Car computer as gu. Car multimedia bk The best on-board computers with separate placement

Any digital device seemed like a computer to us - even a primitive tachometer with two numbers. And how many computers are installed in a medium-sized car today? It is already going to a hundred ... Moreover, the capabilities of a modern smartphone significantly exceed the potential of the computer of the Curiosity rover, which is only five years old.

And what regular on-board computers can't do? Bend your fingers. They will never give you error codes for engine control systems, automatic transmission, doors or windows. They rarely show engine temperature, average speed, travel time or acceleration dynamics to hundreds, and also do not like to remember errors that occur. In addition, many drivers need alarms that monitor temperature, engine speed, speed.

The owners have their own requests - to take at least two types of fuel consumption. Someone needs to automatically turn on the headlights on a signal from a speed sensor or connect parking sensors with adjustable sensitivity. In some cases, it may be useful to force the cooling fan to turn on. Someone wants to more accurately adjust the fuel level sensor in the tank. Forgetful people will be helped by various reminders - warning about parking lights that are not turned off, about ice on the road or the need to go through the next MOT. Many people love simple talking toys (“Hello, master!”). Thrill seekers may need a wheel slip indicator. And there is such a function as a taximeter ...

We decided to test suitable for budget cars. The capabilities of the instruments selected for the study are different, but all the more interesting.

• trip parameters: travel time, mileage, current and average speed, instantaneous and average consumption, remaining fuel in the tank, ambient temperature, trip cost;
• current parameters of the engine operation: pressure in the intake pipeline, fuel pressure in the line, injection duration, air pressure at the outlet of the compressor, mass air flow, oxygen sensor voltage, crankshaft speed, throttle position, gas pedal position, instantaneous fuel consumption, calculated engine load, coolant temperature;
• error parameters: ECU errors, error reset and recording;
• parking parameters (some devices turn their screen into a full-fledged parking sensors display).

And most of the devices have a voice warning about the output of controlled parameters from the specified range.

It seemed to us that the most interesting option in the presented computer company is Multitronics MPC‑800. Mainly because such a device, which has decent "brains", does not spoil the interior of the car, as it hides somewhere inside, assigning "representative" functions to the owner's smartphone. For many, this can be a deciding factor when choosing a device.

Apple and Google want to take over the automotive world with CarPlay and Android. However, they require either an expensive upgrade or a completely new car. However, if you want to smartly connect your smartphone and car, it is not at all necessary to make huge expenses: even the “old cart” has everything you need to use your mobile phone as an on-board computer.

The only condition is the presence of a small module with Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, which can be purchased for only a few tens of euros. This module only needs to be plugged into the OBD-2 (On-Board Diagnostic) diagnostic connector found in any gasoline vehicle manufactured after 2001 or diesel vehicle manufactured after 2004 or later.

The location of the OBD-2 connector depends on the specific model, but most often it is located under the dashboard on the driver's side.

So the smartphone turns into an on-board computer

In order for a mobile phone to be used as an on-board computer or diagnostic tool, it must be paired with an OBD-2 connector via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Using the appropriate application, you can monitor fuel consumption and display speedometer readings on your smartphone, as well as data on temperature and engine speed, the magnitude and duration of accelerations, and so on.

For off-road driving or competition racing, information such as braking distances, lap times or body tilt can be useful. In addition, using a smartphone, you can read the error codes of the car's on-board computer in order to be able to fix simple problems yourself.

Available modules for the OBD-2 connector with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth can be found in the table just above. In addition, we have listed interesting applications for working with data from the OBD-2 connector (on iOS and Android) in the following table.

Note: due to the limitations of the Bluetooth protocol, the presented modules are compatible with the iPhone only via Wi-Fi.

Using the on-board computer, the driver can comprehensively evaluate a wide variety of indicators: engine speed and temperature, vehicle speed, air temperature inside and outside the cabin, fuel consumption and voltage. A detailed analysis of all ongoing processes allows you to quickly respond to problems and instantly determine their degree.

In addition to diagnostics, the on-board computer can play the role of parking sensors, a route planning assistant with the calculation of the amount of gasoline and speed, and store all system events in memory. On-board computers with a display and a tuner can also serve as a radio or TV.

On-board computer - for those who monitor their car

Every car owner dreams of installing an on-board computer in his car, because this device is functional and helps a lot in driving and maintaining the car. Here are some of the main features of the onboard computer.

