Project: Auto PC

**mastermind94** · Oct 5th, 2002, 05:17 PM

hi all

i had the dream to place a PC in the trunk of my car. I built a old AT PC Pentium I 133 MHz with a TV out car and a cound card. I went to radio shack and bought those small 12V TVs with a composite in plug. I wrote a lite version of my famous media player program so i wont need no mouse, just a numeric pad to control the PC. everything is working great but i got one problem.

In an AT system, we need 12V, 5V and 3.3V so, i pretty much need to build a transformer that will give me 12V, 5V and 3.3V out of the 12V battery of my car right? right!

Does any1 know by anychances where i can get the schematic plans or does any1 is good enought in electronics to give me like a starting plan? (( i really suck when it comes to electronic components ))

Thanks guys

:-)

**DiGiTaIErRoR** · Oct 5th, 2002, 07:42 PM

Hook up an alternator and use a PSU.

**Tygur** · Oct 6th, 2002, 02:28 AM

Originally posted by DiGiTaIErRoR
Hook up an alternator and use a PSU.

It's a power inverter, not an alternator.

Anyway, I have a PC in my car, and that's the way I did it. I just have a normal power supply in the computer, and it plugs into the inverter. It's the easy way out.

The way you're apparently looking to do it is supposed to be better, though. I hope you get it figured out.

**mastermind94** · Oct 6th, 2002, 09:26 AM

Power Invertor... hm

like going from 12VDC to 115VAC
plug the computer into 115VAC and the PSU will convert it to 12,5,3.3VDC?

hm, where can i get an inverter cheap? Radio Shack lol?

Thanks but, gimme more details ;-) ... me dumbass :-D

**Tygur** · Oct 6th, 2002, 11:09 AM

Well, I got mine here:
http://www.qvc.com/scripts/detail.dll?item=E107916

**mastermind94** · Oct 6th, 2002, 12:06 PM

hm, that thing wont drain my battery?

**Tygur** · Oct 6th, 2002, 03:52 PM

I shut it off whenever I'm not using it. As long as the car is running while it's going, you shouldn't have any problem.

Mine came with instructions for wiring it directly to the battery (with a fuse, of course) instead of plugging it into the cigarette lighter. If the computer uses enough power, you may have to do that. It also looks better that way.

My cigarette lighter doesn't work anymore because I used to power it that way. I probably just blew a fuse, though. Your computer probably doesn't use as much power as mine. Mine is overkill, because I just used what I had laying around, which turned out to be a 900Mhz Athlon.

**mastermind94** · Oct 6th, 2002, 04:19 PM

aiight, i'll get one of those bugger... thanks

**DiGiTaIErRoR** · Oct 6th, 2002, 05:15 PM

Originally posted by Tygur
I shut it off whenever I'm not using it. As long as the car is running while it's going, you shouldn't have any problem.

Mine came with instructions for wiring it directly to the battery (with a fuse, of course) instead of plugging it into the cigarette lighter. If the computer uses enough power, you may have to do that. It also looks better that way.

My cigarette lighter doesn't work anymore because I used to power it that way. I probably just blew a fuse, though. Your computer probably doesn't use as much power as mine. Mine is overkill, because I just used what I had laying around, which turned out to be a 900Mhz Athlon.

Did you overclock it?

**applescript** · Oct 11th, 2002, 02:30 AM

but what do you need a computer in your car for? I realize it would be kinda cool, but I can't see any real uses for it.

**DiGiTaIErRoR** · Oct 11th, 2002, 02:31 AM

Lots of music.

**mastermind94** · Oct 11th, 2002, 10:28 AM

:-D

**msimmons** · Oct 11th, 2002, 11:37 AM

Originally posted by applescript
but what do you need a computer in your car for? I realize it would be kinda cool, but I can't see any real uses for it.

War Driving

**The Hobo** · Oct 11th, 2002, 02:53 PM

A computer in the car would kick ass!

I'd probably end up causing some explosion that would kill me and anyone near the car, though, so I better not try it.

**mastermind94** · Oct 12th, 2002, 02:19 PM

or people trying to hack your car....

**The Hobo** · Oct 12th, 2002, 03:38 PM

Originally posted by mastermind94
or people trying to hack your car....

A car with internet access

that'd be pimpin'

**SteveCRM** · Oct 12th, 2002, 04:21 PM

as long as it had a speech engine that would kick ass!

**mastermind94** · Oct 12th, 2002, 11:04 PM

Originally posted by The Hobo
A car with internet access that'd be pimpin'

hook it up to a cell phone

**The Hobo** · Oct 13th, 2002, 12:11 AM

Porn, mp3's, and e-mail while you drive

**mastermind94** · Oct 13th, 2002, 09:57 AM

DVD player :O)

**Emo** · Oct 13th, 2002, 06:56 PM

Soon enough, all of those things WILL be standard in a car so...

-Emo

**The Hobo** · Oct 13th, 2002, 09:16 PM

passanger seat blow-up doll with three holes?

**Emo** · Oct 14th, 2002, 05:17 PM

Originally posted by The Hobo
passanger seat blow-up doll with three holes?

'

of course, who needs airbags anyway?

-Emo

**DiGiTaIErRoR** · Oct 14th, 2002, 06:36 PM

This thread just gets worse.

**applescript** · Oct 14th, 2002, 06:39 PM

I think it is getting better.

**The Hobo** · Oct 14th, 2002, 10:05 PM

I wonder if it's time I took D'Error off ignore?

**Emo** · Oct 15th, 2002, 12:29 AM

Originally posted by DiGiTaIErRoR
This thread just gets worse.

hey, what's wrong with a little blow up airbag fun?

-Emo

**MidgetsBro** · Oct 15th, 2002, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by Emo
hey, what's wrong with a little blow up airbag fun?

-Emo

Nothing until your friends see you with it.

**techgnome** · Oct 15th, 2002, 12:54 PM

Things will be fine untill the windshield turns blue and there's white text describing a "GCF" (General Car Fault) ....

You'll then have to pull over, shut off the engine, get out, walk around the car, get back in and restart.

**Tygur** · Oct 15th, 2002, 01:06 PM

Originally posted by SteveCRM
as long as it had a speech engine that would kick ass!

Mine does. I was saving money, and I couldn't afford to get any kind of display, so it talks instead. I made a VB program to control the whole thing. I've been considering going through the trouble of adding voice commands so I can talk back to it, but I haven't done it yet.

Originally posted by The Hobo
A computer in the car would kick ass!

I'd probably end up causing some explosion that would kill me and anyone near the car, though, so I better not try it.

I suggest you go for it anyway. I wasn't sure what I was doing when I first got started, either. I knew I'd be able to handle the software side of things, and I knew I'd be able to build the PC, but there was more to it than that. My power inverter was wired directly to my car battery, for example. Also, the computer is controlled by a numeric keypad, into which I wired four LED's so it can be used at night.

**Emo** · Oct 16th, 2002, 01:21 AM

Originally posted by Tygur
Mine does. I was saving money, and I couldn't afford to get any kind of display, so it talks instead. I made a VB program to control the whole thing. I've been considering going through the trouble of adding voice commands so I can talk back to it, but I haven't done it yet.

are you serious???

that would be sooo cool!!! wow... make a tutorial how you did it

-Emo

**DiGiTaIErRoR** · Oct 16th, 2002, 02:02 AM

Originally posted by Emo
hey, what's wrong with a little blow up airbag fun?

-Emo

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