Next step: hook into car's CAN BUS and grab all the info. And if you have factory steering wheel buttons, you can just use them instead of the custom made keyboard.
You can also tap the illuminate signal from your car radio wires to adjust the screen brightness. It's a signal which becomes high when your headlights are on and low when your headlights are off.
This was seriously one of the best how-to's I've ever watched. I've seen this idea before, but never have I seen such an in-depth tutorial on how to do so and what to buy. Thank you for your hard work; Subscribed!
I remember the old days of Carputers and it is crazy how the Raspberry Pi miniaturizes the physical size requirements to computing power. To note, the ash tray lighter could provide the 12 volt and there would be an "ignition on" in the factory radio to splice into. A slick paint job to match the silver of the center console would really give a great final touch, maybe a two tone with the face plate being silver and the remaining pieces of the case a mat-black finish. All and all nice job. Something to potentially integrate is a backup camera and one of the hand knobs in your cup holder like seen in a BMW.
If you put a screw in the brass nuts while gluing them in, then it won't fill the threads, and it gives you a handle to put them in. Wait for the glue to be hard enough to hold shape, but not hard enough to keep the screw in place, and then remove the screw. Hope this helps for future projects.
I have a 1993 Cherolet G20 Conversion van that I want to do a custom tech rebuild on. This sort of content is perfect for the inspiration that I need to make it happen.
What a great fun project! I immediately have so many more ideas, like rear view camera, wireless internet and car wifi hotspot, weather forecast, etc...
Back before the Raspberry Pi existed, and we were using full-blown PCs for this purpose, there was a device called "Mastero's Shutdown Controller". It was excellent for the startup/shutdown process. Might check to see if you can still find them.
Very nice project. I will try to do this too. I also have a Laguna 3, but with a standard navigation system. I will install this screen in the ashtray and the Rasperry at the top of the dashboard. Thanks for the inspiration.
Good project. Maybe you can add OBDII info from the car. Consumption, temperatures, rpm, error details, maybe do some analysis of the consumption as a function of rpm and gear over time.
Recommendation on the touch screen, mount it somewhere asap. The screen is actually glued onto the rest of the frame and pressure on the screen's outer edge while the screen is warm and running can cause the glue to soften and the screen to drift. Not only does this impact how the image is centered in the frame, it can also impact the touch location. Great video!
The screen is not glued. It is inserted in a recess on the back of the front panel, and held in place by two brackets (centre of the screen at approximately 17:31) and four screws. It's very solid.
Awesome setup! The only question I have is why would you want to run the audio through an fm transmitter rather than hard wiring the dac to an amp going to your speakers. A lot of cars come with an external amp already that you could wire line Input or use rca cables. Depending on where you drive you will probably have to adjust the fm transmitting station due to interference.
I favoured the educational aspect over pure audio quality. I was curious about FM synthesis, and I wanted to learn about it. You are right about interference. I have implemented a script that automatically scans the FM spectrum, measuring the input power detected on each channel. The script determines which channel measures the lowest and tunes the transmitter there. If I get interference, I can hop to a free channel with the tap of a button. It works well.
The other issue is that the bandwidth is narrower and the noise levels much higher using FM. There are a ton of "AUX-in" cables available that would allow you to connect the DAC straight to the Radio and take advantage of much better sound quality and no need to tune any radio channel. Just switch to alternative input like CD/Aux etc. You can find a bunch here on ebay: www.ebay.ie/sch/Aux-in-Interface-Cables/174118/i.html?_sop=3&_mPrRngCbx=1&_nkw=renault+radio+cd But I like what you did here for the most part! Good job :)
It doesn't require any modification to the dash or surrounds at all. I had an old tape playing radio and found a suitable cable that simply plugs into the back and has a stereo socket to plug into iPhone/iPhone or in this case RaspPi DAC! :) You have to pull the radio out temporarily and plug in the cable to radio and then DAC and then its all done. The quality is waaaay better like a CD rather than the hiss from FM radio. (You can let the cable drop down and then fish it out from under the centre console via the ash tray too I guess - usually its just a big gap behind there! It's worth searching online to see if there is an Aux in or CD changer option etc. My Radio was prob way older an it could be added so you never know! On mine I select CD Changer and get the Aux in (it thinks this interface is still used by the CD Changer that would have been fitted in the back)
I'm only a couple of minutes in and that is all I can think about. FM transmitters are absolute garbage for audio quality. Why oh why not just take the unit out and use the audio/line in on the back. Even a head unit from about 1980 would have one.
@ꀯ don't say that again, FM is nothing like CD quality, CD quality is frequency response 20-20000Hz (22000 actually), FM is 20-15000, and the dynamic range is ruined by the noise floor which is much higher on FM (that is bad, you want the noise floor to be very low, the background hiss that is).
@ꀯ The point of this should never be to do something easy but to do something good. FM for this is gross, like really gross. Chuck that factory head unit in the garbage where it belongs, use something like a hifi berry as a preamp and run that to an amp under the passenger seat. The factory speaker wire is always trash, run some 0 gauge wire to some good quality speakers and now you have VASTLY superior audio quality than the factory trash.
