Carputer 5 (Final?)
Posted 5th December, 2006 in by Sam
WELCOME DIGG USERS: This is the last of 5 articles about the carputer. It has all the good stuff like pictures of the final install. If you want more background and information, videos of the front end in action, pictures of my car ripped apart, etc. about the installation, check out the first four articles: 1, 2, 3, 4 If you would like the music from the clip that plays in the video, it's free and you can get it at thepowerless.com
Here are some final pictures of the carputer and a video for your viewing pleasure.
Here is the main interface. It's called AMP. It looks just like front row but it does way more.
This is the mini, mounted in the pass-through for easy access. It's quite solid, too, so don't ask questions about it falling out, getting loose, dislodging itself, or exploding unexplainably.
Dean requested some Project notes, so here is some general information.
This is a work in progress. The basic elements are in place but I am adding more features to the setup as time goes on.
ITEMS USED IN THE CARPUTER:
7" Lilliput 629GL-10NP Touch Screen - ~$250
Subaru WRX Bolt in Kit (Custom Screen Housing) - ~$130
Carnetix CNX-P1900 DC-DC Power Regulator - ~$100
MacPac Power Cable Kit - ~$25
Kenwood 300 Watt 4-Channel amp - ~$??
Refurb 1.66Ghz/512/60GB Intel Mac Mini - $530
Long VGA Cable - ~$20
USB Extender Cable - ~$20
Subaru Wiring Harness - ~$20
Miscellaneous Wiring, Switches, Fuse Box, Fuse, Female Cigarette Adapter, Mounting equipment, etc. - ~$200
GPS Tracking Equipment - ~$50 (+$5 Monthly)
Phone: Undecided
SOFTWARES:
AMP Version 1.0 (frontend available in the mp3car.com forums)
Bluephone Elite (Bluetooth cellphone calling and answering, etc.)
Mac OS X
DisplayConfigX (To get OS X to properly work at the Lilliput's native resolution of 800x480)
I will be installing parallels once I have more RAM so that I can run Data-logging software in windows and Linux for Wireless tools.
Basic Setup:
The Mac Mini, Amp, and Power supply are located in the trunk. The power supply requires a power wire and a remote wire from the front of the car. I wired the power direct from the battery with a 15A fuse near the battery. I ran the remote line from the wiring harness I connected to my stock Subaru wiring.
I also ran four sets of speaker cable from the trunk to the dash to hook into the stock speaker wiring. A VGA Cable and USB Extender cable were also run directly to the dash for the screen and touch screen control. This is all the wiring that was required to go through the car.
Connecting the Mac to the power supply was easy, and I was able to splice into the mac's power button with the MacPac Cable kit that I got very easily. I used two velcro straps to secure the mini to my pass-through door. The mini's built-in sound output is used with a splitter and two 3.5mm to RCA cables that go directly into the amp.
Ground for both the amp and the power supply is at the same point in the trunk. This is important for noise issues. The wiring from dash to trunk was done by tucking it in under the driver's side of the center console to the "hump" in the back passenger seat where it had to be run under the carpet. From there it was wired under the back seat directly into the center of the trunk.
The power supply also provided power and remote power to the amp.
Here is a wiring diagram that I did early on and may or may not reflect what I actually ended up doing/needing.
I think that's about it. Questions?
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56 comments so far:
Dean (not verified) says: awesome sam. thanks
awesome sam. thanks
AREALLYGOODNAME » Blog Archive » I hate jell-o now (not verified) says: [...] I don’t have the
[...] I don’t have the technological know-ho to make the something as awesome as a http://gthing.net/carputer-5-final/” target=”_blank”>Carputer Beast. Not to mention budget problems as well as the fact that a carputer would literally cost more than my car. ( a friggin daewoo ) So I decided to screen a couple T-shirts. ( current status: Failure ) Then I got the urge to damage company property. ( will be replaced ) My over-powering desire to waste a few hours ( which turned into about 6 ) pushed me to do a Jim Style prank. ( Jim from The Office - if you know anything about this show, you should know this prank ) [...]
howlong (not verified) says: This is really impressive. I
This is really impressive. I had no idea that someone had written a front end for OS X. Did you need to do any coding yourself or did Amp work "right out of the box" so to speak?
jbelkin (not verified) says: looks great but is the HDD
looks great but is the HDD going to be okay to use while driving?
