Tablet PC as Carputer?

are you using composite video cams or usb ones ?

If you asked me i use WiFi cameras. Blackvue DR550GW 2CH.

Front camera captures FullHD 30fps and rear camera HD 30fps.

6-7 hours of capture on the SD card. Can also live view, and watch recorded videos through wifi on my tablet.

Let us know how it goes.

Having a problem finding the UVC cable that was used here. Can't confirm any of them work with Android.

If you asked me i use WiFi cameras. Blackvue DR550GW 2CH.

 

Front camera captures FullHD 30fps and rear camera HD 30fps.

6-7 hours of capture on the SD card. Can also live view, and watch recorded videos through wifi on my tablet.

I think I'll probably go that route. Looks great and pretty simple set up.

I think I'll probably go that route. Looks great and pretty simple set up.

Yes, it's very easy to set up.

Only bad thing with this is that the camera itself generates a wifi network. So you can't connect your tablet to your phones wifi while using this.

I'm trying to teach myself Tasker a lil better, and hopefully i can make it connect to my phone \ camera with a gesture \ shortcut. I'll see what i can do.

Also planning to change out my Galaxy Tab 2 with Nexus 7 (v2), since it got OTG. Just not sure if that will work the way i want yet..

Definitely not as clear as that in car setup tho

Why?

Bluetooth cameras (of which I know of one model in existence) may not possess the necessary range or driver support necessary to work with an android tablet.

Wifi cameras have the following downsides:

1. The camera would take 30 seconds to a minute to fully boot, most home security cameras are slow to power on and initialize.
   
2. Once booted, it would presumably join the wireless network - but if the WIFI router hasn't yet powered on, it may have a retry period to wait for before it attempts to connect
   

However, if you managed to use a 'dumb' camera (like USB) you'd probably have better results - and eliminate much of the complexity in the process. You'll want to create a custom (or purchase) USB terminal to split the power and data lines - sending the data connection to the tablet, and terminating the power to a USB charger in the trunk. The impedance on such a long USB cable may not be enough to reliably power the device.

Maybe this will help

http://febon.blogspot.com/2012/02/1.html

this is a uvc capture stick. You can use existing composite cameras to send to andorid. It acts like a regular usb cam input. And the backup cam can be hooked up to reverse and operate normally.

Maybe this will help

http://febon.blogspot.com/2012/02/1.html

 

this is a uvc capture stick. You can use existing composite cameras to send to andorid. It acts like a regular usb cam input. And the backup cam can be hooked up to reverse and operate normally.

That's exactly what I'm looking for but I cannot find out where to buy it from.

Just a heads up for anyone else interested in doing this. This just kinda clicked last week after using the nexus 7 for a year...

This works great for audio. Plug it in the aux, pair it and done. No wiring needed...

[ame=http://www.amazon.ca/Aluratek-AIS01F-I-Stream-DockFree-Bluetooth/dp/B006OT2WFM]Aluratek AIS01F I-Stream DockFree Bluetooth Audio Receiver (Black): Amazon.ca: Office Products[/ame]

Why?

Typo, supposed to say *clean*... sorry

JDM Legacy Nav Bezel (From AVOJDM)

Looks like this link is broken. Was that bezel the same one as this one? AvoJDM

How long did it take for it to arrive?

I got a Gen 1 Nexus 7 off of Craigslist for $100, so I'm ready to try this!

Zero gap. I made the bezel from 7" inch monitor housing into stock non nav bezel with flexible epoxy. If you look at the pic with just bezel back side, you will see a flat surface where the screen mounts. Using .5mm 3m double sided foam tape aroud the perimeter to hold and cushion the glass.

Your install looks really clean. Which parts did you use? What was the monitor housing you used? And which stock non nav bezel part did you use?

I decided to tackle this project in my Spec.B. I ordered the JDM Nav Bezel from avojdm (I was impressed that it got to San Diego in 3 business days!), a $10 USB DAC, a Y OTG Cable, a USB hub, the Amazon 2Amp charger, a right angle connector and some heavy gauge USB cables.

I was planning on using a 2012 Nexus 7 I got for cheap off Craigslist, but I have a 2013 model that I use as my personal tablet, and after using the 2012, I found it to be pretty obsolete. I decided then to sacrifice my personal tablet (don't use it that much anyway) and install the 2013 in the car instead.

Timur has already ported his kernel to the Flo/Deb Nexus 7s, so I signed up for his beta. Public release will happen sometime in May.

I'm still waiting on some parts (cables mostly), and my main concern at the moment will be getting things plugged into the USB port of the tablet since there's not a lot of room between it and the vent. I want to avoid cutting the vents, and unfortunately Flo has no easy way to pop out the ports like Grouper (2012 model). Looking at iFixit teardowns of Flo, the USB port is on a board that has 4 ribbon cables going to it, so not going to be that easy to move.

