21 November 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on November 21st, 2005 @ 07:40:39 pm, using 251 words, 2095 views
Planning for the dashboard faceplate mod
Sample of possible Burlwood trim
Just got sent the above photo by a member on the Acura user forums, who also refered me to a source for Burlwood ABS trim which is an almost exact match to the existing woodgrain trim in the Acura CL. I've contacted the vendor to see if I can get a scrap piece of the material so I can do some color comparison prior to buying, but no dice. Apparently they're just a reseller and get the material ready-to-ship from the manufacturer. In any case, here's a picture of the trim in question, sent to me by the person who bought it and built a customized faceplate for their Acura TL. The vendor calls it "Floritine Burlwood" but I think it's supposed to be "Florentine". I think it should make a pretty darn good faceplate for this project, after some templating and cutting. Additionally, it only costs approx $16 for 2 square feet, so I have a little leeway to make a mistake or two.
The vendor to whom I was refered is located at: https://www.selectproducts.com. I'm going to try to find a local vendor to possibly be able to verify the color in person.
Check out the burlwood sheet installed in the Acura ITX system.
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Killer Moses - Insomnica
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
20 November 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on November 20th, 2005 @ 08:52:12 pm, using 928 words, 11628 views
One of the trickiest parts of the Acura ITX project is that I'd like the system to be largely hands-free. The system will have a keyboard only as backup, and will rely on the touchscreen interface via the LCD panel.
When it comes to powering the system on and off, the plan is to have the computer wired directly into the ignition of the Acura CL, so when the car is turned on, the computer boots up, and with a kill-switch wired inline between the ignition and the computer, for those occasions when the headunit is preferred over the ITX system.
Here are the power supply options I'm currently considering. They each have their pros and cons.
The 120W DC-DC Power supply has a micro-controller that controls and monitors various functions of the power supply operation. It monitors automobile battery voltage to protect against deep discharge. The Power-ON lead is monitored to start the PC when the power is turned on and to implement a safe shutdown procedure. It controls and monitors motherboard signals to provide smooth power-up and power down sequences. In addition, it also responds to shut down, stand-by and hibernate modes.
The power supply can be programmed to shut down the PC after a delay of time. Its outputs are monitored to assure proper PC operation. A green LED indicator in the power supply continually indicates the power system status and health. It is also used for troubleshooting. There are features that are built-in for trouble-free and safe PC operation. The input power is protected against transients, load dumps and double battery during jumpstarts. The PC does not reboot during engine start or cranking. It also uses state-of-the-art technologies and the most advanced techniques to maximize efficiency, performance and reliability. Simply put, there is no other PC power supply like it.
Here is a diagram of how the OPUS 120 is wired from the car battery to the computer system. This is a rather simplistic diagram and does not take into account the wiring via the vehicle's 12v ACC connection, nor the fused digital distribution block mounted in the trunk.
OPUS120 User guide (requires Adobe Acrobat)
M1-ATX is an intelligent vehicle (car, boat, electric cart, etc) 12V DC-DC ATX PC power supply. Designed to provide power and to control the ON/OFF switch of a motherboard (PC) based on ignition status, M1-ATX is a wide input (6-24V) vehicle or car DC-DC ATX power supply capable of surviving tough car engine cranks (down to 5.7V) as well as transient over-voltage situations.
M1-ATX Product Manual
M1-ATX Specs, including power ratings
M1-ATX User Guide
M1-ATX Schematic Diagram and Dimensions
This power supply provides a direct bridge between the vehicle battery and the computer system. It has onboard LDO (Low-voltage Drop Out) circuitry, and has 8 user selectable microcontroller driven timing modes, allowing you to choose up to 8 ignition/shutdown timing schemes via a built-in shutdown controller. It can be purchased for approx $75 from various vendors specializing in vehicle computing electronics.
M2-ATX is an intelligent, high power, vehicle (car / boat / electric cart) 12V DC-DC ATX PC power supply designed for car pc and battery powered applications. Designed to provide power and to control the ON/OFF switch of a motherboard (car PC) based on ignition status, M2-ATX is a wide input (6 to 24V) vehicle / car / battery operated ATX power supply capable of surviving tough car engine cranks (down to 6V) as well as transient over-voltage situations.
The M2-ATX comes with complete cable harness consisting of:
- ATX cable extender plus HDD and Floppy power (9inch)
- Power input cable harness terminated in 0.25' fastons (12inch)
- 2 pin M/B on/off power ON control wire harness (9inch)
- set of LBJ (little black jumpers) to control various power sequencing schemes
M2-ATX Product Manual (English)
M2-ATX Specs, including power ratings
M2-ATX Schematic Diagram and Dimensions
M2-ATX Undocumented shutdown timings
M2-ATX has 8 user selectable microcontroller driven timing modes, allowing you to choose up to 8 ignition/shutdown car pc timing schemes via a built-in shutdown controller. By removing all user-selectable jumpers, M2-ATX becomes a traditional PC PSU with no ignition control (shutdown controller bypassed) and it can be used in non-vehicle computer applications.
Alternate option:
80W DC-DC Power Supply 12V Output from Opus Solutions. This system provides most of the same features as the m1-ATX power supply, including a micro-controller that controls and monitors various functions of the power supply operation. It monitors automobile battery voltage to protect against deep discharge. The Power-ON lead is monitored to start the PC when the power is turned on and to implement a safe shutdown procedure. It controls and monitors motherboard signals to provide smooth power-up and power down sequences. In addition, it also responds to shut down, stand-by and hibernate modes.
However, the Opus 80W Supply is not compatible with the EPIA M-series of mainboards, as the M-series requires a standard ATX power interface. The Opus Power Supply is designed for motherboards with 12V input power. Since the Acura ITX project will use an EPIA MII-12000 mainboard (for the onboard CompactFlash and PCMCIA slots), the Opus power supply is not exactly suitable to this project, but is listed here for reference.
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Dope on Plastic - Volume 3
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
18 November 2005
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on November 18th, 2005 @ 10:36:49 am, using 3282 words, 35171 views
Project Day 1
The Leatherman Tool: We'll be using this a lot.
Well, here we are again, returning to the project which was supposed to begin in the spring of 2005, but because of other projects and random new distractions which got in the way, it looks like it's going to be a winter 2005/06 project. In case anyone is just joining us, this project involves the installation of a mini-ITX computer, retractable in-dashboard LCD touchscreen, gps receiver, wireless internet, mp3 audio (the equivalent of a 250-disc CD changer), and an aftermarket headunit into a 2001 Acura 3.2CL (non-navi). The system will be hardwired into the ignition switch: turn the key to start the car and the computer boots up at the same time. Almost hands-free.
This isn't to say that the last year was time lost, however. The last several months have seen many new developments in the world of mini-ITX computing, and in the realm of mobile LCD displays. In many ways, waiting the amount of time I have may prove to be a blessing in disguise, as the hardware which is available today wasn't around a year ago, and I would have been left wanting to tear apart my car again to upgrade the installed parts.
Anyway, on with the show... Yesterday afternoon I gathered together my Leatherman Wave Tool, a long-shaft screwdriver, some duct tape, and a digital camera, and began the surgery... The steps shown here, from photo #1 to photo #41, took about 75 minutes to complete. (The time it took to complete this write-up? A little longer).
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
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