Here you will find out about the hardware I have used for v3 of my CarPC. Where I can I have given you information as to how good the product is and others that do the same job.

Old Details For v1 & v2 Here

My Screen - A Cartft.com K301 Motorized In Dash VGA With USB Touch screen

I waited for this for some time having like many others seen so many preview pictures for at least 12 months out there on the Net. Using a better panel than one of its rivals and metal gearing instead of plastic does give the unit a good solid feel. How ever there have been already some major design flaws in the first version where the reverse sensor would never work in a real situation. So this is the 2nd version of the K301 and what do I think ? Again this has seen a number of flaws ( and I refer to the K301 in what ever form whether from Mp3car / Karputer / Linitx / Digitalww or even Cartft.com ) where by a couple of users including my self found the tilt failing to work one way even though the button was still active. I believe this has been a mechanical failure rather than software so I will update more here as I learn.

The TFT panel its self seems to be faultless on this version is quick to respond and with an accurate Touch Panel. The only issue I have with it is the highly reflective screen - but this seems to be a common factor among in car VGA's and one issue that the OEMs have yet to resolve as a whole.

UPDATE2 - OK, update one was not that great how ever since I posted it I have been contacted and the problems that I pointed out have been rectified and the unit seems sound now. That been said I still say these should have been resolved before public release... hopefully lessons have been learned. In fact the K90, K300 and up coming K500 all have had good reports so far so its looking good - Ah the joy of been an early adopter :).

Additional information :

In all  6 Out of 10 ( See update above )

From Mp3car / Karputer / Linitx / Digitalww or even Cartft.com

My CPU / Motherboard Etc - The FIC AM39L Socket A Motherboard

In all  7 out of 10

My Power Supply - The Carnetix P1900 & Abbytec 150w ATX PSU

The CNX-P1900 is a 140 watt intelligent DC-DC power regulator designed to provide safe, reliable power to today's newest CarPCs including the Mac mini and Pentium P4-based systems.

The P1900 provides two outputs. The primary output is jumper selectable for 18V, 19V, or 20V operation and can provide up to 6.32 amps (125 Watts @ 20V ). The secondary output is jumper selectable to provide either +12V to power your LCD screen (or 13.5V or experimental purposes), or +5V to power USB devices (such as the Audigy 2NX sound USB sound card) with up to 3 amps (15 Watts). The P1900 can accept battery input as low as 7 volts under full load (140 watts) during cranking while providing a well-regulated output so that your CarPC does not crash.

The P1900 includes all of the sophisticated features of its predecessors (P1260 and P1280) such as Startup/Shutdown controller, Pulse Start (remotely start the P1900 with door locks, car alarm, or wireless device), and DelayON (prevents speaker "thump" during booting). The P1900 fully and safely supports "Standby" mode and will automatically shut itself down (by detecting excess current drain) if the CarPC fails to properly go into Standby mode.

The P1900 is also designed to power larger systems that demand higher power, such as P4-based motherboards (ie Insight P4 ITX) with full sized hard drives. The P1900 is fully compatible with the Travla C137 (90 watt and 120 models), the C138 (90 watt and 120 watt models) as well as the newer C158 (90 watt and 120 watt models) cases. In fact, the most cost effective P4 CarPC system can be built using the Travla C137, C138, or C158-120 and the Insight P4 ITX motherboard. No need to spend $100 more for other DC-DC PSUs that may not even handle the +12V rail power!

In addition, the P1900 can be used with the Mac mini, Sumicom, Xenarc, IWill, and Cappucino models that require an 18v, 19v, or 20v power source.
 

Features

• 140 Watt Dual Output Regulator

• Jumper selectable main output of +18/+19/+20V

• Jumper selectable secondary output of +12V/+13.5V or +5V

• Optional 3rd output using the CNX-P5V +5v/15 watt regulator

• Survives Engine Cranking under full load over entire temperature range

• Includes sophisticated start-up / Shutdown Controller

• Includes sturdy aluminium chassis with variable speed fan suitable for car environment

• Field upgradeable flash microprocessor

• Low battery monitor prevents drained battery, even during Standby/Sleep

• "Anti Thump" delayed remote control for audio amplifiers

• Remote "Pulse Start" from wireless device or car alarm/remote start system

• Over current protection on both outputs with graceful forced shutdown of main output

