[amitk26]

Originally Posted by Comrade

there is a S-Video port on GCLF2. I think you can feed two backrest LCDs by splitting this S-video signal. connect touchscreen to VGA.

For audio, there is an internal S/PDIF header which you can connect to a DAC using coaxial. or convert to optical.

I believe GCLF2 is quite competent board will enough juice for a carPC.

I inquired in local market 945GCLF ( Atom 230) is available for 3900 Rs at a couple of shops in koramangla Bangalore but 945GCLF2 ( Atom 330) is not yet available so have to wait for some more time.

Yes I know there is S-Video Port and VGA but can the onboard graphics support dual display simultaneously.

I already have a Pioneer DVD so playing DVD ( MPEG2) is not an issue but for other formats such as H.264 , Xvid etc there can be quite a lot of processing load. So want to confirm from some one who already has GCLF or GCLF2 before I take plunge and buy.

video formats like

[Digital Vampire]

Was anyone able to source 945GCLF2 (Intel Dual Core Atom Board) in India?

If yes, please post your source and price.

I was trying to purchase this board during Dec '08 without success. I was told by Intel sales rep that they have huge stock of GCLF (Single Core) boards and was not planning to introduce GCLF2 atleast till end of Jan 09.

Originally Posted by amitk26

Yes I know there is S-Video Port and VGA but can the onboard graphics support dual display simultaneously.

IIRC, Dual head display is not possible with GCLF2 S-Video port... It just replicates whats on the VGA output.

[a_mukherji]

Just came across a itx and micro itx manufacturer :
Dynalog (India) Limited

see their product, it is not atom based but Via C7 based but the kind of interfaces it is providing is awesome :
Dynalog (India) Limited

[Digital Vampire]

Dynalog motherboards are Industrial grade ones. Industrial Embedded boards are ruggedised and are well suited for CarPC environments but they cost a bomb in comparison to their commercial counterparts.

I have the 986LCDM Mini-ITX Industrial Motherboard from Kontron. Lightened my wallet by 360 Euros, ie around 22,000 INR and DOES NOT include the CPU

If you CarPC requirements are basic, the Atom boards are the best VFM bets right now. Costs only 1/10th of the above and does most of the job well at much lower power.

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Dynalog motherboards are Industrial grade ones. Industrial Embedded boards are ruggedised and are well suited for CarPC environments but they cost a bomb in comparison to their commercial counterparts.

I have the 986LCDM Mini-ITX Industrial Motherboard from Kontron. Lightened my wallet by 360 Euros, ie around 22,000 INR and DOES NOT include the CPU

If you CarPC requirements are basic, the Atom boards are the best VFM bets right now. Costs only 1/10th of the above and does most of the job well at much lower power.

Thanks for clarifying this I saw this earlier and was thinking of contacting Dynalog but will keep away now.

BTW there is a good news ACER has release NVIDIA ION bases netop
Acer Aspire Revo and it will retail around 300 US$ as per some media speculations , so not a bad choice for CAR PC. The Aspire Revo is single core Atom and not dual core like ION Reference platform which NVIDIA demoed.

Acer launches first NVIDIA Ion-based nettop: AspireRevo

I hope the Ion MB will be available soon in open market.

[Digital Vampire]

Thats some good news!!! That Nettop itself can form a good base for a CarPC with minimal hacking.

If I understood the Indian PC market, I wont expect the Ion based boards to be in India market any time soon...My guess is it may easily take a few quarters before we see it here. WTH the dimwits at Intel India sales are still keeping us away from even the 945GCLF2 which was released almost a year back internationally.

Unless you are prepared to wait, buying online from abroad and get it here through friends/family is still a cheaper option.

[nisarg86]

Zotac jumping in Ion-filled waters with new Mini-ITX motherboards
Hope they launch it here soon. My next upgrade for car pc .

[NetfreakBombay]

How about using a generic GPS unit for a car PC? Came across this ides while browsing DX.

DealExtreme: $164.80 7.0" LCD 400MHz CPU Windows CE 4.2 Bluetooth + GPS Navigator w/FM Transmitter + 2GB Maps SD

It has 400 MHz ARM CPU, is completely "hackable" and has touch screen + bluetooth. It costs approx 7k.

[DerAlte]

Originally Posted by a_mukherji

Just came across a itx and micro itx manufacturer ...

Dynalog is actually reselling VIA boards, and charging a HEFTY premium (they have to make a profit, don't they?). The same board that is available in Taiwan for (equivalent INR) 12-16K, costs 24-30K in India!!!

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Dynalog motherboards are Industrial grade ones. ...

