Evoscan on carputer?

[ҢдщҚ]

Apeman looks like this unit you MUST have is rare as hens teeth in the UK. Give these people a call. They did have them, Temporarily unavailable, I would give em a call.. .. Here you go .. . .
http://www.in-carpc.co.uk/diyacc.htm

[apeman69]

Apeman looks like this unit you MUST have is rare as hens teeth in the UK

That's the company I emailed this morning. Their reply was:-
"Thanks for your email. Unfortunately we have decided to temporarily stop selling the MDT-X7000, due to reliability issues. We may be stocking this unit in the future, but it's more likely to be a matter of months rather than weeks I'm afraid. The price that we were charging was £395.63 + VAT, although of course this may change if and when we re-stock."

Kyle, the on/off controller is integrated with the PC bios and the 'intelligent' power supply. This is a somewhat standard feature when you buy a car PC that has been designed for use in a car. Trust me, it's more refined than your system. I've read your screen install before and this is not how I want to proceed. I want a hideable screen with a CD/DVD drive and amp in the same single DIN sized unit. As I said previously I have one DIN space taken up by my boost gauge (which Evoscan cannot emulate hence the need to keep it in preference to a hideous pod mount). See picture below (and, yes, I would be moving the boost gauge to the lower DIN position when installing screen). The PC gubbins is then also hidden away. CDs or DVDs used for whatever purpose (including PC operation) would be accessed via the screen/head unit combination.
There are plenty of VGA monitor only units, a few monitor and amp/radio units but I have only found the one unit which acts as VGA monitor/stand-alone CD/DVD player/PC data disc drive etc. Now I am told that this Xenarc unit has been found to be unreliable.

[apeman69]

Hawk, the link you posted to the in-dash car PC:-
http://www.in-car-stuff.com/shop/sys...0gb-p-283.html
it's a Lilliput without the branding.
This company is also selling the Lilliput single DIN screen:-
http://www.in-car-stuff.com/shop/wid...tor-p-281.html
They're asking £449 for PC and £300 for screen.
I've seen the Lilliput screen AND PC on sale for around £449 for both I think it was. So anyone considering buying this stuff should shop around. BTW the spec of that PC is crap. I'm going to get a 2GHZ processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD setup for £338 from UK supplier. Can be bought for less from the States but, as usual, warranty claims would be a pain.

That Pioneer head unit in the Evo looks interesting. PC text seems readable. Anyone experience of some sort of VGA to RCA conversion? What I'm thinking is if that Pioneer doesn't have a VGA input (I'm late for work and I've gotta go really so can't do any research til the morning) then there must have been some sort signal converter employed. If this is the case (and I haven't read the info on the Evo yet) then, theoretically, any in-dash DVD player head unit could do for a display though I'd still have to position the PC somewhere appropriate for CD/DVD access because the head unit wouldn't be recognised by Windows.
Is it too much to ask that more than one company make a real 'all-in-one' head unit?

[phosty]

One thing that has put me of a complete carpc install (i.e. no other head unit) is the bad reports I read about the sketchy reception of most USB controlled RDS radio units.

This seems to be the best:

http://direct.xtronic.be/products/hq...io/hqct-i.html

But I would like to find a UK supplier so I could test it and return it if not up to scratch. Any thoughts / experience on other tuners that can be controlled from the carpc touchscreen?

[phosty]

Given my past experience with other non-mainstream brands products I'm very reticent to go for any of these all in one solutions. What happens if the monitor breaks or you want to put a faster processor in?

If you can get them cheap then great - but at the prices you're quoting then I would be twitchy.

