[HarneetBarmy]

Hello All, Not many know me on the DIY section. I am Harneet & I work for Microsoft. Last year I decided for make a computer for my car, but there were not many options available for Touch Screen monitors. A fellow Bhpian was selling a Lilliput 7" VGA monitor however there was no touch screen panel. Hence I decided to install a touch flow on the Lilliput monitor. Luckily there are not many types of 7” touch screen available. I just order the standard 7” touch screen (flow) kit.

While ordering a touch flow one should measure your monitor size and compare to the sizes of the touch screens. Compare monitor's view area with the active area of the touch screen. It is Ok if the touch screen's active area is slightly larger than the monitor's view area. Compare monitor's outside size with that of the touch screen. These dimensions are not critical to the functionality of the touch screen. It only affects the appearance.

The touch flow is just a thin glass that you can add in front of LCD monitor. It has a ribbon cable that connects to a small PCB, the PCB has a USB cable that is connected to your computer. I opened the Lilliput monitor & noticed the touch flow I had received was bigger than the screen. I called their technical support to check if I can cut the touch flow glass. The answer was obvious that it cannot be cut or tampered.

I had to make room for the touch flow glass by moving the screw mounts. I had to use M-Seal to hold the mounts which holds the screen still. After few hours of messing around I was able to install the touch screen & close the monitor. Turned on the monitor, Installed the touch flow drivers. The touch flow was working however it was working the other way around. After struggling for few minutes I realized that it was installed upside down. Thanks to no instructional manual with the Kit. Opened the monitor & did everything again. Turned the monitor on, this time it worked perfectly, Calibrated the screen it was ready to be painted & installed. I took a few pictures while opening the monitor, however was so busy with getting things right that forgot to click more pictures. I would click more & upload them soon.

[Ragul]

Good stuff. But Lilliput 7" monitors are unduly costly. Are there touch flow screens available for what is typically the cheapest in the market? Like a 19" or 21" monitor? Not for Car of course but HTPC stuff ...

Because for the approx price of a 7" monitor, we can get a 19 or 21" lcd today - correct me if I am wrong?

Also are there touchflow or comparable open source drivers for Linux? With Pinch and Zoom features ?

Is this resistive or capacitive touch screen?

Thanks

[HarneetBarmy]

Ragul I agree the Lilliput 7" monitors are way too expensive . Yes Touch flows are available for almost all sizes. You are right for the price of a 7" monitor, we can get a 19 or 21" LCD\TFT.

I have emailed the support regarding the drivers, I am sure they would be available for Linux. The touch flow I have used does not support Pinch and Zoom feature. It is an resistive touch screen however they have capacitive touch screen's as well.

I am attaching a picture of the touch screen kit similar to what I have installed. More pictures would be coming after the installation in car.

[gigy]

nice mod. how much did you pay for the 7" vga input monitor and where did you source it?

[HarneetBarmy]

Thanks GIGI, I bought few things in a package deal from a fellow Bhpian. It should have coasted me around 5k.


I am attaching two pictures of screen after installation in the Car. Apologies for bad resolution as I took them using my Phone.

[allajunaki]

Question about linux driver being answered a M$ Employee..
NOOOOooooo....

hehe Just kidding. Nice work dude. Why not merge this thread with your other carputer thread ?
Neat mod. Which car is this? I cannot make out from these pics.

[idea]

@HarneetBarmy

This is great job done.

Also done same DIY but still struggling for time to get fitted in the car (Can you help me here? i have spark. May be your car install pics would help). However my cost was slightly on higher side as all parts were imported from HK.

Something i dont like about this DIY that USB wire and necessity of PC/Laptop. And while installing screen i was 100% sure i will break it during fitting. Thanks God i failed :-).

[HarneetBarmy]

Hey Allajunaki, That was a good one.
Thanks, although making a CarPc is an exciting project but I enjoyed making my own touch screen monitor. This is a Skoda Octavia dashboard.
I agree it's best to have just one CarPC thread. Actually I had started the Monitor thread first. If I would had not been able to successfully complete the Touch Screen installation , I had to wait for the Mimo's 7-inch USB monitor to arrive & use this as second Monitor for back seat.

Thanks idea,
It is good to know someone is as crazy as I am & can think of making your own touch screen monitor. I would love to help you out, feel free to call me on 09810015831. Please share the cost of the Monitor if you are comfortable.
I took some pictures while installing the CarPc which are in my camera, however my laptop adapter stopped working & I cannot copy the pictures. Hopefully I can get the adapter this weekend & upload the pictures.
I agree it is a tough job install the touch flow & one should only try it when there are no other options.

[bblost]

Truly a thread that deserves 5*'s.

Thanks a lot for sharing.

[DerAlte]

Hi Harneet, where did you get the Touchkit from?

[idea]

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Hi Harneet, where did you get the Touchkit from?

Such screens are available at DX.

@HarneetBarmy

Thanks a lot. I am waiting for a "Free" long week end. Will certainly bug you. It costed me aprx 8-8.5 all inclusive.