There is nothing 'industrial' about those boards really, they are neither ruggedized (would have come complete with an IP55 or higher cabinet etc. if so) nor do they use the higher temperature category of components (ability to work at 50-90deg ambient without cooling). Just that they are integrating / cater to an appropriate array of interfaces on-board, and provide driver support on a wide variety of external peripherals (neither of which you will find with Intel boards). That's where the premium is slapped on.

Our best bet for buying in India are actually the boards used for computing ('cloud computing', like the ones from Intel, Asus, etc.) rather than the boards meant for controllers (the ones targeted at industrial / outdoor applications).

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Dynalog is actually reselling VIA boards, and charging a HEFTY premium (they have to make a profit, don't they?). The same board that is available in Taiwan for (equivalent INR) 12-16K, costs 24-30K in India!!!

There is nothing 'industrial' about those boards really, they are neither ruggedized (would have come complete with an IP55 or higher cabinet etc. if so) nor do they use the higher temperature category of components (ability to work at 50-90deg ambient without cooling).

Oh! I thought they were Industrial grade ones since we have purchased a few industrial embedded boards from Dynalog and I assumed that these Mini-ITX ones are also industrial embedded board. My thinking was why would Dynalog sell normal motherboards. If they are common garden VIA mITX boards, purchasing from Dynalog may be a rip-off. Just head over to Car PC Systems | Vehicle Infotainment Solutions | iRide Technologies, Mumbai, India and you can get some "equivalent" jetway boards (commercial grade) there.

[Digital Vampire]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

How about using a generic GPS unit for a car PC? Came across this ides while browsing DX.

DealExtreme: $164.80 7.0" LCD 400MHz CPU Windows CE 4.2 Bluetooth + GPS Navigator w/FM Transmitter + 2GB Maps SD

It has 400 MHz ARM CPU, is completely "hackable" and has touch screen + bluetooth. It costs approx 7k.

It may be a possibility but there is a limit to what you can flog a 400 Mhz ARM processor to. Expandability would also be a major concern.

The pricing is nice. Even an average 7" VGA touchscreen (better resolution) costs the same !!!

Do you have further information on hacking/improving those units? Might be useful as an information display or something!!!

[NetfreakBombay]

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

It may be a possibility but there is a limit to what you can flog a 400 Mhz ARM processor to.

Yes it will not really be a PC, but it can do quite a few things. Apart from 400 MHz CPU, RAM is limited too.

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

The pricing is nice. Even an average 7" VGA touchscreen (better resolution) costs the same !!!

Thats the primary benefit. Apart from this:

1. No need for special power supply. It has a battery and works fine with a car charger.
2. Quite compact

Originally Posted by Digital Vampire

Do you have further information on hacking/improving those units? Might be useful as an information display or something!!!

I am getting one of those. Exploring use of them as cheap data entry device actually.

Since it runs Win CE, it opens up lots of options.

I am exploring option of running a stripped down version of Linux as well. Hope would not have too much device driver trouble with SOC (System on Chip) kind of devices.

[Digital Vampire]

Does it have any external world interface possibility other than bluetooth?

USB, Ethernet...guess i'm asking for too much from a $150 device...lol

Answering my own question: It supports a USB 1.1 Host port...Even though limited to 12mbits, it give a good deal of extrenal interface options.

[NetfreakBombay]

It even supports WiFi.

There is a WiFi card that connects to such devices as a SD Card. Costs around $10.

My Idea is to build something for car that will :

1. Keep recording GPS trails
2. Keep recording Video from a camera on Driver's headrest.

And as soon as car comes home, it will detect WiFi and upload things to PC automatically.

Other then that a friend runs a business and he can't afford actual data capture devices for his employees in field.

Something similar would work for him Since this thing supports handwriting recognition for numbers, those on field can enter things on the field and evening bring this deice to office.

Data can be uploaded automatically though device once it is in office (Through WiFi).

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

Yes it will not really be a PC, but it can do quite a few things. Apart from 400 MHz CPU, RAM is limited too.

400 Mhz ARM is not a limitation , Teh G1 Android is 533 Mhz ARM 11 and most of the smart phones are under 400 Mhz.
The biggest problem I see is BSP for this device , rarely a companey selling winCE beased device will provide BSP or even memory map / GPIO diagram so that you can port Linux.

Originally Posted by NetfreakBombay

Since it runs Win CE, it opens up lots of options.

I am exploring option of running a stripped down version of Linux as well. Hope would not have too much device driver trouble with SOC (System on Chip) kind of devices.

Well running Linux is not an issue provided we can get following.
1. Memory map
2. GPIO map to understand how devices are connected.
3. LCD spec sheet

I think no commercial companey selling device would part with this information.

However you can try using it as Win CE device.