Infotainment System for Porsche Car [from CAD, prototyping to finish]

[JayG]

Holy infotainment Batman!!

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by JayG

Holy infotainment Batman!!

ahhh finally, I was waiting for you and this exact comment!!! thanks man

I can go sleep now. Ta da all

[BRAN]

it was only a matter of time until you picked up on that...one of my fav topics

I would like to see an all in one solution:
Comfortable: One system to do it all, no new operating systems to learn
Weight reduction: With merging different systems into one
Theft protection: Nothing visible, a thieve would consider "wanting"
Quality: Max 2 Stereo speakers + subwoofer for a better than standard sound

My solution:
I got rid of my 2 Din Blaupunkt: Way too heavy, always the problem with EOL support stop, and as a aftermarket solution...always attractive for theft. Low resolution...endless list

IPHONE (6S/7/8 etc) PLUS model (landscape display mode capable) + car amp with Bluetooth & subwoofer amp included
Still on the lookout for such a perfect "lightweight amp" (atm using a single DIN half size car radio with Bluetooth)
Amplifier will sit in that empty 2 DIN space, and upfront a holder for my BIG SCREEN phone
the mockup frame (my old Blaupunkt one) and the IPhone case will be color matched of course


A power connector would be possible, but I noticed, that when I drive the Boxster, I barely listen to music/radio anymore and the phone is usually always charged to run a couple of hours without recharging. I do have a usb powered charger installed in my armrest, just in case I need to charge it. And the future will bring cordless charging phones anyway, so I am not wasting anymore thoughts on that. So you can have an all in one solution for radio/music/maps/phone/rear camera screen, OBD screen, tire monitor, garage door opener....ENDLESS possiblilities.

[BRAN]

Originally Posted by BRAN

it was only a matter of time until you picked up on that...one of my fav topics

I would like to see an all in one solution:
Comfortable: One system to do it all, no new operating systems to learn
Weight reduction: With merging different systems into one
Theft protection: Nothing visible, a thieve would consider "wanting"
Quality: Max 2 Stereo speakers + subwoofer for a better than standard sound

My solution:
I got rid of my 2 Din Blaupunkt: Way too heavy, always the problem with EOL support stop, and as a aftermarket solution...always attractive for theft. Low resolution...endless list

IPHONE (6S/7/8 etc) PLUS model (landscape display mode capable) + car amp with Bluetooth & subwoofer amp included
Still on the lookout for such a perfect "lightweight amp" (atm using a single DIN half size car radio with Bluetooth)
Amplifier will sit in that empty 2 DIN space, and upfront a holder for my BIG SCREEN phone
the mockup frame (my old Blaupunkt one) and the IPhone case will be color matched of course


A power connector would be possible, but I noticed, that when I drive the Boxster, I barely listen to music/radio anymore and the phone is usually always charged to run a couple of hours without recharging. I do have a usb powered charger installed in my armrest, just in case I need to charge it. And the future will bring cordless charging phones anyway, so I am not wasting anymore thoughts on that. So you can have an all in one solution for radio/music/maps/phone/rear camera screen, OBD screen, tire monitor, garage door opener....ENDLESS possiblilities.

Sorry FRED, i got carried away...

[Nine8Six]

That's all great, thanks for sharing some ideas Bran.

If I can have a fully power-automated and managed system, an OS that I am familiar with (e.g windows), "lightweight installation", and without any of those proprietary toddler style smiling magenta & purple tiles/icons, I'll call this project successful.

We'll make it ultralight, simple/humble looking, and worthy of a Porsche car, I promise you that.

Stay tuned. Hopefully I'll received the board I've designed for power management early coming week. As silly as "power management" sounds to you guys, that is actually what will define if the project will be successful. As in the hardest part of this whole design. Can't wait!

[jaykay]

I am in! Fred, thanks for your message the other day....all I can say is ....dude

I was headed for an Ipad mini head unit but ....should I wait???? I really like the clean look of it; Carplay or whatever it is does seem heavily dependant on a smart phone near by.

I the design of this should be very clean an unobtrusive such that it looks factory...and better!