Carputer 5 « Knedl’s Blog (not verified) says: [...] Veliko ljudi uporablja
[...] Veliko ljudi uporablja applove produkte,ker so zanesljivi itd.. vendar jih usi uporabljajo duma ali vsaj ce ze ne duma okol nosjo prenosnike, nekatere se pa odlocijo svojega Mini Maca vstaviti kar v avto tako kot tale. Z svojim mini macom vgrajenim v avto lahko pocne iste stvari kakor duma, poslusa musko, gleda video, brska po spletu, deluje tudi bluetooth in LCD na konzoli omogoca funkcijo touch-screen za lazjo navigacijo. [...]
dan diemer (not verified) says: did you hook it up to an
did you hook it up to an external dvd drive, so that you can insert a cd or a dvd without having to open the back up?
daniel (not verified) says: what, no gps navigation?
what, no gps navigation?
yum (not verified) says: I like eggs.
I like eggs.
Jesse M (not verified) says: Wow that is pretty amazing.
Wow that is pretty amazing. Congrats on the good work. I really hope we start to see stuff like this put in by manufacturers. This really makes me want to do something like this. Did your subaru already have a spot for for a screen in it? i have a lancer and i dont think it has a spot for a screen.
harmonica (not verified) says: :-)) Watch this
:-)) Watch this http://www.mujmac.cz/art/hw/tatra_mac_eng.html
EmmEff (not verified) says: Sweet setup! I wish there
Sweet setup!
I wish there was some decent GPS navigation software for OS X (like iGuidance, for example) just to make this install perfect.
Thanks for the tip on AMP as well... any idea if it supports satellite radio in it's interface?
Pawel (not verified) says: What's with the $5 monthly
What's with the $5 monthly GPS fee? Are you somewhere in the world where you have to pay for GPS access or something?
The Real Monty » Carputer (not verified) says: [...] Sat 30 Dec 2006
[...] Sat 30 Dec 2006 Carputer Filed under: Tech Stuff, Cars, Apple, Front Page — The Monty @ 9:35 pm I have debated for along time whether to custom computer for my car (the price kinda set me off because my design called for complete shock resistance with a battery-backed RAM drive for the system and flash for media storage). This guy, however, seems to have done just fine with a Mac Mini! [...]
Sam (not verified) says: ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOVE:
@howlong: AMP works out of the box. I have been talking to the developer and there is a new and much better version coming out soon. It will have good support for plugins.
@jblekin: yes. The buttons are much bigger and the display is much easier to see than a lot of these little head units with tiny buttons. Using it is a breeze.
@dan: Not yet. Perhaps later. For now it's just so easy to pull down the passthrough and use the mini's internal drive.
@daniel: Yes, it does GPS. But admittedly it's not great. There is better software for Windows so I will be using parallels for the GPS solution most likely.
@Jesse: I did not modify any of the factory parts around the stereo. There is a piece I used to make everything fit together, but I could go back to the stcok equipment easily.
@EmmEff: The next version of AMP spports plugins, and I think there is a plugin for the current version to do sat. radio. Check out the forums at mp3car.com for more info.
@Pawel: The GPS is free. The cellular data plan to transmit the GPS coordinates to a remote server so I can see where my car is at all times is not.
John (not verified) says: What did you use for GPS
What did you use for GPS tracking?
JW (not verified) says: Careful not to block the
Careful not to block the vents on the mini -The Minis require their bottom not to be blocked up - the cooling fan pulls from the vents around the bottom and push it out the back, from the older PPC ones to the new Intels. Putting a 1/4 aluminum plate under neath it not only would lift it off of that carpeted area, but would also help cool it, as it puts heat out through the foot as well. Having it suck through the carpeting is not only gonna slow up the airflow, but cause it to fill up with lint.
Carpet Small Computers = overheating ^_^
Otherwise, a really awesome mod, I would not have thought Front Row looked so good on a small screen.