[pitslayer]

see i dont like single din, i think the fold out is just wrong and not keeping within the stock look. like my boost gauge is hidden out of view from everyone but me

[apeman69]

Phosty, the set up I'm after comprises 2 boxes:-
1) Car PC which is motherboard & CPU, power supply, hard disc, DVD drive all of which is within a very small box about the size of a CD changer. Any of these components are upgradeable just like a home desktop PC. You are not limited in this respect, as you would be to a degree with a laptop. With these MiniATX systems (or whatever they're called) the processor and motherboard seem to be provided as a bundle in that if you want to change the processor then you change the motherboard too. No problem though 'cos you're looking at sub-£100 for this item. Yes, the Lilliput 'all-in-one' thing is, frankly, a load of crap in my mind, and way overpriced at that!
2) Screen of some sort. I could get by with a simple 'stick on yer dashboard' type or a 'monitor and nothing else in a DIN sized box'. However, I would like a bit more flexibility. A head unit that acts exactly like a DVD player head unit when you don't want to run Evoscan or any other PC application. A head unit that can be used as a CD or DVD-ROM with the car PC when you need it to (installing software for example). This will eliminate the need for inserting discs into the Car PC DVD drive which will not be located as conveniently as a head unit would. USB port(s) on the monitor so that I can plug in one of my many USB keyboards/mouses(?) when I need to do a bit of proper computing. Again, no USB port on the monitor means I'm struggling to find and attach a small plug to a small socket somewhere in a small space: not ideal. The beauty of the Xenarc unit is that you don't have to use the PC/touch screen/Centrafuse or equivalent to listen to music or watch films: it can run without having an input from the PC. Oh, and you can turn the PC on or off with buttons on the head unit..... cooooool

In reality using a cheapo monitor in the dash would mean:-
Listening to music/watching films would primarily be restricted to media stored on the PC hard disc. Not really a problem but I like to have the flexibility of writing a CD/DVD on my desktop to be played in the car. Unless the CD/DVD drive in the car PC setup is in the dash (i.e. the head unit I want) I would be swapping discs in the boot or in the glove box or under the passenger seat. The Xenarc one has the DVD/CD drive in the DIN sized monitor unit and this drive (unlike any other) can be accessed from the car PC as if it was a CD/DVD drive directly connected to the car PC. This offers the ultimate functionality and is so implicitly logical that I cannot understand why any other manufacturer has not jumped on the band wagon. This is true integration of in-car computing and in-car stereos. So simple yet so elusive.
Also I'd have two CD/DVD drives to use with the PC: one inside the PC and one in the head unit.

I can't help with the radio thing as I've probably only used the radio in the car when I've accidentally knocked the source button and it's flipped over to some crackling noise (I don't even bother connecting the aerial!)

I can get the car PC (2.0Ghz processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB HDD) for £338 but I don't want to put a link to it because they've only got 3 in stock at the moment and one of them is going to be mine once I source an appropriate screen. When I've ordered the PC I will gladly put a link to it if anyone would be interested. BTW they do a 1.5Ghz processor one for £295 and they have a lot more than 3 of those in stock.

At the moment it looks as though I'm gonna have to get one of those cheapo Chinese VGA non-motorised monitors off e-bay (so I can throw it away when I can find the Xenarc or equivalent) and put up with a bad back from fiddling under the passenger seat every time I want to use a different disc.

[pitslayer]

see that is one advantage of mine, the laptop is in the boot, the cd player is in the glove box, no need for me to get a bad back.

to be honest i would save up and get the xenarc instead of blowing cash on a cheap chinese one.


as for watching dvds, ive got a dvd player at home, in all the time ive had the car pc, ive watched 2 or 3 things on there max. you cant watch it whilst driving, and when your not in your car, your at home, in work or down the pub well i am.

if you go a similar route i did, then you just store all your cds/mp3s on your harddrive, and make a playlist, im not sure i see the point in getting a car pc and still using cds for music, unless its to load onto the car pc.

if you need a hand with it though im sure my mate will give you a hand doing an install

[apeman69]

I am thinking about doing exactly this if/when I have the spare cash. Although, I would want to have a double din touch screen instead. I will be interested to hear how you get on

I have seen some double DIN VGA monitors with a DVD/CD drive and amp in the unit so this would be ideal coupled with a 'proper' car PC tucked away somewhere (none of this 'old laptop with the cracked screen hidden under 5 miles of wiring near to the power inverter in the footwell malarky) .
e.g. http://www.in-carpc.co.uk/diyacc.htm
The double DIN one on there is also known as a CID650 amongst other names. Googling should reap benefits for anyone interested. The DVD drive in this one can only be used with a PC though so all your media would have to be accessed through the PC. This is more like a true PC setup as we know it: songs/films accessed via computer software rather than the head unit just playing the disc. This would be useless as a stand-alone car stereo head unit. Wouldn't need a DVD drive in the PC though so a couple of quid saved on that perhaps. Your solution is out there whenever you're ready.