Some nice to have functions:
-WAZE nav/detector interface
-virtual gauges especially for oil pressure / temp and batt; dash command app?
-lap timer, harry's etc support
-engine diagnostics
-phone pairing
-rear view camera; forward too
-music and radio
-sophisticated looking UI maybe even McLaren P1 like..

I was planning on using this amp: KICKER | PXiBT50.2. It seem to be especially designed for use with no audio head unit.

[Nine8Six]

Cool ideas! Ipad is plenty sufficient also, I'd think, I'm so out I've never own one myself. And I would never stop you to do what you planed never ever dever me do something like that.

Your amp choice is cool, although no product dimensions, or tech/chip used details so can't tell much unless you ask. Sure it will be fine, response looks ok for that size amp. Price is reasonable for the amount of features... Bluetooth, so cool

Wires 4ch(in) + 4ch(out) scares the hell out me tough. I'll try to chop half of those 8 wires and have built-in amp. i.e. just plug the speakers.

I am looking into the newest class-d amplifiers, which is possibly what your amp there is made of, and see if we can have that 4ch amp built-in. But that is all to a paused due to the complete lack of thermal work on the enclosure. Those amp chew quite a bit of current so we'll only find out when we got thermal data on both the amp and the cpu. There is only two options in the class-d amp at the moment. Well, half-decent ones anyway, and some that I can afford lollll

hot stuff :/

[Wallace River]

Still sounds good to me Fred, although I'm totally lost in your Greek (geek?) techno speak. As you can tell I'm a dinosaur, so the simpler the better. I'm in!

[Nine8Six]

Not my fault, I use Google Translate, go blame them lol My Mandarin/Chinese is getting so much more advanced than my native Montreal French.

Point taken. I normally paint these kind of threads with progress pics, vids and other 'jokes'. I'll see if I can remain in the same framework for this project. I'll also try to stick to car/general terms for you fellas. If I go too far or out of line just remind me

Appreciate the support so far. That's all good feeling

[Wallace River]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

My Mandarin/Chinese is getting so much more advanced than my native Montreal French.

Really, yikes! Hey geek away all you want, there are many here who do understand it. I'm just along for the ride.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Wallace River

I'm just along for the ride.

Sit thigh and enjoy! Super-duper-cool boy toy coming along.

ps: apologies for the frenchglish literature fellas, no offense I promise

[The Radium King]

hey fred, if you are providing a windows machine, then you will be relying on a relatively small group of enthusiasts for the software development, so might run into bottlenecks w adoption there?

also, opportunity for a pcmcia card? that way perhaps users could put the bosch pst2 card in there?

for sound, perhaps just make it compatible with the oem amp? dunno about the most systems used in 03 and 04, but the earlier amp just took an on/off signal and LRFR signals. the oem amp actually works with just a converter cable from ipad dock to four rca, so perhaps just a build-out of your outputs? you'd need some sort of minimal sound card i guess, but no big amps or anything.

[Nine8Six]

TRK – thanks for jumping in bud! One of the main challenge for this project is to have this Porsche Infotainment working OOTB. If not priority #1, then its #1.1. General public access. Some notes below RE scalability and advantages (in Greek, beware).

1. All of the commercial devices available today comes with drivers that are “tested & signed” for windows. E.g. cameras, microphones, odb, hands-free this & that. On a Linux architecture (for instance), then you’d need to rely on that group of developer to write the drivers for Linux, if none avail from mfg at the first place. Will all those work!? I can easily picture that same product SPF aka cheap LED problem coming up again (Single Point of Failure).
   
   I want to: stop by my IT shop > buy a $15 Mini WiFi Keyboard w/backlighting > connect > and instantly having fun.
   
   
2. You are new to all this and want to write your own MP3 player? Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 Community Edition is entirely FREE. I’d like to think that Microsoft is gifted with a pretty well established KB loll You have tutorials & blogs w/ source code for the Beginners up to full access to their class libraries (Experts). All of this material isn’t written in frenchglish I assure you. So plenty of material and availability for ‘everyone’. Fun!
   
