Comments on: Eee PC as Car PC. Anybody? http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/ Mon, 21 May 2012 04:34:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Nick http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-119512 Nick Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:20:23 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-119512 Actually I'm brainstorming about putting my eee 900 into the car. I'm connecting a 7" VGA lilliput touchscreen wich is integrated in my dash. For the power supply I want to use a cheap ebay car charger. I'd like to leave the battery in the eee pc because when I start the engine the pc can survive on battery power. I'd like to add a on/off switch to the + wire of the car charger so I can secure the pc from power peak when starting. my first idea for powering the pc on was to solder two wires on the motherboard internal on/off switch and connect them to a external switch. But when I read above text about Hibernating when power get's off, I think that's a better idea than soldering two wires. My question is: Will the pc go to hibernate when I disconnect the car charger, but leave the battery in the EEE as well? Actually I’m brainstorming about putting my eee 900 into the car.
I’m connecting a 7″ VGA lilliput touchscreen wich is integrated in my dash.
For the power supply I want to use a cheap ebay car charger. I’d like to leave the battery in the eee pc because when I start the engine the pc can survive on battery power.
I’d like to add a on/off switch to the + wire of the car charger so I can secure the pc from power peak when starting.

my first idea for powering the pc on was to solder two wires on the motherboard internal on/off switch and connect them to a external switch.
But when I read above text about Hibernating when power get’s off, I think that’s a better idea than soldering two wires.

My question is: Will the pc go to hibernate when I disconnect the car charger, but leave the battery in the EEE as well?

]]> By: Rajeev Velikkal http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-119493 Rajeev Velikkal Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:49:38 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-119493 I did this successfully. Initially I cut the middle of the LCD cable and soldered a 25 core wire. But unfortunately while soldering I burned the insulation of all the wires and the connectors became useless. I manged to pull all the cables out from the connectors and placed some thin insulated copper wire instead. So one should be very carefull while soldering the wires. I would suggest dipping the connector ends in water as the insulation on these wires are very thin(just a plastic film that can easily melt even with a slit touch of the soldering iron). I tried with 2 meters of wire but due to signal lose I had to cut short to 1.5 meters. It works fine. I build a power supply by just referring the site http://www.youritronics.com/asus-eee-pc-car-charger-2/ I did this successfully. Initially I cut the middle of the LCD cable and soldered a 25 core wire. But unfortunately while soldering I burned the insulation of all the wires and the connectors became useless. I manged to pull all the cables out from the connectors and placed some thin insulated copper wire instead. So one should be very carefull while soldering the wires. I would suggest dipping the connector ends in water as the insulation on these wires are very thin(just a plastic film that can easily melt even with a slit touch of the soldering iron).

I tried with 2 meters of wire but due to signal lose I had to cut short to 1.5 meters. It works fine. I build a power supply by just referring the site http://www.youritronics.com/asus-eee-pc-car-charger-2/

]]> By: Rajeev Velikkal http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-119492 Rajeev Velikkal Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:40:47 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-119492 I did this successfully. Initially I cut the LCD cable and soldered a 25 core wire. But unfortunately while soldering I burned the insulation of all the wires and the connectors became useless. I manged to pull all the cables out from the connectors and place some thinSo one should be very I did this successfully. Initially I cut the LCD cable and soldered a 25 core wire. But unfortunately while soldering I burned the insulation of all the wires and the connectors became useless. I manged to pull all the cables out from the connectors and place some thinSo one should be very

]]> By: Kevin Puvent http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-111857 Kevin Puvent Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:23:21 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-111857 Ciko Says: June 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm Hi Jimmy! Did you already try out your plans to integrate the EEE into your car? I am planning to do something similar but I’d like to leave the EEE intact as it is so i can undock it and take it with me when i need a small mobile device. Therefore i have already organized a nice vga display and a car adapter that fits the EEE’s power socket. I still have one problem left. How can I start the EEE as soon as the car is powered on? Do you have any idea on that? Best regards Ciko ___________________________________________________________________________________ What you can do in Windows XP and Windows Vista is to let the system hibernate when the power is off. So when you turn the car off, and suppose that your power also turns off, the EEE will hibernate. When you turn the car on, it will start up again. Go into the power settings and have a play around. Ciko Says:

June 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Hi Jimmy!

