This is the third article in the Car PC series. It brings out the full power of the system through iMobilePC's Executive Car PC System. This software runs on Windows XP or Windows XP Embedded. It works with the Car PC we built or any comparable PC-based platform. This includes some factory installed platforms as well as add-ons.
New Hardware
The key hardware addition needed for this part of the project came from Mini-Box.
In this step we tie the system together with a VM7000 7-in. touchscreen monitor (Fig. 1). The monitor has a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio with 800 by 600 pixel resolution. It can scale images from 720 by 400 to 1280 by 1024 to fit on-screen, with the usual scaling limitations and artifacts.
The VM7000 is designed to sit atop the dashboard. It has a two-way adjustable swivel mount. The display can also be mounted vertically — such as on the back of a headrest — so it is not restricted to control and navigation uses. The monitor accepts a single VGA input and a pair of composite video inputs. The touchscreen interface is via a USB port, and drivers for Windows 2000 and Windows XP are included. There is also a built-in speaker.
The front panel has a set of labeled buttons for power, on-screen display menu control, and input selection. A thin, battery powered, infrared remote control is included with the system as well.
The unit comes with individual cables for video inputs and for the USB connection plus power connections. The unit can run off the same 12-V supply as the Car PC itself.
Hooking the VM7000 up for initial testing was easy. Adding wires to the power connector took the most time. The rest of the cables plugged into the back of the Car PC chassis. The supplied cables are long enough to reach the floor of the car where I have the Car PC for testing, but final installation depends on where you can fit the Car PC. Extension cables may be required.
Loading the touchscreen software no more difficult than installing the usual Windows USB-based driver. It does provide mouse emulation out of the box, but most applications do not take the small screen size into account and using the stylus is tedious at best. It is obviously impractical when the car is moving.
Mounting the unit and routing the cables for the final installation can take you quite a while depending on what you do with the dashboard and how the cables are routed. I was able to run them through a hole where the vent was, but this option may not be available to everyone. The cleanest approach, though more difficult, is to punch a hole through the dashboard near the stop where the VM7000 is placed. There are connections on the VM7000, so it is possible to run the cables without having the display in the way, connecting them when everything is in place. For now, my installation is semipermanent but adequate.
The display was bright enough for all but the brightest sun glare. The iMobilePC software can switch backgrounds for night operation, though there is no automatic detection of the external light levels.
The other new hardware addition was iMobilePC's USB-based GPS unit (Fig. 2). A GPS unit is required by the iMobilePC's navigation system. Most will work with the software, but going with one that matches the software source tends to eliminate compatibility issues.
Installing the GPS unit involved a little extra effort that is noted on their website. It is actually an issue between Windows and most USB or serial-based units. It seems the default configuration for Windows is to look for a serial mouse, and it often thinks a USB GPS is one of those little critters. A minor tweak is all that is required to get Windows to back down and stop "doing you a favor."