[apeman69]

to be honest i would save up and get the xenarc instead of blowing cash on a cheap chinese one.

THE DAMN XENARC ISN'T AVAILABLE AND THERE APPEAR TO BE RELIABILITY ISSUES. Nor does any other single DIN VGA monitor with CD/DVD drive and built in amp and USB input seem to be available either. Pay attention will you? Saving up is not the issue (or even a consideration).
The whole point of this is that in 2008 a car PC setup should be flexible, useable and future-proof (to the point where any PC system is). A car PC should be the equivalent of a desktop PC in terms of functionality and practicality and I am trying to achieve this within the realms of product availabilty. This is to be achieved as financially economical as possible (not necessarily 'on the cheap'). I do not want a laptop rattling in my boot and a CD player in my glove box and a power inverter under my fiance's feet and a touch screen glued into my fascia. At home I do not switch my computer on in the bedroom, put my CD in in the kitchen then change tracks in the toilet! (No offence to anyone operating this in-home setup.)
Yes, I will use CDs to play in the car PC as much of the stuff I listen to is broadcast over digital radio, shoved on the internet by some kind soul then downloaded to my PC. It is put onto CD so I can listen to it and then give it to my friends who have similar musical taste to myself. Anyway, it doesn't matter what I want to do with what..... a car PC should be as similar as possible to any other PC or, to me, it isn't a PC.

I've lost the point of this thread altogether now. I'm off to order Evoscan and a cable. PC tomorrow, screen after I've had a sleep and a think.

[pitslayer]

actually all my comes on as one, and i dont touch the cd player, and my laptop is a fully functioning laptop and theres nothing under my passenger seat, nor do i use an inverter, its a DC-DC regulator....apart from rubbish

you can do it what ever way you want i couldnt care less to be honest. mine works and functions like a pc, when im at home, i use the computer as a computer, not an entertainment center.


Yes you can use Evoscan whilst driving, you really need something like an apexi fuel controller and maybe the wideband lambda sensor, but the fuel controller is needed to log everything how it is, whats going on. yes you can use the dials on evoscan whilst driving if you have the above. infact you can use any skin you want for the dials, bars or graphs. when we did it, we used a second computer to log it onto, not onto the car pc

[apeman69]

Evoscan bought, downloaded and installed on desktop PC.
OBD cable ordered.
PC ordered. The third one down the page with 2Ghz processor:-

http://linitx.com/viewcategory.php?catid=201

Now for a screen......

[apeman69]

Screen ordered. I opted for one of these because it, at least, has a built-in amp thus it can directly replace my Alpine head unit.
Yes, it may well pack up in a few months but that's the chance you take. Not ideal but it should do until I can source something more appropriate for me.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lilliput-7-In-...d=p3286.c0.m14

Just gotta wait for delivery now

[Turbo_Steve]

I'd hide a laptop USB DVD drive (i.e. ultra slim) behind the sunglasses holder. So you can open it, push the button and the tray appears.


My last Scoob had a PC in it, and the only time I ever used the CD slot was when I bought a CD in town and listened to it on the way home. As I mainly buy online now, I wouldn't miss it.

The biggest thing is WiFi. Mine would find my home Wireless network when i parked on the driveway. It would power up and sync with my server automatically at 0400 every morning.
It would also attempt a sync whenever the engine was switched off, on the basis that some downloads may have completed whilst I was away from home.

[apeman69]

Good info Steve, thanks

[phosty]

I think I would agree - most solutions are a compromise of some sort. Depends what you want - and everyone differs in that respect.