• Display of instantaneous parameters. These include the speed of the car, the current time, the temperature of the engine, the engine speed, the temperature outside the window and in the cabin, the remaining fuel in the tank, and so on. It also displays all the information received from the main sensors.
• Display of route parameters. Each car computer allows you to get information about the mileage of the trip, its exact time and the amount of gasoline that was used for it. In addition, the display shows information about how much fuel is spent on average per 100 km, about the speed of movement, and so on.
• Fault control. The car trip computer displays alarm signals on the display if there are any malfunctions in the car or some part needs to be urgently repaired or replaced. Data on the condition of filters, candles and oil level are necessarily displayed on the screen.

In a word, the on-board trip computer allows you to operate the car with increased comfort and safety. That is why it is so in demand and popular.

You can buy a trip computer in our online store "220 Volt". We offer you a wide range of products. Here you will find such devices from a variety of manufacturers, including from Multitronics. They are represented by both budget models and more expensive ones.

On-board computers
We live in the computer age. And computerization has affected not only our homes and offices, but also cars. Many modern cars are equipped with on-board computers.
On-board computers can significantly protect the driver and passengers, save on expensive diagnostics at the auto center and warn in time about the presence of a malfunction. All this is due to the fact that they:

• Receive and analyze information from various automotive sensors,
• Display indicators of the current state of various vehicle systems,
• They “tell” the car owner what needs to be done to avoid a malfunction or eliminate it.

There are many functions of on-board computers. Here are the most important ones:

• The on-board computer monitors the number of revolutions of the engine, and also monitors its temperature.
• Keeps track of how fast the vehicle is moving
• Checks the oil level, and also monitors the serviceability of candles and filters,
• Monitors fuel consumption depending on various conditions: vehicle load, engine usage, roadway quality, etc.
• Shows the temperature both inside the car and outside.
• Many on-board computers are equipped with speech synthesizers, thanks to which they can speak any information, for example, about the state of a particular car system, which allows you not to be distracted during the trip.
• And much more

Any noticed problem is immediately displayed on the screen and stored in the memory of the on-board computer. There you can also see information about troubleshooting, how to properly operate the car so that such malfunctions do not appear in the future, find the addresses of service centers, etc.

Also, the on-board computer can:

• Display vehicle mileage in kilometers,
• Draw a vehicle flow chart
• Calculate the amount of fuel that is needed for a particular trip,
• connect to the internet,
• Serve as a parking sensors screen,
• Prepare reports on the functioning of all vehicle systems,
• control the air conditioner,
• And much more.

That is, the driver can configure the on-board computer to suit their individual needs.
Most often, an on-board computer is installed in a standard place on the dashboard. However, sometimes it can be mounted directly into the roof of the car. It can be installed on vehicles with any engines: injection, carburetor or diesel.
As you can see, the on-board computer allows not only to repair the car on its own, but also to prevent its breakdown, which saves money and avoids accidents.

From the editor:

This is a request for a new section. If you've read the editor-in-chief's column in this issue, you know that it stands for its title. The leader of the column, just appointed by order of the editorial board, is Artyom Bogdanov. For the first time his name and surname appeared on our pages in 2006. Then - in the section "Own game". Subject - computer-based audio system in VAZ-2111. The next one was in 2008. Already in the "Systems" section. The topic is the audio system in the Honda NSX based on ... a computer, of course. The name of the author of the system has not changed, the status has changed - the head of the Digital Car studio.

The functionality of the system has also changed, the term “audio” was no longer suitable for it. Another came up - infotainment. The same "new word". Three years have passed since then, and now Artyom is with us again, this time on a regular basis. In the materials of this column, he will consistently reveal different aspects of the answer to the same question: “How to teach a car to do everything?” For this, in practical terms, is the true meaning of the new word: everything. From music to Skype with all the stops.

Artyom decided to start a series of his publications with an explanation of what, in fact, will be discussed. And why. However, why - we ourselves know. Because the 21st century is around. And for quite some time...

DIGITAL MOBILE

Vinyl... And what about vinyl? I'll explain now. A sweet word for a music lover, I thought, sorting through the found pieces of Armstrong's record. The younger brother who ran past just chuckled and flipped through the next album on his pocket mp3 player. And here…

It's no secret that all (I'm not afraid of the wrath of "purists") modern audio and video media are recorded using a computer. Why not use the same PC for playback, getting rid of inconvenient media along the way? Do not limit yourself either in formats or in volumes of your favorite recordings. This idea must have come at least once to every reader of these lines. But music, no matter how eternal it may be, is only a part of our life (otherwise why would we need a car?). Why not add here navigation, video recording, speakerphone, mail and the Internet, which initially live in a computer, no one offers vinyl for them?