Did you already try out your plans to integrate the EEE into your car?
I am planning to do something similar but I’d like to leave the EEE intact as it is so i can undock it and take it with me when i need a small mobile device. Therefore i have already organized a nice vga display and a car adapter that fits the EEE’s power socket. I still have one problem left. How can I start the EEE as soon as the car is powered on?

Do you have any idea on that?

Best regards

Ciko

___________________________________________________________________________________

What you can do in Windows XP and Windows Vista is to let the system hibernate when the power is off. So when you turn the car off, and suppose that your power also turns off, the EEE will hibernate. When you turn the car on, it will start up again. Go into the power settings and have a play around.

]]> By: frank http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-110854 frank Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:20 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-110854 I had the same idea , but i was wandering about the extension cable for the lcd. If we will make it longer wont that affect the image on the lcd? i just got one eee pc 4g and there are 20 cables going in the lcd, my question is.. what type of cable can i use to try this extension? I had the same idea , but i was wandering about the extension cable for the lcd.
If we will make it longer wont that affect the image on the lcd? i just got one eee pc 4g and there are 20 cables going in the lcd, my question is.. what type of cable can i use to try this extension?

]]> By: Steve Foxton http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-95938 Steve Foxton Sun, 26 Oct 2008 02:49:31 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-95938 Just found this site via google as im wating to do an similar idea. @ Jeff: just so you know, if you intend to extend the usb cable for the camera so that it works as an reverse camera you will have to bear in mind that usb has an maximum length of 5 metres unless you use an booster of sorts in the middle (found this out while experimenting with passing usb to another room) Shutdown can be acomplished via the Power management console in Control Panel. Set it to goto standby after 1 minute of battery power (i might be able to write an program that does this in shorter time but havent looked at code yet as its 3am) I think Jeff's idea with dssc is the safest option in order to get it to boot on car. There are other controllers that can do similar aswell and can be included in the build which can be found here. http://linitx.com/viewcategory.php?catid=54 Also worth considering is installing Xp using nlite to customise the install disc, as this will remove un-needed services from the install and make it an quicker bootup. Creating the extension cable for the screen shouldnt be hard as long as you are an dab hand with an soldering iron, have some cable shrink, and use decent wire.(easier if you splice the wires than pop the connector). You can also desolder the usb connectors and the vga connector if need be to somewhere more appropriate. One more part id like to note is something i've been trying to figure out for my project. If its going to be fitted into an double DIN slot in an car, where would you put the cd/dvd drive as the screen will take up most of the DIN slot? My solution i think is going to be to attach the drive to the back of the screen mounting and have the screen tilt forward via an electronic servo when the eject command is sent. I might buy my Eee PC after xmas and give it an go. Just found this site via google as im wating to do an similar idea.
@ Jeff: just so you know, if you intend to extend the usb cable for the camera so that it works as an reverse camera you will have to bear in mind that usb has an maximum length of 5 metres unless you use an booster of sorts in the middle (found this out while experimenting with passing usb to another room)

Shutdown can be acomplished via the Power management console in Control Panel. Set it to goto standby after 1 minute of battery power (i might be able to write an program that does this in shorter time but havent looked at code yet as its 3am)

I think Jeff’s idea with dssc is the safest option in order to get it to boot on car. There are other controllers that can do similar aswell and can be included in the build which can be found here.
http://linitx.com/viewcategory.php?catid=54

Also worth considering is installing Xp using nlite to customise the install disc, as this will remove un-needed services from the install and make it an quicker bootup.

Creating the extension cable for the screen shouldnt be hard as long as you are an dab hand with an soldering iron, have some cable shrink, and use decent wire.(easier if you splice the wires than pop the connector).
You can also desolder the usb connectors and the vga connector if need be to somewhere more appropriate.