Awesome video, thank you!! Also, please mix your backing music down an additional 20% from your default, the volume ratios of voice track to music effects is making listening difficult. Thanks again for the insightful vid!!
Please know I am not attracted to males as another male but right now I feel nothing but the best for you and your progeny. My main concerns for my car pc is different. But I like the things you did for the most part. Also everything from your inclusion of bubble bobble, custom controller, and successful smoke test just indicates success.
How does it hold up in desert climates and icy winters? My internal car temp is skyrocketing and you can cook an egg on my hood in the afternoon. And bumps... Lots of potholes
Awesome projet.. But... Why the FM transmitter thing ? You have DAC, so you can directly connect to your speakers or to the Auxiliary input of your car audio ? I miss something ?
Well Bluetooth.. so maybe.. for a car.. you can try to connect it with an OBD2 bluetooth chip to read out failure codes or watching for the temperatures, rpm, Nm@RPM, etc
Three cameras on a Raspberry Pi... It might be possible, but I'd expect poor performance. I would consider a more powerful setup, maybe a conventional PC. I'm curious to know if anyone tried your suggestion, though.
Very nice video. I would recommend anyone who wants to do this use a raspberry pi 3 though. The extra computing power is very helpful for GPS. Also built in bluetooth and wifi is a huge plus. I would also go with a USB audio over I2S. Doing all that would probably drop the cost and definitely save on bulk. Other people have mentioned a reverse camera and OBD-II reader. That would be something very cool too.
Your Renault head unit should have a Audio-in thats used for CD changers as an option. All my past renaults have. You can buy a cheap lead off ebay that takes it to 3.5mm jack to plug into the sound card. So you can have much better sound quality.
This install is almost everything I want! ...almost. I, ideally, want my Pi to replace my radio entirely, so using a FM transmitter wouldn't work for me. Ideally I would just plug the speakers into the Pi directly.
Great work. Personally I'd have added two more features as long as you're making a car PC: An OBD-II reader and a rear view camera. They're not really necessary, but they're up there with things that you might as well have if you're gonna do something like this. The OBD-II reader could be added with a $5 bluetooth OBD-II module and some software.
Kris Sisk the camera is doable, but the OBD one is pretty much impossible unless you reverse engineer the reader or the manufacturer provides an API or something for you to extract data from
No no no, if you car is recent it have CAN protocol, all PID are public and normalize, and you can find the adresses here: www.outilsobdfacile.fr/liste-vehicule-compatible-obd2/
same need be dash camera too in car pc, and usb stick were record video, about somethink ssd hd or usb stick 128gb. and how add this rear barking camera too ?
Looking for a cheap HD or FHD display and HDMI driver board, 6 or 7 inches, although I havent found any that fit that description. But I always find those cheap low-res 600x1024 displays which I am not looking for. Those are mostly found in cheaply made (but highly marked up) Android car radios. And they all look different (in appearance) but work the same. Atleast as far as Android feels and controls.
Could you please show how you got the bluetooth working I'm trying my hardest and not getting anywhere please please please. I've tried to follow written up guides but i still cant figure things out..
Tyler Leyden "On-Board Diagnostics" Every car now has a main computer which you can read/write information from/to using an obd reader. it's used mostly by professional mechanics to read error codes from your car (aka know what's wrong with it) , but low-end obd readers are very affordable and work just fine, so you can DIY fix your car.
I noticed lot of unnecessary stuff for this project: 1. Real time clock - Raspberry pi already has a time clock. 2. DAC - Raspberry pi has 3.5mm audio jack, use that for audio! You free up so much GPIO pins for other things. 3. FM transmitter - Raspberry pi can do FM radio on GPIO 4. and it will sound decent, but you have to write your own custom code for playing playlist. 4. 2 light sensors - Why 2? One light sensor is enough. 5. Bluetooth dongle - Raspberry pi already has WiFi and Bluetooth? 6. Adafruit trinket - You could use Arduino pro micro to save costs. they are like 4 dollars as opposed to 7 dollars. 7. raspberry pi 2. Raspberry pi 3 or 4 is better in any way. Better Bluetooth etc. Couple of criticism for how project was done. 1. Auto brightness control - The dimming is very slow. 2. Screen placement - You said that you didn't want to look down, because it would be dangerous, congratulations, you failed. Installing the screen in front of a clock is far better solution. What would I add 1. Car monitoring - Able to see how well car is doing, measuring its speed and etc. 2. Weather - Able to see weather, such as if road is iced etc.
...nicely done, but... as always there is a but... why not using CAN? Your car has CAN bus, it has a lot of data needed for whatever you need... Current buttons of a car steering wheel can be used, you could throw some more data to your HU etc.