[HarneetBarmy]

Originally Posted by bblost

Truly a thread that deserves 5*'s.

Thanks a lot for sharing.

Thanks Bblost , My next plan is to make an headrest monitor for the CarPc.

Originally Posted by DerAlte

Hi Harneet, where did you get the Touchkit from?

DerAlte I ordered the touch flow from Ams Impex Mumbai. I contacted most of the sellers in India Please find their contact details below.

Ams Impex
(Sales-Technical Information-Support) Tel: +91 (22)-66798311 or 66798312 Mobile: +91 98204 23111
Email: ams@vsnl.com\ sales@amsimpex.com
Website Touch Screen India | Touch Monitors Mumbai | Kiosk & POS Components & Peripherals India. - AMS Impex, Mumbai, India
Post Courier mail: 415, Laxmi Plaza, Laxmi Industrial Estate, New Link Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai 400 053. INDIA.

Etouch Technologies
E-House , S-238, Sector - 4 Airoli, Navi Mumbai – 400 708
Tel : 91-22-27791506 / 91-22-27792507 / 9821135424
Website Touch Screen India, Touch Monitors Mumbai, Kiosk, LCD Screens, Kiosks Touch Screen monitors, company, Mumbai, India, LCD Touch screen display, CRT Touch screen, Mumbai, Open Frame Display with touch screens, Kiosk Peripherals, Printers,India distribu
EMAIL : sales@etouchtechnologies.com

SoftTouch Technologies
#18 First Floor, Raka Palace
Near Indian Overseas Bank, Chinchwad, Pune - 411 033
Maharashtra, India
Email: sales@softtouch.co.in
Web: Touch Screen India | Touch Monitors India | Touch Screen Distributor India | Touch Screen Kiosk - SoftTouch Technologies, Pune, India
Phone : +91-20-65103865 / 020-64100281


PALAS Software Pvt Ltd.
S-74 Okhla Industrial Area,
Phase 2, New Delhi 110020, INDIA
Phone: +91-11-41708030
Fax: +91-11-41708037
Website: PALAS - Touch Screen India, Touchscreen Monitors, Thermal Printers, Smart Card Readers, Card Issuers, Magnetic Stripe Readers, POS, Kiosk components, Delhi India
Email: sales@palas-india.com

Originally Posted by idea

Such screens are available at DX.

@HarneetBarmy

Thanks a lot. I am waiting for a "Free" long week end. Will certainly bug you. It costed me aprx 8-8.5 all inclusive.

Idea, Good Luck For your Setup, hopefully this long weekend you would be able to complete the install. 8.5k is good price for a brand new monitor. Looking forward for pictures.

[idea]

Originally Posted by HarneetBarmy

Thanks Bblost ,

Idea, Good Luck For your Setup, hopefully this long weekend you would be able to complete the install. 8.5k is good price for a brand new monitor. Looking forward for pictures.

Thanks for that.

I am planning to install it either at regular central consol - but unfortunately its not fitting well in available slot and i dont want to cut any plastic panel as of now for installation.

Second option could be infront of front passenger side (air bag position) but i am afraid of operating and reflection but again i t will demand cutting existing plastic panels.

Need to think on this.

I will look for Toch screen making pics and upload them.

[HarneetBarmy]

Originally Posted by idea

Thanks for that.

I am planning to install it either at regular central consol - but unfortunately its not fitting well in available slot and i dont want to cut any plastic panel as of now for installation.

Second option could be infront of front passenger side (air bag position) but i am afraid of operating and reflection but again i t will demand cutting existing plastic panels.

Need to think on this.

I will look for Toch screen making pics and upload them.

Idea, I personally like the screen in 2Din slot. It gives good look & is easily accessible. You can have it on the dash or Windscreen as people used to install when single din slot came in the Dashboard.

Passenger side (air bag position) is good for putting the CarPC but not the screen, you can add a second screen there later. The reasons are as follows.
1. CarPC would not be of any use for the driver, We all love driving that is why we are on Team-BHP .
2. It would be hard to match the beige color & finish with the black/gray colored monitor.

It's hard to make out how much space we need to install this monitor. I know just one thing We can make it happen. I had a similar monitor with buttons on the bottom. I removed the buttons, used a hot knife to cut the screen plastic & filled black silicon in the bottom. This allowed the monitor to Fit in the doubled size. I used M-Seal to hold the monitor under the dash beading. I could have permanently fix the monitor with the beading, but due to cost of the Skoda parts I dropped that idea. I am sure the dashboard beading would not be that costly for your car. I wish you luck for your setup.

[StreetAddict]

Originally Posted by idea

I am planning to install it either at regular central consol - but unfortunately its not fitting well in available slot and i dont want to cut any plastic panel as of now for installation.

Second option could be infront of front passenger side (air bag position) but i am afraid of operating and reflection but again i t will demand cutting existing plastic panels.

Need to think on this.

Even I was in the same dillema. Until this happened : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do...ml#post1991565