Project Description
We have a broad view of what’s in the geek’s leisure traveling car. Don’t think two-seater roadster — such as a Miata or S2000 — in which minimalism is everything. Think about at least a four-passenger car when you envision building this project, because in a tiny roadster you may well lose the ability to put even a backpack in the trunk, and possibly lose the place for the all-important road trip passenger. This layout is for a vehicle where you have power, lots of space, and a lot of time on your hands to play with the results. A motor home could be ideal.
That said, this chapter is more of a guide to what you can do and how, not a design for a specific assembly.We chose that approach because there are so many variations of what people will want to include and of how the system has to be packaged into a car. That and, well, because our road trip car is an S2000.
In addition to the technology you’ll need to successfully host a PC in a car in the first place, this chapter looks at how to integrate the following: communications
1. Displays, voice, and inputs
2. Navigation
3. Mobile Internet connectivity
4. Sound
5. Video
6. Engine diagnostics
7. Wireless LAN