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How To Build A PC Into Your Car

Posted by Andy McDonough on June 19, 2006

RECIPEIn this Recipe, I'll show you how to build an in-car PC using mini-ITX technology. This automobile
computer system features a compact footprint, road-worthy components, and some serious media capabilities.

For this Recipe, I'll feature both components that are built specially to handle the rigors of a road trip and those
that can also work on the desktop. On the dashboard, here's how a typical build will look:

Pretty cool, right? Ready to get your clients in gear with a car PC? Then let's roll!

Why Mini-ITX?

Mini-ITX is an ultra-compact motherboard developed by VIA Technologies, a Taiwanese company known for
innovation and high-quality manufacturing. The highly integrated features of mini-ITX mainboards are ideal for
building systems that are powerful, quiet, and small. These boards also pack all the punch of a full-sized PC while
running far cooler and more quietly. These features have made mini-ITX solutions the most popular choice for
embedded applications and appliance computing—in short, any place where space is an issue.

We'll add to this compact, solid mainboard a road-worthy case, rugged hard disk, and a power supply built to
handle special automotive needs, such as battery drain. Put it all together, and you've got one solid Car PC that's
ready to hit the highway in ways that no desktop box or notebook could.

As with any technology, there are tradeoffs. So let's talk about the pros and cons of implementing a Mini-ITX
solution for the road. I think you'll agree that the pros far outweigh the cons! Here's a brief summary of the
highlights of working with a mini-ITX:

 Ultra Compact: Offers a 170 mm x 170 mm (roughly 6.7 in. x 6.7 in.) form factor.
 Highly Integrated: Boards carry an onboard processor and integrated I/O.
 Power Efficient: Low power consumption, cool operation.
 OS Compatible: Systems support Microsoft and Linux operating systems.
 Modular: Integrates with industry standard components.
 Secure: Mini-ITX boards feature onboard encryption technology.
 Quiet: Smaller means less noise, and fanless mini-ITX offer less noise with greater stability.
 Compatible Interfaces: Supports SATA drives, DIMM memory, PCI cars, and both USB and Firewire
peripherals.

On the flip side, here are a few limitations on the technology which you should consider before implementing a

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mini-ITX solution:

 Not Upgradeable: To reduce the cost of manufacture, CPUs are permanently installed on the mainboard.
The ZIF (Zero Insertion Force) socket on most modern motherboards makes up a significant part of the
manufacture cost. In VIA's EPIA (Embedded Platform Innovative Architecture) architecture, the company
integrated the mainboard and CPU and removed the socket to streamline production and reduce costs.
 Limited Expandability: Typical cases have limited real estate—that's the cost of going "small." Power
supplies can be as small as 60 watts, limiting the addition of peripherals. Also, these boards have minimal
PCI slots available.
 Higher Cost: The cost for an integrated mini-ITX mainboard is likely to be higher than a comparable ATX
motherboard/CPU bundle.

While there are certainly some cons to going with mini-ITX, I believe the technology is sound. That's why I
recommend it as the virtual heart of this build.

Car PC Benefits

The public's attitude about what belongs in a car, coupled with technological advances that have made
components like displays more compact and robust, have transformed cars and SUVs into rolling infotainment
centers. Not long ago, a video display in a car would turn heads; today, it's commonplace. Global positioning
systems (GPS) that were once deployed exclusively by the military now listen for bleeps from space from
consumer dashboards. DVD players, surround sound, and video displays have all become popular selling features
for auto makers. Add to that the high-end options: satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, rear-view cameras,
vehicle diagnostics and sensor monitoring, Wi-Fi, smart alarm systems, and more. As a result, consumers seek
new possibilities for their mobile computing needs.

Car dealers and makers of satellite radio, GPS and media players are targeting a growing consumer market with
individual infotainment products. But a well-built car PC can run all of these and more. It can also help
consumers with route planning, Web browsing, personal scheduling, gaming, and general computing.

System builders should consider consumers to be just part of whom you should pitch for offering a road PC.
There are also hardcore mobile computing applications you could offer, such as digital video recording for police
vehicles with broadband connectivity. Also, consider inventory and transportation tracking systems for trucking
and delivery companies that provide businesses the advantage of being able to pinpoint where their products and
materials anytime anywhere.

