Custom Audio/Video/Navigation?

[aidan80]

This may well have been asked or passed through here before but how many have done or know of anyone that has done a custom head unit for their Versa? I’m talking about touch screen/PC/GPS/Sound System/DVD Player all wrapped up in a nice custom front end on screen.

I don’t yet know how feasible my plan is and it’s really just me thinking out loud but.. I’m thinking about putting together a custom double din head unit after I actually get my Versa. My thoughts are, maybe a Mini-ITX board, a low powered Intel or AMD chip, SSD with enough storage for the OS and some basic software. I’ll need an DC-DC PSU to power it maybe tap the battery directly or run off the cigarette lighter. Slot loading CD/DVD drive, I’m considering attaching a GPS receiver and a WiFi adapter be nice if I can get the WiFi to run to the external antenna that would work perfectly. Integrated audio typically isn’t amplified and would need either a better amplified chip or an external amp for decent sound. Probably run XP or Linux in the background but will need decent front end to handle commands via screen without using a keyboard. It’d be nice to hook up the computer to the OBDII and read the car’s outputs in real time, miles traveled, estimated fuel burned/remaining, estimated current mpg, current speed, error codes..etc

Still just a collection of thoughts I’d need to do more in-depth research and check out the dimensions of the Versa and check wiring, power available and ventilation options for the hardware. I’m quite confident I can make it happen. I’ve seen a unit for sale at $2,499 with just xp on it? I think not!.. that’s more than my current car is worth lol.. it’s insane! I think this could be done under $1,000.

What do you think? Have you already done this yourself and if so how did it go? Did you have any issues with power or parts/software.

[Shad0wXCalibur]

I think I can safely say I've never heard of ANYONE trying to do that with a car. I'm all for tinkering and gadgets but $1000+ could go towards a very nice deck and sound components that in the end that might still work better. It sounds good in theory but I can't see it being feasible. Way to get the old light bulb lighting up though

[NODES]

you are better spending $300 on a netbook which you can keep under your seat or in your glove box.

[aidan80]

I might just think about the netbook idea that glove box is massive!! Although I will look into my current idea. Initially it looks to me at least good, I'll need to figure out if I can vent the heat is my only concern at the minute. I actually just got my Versa so I'll be looking at the what if's for a few months before I'd put any cash into in. I'm not going to drop $1000 on an idea only to find it wont work because I didn't think it through at the start.

The reason I'm thinking this is, this is something half way work related. We worked on a project that basically does a lot of same thing only it has more intelligence behind it. I want to do it for me because it seems like fun and it'd give me a leg up to run it at work if I already have a proof of concept running.

[JoshH]

@Shadow, it's actually more common than you think. A lot of information about carputers can be found over at mp3car.com

This can be done for ~$700. I have been looking into this myself.

Things that I have found that you may find interesting.

http://www.bybyte.com/

If you don't want to really do too much work for modifications for the touch screen, etc, you can get a pre-mounted touch screen in a double din nano-itx enclosure. Check out the black box-n. If you want a larger mini-itx board, I believe the enclosure may fit it with modifications based on the size, or you can also just get a frame with a pre-mounted lcd and make the enclosure yourself.

You will want a lilliput screen (bybyte uses them above so if getting pre-mounted you are good to go).

You can get a bluetooth adapter which I was going to use with my iphone to tether to the internet. USB GPS is also fairly cheap and definitely necessary.

Depending on your power requirements, you will probably want a picoPSU or m2,m3,or m4-atx, which work well for installing a car for a carputer, as they are DC-DC and work in a wide range of voltage.

Check out this page (I don't know about the site but it has a good list to look at for PSU's): http://www.short-circuit.com/c....html

Mobo/Processor wise, there are many you can pick from. I was personally looking at dual core atom / mobo combos but you also have via, and amd mini-itx mobo's which support the am2 socket.

OBD-II support definitely included. Check out OBDLink - http://www.scantool.net/obdlink-ci.html

That is the cheaper version and the newer version is more expensive but supports all protocols and has bluetooth. I have the OBDLink CI and it works perfectly with the versa. A few months ago, the CI also came with a coupon to get the newer version for only $50.

Operating system / frontend wise, check out http://www.mp3car.com/vbulleti....html

One notable application is road runner (now called ride runner). There is a good amount of support around this application. I believe it runs on windows.

Just everything I can think of off the top of my head in this area so far.

[kartracer90]

If you could stand the loss of not having a PC i would look at the eclipse line. Sounds like you know your stuff and if you do then Fujitsu Ten shouldnt be a stranger to you. There avn726e is one of the baddest decks on the market. 5v preouts, built in bluetooth, 3d nav, 7in lcd touch screen, clean, simple to use, and a nice eq. No one else has anything that can produce what this deck does.

[NODES]

Pioneer F90BT is a good deck as well after the latest firmware update, highly mod able as well.