I am following EquinnoxX's instructions for mounting for now. I have the same brackets. Haven't removed my stock NAV yet so I don't know how much room I will have in the cubby to put the power supply, and USB hub, but it shoudn't be an issue. I will be running a USB cable to the armrest where the DAC will reside and a short 3.5mm audio cable will plug into the AUX input.

Here's how it looks in a fitment test:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/havanahjoe/fitmenttest_zpsc2e0682c.jpg

I might add a Joycon EXR down the road to map the steering wheel controls, but for now I'll stick with GMD gestures and Trigger/Tasker automation as well as Overlays for floating widgets on top of Waze.

The 2013 Nexus 7 doesn't have the silver edges, so it looks good in the space. It is just the right size to leave no gaps visible, and there's also no need to modify the bezel to have the edges of the screen fit properly. I can access the bottom of the screen nicely, where in the 2012 model the edge of the screen was too close to the bottom of the bezel.

I will post updated pics and process once I'm done.

Here's a daytime pic, you can see that the edges are not as visible. This is not perfectly centered yet:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v669/havanahjoe/DSC08206_zpsbd55bf19.jpg

Looks promising? No you idiot i'm using it for the last 2 months. It works.

 

I'm technically banned from the forum so that last bit of research you will have to do yourself. But if you read I said i have it working with my factory camera.

No running wires? So where does it get power for when you engage reverse? Backup lights?

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I am looking to buy a 7" touchscreen monitor for mounting in my car that I can use to control my android Droid 4 phone from.

Plan is that I plug my phone into the touchscreen monitor and use it like a car PC. I could then use the phones bluetooth to link up things like a keyboard, OBDLink MX (so I can use the android app for it to see veh performance). Sound can still run though my cars aux like it does right now with my phone or I can link it up another way. If i get this setup it would prob be the most plug and play and most useful car PC's ever.

Hopefully I could find a monitor that also has: GPS, Mic (for handsfree talk), internal battery. The monitor should also be 12v DC for easy wiring.

So can anyone help provide me with information on how to Vet monitors for use with android? I need to know what sort of features/touchscreen types the monitor would need in order to run my phone from it using the touchscreen. That way I can start effectively vetting monitors online and find the best ones to suit my needs.

I cant really get any further without reliable information about how to do this.

The droid 4 touchscreen specs are as follows:

Display Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Size 540 x 960 pixels, 4.0 inches (~275 ppi pixel density)

Multitouch Yes

(Ice Cream Sandwich)

Any help would be appreciated!

Also would I be able to buy a cheap android tablet and run my phones display into it? if that tablet supported multitouch from the phone? that might be another way to get one that has a battery in it.

What do you guys think? anyone have any experience with this or good advice?

I am looking to buy a 7" touchscreen monitor for mounting in my car that I can use to control my android Droid 4 phone from.

 

Plan is that I plug my phone into the touchscreen monitor and use it like a car PC. I could then use the phones bluetooth to link up things like a keyboard, OBDLink MX (so I can use the android app for it to see veh performance). Sound can still run though my cars aux like it does right now with my phone or I can link it up another way. If i get this setup it would prob be the most plug and play and most useful car PC's ever.

 

Hopefully I could find a monitor that also has: GPS, Mic (for handsfree talk), internal battery. The monitor should also be 12v DC for easy wiring.

 

So can anyone help provide me with information on how to Vet monitors for use with android? I need to know what sort of features/touchscreen types the monitor would need in order to run my phone from it using the touchscreen. That way I can start effectively vetting monitors online and find the best ones to suit my needs.

 

I cant really get any further without reliable information about how to do this.

 

The droid 4 touchscreen specs are as follows:

Display Type TFT capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Size 540 x 960 pixels, 4.0 inches (~275 ppi pixel density)

Multitouch Yes

(Ice Cream Sandwich)

 

Any help would be appreciated!

 

Also would I be able to buy a cheap android tablet and run my phones display into it? if that tablet supported multitouch from the phone? that might be another way to get one that has a battery in it.

 

What do you guys think? anyone have any experience with this or good advice?

A touchscreen with a USB HID can be used to control an android device in theory, since it would pretty much emulate a keyboard and a mouse. The main problem is sending the video from the phone to the touchscreen. I don't know of any Android phone capable of driving an external display. Maybe Miracast?

You will also need an OTG cable for your phone, which would give you the ability to use a USB DAC that would give you audio and even a mic input all through the USB port on your phone. The kernel would need to support host mode and charging in host mode so your battery doesn't die.