• Powers both your CarPC/Mac AND your screen or USB devices

• Compatible with Mac mini including start-up /shutdown and sleep mode

• Compatible with Pentium P4-based systems such as Travla C158-120, Sumicom S630, or Xenarc SC8

• Full, safe support for Windows Standby mode including auto shutdown if PC fails to shutdown

• Over voltage surge suppression on battery input for protection of harsh automotive environment

• User replaceable fuse on battery input to protect your car from internal short circuits

I used this with the following kit from Linitx. NB I also on advice from MCStoo ordered the extra Sumicom connector with saved me form hacking the included adaptor as well.

This set comprises of a DC-DC converter board, AC Adapter and ATX Cables. The AC Adapter included with this set does have an internal fan that is controlled by temperature and load. It is, however, extremely quiet.

• 20 Pin ATX Connector

• 2 Molex Connectors

• 2 Floppy Style Connectors

• 4 Pin P4 Connector

• Power Input plug on DC Board

• AC Adapter - 20V 150W Maximum Output

• Fully ATX compliant

• DC-DC Board Dimensions 160(W) x 43(D) x 25(H) mm

This is the 150 watt PSU that comes in the kit and as you can seen it comes complete with a P4 connectors for those type of PC boards - this was on of the main reasons I went for this set up rather than the OPUS.

• 14-20V Input Range

• High Efficiency

• 150W Max Output

• 2 Molex Connectors

• 2 Floppy Style Connectors

• P4 4Pin Connector

• Power Input On DC Board (Fixed Position)

• Dimensions 160x43x25 mm

What do I think of these compared to the Opus ? Its a little difficult at this moment to separate them as Opus have recently brought out a new 5V add on for such things as USB peripherals etc which at the time of buying was another consideration to the Carnetix. The Opus is certainly easier to set up as the wiring of the Carnetix although is straight forward does not look it and needs another add on PSU where as the Opus is plug and go. Only time will tell as to which if any I will prefer. In the mean time a little advice ( and may be this could be pre connected by Carnetix ) ... the Dylon wire goes to the APCI ( or power button) pin with the other pin connected to the ground of the Carnetix. Now it appears that some boards also want this a certain way round so if you do try one of these and it fails to start why not turn the header around on the mother board - worked for me.

In all  5 out of 10

From Mp3car / Karputer / Linitx / Digitalww and Carntix

Some Pictures of the CAMM Case Been Made ( More info at Cartft.com )

My Globsat BU-303 GPS Receiver

My Terratec Cinergy 600 TV RDS FM Receiver

I found this at Cartft.com ( although it is on EBay some times ) because for some strange reason its not sold in this full form over here in the UK. That aside I went for this card as it gives me both TV and FM radio in on single card as well as been fully supported by Roadrunner - my main front end. The best bit is that this card also gives full RDS features ( not including TP EON or PTY unfortunately but this is a software issue ) so I can also have this as an extra feature. To be honest the main reason I wanted it is because I needed to have a video in port on my system to allow me to connect the Digital TV ( or DTT )
 receiver, the pay of is that I get an RDS system and a analogue TV receiver when I am in bad reception areas.
 

NB I believe the reason that Active Radio ( the bundled application ) can receive TP / EON and Roadrunner can't is that the directly read the RDS data stream and convert it to usable information. If you know more about this and can help Guino add these extra features please come over to the Mp3car forums and let us know how. In the mean time feel free to download the SDK for this card from my Links and DL area.

Package Contents:

Cinergy 600 TV Radio - PCI card
Infrared Remote Control
Audio Loopback Cable
CD-ROM for Driver / Software Installation
 

In all  8 out of 10

From CarTFT.com & More Info from Terratec

My DTT ( Or Digital TV ) Receiver

This product comes with an infra red remote control capable of controlling all the features of the TV receiver. This item is supplied with all power connectors and AV connectors required to fit the unit into the car and connect to a screen. Ok so its slightly cheating by not being an actual CarPC item but that's because a) there is nothing out there that can do this for a PC as it is and b) I wanted it to work independently any way for the kids in the back. I do plan to add a Girder interface for it a later date so it can be controlled by the CarPC but thats in the future. In the mean time I would say this is an average unit with average reception even when connected to a full house aerial and unfortunately I have yet to test it at speed. The very nature of DTT does make it difficult to hold a steady signal and if you are making a long journey you will have to search for channels a number of times. This is unlike a analogue system where you would just tune up or down.