One more part id like to note is something i’ve been trying to figure out for my project. If its going to be fitted into an double DIN slot in an car, where would you put the cd/dvd drive as the screen will take up most of the DIN slot?
My solution i think is going to be to attach the drive to the back of the screen mounting and have the screen tilt forward via an electronic servo when the eject command is sent.

I might buy my Eee PC after xmas and give it an go.

]]> By: Jeff Anderson http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-93891 Jeff Anderson Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:11:17 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-93891 I had this same idea hit me when a coworker of mine got his Eee PC. I see this as a viable option because it is cheap. My wife found a touchscreen kit intended for the Eee PC-- only $90 shipped. I just have to mount the screen in my dash, and find a long enough ribbon cable so I can detach the Eee PC's monitor from the unit itself. The potential problems I can see are: 1) LCD is insufficient for in-car daytime hours use. 2) Finding the longer LCD cable may not be terribly practical or easy. (as mentioned in the post) 3) Making modifications to get it to start up/shut down at the appropriate times. Daskwerks, Inc. Offers a $49 product that is designed to help integrate a computer into a car by solving the startup/shutdown problem. It can handle turning on all the various components that might be involved in a car pc (lcd screen, inverter for the machine itself, etc.) It's called the startup and shutdown controller: http://www.dashwerks.com/dw_dssc.php Its overkill since we're condensing a lot of this stuff (screen, power, cpu) into one box, but it'll handle startup and shutdown ok. It expects that the motherboard it is talking to has either a WOL or ACPI header for startup. It can use the ACPI header for shutdown/hibernate as well. It also has a straight up serial port that can be used to send the text "shutdown" when it is time to shutdown or go to sleep (when the key is pulled out of the ignition.) I'm only concerned about the startup circuit– does the Eee PC motherboard have something I can plug into, or am I going to be soldering the crap out of my motherboard? I guess I could hack together a "usb HID" device that receives the startup signal, and generates an event that tells the Eee PC to start up or wake up. This should be configurable in the bios, especially if I'm only hibernating the Eee PC. It'd look like a simple mouse move or keypress to the Eee PC. You can find Eee PC "car power adapters" out there on the market for relatively cheap, so I'm not worried about that. No need to have to put together your own variable regulator stuff for power. :) The only other thing I can think of is where I'd mount the built-in webcam. Maybe if the extension cable was cheap and long enough it'd make a decent reverse camera? Probably easier to mount your own usb webcam rather than try to fish that little thing in somehow. I had this same idea hit me when a coworker of mine got his Eee PC. I see this as a viable option because it is cheap. My wife found a touchscreen kit intended for the Eee PC– only $90 shipped. I just have to mount the screen in my dash, and find a long enough ribbon cable so I can detach the Eee PC’s monitor from the unit itself.

The potential problems I can see are:

1) LCD is insufficient for in-car daytime hours use.
2) Finding the longer LCD cable may not be terribly practical or easy. (as mentioned in the post)
3) Making modifications to get it to start up/shut down at the appropriate times.

Daskwerks, Inc. Offers a $49 product that is designed to help integrate a computer into a car by solving the startup/shutdown problem. It can handle turning on all the various components that might be involved in a car pc (lcd screen, inverter for the machine itself, etc.) It’s called the startup and shutdown controller: http://www.dashwerks.com/dw_dssc.php
Its overkill since we’re condensing a lot of this stuff (screen, power, cpu) into one box, but it’ll handle startup and shutdown ok.
It expects that the motherboard it is talking to has either a WOL or ACPI header for startup. It can use the ACPI header for shutdown/hibernate as well. It also has a straight up serial port that can be used to send the text “shutdown” when it is time to shutdown or go to sleep (when the key is pulled out of the ignition.) I’m only concerned about the startup circuit– does the Eee PC motherboard have something I can plug into, or am I going to be soldering the crap out of my motherboard? I guess I could hack together a “usb HID” device that receives the startup signal, and generates an event that tells the Eee PC to start up or wake up. This should be configurable in the bios, especially if I’m only hibernating the Eee PC. It’d look like a simple mouse move or keypress to the Eee PC.