IMHO, this is the wrong way to attack this. A tablet is a much easier solution that does not require you to do anything to get it to work. Plugging and unplugging something every time you turn the car on or off is tedious for me.

It would be simpler to make your phone share its Internet connection to the tablet and use a Bluetooth kit to route your calls to the car.

Hopefully someone can chime in with more suggestions on making it work your way.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

A touchscreen with a USB HID can be used to control an android device in theory, since it would pretty much emulate a keyboard and a mouse. The main problem is sending the video from the phone to the touchscreen. I don't know of any Android phone capable of driving an external display. Maybe Miracast?

 

You will also need an OTG cable for your phone, which would give you the ability to use a USB DAC that would give you audio and even a mic input all through the USB port on your phone. The kernel would need to support host mode and charging in host mode so your battery doesn't die.

 

IMHO, this is the wrong way to attack this. A tablet is a much easier solution that does not require you to do anything to get it to work. Plugging and unplugging something every time you turn the car on or off is tedious for me.

 

It would be simpler to make your phone share its Internet connection to the tablet and use a Bluetooth kit to route your calls to the car.

 

Hopefully someone can chime in with more suggestions on making it work your way.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

My phone has a Micro USB, Micro HDMI port on it if that helps. The reasoning for this instead of just using a tablet is the fact that everything is already centralized on my phone. It makes far more sense to me to use one device to do everything and just extend from it. All my important data, files and music is in one location easy to update and use where ever I go. Sure there are cloud services that can do this but they are mobile data intensive and data is expensive in canada. If I use a tablet everytime I want to update, change or alter music, important notes or do anything else that involves the changing of librarys I then have to do it on every device I have. I'm trying to minimalist my devices as well.

If I get a tablet in my car I know alot of time I will end up reaching for my phone anyway for making calls and doing other things. Another important reason is this way with the OBDlink MX the bluetooth runs just through the phone so I can remote start it from outside the car, get in plug in the phone (which I do anyway) and one or 2 other cables and its all centralized and good to go. I would rather run some cables under the dash to the cupholder bays and mount the display then have to constantly miss out on stuff because my 2 devices are running dif apps and one has a more out to date music list. Might sound crazy to you but I would find that infuriating. Or spending time in my car moving data from and 2 the tablet every time I wanted to update/change things.

then I got to worry about the tablets memory and all that, and someone swiping it. but a monitor that is relatively cheap would be fine. if they did steal it really the window they broke is the bigger concern, as there are lots of cheap good res bright monitors coming out of china.

Plus tablets dont run direct 12DC so the tablet prob would not have a auto on and auto shutdown feature that most 12v dc monitors can do.

Only reason I can think to get a tablet is the battery and the GPS, but who is to say the gps will be better then my phones? and battery I can allways just install one if I cant get a monitor that has a internal one, and I can prob get a better GPS with a good sized antenna on a monitor.

anyway that is sort of my viewpoint on it. tablet is good in some ways but in others its sort of a drag. I would rather prefer to use my phone for everything.

So I could use the micro HDMI to run the display, I would need a USB to run the touchscreen? can that ever be done through bluetooth or through the HDMI? if not I would need to get power to run back to the device in host mode or get a usb splitter that goes from 1 to 2 and then dock it in that way?

Music could just run into the aux as always. as for the mic don't have that figured out yet, if your running touch through USB is that all that USB will do? or can it multitask and run other things through it as well?

Now If I can slave a cheap android tablet to my phone that would be something I would consider.... I could get a cheap capable android tablet easy from china for under $50

My phone has a Micro USB, Micro HDMI port on it if that helps. The reasoning for this instead of just using a tablet is the fact that everything is already centralized on my phone. It makes far more sense to me to use one device to do everything and just extend from it. All my important data, files and music is in one location easy to update and use where ever I go. Sure there are cloud services that can do this but they are mobile data intensive and data is expensive in canada. If I use a tablet everytime I want to update, change or alter music, important notes or do anything else that involves the changing of librarys I then have to do it on every device I have. I'm trying to minimalist my devices as well.

 

If I get a tablet in my car I know alot of time I will end up reaching for my phone anyway for making calls and doing other things. Another important reason is this way with the OBDlink MX the bluetooth runs just through the phone so I can remote start it from outside the car, get in plug in the phone (which I do anyway) and one or 2 other cables and its all centralized and good to go. I would rather run some cables under the dash to the cupholder bays and mount the display then have to constantly miss out on stuff because my 2 devices are running dif apps and one has a more out to date music list. Might sound crazy to you but I would find that infuriating. Or spending time in my car moving data from and 2 the tablet every time I wanted to update/change things.

