Mini-ITX Car PC - Anyone Built One?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

I am thinking about building a mini-ITX based carputer, with facility
for digital music, DVDs, GPS nav, video camera dispplay, internet and
e-mail access, etc. Has anyone done it, and can you receommend forums
where they are discussing it?

<<The best you can ever do is never make the same mistake twice.>>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Slammin Sammy wrote:
> I am thinking about building a mini-ITX based carputer, with facility
> for digital music, DVDs, GPS nav, video camera dispplay, internet and
> e-mail access, etc. Has anyone done it, and can you receommend forums
> where they are discussing it?
>
> <<The best you can ever do is never make the same mistake twice.>>
Might try this forum:

http://forums.viaarena.com/

They have an area for Mini-ITX. You might find some similar thinking
ideas there. Probably need some specialty parts that equalize the power
from the car battery. It may fluctuate quite a bit.

This site has some parts for car kits for the power problem, but I have
never tried it:

http://www.idotpc.com/TheStore/Peripheral/case/Default_ps_itx.asp?Cate.id=14

Hopefully this can get you started.

 

[ken]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

On Thu, 09 Dec 2004 22:39:39 GMT, sreich-nospam@bigpond.net.au (Slammin
Sammy) wrote:

> I am thinking about building a mini-ITX based carputer, with facility
> for digital music, DVDs, GPS nav, video camera dispplay, internet and
> e-mail access, etc. Has anyone done it, and can you receommend forums
> where they are discussing it?

http://www.mini-itx.com/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt (More info?)

Avoid any solution which feeds 12V direct to any PC:
o Yes, battery voltage is actually 13.8V
---- almost within the ATX 12V +/- 10% guidelines
o No, actual voltage can vary very considerably
---- on charge 14.5V, an alternator diode goes out 16-19V
---- ground issues can create enormous voltage spikes

A car charging system is an alternator with diode pack
to create a (very) high-ripple voltage. The battery is an
enormous capacitor to smooth out huge voltage spikes.

So don't skimp on a 12V-to-12V car convertor.

You have 3 solution routes.

Consumer Mini-ITX
o Power supply
---- standard ATX multi-voltage
-------- use 12V-to-ATX DC-to-DC convertor
---- 12-19V direct input single-voltage
-------- use a car-application DC-to-DC convertor
o Processor
---- EPIA VIA C3
-------- 500Mhz fanless thro to 1.2Ghz fan latest core
---- P4/Celeron
-------- 52W thro to 110W
---- P-M
-------- Aopen, DFI have Mini-ITX or M-ATX P-M boards

Industrial Mini-ITX & Embedded
o Power supply
---- single-voltage or multi-voltage
o Processor
---- Ultra-Low-Voltage P3-Celeron -- fanless 400Mhz to 650/800Mhz (fast)
---- standard P3-Celeron or P3 -- Tualatin 1Ghz is just 30W
---- EPIA VIA C3 -- fanless 500Mhz to 1200Mhz (still slow)
---- P4/Celeron
---- P-M, P4-M
-------- Commell, many others
o Form factor can range from 3.5" floppy sized to Mini-ITX to SBC

Micro-ATX low power solutions
o Power supply
---- multi-voltage ATX
o Processor
---- P3-Celeron -- Tualatin 1Ghz is just 30W

Cost varies considerably
o Micro-ATX solution
---- Fast -- 2-3x faster than the best EPIA VIA C3
---- Low Power -- 30W compares well with P-M 21-28W & EPIA 18W
---- Negative -- USB 1.1 unless industrial board
---- Size -- 220x243mm > 170x170mm Mini-ITX
---- Cost -- Cheap -- Board & CPU just 60$
o Mini-ITX solution
---- EPIA VIA C3 -- 75-220$ including CPU, 12-18W, same as Cel-200-600Mhz
---- P-M -- 450-550$ including CPU, 21-28W, same as P4-2000-3000Mhz
o Industrial Mini-ITX & Embedded solution
---- EPIA to P-M, similar pricing
---- potential for Ultra-Low-Voltage Celeron (400$) & super-small boards (3.5")

PC-Chips have a Skt-370 board in production still I notice.

Just don't over-estimate the power of a VIA C3 processor.
A big jump in cost to a P-M solution - but a midway is the Tualatin Celeron.

Have fun.
--
Dorothy Bradbury
www.dorothybradbury.co.uk for quiet Panaflo fans