Let's take a look at some approaches to getting a PC on the road and choosing the right components. Then I'll
show you how to put it all together.

Why Not Go With a Notebook?

In-car PC components are similar to those for notebook and desktop systems—power supplies, CPU, hard disk,
etc.—but they need to meet much more rugged specifications. The operating environment in a car is vastly
different from an office desktop. Notebooks, while closer in size and ruggedness, are still best for home or office
use.

Can you simply mount a notebook or desktop and use it in a car? Sure, and many installers have done just that.
But there are serious drawbacks. Desperate installers have mounted flimsy desktop cases in the trunk; used
inefficient power inverters to supply power; and even have built elaborate trays for input devices. But size, cable
runs and cooling requirements make the desktop approach cumbersome to install and unappealing to operate.

Where standard desktop boxes are awkward for the road, notebooks are a better fit. But their power supplies are
not specifically built to handle the special demands of the starts and stops of an average vehicle. As a result, an
unmodified notebook cannot be counted on for reliable in-car service.

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In addition, both traditional desktops and notebooks are plagued with overheating problems and unexpected
reboot issues. Inopportune reboots can occur as power fluctuates in a system designed more to provide power for
a car's lights, wiper motors and fans than the smooth, constant voltage required for typical computing. Car PC's
Require Special Components

A reliable in-car PC needs to use small yet rugged components whose size and shape allow proper placement,
whether on a crowded dashboard, in or under a dashboard, or under the car's seats. The PC needs to be out of the
way of the car's critical instruments.

A car PC must also be designed to be a real workhorse. It will need to handle heat and cold, exposure to sunlight,
rapid changes in temperature and humidity, along with shocks and vibrations from the road. The system must also
survive as an add-on to a power system that is frequently switched off, often for long periods, and that is prone to
deep cycle discharging.

Automotive electrical systems—unlike the clean, steady household current from a wall receptacle—operate off a
DC (direct current) storage system that is constantly changing. First, it discharges to deliver power to 'turn-over' a
cold car engine. Then it charges the battery back to capacity as the car is driven. Car PCs must operate from
power fully conditioned to remove the risk of low voltage during cranking and carefully regulated to prevent
damage to PC components during charging.

In summary, an in-car PC must work consistently and meet the challenges of in-vehicle operability. It must be
able to take a beating, have short boot times, offer power-saving features, and run its applications easily and
safely accessible. The system must be mountable where it is easily visible but doesn't block the driver's line of
vision or the path of airbags. The system also must be fastened securely so it won't come lose in a minor accident.

To meet all these challenging requirements, you'll need to choose the right components. In the next section, we'll
look at your best choices for parts and how to source them.

Getting the Right Parts for a Car PC

Finding the right parts for your car PC is all about heat, power, vibration/shock, and operability. Let's take these
in order:

Heat: Large power requirements and heat dissipation don't mix well with the confined space of a car. As a result,
traditional desktops are difficult to keep cool in a car. Notebooks require less cooling, but mini-ITX boxes are
even better. They're also easier to tuck into tight spaces. At just 17 cm. x 17 cm., a mini-ITX can fit into or below
a dashboard, or even in a glove compartment. Special enclosures, like the VoomPC case, allow for optimal
cooling and shock resistance while keeping a compact footprint; I'll discuss this at greater length later in the
Recipe.

Power: This is the most challenging obstacle to computing on the road. Specifically, how do you supply clean
power as needed? And how do you not drain a car system's battery when the car is unattended for long periods?
Inefficient power inverters can covert the 12-volt DC typically used in car electronics into the 120-volt AC
(alternating current) source required for a standard PC power supply. But there are a number of drawbacks. Most
notably, inverters don't "know" when the car ignition is being turned off, so PCs won't shut down properly and
will constantly be restarting on short trips. While notebooks use less power and can operate without an inverter
(since they operate from battery power already), they can drain car batteries if left on or in 'hibernation mode'
over long periods.

An excellent solution is a new breed of power supply that can make decisions about how to supply power and
even signal a PC to 'hibernate' or 'shut-down' when warranted. It's called a DC-to-DC converter, and it can covert
a car's 12-volt source into the 3.3-volt, 5-volt, and 1-volt outputs that computers can use. I especially like the M2-
ATX. It allows for a user-selectable timer that lets the PC to remain on for a certain amount of time after the car
is shut off before issuing a command to the computer to go to 'sleep.' Then, after a prolonged period of sleep, the
power supply protects the car's battery by issuing a full shutdown command to the PC.

