Recently in Mobile Computing Category

After a bunch of wrangling, I have fixed (hidden) the audio noise problems by using a ground loop isolator. With that taken care of, I started work on creating a proper trunk installation for the car PC.

I wanted everything to be easily removable, so I chose to build a shelf out of 1/2" MDF and hang it using threaded rods. I covered the shelf in black carpet to match the trunk, and mounted a bracket on it to secure the computer to.

Everything seems to fit nicely. The computer is secure, and the trunk is still usable. I'm debating removing the carpet and replacing it with black Veltex, which is the fuzzy side of Velcro. Doing so would allow me to keep the cables secure, while at the same time easily movable. The next step is for me to take some pictures, which I should have done during the install.

 

I upgraded the grounding point last night. Or, maybe I should say that I hope that I upgraded the grounding point last night. I had it grounded to the trunk pan, which was causing a lot of noise in the audio. So, I took out one of the bolts that hold the back seat in, sanded all the paint off of the surfaces, and grounded the system to that.

I couldn't actually test it last night, since my DC-DC power supply is still on its way back from Opus Solutions. I sent it back to them to have it modified because it was powering USB devices even when the car was turned off. The PSU should be waiting for me when I get home from work. I can't wait to hook everything up and see how it works now. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my ground loop noise is gone.

UPDATE

Moving the ground point did help a little, but I still had some noise, especially when the computer read from the hard disk. I then tried re-routing the audio cables away from the power cables, which did not help at all. So, I finally broke down and bought a ground loop isolator. I don't notice any signal degradation, and all of the noise is gone. With this noise problem solved, I'm finally ready to build the trunk installation and post some pictures.

I've added a page to document my Car PC install. You can view it at  http://coffeejolts.com/site/car-pc.html