And BTW - the Front end for OS X is Front Row from Apple - comes with every mac except the big Mac Pros currently. would be interesting if you got the remote for front row to work in there....
trevor Nohcud (not verified) says: Just the thing to take care
Just the thing to take care of my golf scores
or launch ICBMs.
VÃdeo de un Mac Mini integrado en el salpicadero (not verified) says: [...] Con la llegada del Mac
[...] Con la llegada del Mac Mini muchos fueron los que lo vieron como el gadget ideal para integrar en su coche, y ya hemos visto algún ejemplo. El dueño de este Subaru WRX, bastante manitas, lo ha logrado con un resultado muy bueno (pantalla táctil incluida) y lo explica detalladamente en su blog. [...]
American Desi Notes » Blog Archive » Incredible! Mac Insta (not verified) says: [...] Their site gthing.net,
[...] Their site gthing.net, shows their progress from the beginning to the end. [...]
Prime News Blog » Blog Archive » authentic wonder woman co (not verified) says: [...] authentic wonder woman
[...] authentic wonder woman costume This guy has installed an Intel Mac Mini in his Subaru. Photos, videos, and useful information for anyone looking to do the same. wonder woman tied upread more | digg story [...]
Andrew Luecke (not verified) says: This is what I was thinking
This is what I was thinking of doing when I get my WRX.
One thing that I'm planning to do though is make my screen one which can be retracted instead of fixed so that it isn't obvious that I have one
Dark Underlord (not verified) says: Hey, Sweet config and loved
Hey,
Sweet config and loved the demo. What cell phone do you have and what kind of service? How does the mac connect to the phone for internet service?
mindflayer.net » Mac Mini-based carputer (not verified) says: [...] Saw this over on TUAW,
[...] Saw this over on TUAW, and checked out the video. Very slick install in a Subaru WRX, and everything is actually pretty easy. Full details on the install and the components are written up on the guy’s site. Do check it out. [...]
NaturalBirthing.info » Blog Archive » Found Footage: Subar (not verified) says: [...] I admit it: I’m a
[...] I admit it: I’m a sucker for car computers. The mini just makes so much sense for getting your Mac on while cruising down the highway. Sam Garfield has a beautiful take on the mini based carputer in his Subaru WRX. He’s using a touch-sensitive 7″ LCD with a Front Row like interface called AMP. It really is a professional looking mod; I think my family may need to keep me away from the car for a while so I don’t tear it up. [...]
Sam (not verified) says: @John: I am using an open
@John: I am using an open source program called "turn here." It's good but not great. I think I'll run parallels and use some Windoze software instead if nothing great comes out for OS X soon.
@JW: There is a thin metal plate under the mini. You can barely see it in the photo above.
@Dark Underlord: At the time this video was made, I was using a Cingular Blackjack. I get 3g coverage in my area, fortunately. I took it back, though, because it was good but not great. I am going to wait a couple months in hopes that a better 3g phone comes out, but we'll see. I might go back to the blackjack if no better options appear.
Actually, come to think of it, the bluetooth on the blackjack doesn't work for tethering, I might have been using the Samsung Sync when this video was made, but it's 3g data connection is slower so it had to go back too.
Greenline (not verified) says: How much do you want for the
How much do you want for the car with all of this in it?
Chris (not verified) says: Nice mod. Question about
Nice mod. Question about the power for the Mac. Do you have to shut it down and reboot every time you start up/shut down the car? Or do you have it set to hybernate?
windexh8er (not verified) says: Couple sets of Q's for Sam
Couple sets of Q's for Sam if he has a minute.
1) How do you do a controlled shutdown if the remote is turning the power converter on and off? Is there some sort of delay if you do it manually? Does the Mini start when the ignition is turned on?
2) GPS software would be really nice. Was wondering if you had any comments on integrating RouteBuddy into your setup for that?
3) Radio? :) I haven't looked, but it'd be nice.
4) Is it relatively easy to control volume from the browser mode? E.g. -- when you had the YouTube video playing I was wondering how much work it'd be to turn it down?
Alex (not verified) says: Hey Sam, Great Set up.
Hey Sam,
Great Set up. I've been dying to do something like this forever. I never knew about AMP, until now that is. I have a couple questions, bear with me i'm a noob at car stuff.
How did you wire the car speakers?
