In-Vehicle Navigation and Entertainment Computer Project

[Root Moose]

I wasn't sure where to post this. I figured this forum since this seems to be where most of the car audio type questions end up.

There are a few members that are interested in what I am doing with this project so here is an update of what is going on with the project.

In-Vehicle Navigation and Entertainment Computer Project @ moose.ca

Feel free to pepper me with Qs either here or at the forums on my personal site.

 

[Lou]

Slightly more advanced than LinuxToys.
That's pretty cool stuff. :worship:


Thanks for sharing.

 

[casm]

Feel free to pepper me with Qs either here or at the forums on my personal site.

It's coming along rather nicely - glad to see it progressing!

One idea I recently had: use a PSP (once PSP Linux is functional) as the core of a carputer. They're cheap, have a lot of power for their size, a nice display, and would recase nicely into a 1.5-DIN slot. This would be a killer project to port to that platform.

 

[Root Moose]

It's coming along rather nicely - glad to see it progressing!

Thanks.

I'm pleased with it at this point. I'm at the point where I can see the end of the tunnel and really want to get this thing installed.

There was a time where I thought for certain that I was spinning my cycles with this (read that as dealing with ALSA) but now all the unknowns are dealt with. It's just work at this point (and money for additional hardware).

One idea I recently had: use a PSP (once PSP Linux is functional) as the core of a carputer. They're cheap, have a lot of power for their size, a nice display, and would recase nicely into a 1.5-DIN slot. This would be a killer project to port to that platform.

Interesting idea. What is the audio output on one of those puppies? Do they do 4.1/5.1/7.1?

I may have mentioned this in a previous thread but if I had my time over again I'd probably start with a Mini Mac. Make OS X boot into console mode and then use an rc script to invoke/autologin X Window like I am now.

There's unknowns there too but as a fallback I could always revert to GentooPPC easily enough.

 

[Handlebars]

Where are you going to mount a monitor? I want to install a good quality moniter somewhere that I can see it from the driver's seat to use with my laptop mapping programs. BYW, what year is your Cherokee?

 

[Root Moose]

Where are you going to mount a monitor? I want to install a good quality moniter somewhere that I can see it from the driver's seat to use with my laptop mapping programs. BYW, what year is your Cherokee?

I am planning on mounting one of these (or similar) to replace the factory head unit.

The interface I am working on is completely able to be driven via touchscreen for the most part. The few items that can't be done (custom waypoint creation, non-scripted automount CF media data sets) should be applied with some forethought before putting the vehicle in gear.

I'm hoping that MP3s on removable media can have playlists autocreated via the automounter. Also, gpsdrive has a voice interface. I haven't played with it yet but I am hoping that I/O will be sufficient for the CPU to read ahead certain types of waypoints and also voice activated creation of waypoints by the driver. IIRC, gpsdrive has this functionality but I haven't gotten that far with the project to know if it is in a usable state.

MY01, btw.

 

[Dingo509]

This is killer info, i am in the process of designing my system right now. I want to put a 10" monitor in the dash where the radio/hvac controls go now and use a Digital Climate control of some sort so that i can relocate the head unit and have room. I have a 91 BTW

I am defienently going to be following this close, so keep us informed of your progress.

Dingo

 

[Root Moose]

Search the "installs" forum at mp3car.com. There are a few there that have done more or less what you are talking about, including molding a new dash bezel out of fiberglass.

I was considering that location at one point but was concerned about the display being too far out of the normal line of site. HVAC controls are one thing but trying to read a map is something else.

I'm all about driver workloads.

 

[Dingo509]

that's why i am thinking about a 10" screen, i hope that it being this big i won't have any problems with the agnle at which im veiwing it, but asi said i am only in planning right now.

Where are you planning to put you're monitor at?

Dingo

 

[Root Moose]

See first sentence in post #6.

 

[Dingo509]

duh i read that and even followed the link and saved it as a favorite, what an idiot.

Dingo

 

[gbaronetXCR]

Nice Proiject... very nice.
With work I get a laptop.. You can pick up used one's for a song and would end up with a 12' or 14" flat screen? Give you some portablily as well.
Made up a cradle for the kids to watch dvd's. Would have to do some serious fabrication to get it in the dash. The Xj's are not all that deep.
Using Nroute from Garmin on Windows, it will provide voice navigation as well like the expensive street pilot stuff.
See your Near ottawa.. what about Winters? The displays and electronics are usually quite good, it's the disk that's a problem at temp.

 

[casm]

I'm pleased with it at this point. I'm at the point where I can see the end of the tunnel and really want to get this thing installed.

As well you should be. I'm also looking forward to the release

Interesting idea. What is the audio output on one of those puppies? Do they do 4.1/5.1/7.1?