Want to do the same, but use the usb version of your gps module, and a DAB+ module (monkeyboard). Also planned to send signal to HDMI audio splitter like the HDMI Audio Converter on amazon by proster, or Behringer's UFO202. And then onto an amplifier. Any advise greatly appreciated.
I must say that was really cool, but just want to know if things are still working after a month or so. I am an automobile electronics engineer in India working for Tata Motors. And we add extra circuitry in each ECU to handle the electrical disturbance from alternator and other electrical component. Does that power module added is capable for that ?? Just love the idea , thanks for sharing
After a month the system is still going strong. I calculated my system to burn 1.8A on average, and I see the 2A regulator is sufficient. If I had to do it again, though, I would use the 3A one, just to be on the safe side.
Not sure if I missed something, if you don't hit shut down before turning off the car and you just keep cutting power wouldn't it eventually cause it to start crashing with improper shut down?
When I turn the engine off, the power switch keeps the power active and sends a signal to the GPIOs to tell the Pi that the engine is now off. The Pi, then, calls a proper shutdown. The power switch waits for the Pi to turn off, and only then cuts the power. It's a neat system.
Another idea you might like is adding a cheap RTL TV tuner (via USB) and then you can also receive TV in your car, or using SDR software almost any radio signal from VHF up to 1GHz.
I've always wanted to add some sort of thing to my car like this, and being i have a pi 3 just laying around, i'm going to give it a try. I am wondering thou, how does the screen handle the summer heat? Will the screen prematurely die?
Good luck with your project! I expect the screen to suffer from heat, and there is very little I can do. It also depends on where you park your car: summer in Scandinavia is different than, say, Arizona.
Can you list here the sensor equipment and related software or code for auto bright/ dim of screen? As well as all other components and manufacturers, I'm building a list . I want the same except 2 cameras to record traffic front and behind while I drive. I need to identify hat to allow a second camera.. probably use 3 B+. At first.
Cool build, I would like you to do a real world review , things like boot up time. Does the gps get a good signal where it is mounted ? Also if you stop somewhere and turn the car off does everything come back up with gps? Does the auto dimmer work well ? What did it cost to build ? If boot times are laggy you may want to power off and on the screen only on the key and use a timer routine for the pie, this would allow a instance on capability. very cool project Would like to see a review video . Thanks
Very nice ideas! How was loading all of the software and did it require tweaking to work right? Far better nav system than what Renault offers and the best part is that upgrades don't cost an arm and a leg! I wonder of the Renault nav system housing for my 2006 Megane sedan will accommodate the Pi screen. Will make an install like this look factory in my car. I have also added cruise control to my car since everything is basically there when one orders the high tier models. All that's missing is the airbag and controls for cruise control. Big problem with Renault is that they do not have any plugged opening between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment.Any idea if you could do a wireless keyboard for this system which would fit on the steering wheel instead of being mounted on the steering column? You might also look into hooking the audio signals directly into the car factory radio. Most Renaults have an aux input and inputs on the back of the radio. One needs to activate the Aux input in the radio serup mode.
Excelente video ,muy profecional , yo pensé en usar una rasperi , pero me decidí de poner un tablet android de 7" 3g , y genial , con Google Maps compartiendo la ubicación se donde deje el coche , lo conecte a la radio y el audio del tablet pasa por la radio , GPS , Spotify, TH-cam, Torque para hacer diagnosis y datos en línea , etc .. inconveniente el botón de encendido y apagado , le puse un interruptor magnético por detrás del plástico , te felicito por el vídeo
What i don't understand is why placing the screen so low? Now u have to look down when using navigation and thats dangerous! I would have placed it somewhere to the side...
It's a compromise. That positioning was convenient for assembly. To reduce risk I've implemented steering wheel controls and voice directions. It works well. So far I haven't had the need to look down at the GPS yet.
I so badly want to put this in my Bugatti! Kidding. I would like to tap into the OBDII ports and get engine data on my WRX. Good video and well done with all the things you checked off!
I really love this project ❤️ thank you for all information i really want to do to my rs6c5 audi 😍 jesus bless you brother,and bless your channel 🙏 😊 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 absolutely 💯 genius!
Thanks! From the engine crank to a usable system it's approximately 30 seconds. I think I could shave a few seconds off by not starting all software automatically at boot time.
They are filtered by the power switch. I was a bit concerned by the absence of a proper overvoltage protection on the board, but so far everything seems to work nicely.
This was a pretty neat video. Did you consider getting the front plastic panel sprayed silver to match the car interior? Thinking that could look pretty good, though maybe not. Just a thought~
Great stuff! I've been thinking the same direction also. I didn't make one yet because I'm troubled with the boot time for the system. How long does it take for the system to be ready once you turn on the ignition? And if you would care to work a bit on the design of the housing, probably most people wouldn't figure out it was DIY. A more eye pleasing design, maybe some vinyl wrap on top to finish it up...Just thinking out loud. Great job
Thanks! So, the system boots in approximately 30 seconds, from engine crank to complete boot. It's a bit long, but usable. I think I could save a few seconds by not starting all software automatically at boot time. Yeah, the case was a sore note. Shapeways misprinted the front piece (a streaking pattern is visible), and I did not want to argue. I could have coated the case in thicker paint, maybe something with a similar texture as the rest of the plastics in my car... hmm... it could be an idea for an upgrade.