That been said its good enough for occasional use and if your using 7" screens the quality of picture should be more than suitable - after all its not a home cinema is it ?

• In car DVB-T TV tuner

• Overall dimensions (mm): 145 (W) x 167 (H) x 28 (D)

• AV Output Jack and leads

• External remote control cord

• In-car power connection lead (12V)

• 4 way video output

• Infra-red remote control

• External antenna input and output

In all  7 out of 10

For more information about the services it receives please go to www.freeview.co.uk

My Sound Card - A Sound Blaster USB

I went do the USB route as I could digitally move the sound from the rear of the car to the front with out any interference. This was needed because due to some length issues I ended up running my power and data cables side by side. The Sound Blaster  MP3+ is also know for not having any hibernation or standby issues as well, top this with the powered USB hub in the dash it means its very easy to install and run. The drivers are in built in Windows XP how ever I would recommend you download the latest driver set from Creative any way. I got this unit from EBay for around £25 how ever they are now harder to find so keep an eye out.

• 100% Sound Blaster-Certified Audio

• Bass Boost - No more puny bass! Bass Boost it for that extra punch that your music deserves

• 10 Band Equalizer - Really make it "your" music. The 10-Band EQ gives you total flexibility in personalizing the characteristics of the music you listen to

• CMSS 3D - Expand your audio experience over stereo speakers or headphones. Turn normal stereo sound into virtual surround sound. Movies never sounded so good over headphones

• SVM - Avoid huge jumps in volume with Smart Volume Management. The volume of MP3s encoded at different levels will be automatically adjusted so you get an even volume across across your whole collection

• EAX effects - Give your music or recordings some ambience by adding real-time effects such as Concert Hall or Arena to recreate the listening environment you want.
   

9 out of 10

For more information visit Creative

My Sierra GSM Wirless Aircard 750 ( For Internet connectivity on the move )

Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 GSM/GPRS wireless network cards provide LAN-like connectivity while you're on the road. Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 wireless network cards allow you to continue to work as if you'd never left the office, with wireless access to email, intranet, corporate applications and full web browsing. Mobile users can become wirelessly enabled with their Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 wireless network card. Get seamless wireless Internet connectivity as they connect their notebook or handheld device directly to the GPRS network. The Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 GPRS Multislot class 12 capabilities provide the highest GPRS throughput on the market today. Unlike other cards, the Sierra Wireless AirCard 750 provide simultaneous support for GPRS and SMS messaging to ensure that you are always available to receive information. It is a tri-band wireless PC Card for worldwide access to GSM and GPRS networks. Its external hinged antenna is easy to use and provides excellent tri-band functionality.

This card is for when I am mobile and want to connect to the Internet for traffic or other information. I can do this via my mobile phone if I wished how ever I felt having this as a completely separate item would be better. I could change providers with out messing around should better deals come up. I could also stay as pay as you go for this to maintain and costs where as if I had a contract I might be tempted to hammer it. Lastly as it was staying in the car if some one did break in and steal it I would not be at risk to some one running a high bill up.

Currently I am using Orange mainly because they have an offer on for Pay as you go customers where by you can pay just £1 and get totally unlimited GPRS access for the day. This is ideal if like me you travel but the only radio stations you listen to are on the Internet.

These normal GSM cards are about £25-45 on EBay as the new 3G cards have just come in which are much faster. That been said standard GSM is fit for what I need and more than likely what you need.

In all  8 out of 10

For more information http://www.sierrawireless.com/

My D-Link Airplus 2.4Ghz Wireless PCMCIA Cards DWL-650+

32-bit CardBus interface for pc-host (pc-card type II)
Maximum speed of 22Mbps
IEEE 802,11b (DSSS) 2,4GHz standard
Internal Aerial
Ad-hoc or infrastructure communication
64/128/256-bit WEP-coding
 

In all  8 out of 10

For more information http://www.dlink.com/

My Bluetooth Adaptor

Compliant with open standard: Bluetooth 1.1
Dial-up Networking DUN Network connection to Internet, e.g. web browsing and e-mail Modem, PC, PDA, Phone, AP

Using TDK’s own high performance ceramic antenna, the PC card provides invisible connection to a host of peripherals, with ranges of over 50 metres.