You can find Eee PC “car power adapters” out there on the market for relatively cheap, so I’m not worried about that. No need to have to put together your own variable regulator stuff for power. :)

The only other thing I can think of is where I’d mount the built-in webcam. Maybe if the extension cable was cheap and long enough it’d make a decent reverse camera? Probably easier to mount your own usb webcam rather than try to fish that little thing in somehow.

]]> By: nick http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-74603 nick Sun, 14 Sep 2008 01:55:32 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-74603 this is a great idea! I'm thinking about doing this myself. I'll use linux. Perhaps once the battery gets down to say 20% it goes to hibernate, a little bit faster to pick up. I wonder how long the battery will last doing that, it's quite a bit of wear and tear. this is a great idea! I’m thinking about doing this myself. I’ll use linux. Perhaps once the battery gets down to say 20% it goes to hibernate, a little bit faster to pick up. I wonder how long the battery will last doing that, it’s quite a bit of wear and tear.

]]> By: Auto Gps http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-45618 Auto Gps Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:45:08 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-45618 I found your blog via Google while searching for auto gps and your post regarding Eee PC as Car PC. Anybody? looks very interesting to me. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for a great resource.There is nothing else like your site on the net today. My friends are just going to love this site once I let them know about it. I found your blog via Google while searching for auto gps and your post regarding Eee PC as Car PC. Anybody? looks very interesting to me. Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for a great resource.There is nothing else like your site on the net today. My friends are just going to love this site once I let them know about it.

]]> By: Per Trapnes http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-42921 Per Trapnes Thu, 03 Jul 2008 22:57:45 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-42921 I'm working on the same idea. I will also go for the "keep it almost complete" Auto On / Off with a small modification of the switch (I bring the switch up on dashboard) my car have already a 7" LCD in the nav. system that I'm going to use (VGA to video) Going to control the eee with a "joystick" that's installed just in front of the armrest. I’m working on the same idea. I will also go for the “keep it almost complete”
Auto On / Off with a small modification of the switch (I bring the switch up on dashboard)
my car have already a 7″ LCD in the nav. system that I’m going to use (VGA to video)
Going to control the eee with a “joystick” that’s installed just in front of the armrest.

]]> By: Jimmy Auw http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-39923 Jimmy Auw Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:03:29 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-39923 Hi, I think it's impossible, unless you do some modification inside. Thank you. Hi,
I think it’s impossible, unless you do some modification inside.
Thank you.

]]> By: Ciko http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-39899 Ciko Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:59:06 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-39899 Hi Jimmy! Did you already try out your plans to integrate the EEE into your car? I am planning to do something similar but I'd like to leave the EEE intact as it is so i can undock it and take it with me when i need a small mobile device. Therefore i have already organized a nice vga display and a car adapter that fits the EEE's power socket. I still have one problem left. How can I start the EEE as soon as the car is powered on? Do you have any idea on that? Best regards Ciko Hi Jimmy!

Did you already try out your plans to integrate the EEE into your car?
I am planning to do something similar but I’d like to leave the EEE intact as it is so i can undock it and take it with me when i need a small mobile device. Therefore i have already organized a nice vga display and a car adapter that fits the EEE’s power socket. I still have one problem left. How can I start the EEE as soon as the car is powered on?

Do you have any idea on that?

Best regards

Ciko

]]> By: Michael http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-37894 Michael Sun, 18 May 2008 06:44:59 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-37894 im thinking of doing somthing along the lines that Brian was sugesting and having a docking station type thing but without the touchscreen. the only problem is the ports on the eepc are all over the place: power at back. bga and 2 usb on right and audio usb audio and network/modem on left. you have to have it so it slots into the power and then have some side plates that sorta slot in. and thanx jimmy i compleatly forgot about the veriable regulators. was trying to figure out how was going to get 9.5v out of standard regulatoers... im thinking of doing somthing along the lines that Brian was sugesting and having a docking station type thing but without the touchscreen.