The described mise-en-scene with Armstrong and the younger brother happened a long time ago, and long ago I came to the logical conclusion that followed it. There were attempts to make a car (what it was then) with a computer (what it was then), one, quite successful for its time, served as the basis for my first publication in AZ (Project of the Century, No. 8/2006).

Later it turned out that I was not alone in this idea. At first there was an amateur club, later a professional installation studio for car computers appeared. The leitmotif of installations of this type is that nothing is impossible, the limit of the system's functionality is determined only by the customer's imagination. However, it is precisely this fantasy that we still marvel at. The modern customer does not compromise and wants to get the maximum of functions from the newly acquired system, while he is not ready to put up with either cacophony, or a mediocre image, or the chaos of wires and boxes in the trunk. And least of all - with a lack in the car of any functions, capabilities or amenities that he was used to. Or just about the existence of which he knows.

What makes CarPC different from other head units? Firstly, of course, a special shell program for convenient finger control. Naturally changeable and customizable. Secondly, an unlimited choice of functional software.

Here is an example: the most modern (according to the manufacturers and that part of the public that was convinced) multimedia navigation head units are “charged” with one navigation program, less often - a choice of two is offered (oh miracle!).

Now I counted more than ten navigation programs that are steadily working on the territory of Russia, with and without “traffic jams”, with or without 3D, from high-resolution graphics to the aesthetics of a map from a package of Belomor. In the CarPC environment, you don’t need to choose in advance: everything is loaded immediately, anyone can use it, the rest, if not needed, lie on their disk, they don’t ask for bread ...

Third, omnivorous. Modern civilization has generated an insane amount of information storage formats. The car audio industry is mastering them with a creak, one every few years. Having begun to list all the formats and media that CarPC can handle, we run the risk of going far beyond the pages generously provided to us in the magazine and, for sure, bite off neighboring headings as far as Nedam's Store. Here are just the most common audio formats: mp3, WAV, APE, FLAC. The first one is taken by all “radio tape recorders with a disk”, the second - only a few, the third and fourth, highly valued in our time - none. With video - even more colorful. Once, digging deeper into the “codecs” installed in the system, I found a bunch of formats that I heard about for the first time. About 400 in total. Need it? There will be ... At the same time, playing different formats does not mean changing media or switching settings from remotes. Just one touch on the touch screen.

A unique feature of CarPC is unlimited, total compatibility with any peripherals. Flash drives, portable hard drives, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi adapters, modems for accessing the Internet, TV tuners, cameras, diagnostic adapters, joysticks, keyboards and even printers or cash registers - connect via USB and ... work without asking too many questions .

Many eminent brands noticed the tempting direction of car computers from afar, and I think it was the versatility and universal compatibility of everything with everything that soon scared them away, and the CarPC directions turned out to be curtailed.

It was they who rooted the axiom “a good multimedia combine cannot be cheap” in our heads. And each additional function must certainly cost a pretty penny and not have alternative implementation options. Only an expensive adapter or Navi block with the same label as the "head". Once upon a time, such a game was started with CD changers, and, I believe, it is precisely because of this that changers first stopped developing, and then completely left the scene. A few years earlier than we could...

The computer, due to its mass character, has received undeniable advantages over potential competitors: familiarity and clarity of the interface, unlimited functionality and ... price. The reverse side of mass. Practice has shown: by assembling the kit yourself, for the amount of 1000 subway trips, you can get a further expandable infotainment combine with Internet access and all office applications. The same infotainment…

What tasks do you have to solve (or rather, you will have to, everyone will be there, I don’t doubt for a second) in the course of integrating a multifunctional computer complex into a car? Later, we will talk about the details and pitfalls of each separately, now - in general terms.

In one of the first places in importance - organically and ergonomically (now already widespread concepts) to introduce the main part of the system - the touch screen. Ready-made Plug & Play solutions are already starting to appear here: consoles, visors and transition frames, and even 2DIN options.

Why not a laptop or tablet? - you ask.

Broken glass or a broken lock, I'll tell you. - Maybe someone likes it. For most, not so much. Control experiment (at your expense): put the iPhone on the dashboard and move away to a distance of 100 meters.