   
3. Developers and/or manufacturers aren’t excluded. At all in fact, just aim for the latest .NET framework, or Python, there are a few others IDE also. You can compile in pretty much anything you want using the native Microsoft; C/++, C#, VB, SQL,ASP,….. can’t remember them all, or can do cloud based/web app shall you prefer to use other language libraries, or even if you prefer to host/compute the backend to your solutions yourself! Anyone’s choice these day really.

Could go on. So as it being ‘windows’ or in terms of scalability, I don’t see that part being a major failure “yet”.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

the bosch pst2 card in there?

No need bud.

We already all have direct access to the Porsche CAN bus (you and I both). If you ask me that is the easiest part. What exactly do you need because I can already see and manipulate the bus data and obviously have the API to interface with the ODB for saying this (peak-system.com) e.g. live sensor monitoring, start my cooling fans ON/OFF with my index finger, cam degree monitor, silly things like that. We are also experiencing with interfacing and UDS atm, just so you (TRK!) can quickly upload your favorite tuner’s timing map – again, with your index finger. Something you could eventually call “SPORT-MODE” or “TRACK DAY MODE”

In fact, so easy that I am developing this whole Infotainment friendly to MOD/CANBUS. Even the unit's power management module itself is controlled using modbus. So you have to tell me what it is that you desperately need on your Porsche cars (986, 996, whatever it is you have), and we’ll just plan for it and crack on eventually.

Not now though… busy learning English and designing enclosure

[Nine8Six]

There. That's all very easy to replicate inside our Porsche Boxster 986 isn't it!?

(^^ Coming from someone who believe in aliens and can walk through walls)

[algiorda]

That Panamera dash is amazing. Some purists will not like it since it's no longer analog, but I love high tech. I want it bad.

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by algiorda

That Panamera dash is amazing. Some purists will not like it since it's no longer analog, but I love high tech. I want it bad.

Love it too. Wish high tech would be as sexy as that Panny dashboard though Hard to get anything working only with a Red+ Black- wire these days.

Quick update:

Still working on testing the cpu boards. I'm pretty sure on which I'll use already (the 'simplest one') but there are two other options available to me right now so.. I'll have to take my time to see what works best.

Power management and mcu visual below. That is being re-prog as I type. First prototype was 'okay' but we added a feature since then i.e a pre-boot timer to allow engine crank! Wouldn't want my precious data (porn?) to get corrupted at first boot lollll

[jaykay]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

There. That's all very easy to replicate inside our Porsche Boxster 986 isn't it!?

(^^ Coming from someone who believe in aliens and can walk through walls)

Looks about right!

[jaykay]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

Love it too. Wish high tech would be as sexy as that Panny dashboard though Hard to get anything working only with a Red+ Black- wire these days.

Quick update:

Still working on testing the cpu boards. I'm pretty sure on which I'll use already (the 'simplest one') but there are two other options available to me right now so.. I'll have to take my time to see what works best.

Power management and mcu visual below. That is being re-prog as I type. First prototype was 'okay' but we added a feature since then i.e a pre-boot timer to allow engine crank! Wouldn't want my precious data (porn?) to get corrupted at first boot lollll

Integrated amp beside this? Things will get hot hot. Your gonna have three fans in there! I hope its gonna pan out

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by jaykay

Integrated amp beside this? Things will get hot hot. Your gonna have three fans in there! I hope its gonna pan out

The CPU board + this PWR board can do with passive cooling only. That CPU is roughly 1.8 watts during 'normal' op (3watts max e.g during full HD playback). Just a heat-sink and it cope well. Similar to those high performance tablet basically.

That built-in AMP idea is indeed an ambitious idea lolll That might need active cooling but nothing as serious as 3x fans. Class-D amp are pretty efficient, that's they're advantage. We'll see, haven't got to the amp yet - i still don't know and can't wait to find out.

This Class-d amp thing will need to be better than our 20y/old Porsche oem amp (which I'm 100% it is loll) before going ahead with this idea. Might just leave it as is and re-use Porsche's amp kit. Who knows....