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Vibration and shock: Components in a car PC are subject to all the same jarring, bumping and G-forces as
passengers are. If all users drove luxury cars on traffic-free, freshly paved highways, then vibration and shock
would be a non-issue. But in the real world, potholes, debris, curbs, and sudden stops and starts can all cause
serious trouble for an in-car PC. As a result, hardware mounting, cable stress and wear, and choice of hard disk
need to address the situation.

The PC's hard disk is the only constantly moving part, making it the one most sensitive to road shock and
vibration. Fortunately, most of today's 2.5-inch notebook drives are designed to take a reasonable amount of
abuse from motion, and most are suitable for all but the most rugged applications. I recommend the Seagate
Momentus 7200.1, which has been rigorously tested for use in many mobile and notebook applications. For
situations where you know your car PC will be heavily stressed, Seagate's EE-25 series drives are hardened
specifically for automotive applications; they should hold up better in challenging applications.

Operability: Car PC users need to get to their applications fast and with a minimum of interaction. So keyboards
and mice, while handy for occasional work in the car, are of limited use in a car. Instead, car PCs should rely on
touch screens and software interfaces with "skins" that let users access their apps quickly and safely.

In car lingo, a touch screen works like a "head unit," providing access to music selection or a GPS. A major goal
of a car PC is to replace the vehicle's head unit with a touch screen that will act as GPS, CD player, radio and the
like.

Skins used with voice-recognition software can also provide safe and a mostly hands-free method of working
with applications. Applications like RoadRunner and SKINbedder work with NaviVoice voice recognition to
provide quick access to applications with a minimum of driver involvement. In the screenshot below, you can see
how NaviVoice helps to integrate voice activated GPS with media playing and other applications, making GPS
functions available quickly and safely with a one-word command:

With applications like Mobile Media Center, users can develop their own "skins" to access media and other car
applications by touch. Here's an example:

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Ingredients

Here are the components you'll need to create a car PC:

CarPC Parts List

- ATX, 6-24V wide input
range

- Intelligent shutdown
controller

- ON/OFF motherboard
control

- Survives vehicle engine

cranks

Power - Battery deep discharge

M2-AXT(160-watt) $90.
Supply: prevention

- High efficiency, 160-

watts output

- "Anti-thump" amplifier
remote control

- 15A automotive fuse

(mini-blade)

- VIA, P4 and AMD CPU

support

- Rugged enclosure, easy to handle and

mount

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- 5.5mm aluminum extrusion

- Compatible with any mini-ITX board

Enclosure: VoomPC - 210mm (W) x 254mm (L) x 56mm $80

(H)

- Up to three fans for moist/heat

removal
- VIA C3 EBGA processor

- 1 DDR266/333/400 DIMM socket

- UniChromePro AGP graphics/MPEG-

2 decoder/MPEG-4 Accelerator

- 1 PCI

- 2 X UltraDMA 133/100 connector

Mainboard VIA SP130000 $200.
- VIA VT6103 10/100 Base-T Ethernet
PHY

- VIA VT1617A 6-channel AC' 97

codec

- VIA VT1623 TV encoder

- VIA VT6307S IEEE 1394 Firewire

Touchscreen
Monitor (Two
options)

7-inch fully motorized in-dash TFT-

LCD monitor touch screen VGA and
TV

- 16:9 TFT-LCD car PC monitor

- Resolution: 800 x 480

VMI70 7-inch TFT-LCD - VGA support: 640 x 480 to 1280 x

Motorized $400
monitor with touch panel 768

- Video Input: AV1/AV2

- Audio output: Single audio output

- Standard PAL/NTSC TV signal

reception

- Double-channel video input

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- Includes remote control

- Chromatic system: PAL/NTSC (auto

switch)