As far as the case, depends how much time you wan't to spend. But I'd go with a satin black vinyl, I't gonna look fantastic. 30 s isn't that bad, I expected it to be much worse. You can't do much about i suppose. It's mainly how much time it takes for the OS to boot, right?
You have around 20 seconds for the OS itself. The remaining 10 seconds are specific to my project: setting up automated scripts and the GPS service, launching Navit, loading maps, and launching Kodi.
Wow very nice i want to build one too so is it posiblie to install a microphone to call Hands free with the pi car pc? so i search since days and finde no solution
Great project, however I do not agree with the placement of your unit. If you are using a satnav you need to have this ideally at eye level. Looking down to check the next direction is distracting and could potentially cause an accident
I was just today wondering if raspberry pi can do this and then I stumbled across this vid proving it can be done and so much more. If I ever do this for my car I might see if a reversing camera and dash cam can be added. Keep up the great work you are far more knowledgeable than I am. Shout out from Melbourne Australia
Really cool project but using fm transmitter to pair pc with car audio will reduce quality of audio. Also there are such things like Xiaomi Roidmi that could be paired with phone/tablet by bluetooth and will transmit audio from phone/tablet to car audio via fm. But, once again - your car PC is awesome)
Thanks! You are correct about audio quality. I wanted to learn about FM synthesis, but for an upgrade to this project, I will probably move to a wired solution.
This is absolutely amazing! It is by far the best RPI car pc I have ever seen! My only question is: Will you be making a tutorial (or multiple) for this project, and/or are you willing to share your refined code? I would love to attempt parts or all of this project!
Cool project but I would never have used an fm transmitter. I have one in my car because I have an older car as well, but the transmitter also transmits a hum to my radio. Maybe yours is better but my experience is t that great.
The price for all the components is roughly $250. For that price just buy a radio that supports everything, but I do understand that some would love to have the experience on building their own radio, however, to bypass the tinkering and headaches and stuff like that, just buy a radio that supports it all.
If I'm not mistaken, that's a Laguna 3 platform console and stereo. Are you 100% yours doesn't have BT integrated? I did not know it was an option and didn't come by default.
I have yet to find a decent 7" touchscreen. The official one you used just has waaaay too big of a bezel. Big question is, how fast can it boot? Don't wanna start my car then wait 30 seconds to use the radio ya know
Next step: hook into car's CAN BUS and grab all the info. And if you have factory steering wheel buttons, you can just use them instead of the custom made keyboard.
and light sensor
You can also tap the illuminate signal from your car radio wires to adjust the screen brightness. It's a signal which becomes high when your headlights are on and low when your headlights are off.
not recomendet. keep the light on even during day. its even required in some places by law.
This was seriously one of the best how-to's I've ever watched. I've seen this idea before, but never have I seen such an in-depth tutorial on how to do so and what to buy. Thank you for your hard work; Subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing! Much appreciated!
“Where’s the fun in that?” is the motivation for most of my projects.
same!
Okay but same 😂
I remember the old days of Carputers and it is crazy how the Raspberry Pi miniaturizes the physical size requirements to computing power. To note, the ash tray lighter could provide the 12 volt and there would be an "ignition on" in the factory radio to splice into. A slick paint job to match the silver of the center console would really give a great final touch, maybe a two tone with the face plate being silver and the remaining pieces of the case a mat-black finish. All and all nice job. Something to potentially integrate is a backup camera and one of the hand knobs in your cup holder like seen in a BMW.
"This is what happens when I am left unsupervised." Yup, I feel you man. I feel that so much.
If you put a screw in the brass nuts while gluing them in, then it won't fill the threads, and it gives you a handle to put them in. Wait for the glue to be hard enough to hold shape, but not hard enough to keep the screw in place, and then remove the screw. Hope this helps for future projects.
I have a 1993 Cherolet G20 Conversion van that I want to do a custom tech rebuild on. This sort of content is perfect for the inspiration that I need to make it happen.
What a great fun project! I immediately have so many more ideas, like rear view camera, wireless internet and car wifi hotspot, weather forecast, etc...
Back before the Raspberry Pi existed, and we were using full-blown PCs for this purpose, there was a device called "Mastero's Shutdown Controller". It was excellent for the startup/shutdown process. Might check to see if you can still find them.
Very nice project. I will try to do this too. I also have a Laguna 3, but with a standard navigation system. I will install this screen in the ashtray and the Rasperry at the top of the dashboard. Thanks for the inspiration.
Videos watching while drive? ..... you are a hero :(
Good project. Maybe you can add OBDII info from the car. Consumption, temperatures, rpm, error details, maybe do some analysis of the consumption as a function of rpm and gear over time.