Good question. Some basic searching on Google and www.psphacks.net hasn't turned anything up yet, but my suspicion is that they do - since UMD is basically a transcoded DVD format, it wouldn't make sense to flatten the audio when the real space-saving is in the video. Sony's website is fairly useless in covering this, FWIW.

I may have mentioned this in a previous thread but if I had my time over again I'd probably start with a Mini Mac. Make OS X boot into console mode and then use an rc script to invoke/autologin X Window like I am now.

Yeah, I like the idea too. What I'm looking at with the PSP, though, is that it could probably be made to physically fit in the same 1.5-DIN space as the fold-out touchscreen LCD you mentioned earlier - plus, UMD would be a good compact media for keeping maps, etc. on. Whether or not the touchscreen can be made to work with the PSP is another issue, though. In all honesty, I could probably live with the PSP's display (small though it is, it's still better than the one on the eTrex Legend I currently use), but bigger definitely would be better in this case.

There's unknowns there too but as a fallback I could always revert to GentooPPC easily enough.

Interesting, didn't know they had a PPC port - I've been using Yellowdog. I'll have to check that out.

 

[Root Moose]

duh i read that and even followed the link and saved it as a favorite, what an idiot.

Dingo

Hey, it happens.

 

[Root Moose]

See your Near ottawa.. what about Winters? The displays and electronics are usually quite good, it's the disk that's a problem at temp.

From what I've read/heard it isn't that big a deal.

I'm worried about it though - the disk in particular as you mention. I've built the system as small as practical without invoking "weird shite" like dietcc and such. The OS installed foot print with apps is ~600MB without trying so that would be easy enough to get on a CF card. Optical media could be used for the rest if it becomes a problem.

That being said, there are people out there, in this area that have had systems running for multiple years without problems so it might not be a big deal.

I'm not worried about the mobo, from what I've read it has close (but not quite) the specs of industrial SBCs for temperature extremes, etc. LCDs typically just won't work if they get too cold and then will "cut in" once they get warm enough.

 

[Root Moose]

Good question. Some basic searching on Google and www.psphacks.net hasn't turned anything up yet, but my suspicion is that they do - since UMD is basically a transcoded DVD format, it wouldn't make sense to flatten the audio when the real space-saving is in the video. Sony's website is fairly useless in covering this, FWIW.

I guess the obvious thing (if you have one in hand) is to see if it has optical out and/or multiple Mini-DIN outputs for audio.

Yeah, I like the idea too. What I'm looking at with the PSP, though, is that it could probably be made to physically fit in the same 1.5-DIN space as the fold-out touchscreen LCD you mentioned earlier - plus, UMD would be a good compact media for keeping maps, etc. on. Whether or not the touchscreen can be made to work with the PSP is another issue, though. In all honesty, I could probably live with the PSP's display (small though it is, it's still better than the one on the eTrex Legend I currently use), but bigger definitely would be better in this case.

If the PSP was touchscreen capable I'd be all over it. When I first started researching the hardware side I wanted a 16:9 touchscreen display that was more or less 1.5 DIN. Didn't pan out obviously.

Interesting, didn't know they had a PPC port - I've been using Yellowdog. I'll have to check that out.

I've never used it myself (more than happy with X on my Macs) but I understand it to be a complete, robust implementation. The new Mini Mac hardware set has been supported forever, for example.

 

[Root Moose]

Quickie update: Audio Mixer

Here's a quick update of where the mixer is going. I'm having general issues with it - not that keen on the interface. There's something I can't put my finger on (besides the gneral more polish some of the graphics require).

Input/Comments?


(click to enlarge to 1:1)

 

[Lou]

Slightly better?

If you want to stay with the pale blue, I would change the red crosshairs to yellow(?).

 

[Root Moose]

Slightly better?

If you want to stay with the pale blue, I would change the red crosshairs to yellow(?).

I like it, particularly the revised balance/fader sliders amd revised labelling. The sldiers are reversed to what technically occurs at the hardware level but no biggie.

The light blue was just a copy of what is on the HVAC controls. Green works too; no avionics guidelines broken there. In fact, probably more suitable. I wonder how it will look on a sun washed out LCD - that was what I was thinking about when recycling the blue.

Are you suggesting moving the mute to under each slider as opposed to a master "MUTE" on the left button bar? I had originally stuck it there so it would be available regardless of what screen you were currently on (i.e. navigation to the Timmay Ho's drive through speaker in gpsdrive). I'm thinking how to make both work.

If you have ideas for the left panel button labels/icons (AUDIO, NAVIG, etc.) feel free to send them my way... I ahve a couple of ideas but haven't worked on them yet. I also need to write a GTK2 theme for this (ugh).

I should do a movie cap so you can see the system in usage. I'm really quite jazzed about it at this point. I'm at the last 5% of the project and I'm not sick of it so that is a great sign!

T!