 

then I got to worry about the tablets memory and all that, and someone swiping it. but a monitor that is relatively cheap would be fine. if they did steal it really the window they broke is the bigger concern, as there are lots of cheap good res bright monitors coming out of china.

 

Plus tablets dont run direct 12DC so the tablet prob would not have a auto on and auto shutdown feature that most 12v dc monitors can do.

 

Only reason I can think to get a tablet is the battery and the GPS, but who is to say the gps will be better then my phones? and battery I can allways just install one if I cant get a monitor that has a internal one, and I can prob get a better GPS with a good sized antenna on a monitor.

 

anyway that is sort of my viewpoint on it. tablet is good in some ways but in others its sort of a drag. I would rather prefer to use my phone for everything.

 

So I could use the micro HDMI to run the display, I would need a USB to run the touchscreen? can that ever be done through bluetooth or through the HDMI? if not I would need to get power to run back to the device in host mode or get a usb splitter that goes from 1 to 2 and then dock it in that way?

 

Music could just run into the aux as always. as for the mic don't have that figured out yet, if your running touch through USB is that all that USB will do? or can it multitask and run other things through it as well?

 

Now If I can slave a cheap android tablet to my phone that would be something I would consider.... I could get a cheap capable android tablet easy from china for under $50

I would suggest you start a thread asking these questions over on xda-developers or an Android forum where you might get some more insightful answers.

Here is what you will need:

- OTG compatibility: Does the Droid 4 support OTG?

- HDMI out AND USB: Is your USB port active at the same time HDMI mirroring is on. I would assume the answer is yes

- External touchscreen compatibility: There are two things to worry about here. First, you will need a touchscreen that is known to work with Android ICS (you're running a pretty old version of Android already) and second, will the resolution of the HDMI output work well with the native resolution of the touchscreen.

- HDMI to Touchscreen: I doubt the screens out there have an HDMI port, so you will need an adapter to convert the HDMI to whatever the screen uses, so an HDMI to VGA or Composite adapter will be needed.

You can use Bluetooth controls, there are bluetooth remotes and keyboards that will work, not sure about mice.

With an OTG cable you get a regular size USB port, and then using a USB hub you can plug whatever USB devices you like and they will all work. You can then plug in the touch screen's HID interface, a USB DAC, a USB Flash Drive for extra storage, a USB Keyboard, a USB game controller, etc. A USB DAC will give you a line out and a line in. The line out you can plug into the aux adapter (and having a short 3.5mm audio cable will reduce ground loop noise dramatically), and the line in you can use with a microphone.

The Host mode, flash drive auto mount, and USB DAC functionality requires some tweaking and works best with a special kernel, so you will need to modify your phone to make the best out of all this. Not sure if someone has built a kernel that enables this functionality on your Droid 4 (check with XDA).

Now, going back to some of your concerns about the tablet. A 12V to 5V 2000mAh cigarette adapter is cheap, and you can use that to power the tablet. The kernel that everyone is using on their Nexus 7 made by Timur takes care of the auto on and off with car power. When the tablet gets power, it will turn on, when power is cut, it hibernates it and the power loss when idle is minimal. There is a kernel for the 2012 version of the Nexus 7 available, and the 2013 version has one in beta (that's what I'm using) that will be available to the public later this month.

A used 16 GB 2012 Nexus 7 is about $100 USD (or less), a refurb 16 GB 2013 Nexus 7 is running about $150, since the new model is probably dropping soon. How much will a specialized screen be? If you install the tablet properly, it will look like a nav screen and probably not look very swipe-worthy.

You can use the same USB Hub scenario with the tablet. You can add a cheap 32 or 64 GB flash drive with all your music, and you can have a USB port for your phone. I'm sure there are apps that will let you sync music between your phone and your tablet, but if you have a removable flash drive, you can take that to your computer and manage your music that way.

I'm guessing your WiFi doesn't reach the car and that's how your apps will get out of date and out of sync with the phone, so keeping the apps up to date will definitely be an issue in a fixed tablet install. You can always use APKs on the flash drive, or find a WiFi spot from time to time to keep thins updated.

The one big drawback I see to your phone to touchscreen setup is that there are not a lot of Android phones that have an HDMI port. What will happen when you upgrade your phone? Your setup will not work anymore. The Nexus 4 had MHL support in its micro USB port, but if you used that, the USB functionality was disabled. The Nexus 5 supports a different standard called Slimport, but it has the same problem, when using a Slimport adapter, you lose USB functionality.

There are apps that let you sync things between tablet and phone, like Tablet Talk which displays phone call and SMS information on the tablet and talks to the phone over bluetooth or wifi. If you already have a bluetooth hands free, you can initiate a call from the tablet.