Anyway, that Lilliput head unit does look very interesting - keep us updated on how it goes. Unfortunately my el cheapo double din screen isn't a touchpad so you can't control the head unit without the remote even though the laptop can be controlled from the stick-on touchscreen pad.

I have been toying with going whole hog with the Innovate dataloggers, sensors etc (already have the LC1) since that doesn't interface directly with the car ecu via the odb port - and thus no flashy dash annoyances a la evoscan. And their logworks software can do similar (if somewhat simpler looking) dials, gauges etc as evoscan.

[apeman69]

I'll keep this updated as I progress and get me ol' camera out now & then too.

[apeman69]

Some of my kit arrived today (PC & keyboard). Here are some pics. Took me 1.75 hours to put the PC together: it came as a kit which I knew in advance. No problems with the assembly however, the completed unit is more like the size of my amplifier which I haven't fitted because I didn't really want it in the boot.

Anyway, change of plan because the PC is so bloody big! Think it's gonna have to go in the boot within some sort of custom made removable enclosure with the sub and amp so this project is just getting bigger.
Obviously need some extension cables now so I'll update when there's something else to say.

[ҢдщҚ]

My cable came today for the car i aint purchased yet. I ordered the one that prevents the flashy dash (no pin 9 ). Let us know how your getting on. I cant wait to try it !

[apeman69]

Just a quick update.

The car PC is on my desk and I am installing Windows XP as I type. I forgot how long it takes to format a new hard drive!
I have been in discussion with linitx (PC supplier) over the DVD drive that they sent me. On the website, when I ordered and up until I e-mailed them, the PC bundle included a DVD writer. They sent me a CD writer.
The IDE connector/changer included with the kit does not allow me to change the jumper settings so that the DVD drive is recognised as a slave device. This drive is set as a master device in the drive's firmware and cannot easily be changed. I was always of the understanding that a boot disc (hard drive) HAS TO BE set as the master device on IDE channel 0. Linitx have told me differently and I have connected the (wrong) DVD drive as per their instructions so that I can at least install Windows and get on with the project. On a couple of occasions, when rebooting the car PC, the drives have not been recognised correctly so maybe my suspicions about IDE connections were right. This would not be good for a car PC setup where the only method of reboot would be ignition off/ignition on!

I am waiting for a reply concerning their mis-advertising of the PC bundle's contents. They had the nerve to imply that it could be a supply problem however, I pointed out to them that they have 6 PC bundles available now and 259 of the correct DVD drive that I ordered!
Once I queried the fact that the DVD drive I received was not the one I ordered the info on the website changed so they now only supply a CD writer and not a DVD writer. There is no information concerning the necessity to set the hard disc to a slave device and I am not wholly convinced that this will not cause problems in the future should I use this DVD drive.

Anyway I have (not very nicely) put it to them that they send me the correct DVD drive ASAP and without any further cost to me.
This bullsh1t has cost me almost 2 days in terms of project completion.

I am out shopping for various wires, connectors and extension cables tomorrow so i can at least start ripping up the carpet and trim and get some wires in and, more importantly, a firmer idea of what is going to where and what cable is going to feed what.

Still waitng for delivery of the screen - should be any day now!

Evoscan cable arrived from Hamish in New Zealand today.
I got the official one and it's got an extra connector on it which I guess is the ECU flash connector. I've taped this up to the OBD connector so it doesn't dangle in the car as the OBD cable will be a permanent fitment in the car. Yes, it was expensive compared to the VAG ones or equivalent but I couldn't be bothered modding the cable when I've so much more important work to do with the PC/amp/boot enclosure.

4 USB ports on the PC and I'm quickly running out (screen, wireless keyboard, Evoscan cable) so I connected a two port USB block out of one of my old PCs to the motherboard and ran the cable out of the back so I've now got 6 USB ports!


My power supply has just died at 97% hard disc formatting!


I have now got the car PC connected to an old computer motherboard that is connected to a PC power supply that has a power connector chopped and wired into the car PC. The style of PC power supply I have has to be connected to a motherboard to get the on/off signal from a switch on the PC case before it will supply power (I think). It's working anyway.
AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!