Recommendation on the touch screen, mount it somewhere asap. The screen is actually glued onto the rest of the frame and pressure on the screen's outer edge while the screen is warm and running can cause the glue to soften and the screen to drift. Not only does this impact how the image is centered in the frame, it can also impact the touch location. Great video!
The screen is not glued. It is inserted in a recess on the back of the front panel, and held in place by two brackets (centre of the screen at approximately 17:31) and four screws. It's very solid.
Awesome setup! The only question I have is why would you want to run the audio through an fm transmitter rather than hard wiring the dac to an amp going to your speakers. A lot of cars come with an external amp already that you could wire line Input or use rca cables. Depending on where you drive you will probably have to adjust the fm transmitting station due to interference.
Agreed, he mentioned not using the RPI's audio out because of quality, but the FM transmitter will butcher the quality anyway.
I favoured the educational aspect over pure audio quality. I was curious about FM synthesis, and I wanted to learn about it.
You are right about interference. I have implemented a script that automatically scans the FM spectrum, measuring the input power detected on each channel. The script determines which channel measures the lowest and tunes the transmitter there. If I get interference, I can hop to a free channel with the tap of a button. It works well.
The other issue is that the bandwidth is narrower and the noise levels much higher using FM. There are a ton of "AUX-in" cables available that would allow you to connect the DAC straight to the Radio and take advantage of much better sound quality and no need to tune any radio channel. Just switch to alternative input like CD/Aux etc. You can find a bunch here on ebay: www.ebay.ie/sch/Aux-in-Interface-Cables/174118/i.html?_sop=3&_mPrRngCbx=1&_nkw=renault+radio+cd
But I like what you did here for the most part! Good job :)
It doesn't require any modification to the dash or surrounds at all. I had an old tape playing radio and found a suitable cable that simply plugs into the back and has a stereo socket to plug into iPhone/iPhone or in this case RaspPi DAC! :) You have to pull the radio out temporarily and plug in the cable to radio and then DAC and then its all done. The quality is waaaay better like a CD rather than the hiss from FM radio. (You can let the cable drop down and then fish it out from under the centre console via the ash tray too I guess - usually its just a big gap behind there!
It's worth searching online to see if there is an Aux in or CD changer option etc. My Radio was prob way older an it could be added so you never know! On mine I select CD Changer and get the Aux in (it thinks this interface is still used by the CD Changer that would have been fitted in the back)
I'm only a couple of minutes in and that is all I can think about. FM transmitters are absolute garbage for audio quality. Why oh why not just take the unit out and use the audio/line in on the back. Even a head unit from about 1980 would have one.
Impressive... creating the housing was the cherry on the cream. Very well done.
Every day I see an amazing new idea involving a raspberry pi. Thank you.
Great project
I'm Brazilian and I wanted to replicate this project.
you have the electric scheme where each item is connected on the rasp
No, no, no... not fm... as i see, it is Laguna and afaik you can fool that radio to think it has cd changer connected. Way better audio quality.
@ꀯ don't say that again, FM is nothing like CD quality, CD quality is frequency response 20-20000Hz (22000 actually), FM is 20-15000, and the dynamic range is ruined by the noise floor which is much higher on FM (that is bad, you want the noise floor to be very low, the background hiss that is).
@ꀯ The point of this should never be to do something easy but to do something good. FM for this is gross, like really gross. Chuck that factory head unit in the garbage where it belongs, use something like a hifi berry as a preamp and run that to an amp under the passenger seat. The factory speaker wire is always trash, run some 0 gauge wire to some good quality speakers and now you have VASTLY superior audio quality than the factory trash.
Friend, this is an awesome project and a great presentation! Thank you very much for sharing.
Awesome video, thank you!! Also, please mix your backing music down an additional 20% from your default, the volume ratios of voice track to music effects is making listening difficult. Thanks again for the insightful vid!!
This is great, I lol'd at the part where you said the glass guy thought you were making fun of him hahaha.
Impressive electronics knowledge
Why didn't you add AUX in your Laguna? It's easy and chip. And will add quality to sound of the setup.
Really cool project!
But please.. turn the music down a bit, sometimes its hard to understand you
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll tone down the music in future videos.
and please rather find some reiki music because the 8bit muzak is confusing
KappaKappaKappaKappa exactly. Loved the music but sometimes didn’t know if it was coming from the background or from the pi :)!
don't you just hate it when people have the weird intros zooming in on the channel name and blasting music to make you deaf?
Outright remove it
That´s a great job. Those 3d printed parts was just awesome. Not far from a final product i think.
Please know I am not attracted to males as another male but right now I feel nothing but the best for you and your progeny.
My main concerns for my car pc is different. But I like the things you did for the most part.
Also everything from your inclusion of bubble bobble, custom controller, and successful smoke test just indicates success.
It's a Laguna III, i recognize it. There should be AUX input inside the middle armrest, next to the ODBII port.