- Input: Double-channel AV/TV input,

1 VGA input

- One year warranty

- Mount type: Dashboard or Headrest

- PAL/NTSC

- Resolution 720 x 400 to 1280 x 1024

- 16:9 aspect ratio

- Video input: XGA/VGA input (15 pin

D-SUB), USB or RS232 interface

- Two RCA video inputs, one audio

input
VM7000 7-inch TFT
Non-Motorized LCD touchscreen for car $215.
PC - Built-in speaker

- Display brightness (with touchscreen):

280cd/ m²

- Power consumption: < 9W

- Includes: Remote control, USB cable,

VGA cable, AV cable, dashboard
mounting bracket, headrest mounting
bracket and screws, stylus, CD with
touch screen drivers, operation manual

- One-year warranty

Hard Disk
(Two options)

-Reliable 100 GB ATA

Seagate Momentus 7200 -Fast-booting with average seek-time of

7200 RPM 10.5 msec. $220.
ST910021A

-Low-power consumption for maximum

battery life

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-Whisper-quiet load/unload acoustics

-Operating shock of 250Gs (to

withstand rugged environments)
-60GB designed for automotive
entertainment and GPS systems

- Hardened for mobile computing and

other extreme environments
5400 RPM
Seagate EE25 5400RPM $145.
Mobile
- Tested for 24x7 operation at elevated
temperatures

- In use for mission-critical military

field applications
Kingston (512-MB, 400-MHz DDR DIMM).
Memory $54.
KVR400X64C3A/512 This is reliable, affordable memory.

The following photo is a shot of the main components: VoomPC case, Seagate hard drive, and M2-ATX power
supply board for our Car PC. It also shows a Star monitor I used to check the mainboard before permanent
installation of a touch screen:

Vertical mounting of the hard drives, rather than horizontal mounting, can minimize trouble from hard impacts
and minimize "head crash" situations. If you know a drive will be getting serious abuse, choose a location for the
enclosures that provide sufficient air flow and keep the disks perpendicular to the road. Assembling the Car PC

Before assembly, and before making final decisions on parts, make sure you have a solid plan and a proper place
to work. Finding the right place to work on your car PC will make for a cleaner installation and speed your
project along. Look for a protected location with good lighting. You'll also want to use a droplight to help you
with interior fitting and for working under the hood. Don't forget Internet access for downloading applications,
updates, etc. While garages with a high-speed hook-up might be hard to come by, you'll only need network access
for a short period. So be prepared to string a long cable, or use a USB wireless-network adaptor.

No special tools are needed to build and install a Car PC. You can go with the favorite tools of professional

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installers, such as good wire strippers with spring action and wire-gauge sensing; a heavy-duty crimping tool; a
thread-locker compound such as LocTite, which can prevent screws from coming loose from repeated vibration;
and a collection of faston and other wire-splicing parts. Wire connectors are available in various assortments or in
bubble packs from auto-supply stores, and they are highly recommended for a safe and professional-looking
installation.

Here are the 14 steps for the Car PC assembly:

CarPC Assembly Steps

Install memory and configure VIA
1 ___
mainboard
Install the motherboard on the base
2 plate of enclosure using four See illustration of parts layout above. ___
screws.
Install the 2.5-inch hard drive
using the four silicone rubber
shock absorbent pads over the hard
drive mounting holes. Fasten the Shock pads for mounting the hard drive are
3 ___
hard drive using four undercut M3 included with the VoomPC enclosure
screws attached from the bottom.
(See illustration of parts layout,
above).
Attach a 44-40 pin IDE cable to
4 ___
the hard drive and motherboard.
Attach the M2 ATX power supply
5 over the hard drive, using the See illustration of parts layout above. ___
remaining standoffs.
Connect the ATX cable harness
(provided with power supply) to Note: If you are using a different VIA mainboard,
the motherboard. Use small tie- you may be able to eliminate the ATX cable
wraps to manage the ATX cable harness entirely, by a custom ATX power
6 ___
harness. This is important, not extender bus made for use with some EPIA MII
only to prevent rattle and cable mainboards (available from http://www.mini-
wear, but to improve air-flow box.com )
critical for proper cooling.
When looking for a power connection in,
Connect the Red / Black / White remember that the switched battery (ignition) is
(terminated in faston quick-splice usually present on your cigarette lighter or most of
connectors) to the power supply. your 12-volt power wires. Un-switched battery
7 ___
Red is un-switched battery, white (harder to find) is present on your alarm system or
is switched battery (ignition) and other 'always-on' electronics. Use a volt-meter to
Black is GND. detect switched versus un-switched wires. If hard
to find, connect directly to the battery.
Connect the LED wire to the LED
8 output if you're the M2-ATX for ___
LED pins.