I have a car with a double DIN, 4.5inch high, 7.5 inch wide. Would the WRX bolt in kit work for this too... or is my DIN too big? I would love to do this without fab'ing my own bezel.
Where do you get "Turn Here"?
Carputer 5 (Final?) » A GThing Science Project : Popular Bo (not verified) says: [...] Carputer 5 (Final?) »
[...] Carputer 5 (Final?) » A GThing Science Project Posted in bookmarks | Trackback | del.icio.us [...]
Mark (not verified) says: great install and write
great install and write up
check out another install of some one from cadillac forum
http://knucklhead.com/carhacking.html
minichuck (not verified) says: That's totally awesome!
That's totally awesome! Does the front row remote work? I think it would be cool if you had an on-screen keyboard.
kimi (not verified) says: Hi, awesome job You did,
Hi,
awesome job You did, and at the same time inspired me for my set up of a Volvo S60 D5 & MacMini G4.
Did You face any problems with Your touch screen? I just can't get the touch function to work properly. Bought a CTF840-A from cartft.com, but even with the OS X driver my horizontal direction seems to work as a vertical on the screen. And with the 4-point calibration I loose all touch sensitivity (if any existed).
Would be thankful for any clues.
btw, does OS X have its own USB keyboard/touch screen drivers which I should install first (I was actually wondering about a virtual keyboard e.g.)
br,
kimi
Howie (not verified) says: I used to drink Blatz beer
I used to drink Blatz beer
Ryan Byrd (not verified) says: I just hacked up a
I just hacked up a googlemaps GPS navigation app that will track your car with google's maps. it's pretty nifty: http://www.ryanbyrd.net/rambleon/?p=625
Ryan Byrd (not verified) says: does it have an internet
does it have an internet connection? it's gotta have an internet connection...
Carputer Progress » a gthing science project (not verified) says: [...] Jake and I are busy
[...] Jake and I are busy working away on my carputer to get it ready for the Maker Faire in San Francisco this week. [...]
stefan (not verified) says: where can i find that front
where can i find that front end? Could you please send it to me ? Thank you
stefan (not verified) says: where can i find that front
where can i find that front end? Could you please send it to me ? Thank you
The WORX on Subaru WRX » Blog Archive » Mac in a Subie (not verified) says: [...] looking to do the
[...] looking to do the same. Its really quite cool, he also has working internet where ever WiFi is. Check this out. Who needs and iPhone when you can have an iSubie [...]
Don’y Buy Carnetix Power Supplies » a gthing science proj (not verified) says: [...] many of you know, some
[...] many of you know, some time ago I installed a computer in my car some time ago. While this was fine and dandy in theory, in practice it has been a whole [...]
Apple is Not Fruit » Intel Mac Mini “Carputer†In A Sub (not verified) says: [...] read more | digg story
[...] read more | digg story [...]
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New Movie Reviews...
I couldn't understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting...
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I couldn't understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting...
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I couldn't understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting...
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I couldn't understand some parts of this article, but it sounds interesting...
Steve (not verified) says: I have the mini in my 05
I have the mini in my 05 F150 SuperCrew. Parallels is not the best to use because windows is not as stable as using bootcamp and a fresh version of XP. When you do get windows on your machine, check out Roadrunner for the front end software. It takes some coding to get it working (nothing you couldn't figure out). Runs great and using Mappoint will give you a nice GPS program that you can also share with a PDA phone. I connect the mini to my phone via bluetooth and use the 3G cellular network for internet. Just a few thoughts for you. Great work on the car.
Aburrido en un atasco — Buscando Libertad (not verified) says: [...] | GThing Tags: Mac,
[...] | GThing Tags: Mac, Mini, Automovil, Coche, Subaru, PC, Musica, Videos, Navegar, [...]
OMAR (not verified) says: hey what version of AMP are
hey what version of AMP are you using im new to this thing and i wanted to jump into it but the development of 2.0 stopped so im trying to get my hands on the latest version that you have if its possible
Reb (not verified) says: Have you found a way to
Have you found a way to receive FM radio?
I cant find solution. I did find a usb gps (Deluo /Rt 66) and map software. So I am looking at doing this, but before I make the move I want to make sure I can get everything.
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