13 January 2006
Written by
Yours Truly (
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Published on January 13th, 2006 @ 05:48:49 pm, using 65 words, 218 views
The project will require 2-3 10' lengths of USB cable, which will be run from the trunk to the dashboard along the centerline of the car.
10' USB-A Male to USB-A Female extension cable $4.99
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Xerox and Illumination - Nightshift
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Written by
Yours Truly (
)
Published on January 13th, 2006 @ 05:35:32 pm, using 199 words, 187 views
Electrone 9007
6.5" x 3", PS/2, raw/kit form, $105
I just found this mini-sized keyboard on the web, by a company called Electrone (http://keyboardspecials.com/mini.htm). It's the 9007 model at the bottom of the page. The keyboard is raw, in kit form (no enclosure), and measures 6.5" x 3", with a 6' flat PS/2 cable. This would be perfect for mounting in the cup-holder compartment in the Acura CL, since I rarely use it for actually holding cups. I gave them a call to inquire for more information. They want $105 for it, which I think is very steep, and will probably preclude me from trying it out. Too bad, because it's the nicest tiny keyboard I've seen so far which is fully functional; most don't include all the keys, especially the ESC key which is critical for escaping from full-screen visualization apps.
Ione 2-Tone Wired Keyboard
Available from NewEgg for $35 shipped.
This is a nice small keyboard, laptop sized, with built-in trackball.
Ione 2-Tone Wired Keyboard
Originally posted 05 December, 2005
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Dub Syndicate - Classic Vol 1
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
11 January 2006
Written by
Yours Truly (
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Published on January 11th, 2006 @ 07:47:02 pm, using 535 words, 2331 views
Testing the EPIA MII-12000 in an open testbed
I had some spare time this evening and got around to setting up the system in an open testbed environment. I figured this would save some time, rather than having to install the board into a micro-ATX case and then removing it again once the final choice of mini-ITX case is made.
I'm currently trying Windows 2000 SP3 in the testbed stage, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the EPIA MII-12000's performance under Windows 2000. Currently the system is pretty bare. I have installed the chipset drivers, along with the drivers for onboard audio, lan, usb, firewire, and video.
I've installed TweakUI from the Windows 2000 PowerToys kit. This allows me to get to the desktop without being prompted for a username and password, adding to the hands-free usability of the overall system environment. Once RoadRunner is installed, I'll configure it to enter directly into the RoadRunner environment on bootup, bypassing the desktop entirely.
Testing a fullscreen vis voiceprint/spectrum analyzer
I've installed WinAmp 2.7 (I can't stand newer versions of WinAmp) and have done some preliminary tests for sound quality and fullscreen visualization responsiveness. The EPIA board handles the Geiss plugin almost flawlessly, which was another nice surprise. I don't plan to run the Geiss Vis on the actual system, but it's nice to know this little board can handle it. The plugin in the attached photo is a fullscreen voiceprint analyzer and spectrum analyzer, which is probably one of the visualizations I'll include in the final install.
I've also installed Alcohol 120% v1.9.5 (Build 2802). I plan to use Alcohol 120% only for its ability to create virtual cd-rom drives. I've set it up with five virtual drives so far. This way I can create images of my GPS Map discs, and mount them virtually on the system. This will allow me to run multiple different GPS Mapping applications, while only having to switch from one mounted disc to another. Additionally, the fact that they'll be running from virtual cd-rom drives means they'll be a lot faster than reading maps from a cd-rom.
The machine has, admittedly, very little software installed on it to this point (I still have to install the actual GPS apps, RoadRunner, and possibly a DVD player), but the system currently goes from a cold boot to the desktop in approx 15 seconds, which isn't too bad. It shuts down from desktop to off in about 4 seconds.
I might try Windows 98Micro (http://www.litepc.com/98micro.html) on this board to see how well it fares, though I worry about compatibility issues primarily with modern GPS apps running under a stripped down version of Windows 98. The nice thing about 98Micro, however, is that people have reported going from cold boot to desktop in under 8 seconds, which would be very nice indeed.
Note: Be sure to read the follow-up article in which the mini-itx system is fully wired and running from a car battery, simulating the vehicle environment and ignition states.
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
Talamasca - Illusion World
This post is the creative work of Yours Truly and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Written by
Yours Truly (
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Published on January 11th, 2006 @ 06:10:32 pm, using 319 words, 327 views
This post is simply for tracking the component front-runners, and their associated power consumption and wattage output. It'll be adjusted as necessary...
Primary parts list:
- Alpine CDA-9851 HeadUnit (w/ AUX RCA input from carPC)
- EPIA MII-12000 mainboard
- Akiwa GHB B05-A Mini-ITX chassis
- 512Mb PC2700 memory
- 40Gb laptop hard drive (600mA on the 5V rail)
- slimline cd-rw/dvd drive (unknown Amperage, assuming full 500mA)
- Opus Solutions 120W vehicle power supply
- Road Runner touchscreen front-end package
- 4cm cooling fan (approx 150mA on the 12V rail)
- MTSVO-SC 7" LCD screen (approx 10W [Max 1.2 Amps] on the 12V rail)
- USB1: LCD touchscreen overlay (max 500mA)
- USB2: Rikaline 6010 USB GPS receiver (approx 100mA on the 5V rail)
- USB3: spare panel-mounted USB port (Amperage dependent on device attached, but most often just a USB-key storage device, so probably 100mA)
- USB4: spare panel-mounted USB port (Amperage dependent on device attached, but most often just a USB-key storage device, so probably 100mA)
Supplemental parts list:
- VooDoo FBVC14DGU fused digital distribution block
- Scosche EFX barrel fuse assembly
- Approx 15' of 8 Gauge wire (black) to tap 12V battery current. (Start with 30A inline barrel fuse).
- Approx 10-12' of 16 Gauge wire (red) to tap Ignition ACC signal for Opus120 (approx 5mA)
- Approx 4-5' of 16 Gauge wire (red) to tap Ignition ACC signal for MTSVO-SC LCD screen (approx 5mA)
- Approx 10-12' of 16 Gauge wire (yellow) to run 12V to dashboard LCD screen (Max 1.2Amps)
- 2x10' panel-mount USB cables to run from trunk to dashboard or center console
- dual USB backplate connector using the onboard USB pins instead of using a USB hub.
Useful tool for calculating power requirements in mini-ITX computer systems: mini-ITX Power Simulator
Originally posted 28 November 2005
Edited 08 January 2006
Edited 11 January 2006
Edited 15 March 2006
Edited 20 April 2006
Edited 18 May 2006
Edited 29 May 2006
Contemporaneous Auditory Narcotics:
or, What my speakers are currently pumping...
DJ Spooky - Riddum Warfare
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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