Connect the ON/OFF wire harness

(provided in the PSU package) to

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the M2-ATX ON/OFF controller

9 and to the ON/OFF mainboard ___
switch.
See details in VoomPC enclosure manual to
connect the Amp Enable wire harness to your
amp. Please pay special attention to the polarity of
10 (Optional) Attach your audio amp ___
the wires. Note: Your amplifier remote control
unit actually needs only one wire (RMT), GND is
optional.
Hook up display, keyboard, etc,
11 and perform a quick test of your ___
system by turning ignition ON
Attach temporary CD-ROM drive
12 to load operating system and ___
application software.
If you don't want to drill holes into your car
chassis, large velcro pads work well when
Secure the enclosure in the vehicle
attached to the bottom plate of the enclosure. Use
13 using the four front/back mounting ___
the "hook" side of the velcro pad on the PC to
screws.
attach to your car's carpet. This works very well in
most interiors.
For many applications, this can represent a bulk of
the work and require patience. Work slowly and
carefully knowing that a slip of the Exacto knife
14 Locate and mount touch screen. ___
or spilling adhesive will mean a trip to scrap yard
or a costly trip to the dealer's parts department to
fix.

Here's a photograph showing how the components are placed for assembly onto the bottom plate of a VoomPC
case. Note the overlapping strata of parts to retain our small footprint:

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A Word about Car PC and Safety

Using a PC on the road requires a tremendous amount of responsibility. The purpose of having a car PC—in
addition to being really cool, of course—is to add to the enjoyment and safety of the driving experience.
Unfortunately, having something as wonderful and complex as a computer within sight and reach of a driver can
present a serious distraction.

In other words, don't make your in-car PC a driving hazard for yourself or your clients. Instead, follow these
important steps as part of your installation:

 Consult your local laws. In the U.S., for example, many states restrict the use of an in-car video monitor
that's in the view of the driver.
 Take extra care to provide a safe installation. Design application access to be as easy and hands-free as
possible.
 Consider having a serious talk with your clients about the safe use of the car PC. Since everyone will have
questions and want to talk about their car PC, suggest an explanation before the trip gets underway. Or
suggest offering to pull over to give a complete tour of the hardware and applications curbside, rather than
while in motion.

Once the Car PC is built and installed, you'll be ready to load the applications your client desires. But be prepared
for questions, lots of them. Car PCs get loads of attention from both potential clients and passers-by. Don't forget
to mention to your potential clients that having a Car PC consolidates all their miscellaneous hardware and wires
into one box with a large, easy-to-use touch screen. It also lets them run their favorite PC applications in their car.
PC gamers will love it for the novelty. Salespeople will love the GPS and the integrated phone and PC
applications. And all your on-the-road clients will enjoy the superior media ability of motoring in style with their
car PC.

SIDEBAR: Additional Resources for Building Car PCs

Online Vendors: You'll want to source your parts from people who are familiar with the mini-ITX and know the
car PC business. I found these three online vendors to be among the best:

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 Mini-Box
 MP3Car
 Digital Worldwide

Discussion Forums: Check out the many car-PC sites forums for tips and tricks. Here are three I like:

 Car PC Specialist
 MP3Car.Com
 CarTFT

Books: I recommend two helpful books devoted to car PCs. These two books can be especially helpful if you
don't have a lot of experience with 12-volt DC systems, are unfamiliar with "faston" connectors for splicing wire
quickly, or are uncomfortable cutting into ignition wiring:

 Geek My Ride by Auri Rahimzadeh (Wiley, 2005)

 Car PC Hacks by Damien Stolarz (O'Reilly, 2005)

Additional ideas: Have a look at some pre-built car PCs. Streetdeck is one that has attracted a lot of attention.

General information on mini-ITX systems: Check out the EPIACenter.

ANDY MCDONOUGH is a professional musician, composer, voice actor, engineer, and educator happily
freelancing in New Jersey.

Copyright 2009 United Business Media LLC, All rights reserved.

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