How does it hold up in desert climates and icy winters? My internal car temp is skyrocketing and you can cook an egg on my hood in the afternoon. And bumps... Lots of potholes
Awesome projet.. But... Why the FM transmitter thing ? You have DAC, so you can directly connect to your speakers or to the Auxiliary input of your car audio ? I miss something ?
you are the king. I've been looking for a video like this for years. I hope you put more details with thanks!
Well Bluetooth.. so maybe.. for a car.. you can try to connect it with an OBD2 bluetooth chip to read out failure codes or watching for the temperatures, rpm, Nm@RPM, etc
excellent work. I would like to add reverse camera and dual dashcams. can it be add to this??
Three cameras on a Raspberry Pi... It might be possible, but I'd expect poor performance. I would consider a more powerful setup, maybe a conventional PC.
I'm curious to know if anyone tried your suggestion, though.
Just at a beginning but using a radio transmitter is a big mistake. It has super low quality sound...
Why not use the GPS in place of the RTC? GPS time is commonly used on many military and civilian Computing systems where accuracy is critical.
Very nice video. I would recommend anyone who wants to do this use a raspberry pi 3 though. The extra computing power is very helpful for GPS. Also built in bluetooth and wifi is a huge plus. I would also go with a USB audio over I2S. Doing all that would probably drop the cost and definitely save on bulk.
Other people have mentioned a reverse camera and OBD-II reader. That would be something very cool too.
Outstanding homebuild. You take tinkering to a polished new level. Cheers!
Your Renault head unit should have a Audio-in thats used for CD changers as an option. All my past renaults have. You can buy a cheap lead off ebay that takes it to 3.5mm jack to plug into the sound card. So you can have much better sound quality.
Do you have any tips on getting the curvature of your car interior? What about adding a backup or dash camera?
That is a very good innovation for cars
This install is almost everything I want!
...almost. I, ideally, want my Pi to replace my radio entirely, so using a FM transmitter wouldn't work for me. Ideally I would just plug the speakers into the Pi directly.
Great work. Personally I'd have added two more features as long as you're making a car PC: An OBD-II reader and a rear view camera. They're not really necessary, but they're up there with things that you might as well have if you're gonna do something like this. The OBD-II reader could be added with a $5 bluetooth OBD-II module and some software.
Kris Sisk the camera is doable, but the OBD one is pretty much impossible unless you reverse engineer the reader or the manufacturer provides an API or something for you to extract data from
A bluetooth ODBII reader is cheap, and writing something to read it in python is relatively easy. Just google it, a number of people have done it.
No no no, if you car is recent it have CAN protocol, all PID are public and normalize, and you can find the adresses here: www.outilsobdfacile.fr/liste-vehicule-compatible-obd2/
OBD reader would definitely be nice. Micro SD and WiFi would be great as well.
This is what i was thinking!
same need be dash camera too in car pc, and usb stick were record video, about somethink ssd hd or usb stick 128gb. and how add this rear barking camera too ?
Looking for a cheap HD or FHD display and HDMI driver board, 6 or 7 inches, although I havent found any that fit that description.
But I always find those cheap low-res 600x1024 displays which I am not looking for. Those are mostly found in cheaply made (but highly marked up) Android car radios. And they all look different (in appearance) but work the same. Atleast as far as Android feels and controls.
Could you please show how you got the bluetooth working I'm trying my hardest and not getting anywhere please please please. I've tried to follow written up guides but i still cant figure things out..
I might make an episode to show the details of the bluetooth part of this build.
How connect the raspberry to system sound car?
Have you ever thought about connecting a computer to the vehicle's CAN bus?
You could put an OBDII control on that.
Tyler Leyden "On-Board Diagnostics"
Every car now has a main computer which you can read/write information from/to using an obd reader. it's used mostly by professional mechanics to read error codes from your car (aka know what's wrong with it) , but low-end obd readers are very affordable and work just fine, so you can DIY fix your car.
I noticed lot of unnecessary stuff for this project:
1. Real time clock - Raspberry pi already has a time clock.
2. DAC - Raspberry pi has 3.5mm audio jack, use that for audio! You free up so much GPIO pins for other things.
3. FM transmitter - Raspberry pi can do FM radio on GPIO 4. and it will sound decent, but you have to write your own custom code for playing playlist.
4. 2 light sensors - Why 2? One light sensor is enough.
5. Bluetooth dongle - Raspberry pi already has WiFi and Bluetooth?
6. Adafruit trinket - You could use Arduino pro micro to save costs. they are like 4 dollars as opposed to 7 dollars.
7. raspberry pi 2. Raspberry pi 3 or 4 is better in any way. Better Bluetooth etc.
Couple of criticism for how project was done.
1. Auto brightness control - The dimming is very slow.
2. Screen placement - You said that you didn't want to look down, because it would be dangerous, congratulations, you failed. Installing the screen in front of a clock is far better solution.
What would I add
1. Car monitoring - Able to see how well car is doing, measuring its speed and etc.
2. Weather - Able to see weather, such as if road is iced etc.
Had a car Pi years ago on the og B, it was slow.. Retro Pi is always fun for the red lights..
