While web browsing for code scanners I saw something cool. It's an attachmet for laptop computers that plugs into the same socket a code scanner uses. With this, the laptop displays guages you might expect to find in a jet plane. Use it while driving. Also, everything is kept track of, you can read it after your drive.
The cost is surprising. Under $300.00. Seems good, at first, but a laptop will cost over a thousand.
Bill M
You don't need much horsepower out of the laptop/notebook to do this. Something in the 500 MHz range with a decent amount of RAM will do you right. I run a package like this on my PII-266MHz notebook with ease....
"Slow" notebooks are a dime a dozen on Ebay.
Can you do other stuff with it? Like read the serial data in real time? What interface do you have?
Al
Oh jeez.. I haven't messed with it in a long time.. I *THINK* it's Auto Tap and I'm using their cable. I really only used it as a basis to develop a "glass" dashboard for my truck to get rid of the steam guage instruments but lost interest in the project when I took up flying helicopters.. ehhehe
Unless you have a "drive-by-wire" car (read expensive); even an old 386 laptop can "read the serial data in real time" (actually even less but a
386 was where laptop color displays became common. You rreeaaalllyy need/want a color display for this!).There's one reason why older laptops go damned cheap; dead batteries. Often the replacement is more than what the 'puter is worth. Sometimes there is no source for replacements.
For a diags/performance meterputer that's used only in the car or plugged into 120VAC; that's no biggy.
If the laptop says 14-18 volts for AC adapter; it will probably run on "12"volts quite well. The extra volts are "charging overhead". Dead batteries don't need no steenking charges. Go to RatSnack and get one of those ciggyliter power cords with the assorted power plug ends. Find the right one , test it and heatshrink otr tape it (glue?)so it doesn't fall off. You now have a "carputer" . Just remember to shut Windows down before you pull the plug.
As for the dead battery:
If it slides into a pocket or fits under a cover, just pull it out. You may want to do something ro fill up the hole... get creative.
If it's "kinda like part of the bottom" and won't sit well if removed; you can carefully crack the seams; gut the cells out; glue it back together; and put it back. If you know what you are doing; you *could* hardwire a ciggyliter cord to the terminals of the battery. Caution; doing this wrong could result in ugly smells and funny sounds and a slagged laptop. Electronics stuff works far better when you don't let the smoke out.
all good advise from nobody. Also, Google "carputer". You'll see alot of good information on turn-key and roll-your-own systems...some of the guys who rolled-their-own where quite "creative"...
I was going to build mine with a micro footprint ATX main board and use a 1g flash device for storage. LCD panel for the display and Linux as the OS.
Still might do it one day....
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