The latest version of TDK's Bluetooth software (v1.3) supports the following profiles: Personal Area Network profile, PAN; fully integrated audio (Headset and Gateway) profile; Hard Cable Replacement Profile, HCRP; easier access to folders used in data transfer; Bluetooth set up wizard; quick connect wizard; printer setup wizard; transferring images from and to picture phones.
 

In all  6 out of 10

For more information visit TDK.com

My PCI to PCMCIA Adaptor

Using this gives me the same flexiblity of the laptop ports as well as the option to use some very low power cards to do the same functions and at only a few £ each really easy to add on. This PCMCIA to PCI Card allows the user to connect one PC card to the back panel of a desktop PC. It is compliant with the PCMCIA 2.1/JEIDA 4.1 specifications. The data interface to the PC card is 16/32 bit and powered at 3.3V or 5V. The wide range of PCMCIA cards, i.e. wireless LAN, Bluetooth, USB, Firewire etc, now can be connected with your desktop PC just a snap. The best bit is that the drivers and support are built directly in to Windows XP so no messing about.


Features:

RICOH R5C475II chipset

Compliant with PCI local bus specification 2.2
Hot Swapping and Plug-n-Play compatible
Compliant with PC Card standard release 8.0 specification
Support 16-bit (PCMCIA 2.1/JEIDA 4.2) and 32-bit (CardBus) PC Card
3.3V or 5V power light indicator
Compliant with i82365SL register set and ExCA
Support Type I/II/III CardBus/PCMCIA card
 

In all  9 out of 10

For more information visit Ricoh

The Media Remote RF Control ( Also Known By x10 or a Fire Cracker )

This custom RF remote comes with everything you need to add control to pretty much any application you may be writing. It comes with a USB RF receiver, and you can download drivers as well as source code and test programs online to help you integrate support into your program. This remote is silver in colour and has everything you need to put yourself in control of entertainment. All the buttons are clearly labelled with symbols that most everyone knows; this means even people who have never used the remote before learn how in just minutes.

You will notice that each button has a few functions. When you press search for example, you can type letters in just like you do on a cellular phone, once the search is done, the buttons return to their normal functions. The use of multi-function buttons allows the remote to be very small in size.

Since the remote uses RF technology there is no need to aim it at a receiver, just be within 15 feet of it. It uses radio frequencies to transmit to the included receiver which hooks to your computers USB port. You may also want to have a look at Girder - the application has a control set just for this remote, look for 'Fire Cracker'. Finally the remote is very small at only 6.25" x 2" x 1" in size - very well worth the money.

In all  9 out of 10

http://www.mediaremote.com/

[HIGHLIGHTS]

• 4 x 50 W

• 2 RCA preouts

• 1 RCA Auxiliary Line Input

• CD-R/RW Capability

• WMA & MP3 Decoder Built-in

• Rotary Volume Control

• 4 Tone 3D F/L Display

• Motorized Slide, TDF

• Remote Control Included

• Selectable Key Illumination

In all  9 out of 10

For more information visit Kenwood

To power all this I used AWG wire and the easiest way to do that was buy a kit. Mine came from CPC and only cost around £24. The kit contains most items you need and some you don't. Running from the battery though the fire wall is the mains and to get the ground I took that from a local screw point in the boot area. The ignition was sourced ( fused of course ) from the existing stereo's DIN connector. Its important to note where possible run the power cables away from the audio and video cables. In my case I was unable to do this so to clean the sound up a little I have installed a ground loop isolator and a USB sound car located at the front of the car.

Included in this kit 60 Amp : 5m x 10mm2 red power cable, 0.5m x 10mm2 black earth cable, 10m x 1.5mm2 OFC speaker cable, 5m blue remote cable, 5m directional double screened phono cable.

Gold AGU fit fuse holder (terminated to cable), Gold plated AGU fuse 60amp, Fitting accessories bag containing gold plated speaker and power terminals, screws and cable ties.

In all  7 out of 10

For more information visit CPC

Old Details For v1 & v2 Here