How about to add a ODBII dongle for quick and basic car diagnostics and monitoring?
...nicely done, but... as always there is a but... why not using CAN? Your car has CAN bus, it has a lot of data needed for whatever you need... Current buttons of a car steering wheel can be used, you could throw some more data to your HU etc.
Want to do the same, but use the usb version of your gps module, and a DAB+ module (monkeyboard). Also planned to send signal to HDMI audio splitter like the HDMI Audio Converter on amazon by proster, or Behringer's UFO202. And then onto an amplifier. Any advise greatly appreciated.
I must say that was really cool, but just want to know if things are still working after a month or so. I am an automobile electronics engineer in India working for Tata Motors. And we add extra circuitry in each ECU to handle the electrical disturbance from alternator and other electrical component. Does that power module added is capable for that ?? Just love the idea , thanks for sharing
After a month the system is still going strong. I calculated my system to burn 1.8A on average, and I see the 2A regulator is sufficient. If I had to do it again, though, I would use the 3A one, just to be on the safe side.
Great video! Is it possible to use a bigger screen, may be like android tablet?
Not sure if I missed something, if you don't hit shut down before turning off the car and you just keep cutting power wouldn't it eventually cause it to start crashing with improper shut down?
When I turn the engine off, the power switch keeps the power active and sends a signal to the GPIOs to tell the Pi that the engine is now off. The Pi, then, calls a proper shutdown. The power switch waits for the Pi to turn off, and only then cuts the power. It's a neat system.
Another idea you might like is adding a cheap RTL TV tuner (via USB) and then you can also receive TV in your car, or using SDR software almost any radio signal from VHF up to 1GHz.
Dude this is so thorough and well done, thanks!
Is there a audio board that will send out super clean audio out,
I've always wanted to add some sort of thing to my car like this, and being i have a pi 3 just laying around, i'm going to give it a try. I am wondering thou, how does the screen handle the summer heat? Will the screen prematurely die?
Good luck with your project!
I expect the screen to suffer from heat, and there is very little I can do. It also depends on where you park your car: summer in Scandinavia is different than, say, Arizona.
Awesome video and project , but the background music vol can be a little lower (?)
Nice inspiring work. How about ability to resume a tune when restarting the device?
Thanks! Hmm that's an interesting idea. I wonder if Kodi has a plugin that allows that...
Why wouldn't you provide instructions on how to but the whole thing together excluding the case?
Can you list here the sensor equipment and related software or code for auto bright/ dim of screen? As well as all other components and manufacturers, I'm building a list . I want the same except 2 cameras to record traffic front and behind while I drive. I need to identify hat to allow a second camera.. probably use 3 B+. At first.
Bubble bobble , played the heeeeelllll outa that back in the day , nice
Cool build, I would like you to do a real world review , things like boot up time. Does the gps get a good signal where it is mounted ? Also if you stop somewhere and turn the car off does everything come back up with gps? Does the auto dimmer work well ? What did it cost to build ? If boot times are laggy you may want to power off and on the screen only on the key and use a timer routine for the pie, this would allow a instance on capability. very cool project Would like to see a review video . Thanks
hi, can you do multimedia with youtube ? so ı guess it should work on android or similar os.
You can install YT on Kodi, the system the carpc is running
hi, any instruction or video on how you wired the hard buttons and the psp joystick
Very nice ideas! How was loading all of the software and did it require tweaking to work right? Far better nav system than what Renault offers and the best part is that upgrades don't cost an arm and a leg! I wonder of the Renault nav system housing for my 2006 Megane sedan will accommodate the Pi screen. Will make an install like this look factory in my car. I have also added cruise control to my car since everything is basically there when one orders the high tier models. All that's missing is the airbag and controls for cruise control. Big problem with Renault is that they do not have any plugged opening between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment.Any idea if you could do a wireless keyboard for this system which would fit on the steering wheel instead of being mounted on the steering column? You might also look into hooking the audio signals directly into the car factory radio. Most Renaults have an aux input and inputs on the back of the radio. One needs to activate the Aux input in the radio serup mode.
Excelente video ,muy profecional , yo pensé en usar una rasperi , pero me decidí de poner un tablet android de 7" 3g , y genial , con Google Maps compartiendo la ubicación se donde deje el coche , lo conecte a la radio y el audio del tablet pasa por la radio , GPS , Spotify, TH-cam, Torque para hacer diagnosis y datos en línea , etc .. inconveniente el botón de encendido y apagado , le puse un interruptor magnético por detrás del plástico , te felicito por el vídeo
What i don't understand is why placing the screen so low? Now u have to look down when using navigation and thats dangerous! I would have placed it somewhere to the side...
It's a compromise. That positioning was convenient for assembly. To reduce risk I've implemented steering wheel controls and voice directions. It works well. So far I haven't had the need to look down at the GPS yet.
