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Project:
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Jollyeskimo's Project 850itx Part 1 |
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Guest Author:
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Jollyeskimo
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Date:
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October 7th, 2005
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To combat the power issue, I had to make a few minor modifications to the car’s electrical system. The
12v + DC lead from the battery, which was connected to just about everything inside the car including
the engine, was caked with gunk and overloaded to begin with. This was replaced with a Rockford Fosgate
battery terminal, which basically let me neatly connect several extra wires of different gauges to the
battery. I was going from heavy gauge wires from the engine to much thinner ones like the one that
would end up powering the carPC.
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In addition to the battery terminal, I also installed a simple pass-through fuse holder at the battery,
and a fused power distribution node in the cabin to protect components with different power requirements.
All this was then connected together with wiring of the appropriate gauges, and a common ground was
bolted to the chassis to complete the circuit. The laptop was connected to the power adapter, and the
power adapter to an inverter. It was a ridiculously redundant setup, but at that time budget was my
main concern over functional elegance, so I tolerated it.
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In terms of software, I used a front-end interface called MediaCar
written by Coyote over on MP3car.com’s Forums.
This program supports MP3/Video/DVD playback, along with radio stations, GPS navigation and all sorts
of goodies, all on one slick skin able interface that was designed for touch screen LCD’s. (NOTE: At
this time, MediaCar development has stopped, and the RoadRunner front-end by Guino has replaced it as
its successor). A modified skin with the Volvo’s logo was used, just to keep a consistent look for
this project. I also hooked up a mini-USB keyboard/mouse combo, and an IR remote to supplement the
touch screen in the case that I would need to troubleshoot while on the road.
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With this basic setup installed, being stuck in traffic was almost a joy, since it gave me access to my
entire MP3 collection like an iPod, but with video and DVD playback to boot!
Although it worked, extensive testing revealed many flaws with both the power system and with regular
day-to-day usage. The front-end, being only supported and developed by the hard work of its sole
creator, had several bugs that made it slightly problematic to use while driving. All the wiring was
crammed into every nook and cranny that would fit but it was an absolute mess. Not to mention that
being a total beginner with automotive electrical work, I routed the main 12vDC+ wire from the battery
to the cabin through gaps in the bodywork of the car, instead of doing it properly through the firewall.
There were also the large issues with the laptop, as it was incredibly annoying to have to dig it out
of the backseat and flip it open just to reach the power button. The redundant 12vDC -> 110vAC -> 12vDC
conversion with the battery/inverter/laptop power adapter setup was very inefficient and wasted
precious battery power. Finally, moving/syncing MP3 libraries from my workstation at home to the laptop
in the car was an annoyance in itself since it involved manually copying and pasting files from a USB
key, so much so that I came to avoid updating the files on the laptop.
The New Plan
With my first initial build under my hat I learned an awful lot about what goals I needed to accomplish
to really get this project off the ground. I realized that it was time to completely re-think my ideas
and revamp the entire configuration. Tune into Part 2 of this project where I will provide you details
on my new plans and changes for Project 850itx.
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