depending on which bios you have...so you are going to have to look for it, but the setting is there even on OEM rigs)

8) Now turn on your PC and go to "Control Panel/Power Options" (this only works with Windows XP SP2). Click on the "UPS" tab and under the "Details" section click on "Select". A window will open up called "UPS Selection". Under the section labeled "Select Manufacture" scroll down and select "Generic" make sure the "On Port" section is set to COM1...(if it is greyed out then more that likely the port has been disabled and you will have to go back into the bios and enable the port).

Under the "Select Model" section highlight "Custom". Click next and another window will open up called "UPS Interface Configuration On: COM1". Under this section put a check mark in the "Power Fail/On Battery, Low Battery and UPS Shutdown" options and make sure that the "Negative" radio button is selected for each option.

Apply all the settings and then get out of "Control Panel" and shut the PC down.

 

 

Now I Know what you are thinking.....what in the heck did I just do????? Here's how everything you just did works.

 

On the initial start up you will have to start your PC manually but after that it will be all automatic. Here's what happens: When you turn the On/Off power switch off it cuts power to both the #1 and #2 relays but the #1 relay remains powered up because it is still getting power from the PC power supply. The #2 relay does not have the benefit of an alternate power supply so it shuts off cutting power to the #8 pin on serial port (COM1). At this point the PC thinks that the power has just been shut off and that it is now running on an APC so it initiates a (Safe-like going into hibernation only it eventually shuts down) shut down sequence. Once the PC has completly shut down the second power source (the PC Power Supply) for the #1 relay is shut down and the #1 relay finally shuts down for real....when this happens it turns the Power Inverter off and the system is now completly shut down. When you turn the On/Off power switch back on it powers up the #1 relay turning the Power Inverter back on. Since the PC has been set to restart when power returns (in the bios) it reboots as soon as the Power Inverter returns power to the PC power supply. It's that simple.

 

Just a few more things to consider....take a look at the pic below....

 

 

There are four black switches (with red LED power indicators) and two red momentary/on switches. Starting from the bottom the first black switch is the on/off switch for the PC power supply which I relocated here because it would be inaccessible once all the center console cowling was reinstalled. The two red momentary/on switches are connected to the power and reset connectors on the motherboard. The second black switch from the bottom is the actual on/off switch for the PC (the reason I used switches with led power indicators is that I would know when they are on....if the red LED is lit up and I don't turn it off... then it's my own da*n fault when I come out to a dead battery!!! The third and fourth black switches are connected to ACC (key activated) power sources and turn on the LCD monitor and Power Amps (the reason they are on a switch is simple...I may not always want the system turned on...so I have the option to turn it off with the switches but I still have the benefit of leaving the PC on when I stop for gas or a cup of coffee and having the LCD and AMPs shut down when I turn off the car conserving battery power).

 

Here's the finished install....you can see why the power supply switch is inaccessible.

 

 

Hope this helps you out....let me know if there is anything else I can help you with B:)

[Makaveli]

Wow Fueler, I am simply amazed at how good yours turned out. It might be hard to get the top of the WRX center console to fit on top of the case (assuming you want it to be covered like Fueler's.) My buddy has a WRX and I just noticed that its center console is pretty small.

[gotdamojo06]

that looks really nice and clean when it is all the way put back together...