Man, I am your superfan... You obcessed behavior in that project cativate me. I Will try to do something like that
I so badly want to put this in my Bugatti! Kidding. I would like to tap into the OBDII ports and get engine data on my WRX. Good video and well done with all the things you checked off!
I really love this project ❤️ thank you for all information i really want to do to my rs6c5 audi 😍 jesus bless you brother,and bless your channel 🙏 😊 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 absolutely 💯 genius!
Amazing project
Great project. But one question i have. How fast is the boot time, till you can use your raspberry?
Thanks! From the engine crank to a usable system it's approximately 30 seconds. I think I could shave a few seconds off by not starting all software automatically at boot time.
This is really cool, awesome build man.
Wow, thank you for sharing this impressive project step by step
hmm what about overvoltage spikes?
They are filtered by the power switch. I was a bit concerned by the absence of a proper overvoltage protection on the board, but so far everything seems to work nicely.
This was a pretty neat video. Did you consider getting the front plastic panel sprayed silver to match the car interior? Thinking that could look pretty good, though maybe not. Just a thought~
Great stuff! I've been thinking the same direction also. I didn't make one yet because I'm troubled with the boot time for the system. How long does it take for the system to be ready once you turn on the ignition? And if you would care to work a bit on the design of the housing, probably most people wouldn't figure out it was DIY.
A more eye pleasing design, maybe some vinyl wrap on top to finish it up...Just thinking out loud. Great job
Thanks! So, the system boots in approximately 30 seconds, from engine crank to complete boot. It's a bit long, but usable. I think I could save a few seconds by not starting all software automatically at boot time.
Yeah, the case was a sore note. Shapeways misprinted the front piece (a streaking pattern is visible), and I did not want to argue. I could have coated the case in thicker paint, maybe something with a similar texture as the rest of the plastics in my car... hmm... it could be an idea for an upgrade.
As far as the case, depends how much time you wan't to spend. But I'd go with a satin black vinyl, I't gonna look fantastic.
30 s isn't that bad, I expected it to be much worse. You can't do much about i suppose. It's mainly how much time it takes for the OS to boot, right?
You have around 20 seconds for the OS itself. The remaining 10 seconds are specific to my project: setting up automated scripts and the GPS service, launching Navit, loading maps, and launching Kodi.
You were doing such cool stuff! Why did you disappear?
Wow very nice i want to build one too so is it posiblie to install a microphone to call Hands free with the pi car pc? so i search since days and finde no solution
Can you upload a version with out that back ground audio?
Great project, however I do not agree with the placement of your unit. If you are using a satnav you need to have this ideally at eye level. Looking down to check the next direction is distracting and could potentially cause an accident
Why not put a FM receiver on the pi and plug the speakers directly
Awesome. Its incredible job. Very nice.
I was just today wondering if raspberry pi can do this and then I stumbled across this vid proving it can be done and so much more. If I ever do this for my car I might see if a reversing camera and dash cam can be added. Keep up the great work you are far more knowledgeable than I am.
Shout out from Melbourne Australia
If you talked about it near a microphone connected to a google account, they probably took that information to get you on this video.
or have a bunch of cassettes on hand or even a bunch of repaired 8 track cartridges with an 8 track player on hand as well.
A really nice project. Do you have more information about the shutdown switch .... maybe a datasheet or the exact name?
Really cool project but using fm transmitter to pair pc with car audio will reduce quality of audio. Also there are such things like Xiaomi Roidmi that could be paired with phone/tablet by bluetooth and will transmit audio from phone/tablet to car audio via fm.
But, once again - your car PC is awesome)
Thanks! You are correct about audio quality. I wanted to learn about FM synthesis, but for an upgrade to this project, I will probably move to a wired solution.
How about replacing the car boordcomputer already present in the car with a PI carpc ?
This is absolutely amazing! It is by far the best RPI car pc I have ever seen!
My only question is: Will you be making a tutorial (or multiple) for this project, and/or are you willing to share your refined code? I would love to attempt parts or all of this project!
Cool project but I would never have used an fm transmitter. I have one in my car because I have an older car as well, but the transmitter also transmits a hum to my radio. Maybe yours is better but my experience is t that great.
May be a dumb question, but how did you connect to the speakers. And do you have any wiring schematic? Otherwise very nice job.
The price for all the components is roughly $250. For that price just buy a radio that supports everything, but I do understand that some would love to have the experience on building their own radio, however, to bypass the tinkering and headaches and stuff like that, just buy a radio that supports it all.
If I'm not mistaken, that's a Laguna 3 platform console and stereo. Are you 100% yours doesn't have BT integrated? I did not know it was an option and didn't come by default.
No BT integrated. It would have simplified the project quite a bit.
I have yet to find a decent 7" touchscreen. The official one you used just has waaaay too big of a bezel. Big question is, how fast can it boot? Don't wanna start my car then wait 30 seconds to use the radio ya know
Nice project. How Hard at your opinion connect rpi to can bus?
Can you share the needed scripts and a more detailed install tutorial?