the only problem is the ports on the eepc are all over the place: power at back. bga and 2 usb on right and audio usb audio and network/modem on left.

you have to have it so it slots into the power and then have some side plates that sorta slot in.

and thanx jimmy i compleatly forgot about the veriable regulators. was trying to figure out how was going to get 9.5v out of standard regulatoers…

]]> By: Horacio http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-36711 Horacio Wed, 07 May 2008 19:05:24 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-36711 Brian, I really really like your idea. The eee PC could go in the glove compartment, plugged to the docking station. The installation would be pretty clean as well. Anybody has done it before? Brian,

I really really like your idea. The eee PC could go in the glove compartment, plugged to the docking station. The installation would be pretty clean as well.

Anybody has done it before?

]]> By: Brian http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-34378 Brian Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:16:11 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-34378 This is a spanking idea Jimmy, but how about leaving the Eee PC complete, adding a touchscreen monitor, then mounting the Eee PC in a docking station so that you can remove it from the car any time (say for meetings etc.) The docking station would have to hold all the USB and audio connectors in the same place so you can just slot it in. (I'd need to have a look at one to see where all the ports are to make sure though) Excelent idea Jimmy :D This is a spanking idea Jimmy, but how about leaving the Eee PC complete, adding a touchscreen monitor, then mounting the Eee PC in a docking station so that you can remove it from the car any time (say for meetings etc.)

The docking station would have to hold all the USB and audio connectors in the same place so you can just slot it in. (I’d need to have a look at one to see where all the ports are to make sure though)

Excelent idea Jimmy :D

]]> By: Jimmy Auw http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-32254 Jimmy Auw Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:52:33 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-32254 Hi, I haven't tried to disassembly the LCD cable and check it (because I believe you have to check the structure of this cable first). I wont be that easy, but I think someone has to try it. I just throw the idea only... :) Hi,
I haven’t tried to disassembly the LCD cable and check it (because I believe you have to check the structure of this cable first). I wont be that easy, but I think someone has to try it.

I just throw the idea only… :)

]]> By: alex http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-32130 alex Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:44:50 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-32130 Hi Jimmy did you proceded with this idea ? asking because i've the exactly the same and should be nice to know if there is some showstopper before spending money :-)) The main I've seen is the LCD video cable where seems that several guys failed. Kevin, the main reason to do it with an Asus EEE is the price, it costs the same price of a 7" touchscreen ;-) alex Hi Jimmy
did you proceded with this idea ? asking because i’ve the exactly the same and should be nice to know if there is some showstopper before spending money :-) ) The main I’ve seen is the LCD video cable where seems that several guys failed.

Kevin, the main reason to do it with an Asus EEE is the price, it costs the same price of a 7″ touchscreen ;-)

alex

]]> By: kevin http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/comment-page-1/#comment-30860 kevin Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:53:29 +0000 http://jimmyauw.com/2008/01/27/eee-pc-as-car-pc-anybody/#comment-30860 I guess that point of an car computer would be to allow for a full multimedia experience along with enhanced radio (mp3/recording/videos). While the EEE pc is a good start would we not just use a mini-pc form factor with integrated Bluetooth for control, wifi and WiMax. I think the battery is a good ideal regardless for camping & other outdoor activities (could use solar to recharge). Well these are just my thoughts. A mini-pc with a TV tuner & radio card along with Touchscreen would be the ultimate mobile system you could actually see and maybe print your shopping list and looking for sales along with movie times while sitting in the parking lot. I guess that point of an car computer would be to allow for a full multimedia experience along with enhanced radio (mp3/recording/videos). While the EEE pc is a good start would we not just use a mini-pc form factor with integrated Bluetooth for control, wifi and WiMax. I think the battery is a good ideal regardless for camping & other outdoor activities (could use solar to recharge). Well these are just my thoughts. A mini-pc with a TV tuner & radio card along with Touchscreen would be the ultimate mobile system you could actually see and maybe print your shopping list and looking for sales along with movie times while sitting in the parking lot.

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