And even without this inhuman experience, it is clear: it is much more convenient and pleasant when you start the car, and after a few seconds the system starts up on its own and already welcomes you with a pleasant-looking interface. No wires, connectors, chargers, "cigarette lighters" and power buttons. And no cards of a regular customer of the World of Autoglass store.

After all, an undoubted plus of a well-integrated system is a completely “regular” design. Feel the idea: no luminous buttons, labels and removable panels - only the screen on the panel, as if it was registered there from the factory or at least grown into the center console as a monolith, will not cause thieves to profit from a thoroughbred device. In this form, this is not even a device, but a detail ...

We have come to the most interesting for a considerable part of readers who are committed to eternal values. What does "digital car" sound like? As a rule, already in the basic version of all systems based on Car PC, there is a built-in 24-bit sound card. For some users, this is enough. If not enough - it doesn't matter, no one in the registry office signed with this card. Texas Instruments and Burr-Brown DACs installed in external "sound blasters" are already something. Numerous experiments have shown that it is possible to make a high-class audiophile system on CarPC, not to mention multimedia - complex, cinematic, with surround sound. But, despite the functionality of sound cards, the connection between a computer and an external specialized sound processor using the SPDIF digital bus (optics or coaxial) looks most interesting. Such a scheme allows you to "unload" the central processor from the "subtle matters" of sound. With all the commitment of our “club” to computer technologies and components, we must admit that the best results are achieved precisely in this way, so that traditional car audio manufacturers, even with a total transition to CarPC, will not be left out of work. I mean, of course, the most progressive of them. At the same time, by the way, sometimes an enviable harmony and mutual understanding of components is established in the system, unattainable in traditional systems, when the processor (for example, Audison bit one, which fits very well into the architecture of the infotainment system) is configured from “its own”, on-board computer.

Another task - management (in the simplest case - replenishment) of the media library in the car computer is solved easier and more convenient than in any other environment. An elementary, on the verge of a primitive solution is to carry flash drives with you, but this is no longer up to date if you can synchronize with your home Wi-Fi collection in an almost “unmanned” mode.

An important feature of a full-fledged car computer is the possibility of a phased partial upgrade. Not enough five hundred gigabytes for a grown-up music collection? Put a disk on a couple of terabytes. Enough for the first time, but we'll see. Want to connect multiple cameras? How much to put in pieces? The processor is more powerful - please, gas welding work is not required. Are you going to conquer Yakutia and Sahara by car in one navigation? A solid state hard drive is here to help - no heat, no moving parts.

Modern automakers "sing" in unison with manufacturers of expensive radio tape recorders: digital tires - each has its own, protocols are unique. Here, the installers of additional equipment seem to step on the foot. And the "digital car" in such a situation is one of the universal means to avoid a conflict of desire and opportunity. Few develop matching peripherals for CarPC, but already now there are several adapters, in particular, for OEM monitors of Audi, Lexus, Toyota. There are frequent precedents for the withdrawal of standard monitors and the installation of new, touch, computer (VGA / HDMI), high resolution monitors in their place, with on-board information displayed on them.

It's been seven years since I started my first digital car. There were meetings and partings with cars. They were united by one thing - they all had car computers. My tastes have definitely not changed. And with each of our next meetings, yours will become closer to mine, I'm sure ...

Integral studio solution for VW vehicles

Not just sound… CarPC can diagnose the car in a simple way…

...maybe in advanced...

... or special, for example - to monitor the operation of the relay unit

The equalizer can also be organized using CarPC software, but we came to the conclusion that an external processor is better.

The "new word" may appear in the machine in a scattering of individual blocks ...

... among which there is still the main, system

What if there is no display in the car? Here is an example: Toyota LC 100 before visiting us and after

Examples of infotainment systems in different cars: Landrover Discovery 3 with a large overhead monitor for the driver

The monitor is even bigger, but the passenger has a Mercedes S500

Volvo XC90, screen - in the "house"

Also a screen, also a house, but the car is IS 250 (I don’t remember the brand)

Subaru Tribeca. We don't need a house here.

CarPC penetration into the inner world of the car: VW Golf instrument cluster display

Options for implementing an "advanced" display for working with CarPC

There are more navigation systems than will fit on the main screen of the navigation mode. From 3D graphics to "Belomor pack"

The spectrum of the periphery is limited only by fantasy (which means nothing). From keyboards to analog controls

Shells provide unlimited freedom. Like "Windows 7" - please. If you don't like it, please...