Car PC v.2

My first attempt at my in car PC did not work as planned so I decided to scrap this install and attempt a 2nd go at it. In version 1 I had the PC placed in the storage area behind the passenger seat along with the Carnetix P1280 controller. After the PC ran for about 20 minutes with the storage area door closed and the ambient temperature outside around 85° F I started having random lockups and re-booting of the PC.

In the new version 2 the following changes will be made....

1. I plan on installing the PC in the trunk area inside a custom case made of ½" Plexiglass. You ca see a rough layout of the new case HERE

2. I am changing the motherboard to a EPIA MII-12000. This upgrade has two major benefits for the new configuration.

a. The new layout of the board should eleviate most of the heat issues

b. With the addition of the Cardbus/Compact Flash (CF) add-on board I will be able to boot from the CF thus eliminating the need for an IDE based laptop hard drive. Thus saving on power needed and additional heat from the drive.

3. With the new Motherboard and higher processor I needed to get more power from the shutdown controller so I opted for the Carnetix P1900 which will supply dual outputs at 90W regulated. The dual outputs will also allow me to control the Xenarc screen directly from the P1900 and allow me to eliminate the power and ground distribution blocks.

4. With the new ability to use a CF card to boot from I am going to use a stripped down version of Windows XP and a 2 GB CF card.

**Stay tuned for reviews and instructions on setting up Windows XP embedded.

5. I manufactured a custom wiring harness that will allow for quick disconnects of the PC if necessary.

6. I will add 4 - 80 MM high rpm fans to the new case to help with the dissipation of heat and provide proper air circulation.

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