raspberry pi touch screen car computer - touch screen head unit

Have you ever envied your friend's sweet touch screen system in the car?
Do you look at your run-down 1992 Bell rodeo sprint and dream of having a smooth computer system in your car?
Well, you're lucky.
This Instructure will be your guide for building a low cost, easy to build system;
It doesn't even need special tools.
The goal of this structure is to create a simpleto-
Build a car computer based on Raspberry pie.
It does not require special tools, and there is little knowledge of Raspberry Pi.
I chose not to use advanced tools like 3D printers or laser cutting machines, because while many people can use these machines, in the past, I was shut down for using this "unreachable" resource.
CarPC runs on Raspberry Pi Model B running Xbian and XBMC is the version made for Pi.
The touch screen is resistant and, while not ideal, can reduce costs and can be easily obtained through Amazon.
It has the ability to play music, watch videos, watch pictures, play games and more.
Water Pi and ScreenCar charger PiSD cardCar stereo (7 inch LCD touch screen 720x480Power (can be stock)
The 30 feet cabling fits your stereo drive for a wide variety of zero-head and end welding that IronGorilla gluetapevarous mentioned in Instructable.
No, it's not really programming. . .
I'm using Raspberry Pi Model B (
Not Model B, I used it initially and the touch screen is not working properly. )
The Tontec 7 "LCD touch screen that can SSH to the PiBoth AC and DC Pi power supply displays a usb keyboard or computer (5v 1amp)
LCD power supply (12v 2 amps DC)
This is simple, but there is still room for error.
First, grab the LCD screen and LCD control panel. (
They are all marked in the previous step. )
Then, insert the ribbon cable on the screen into the control board in the same direction as in the drawing.
Make sure to unlock the black labels first and lock them after inserting the ribbon. (
Both the screen and the board should be placed up. )
Now insert the button panel of the screen into the control panel.
It uses a flat white cable.
Now connect the HDMI cable from the Pi to the LCD Control Board.
Finally, when you are ready to power on, plug the DC power supply into the power port.
There is a very simple process here.
Most people will use special tape made for the touch screen in the process and I decided I didn't want to wait for the shipment so I used transparent tape.
Surprisingly, it works very well.
To do this, place the touch screen on the LCD screen.
Make sure the touch control ribbon is on top and the corners are square.
Next, manage the tape along the edge of the touch screen in a way connected to the LCD module.
There should be no tape on the front of the touch screen, only the sides.
Press the tape flat to make it less noticeable and there should be no wrinkles.
Use more tape to reinforce the tape that already supports the touch screen.
Once the screen is solid and looks good, you should be done.
Now connect the ribbon cable on the touch screen to red-white-green-black cable.
Connect this cable to the appropriate port of the touch control board.
Finally, connect the white end of the supplied USB cable to the board.
The USB will then enter the Pi.
This can be a tricky issue because it varies depending on the type of computer used, whether it's Windows 7, 8, Mac or Linux.
Here is a tutorial link from the Raspberry Pi team itself, instead of messing up this easily accessible knowledge.
The required picture is Xbian, which can be downloaded here
In terms of hardware, a Pi-compatible power supply is required (
5 v, more than 1 amp)
, 8 gb or larger SD card and HDMI cable.
After inserting the SD card, plug in the screen through HDMI, turn on the power, you should see the progress on the LCD screen.
It takes a bit of time to load for the first time, but XBMC ends up in the background.
You have completed this step now.
The next step is to enter the terminal and enter things.
It seems daunting for some, while others think the terminal is only for 1337 hackers.
These are all false expectations because it's really simple as long as you follow the instructions.
I strongly recommend SSH for the next step, as it saves a lot of time, though not necessary.
Sshing is the behavior of wireless access to your Pi through your home computer;
Therefore, it must be connected to the same network as your computer.
To do this, you have to connect the Pi to the Internet, which is easiest to connect via Ethernet.
If you want to use SSH, follow this tutorial to get started.
If SSH is not used, insert the keyboard to access the terminal by selecting the exit option.
Log in to Pi.
The user name is "xbian" and the password is "raspberry ".
Anything inside the brackets you type in the console;
Brackets are not included. type [sudo stop xbmc]and then [
By typing [wget] that code that looks crazyInstall sudo sh. sh]
Now, follow the instructions on the screen and you have to calibrate the touch screen.
After completion, type [sudo reboot]
If you have a problem, please refer to this and it may be helpful to perform a manual version (
I chose a simpler automatic version at the bottom of the page).
This is the source of this wonderful method. Thanks Markamc!
At this point, your touch screen should work properly.
With the update of Xbian or the highlight of the Pi platform, problems may arise.
It's time to install it in the car.
This step is obviously different depending on the vehicle.
I installed it at 2009 Ford Ranger and luckily it has a large OEM stereo.
Some cars have less sound and need different installation methods.
To proceed, the radio must be removed.
For mine, I removed the two screws located above the climate control unit.
I also used my coat hangar as my own radio driver.
Simply stick these curved hangers in the "pull holes" and apply pressure outward to bend the constraint so that the radio can pull freely out of the car.
This is the hardest part because every car is different and I also assume you have welding experience.
You have to put the sound in another part of the vehicle.
The glove box is the simplest and may not need to extend the seat belt;
However, my radio is too big to choose from.
I put it behind the back jump seat of my extended cab.
Since the Pi is still connected to stereo via the auxiliary port and is used as an amplifier, it is necessary to keep the stereo sound.
I also didn't bother to extend AM/FM because I never used it.
The radio harness must be cut, spliced and extended in order to place the radio in another part of the vehicle.
I have used quite a few lines for this, so be sure to have enough.
Measure twice, Weld once.
Use the newly expanded harness (es)
, Route them to a secret hiding place in stereo.
This can be done either through a carpet or side panel or through your vehicle.
So now is the second most difficult part. (
Or it may be easy, depending on how you want to do it. )
To power the LCD screen, use a backup DC power cord or cut off the cable from the LCD power cord to obtain a DC power cord suitable for the LCD circuit board port.
Thin you have to use the stripping machine to peel off the cable and splice it with a wire that goes through the back of the lighter.
These do not require welding connections, but are recommended.
I was unable to safely put the soldering iron back into the hole, so I chose to use the cable connector.
This may not be permanent.
For Pi, I used the car DC power as I wanted to turn it off completely to prevent the battery from being killed. (
When there is no signal, the LCD is automatically turned off and turned on. )
Screen installation will obviously vary from car to car.
The fit was very comfortable for my Ford Ranger. Most of the support is to prevent it from falling forward rather than going back to the dashboard.
So I used the spare foam boards laid around me and stuck them behind the baffles. (
Foam is the extra power I use to make RC aircraft)
I also attached the screen to the foam and border with a mixture of glue and tape.
It's a cheap and easy solution to keep it there and still keep it going.
The border is completely removable to remove the screen for maintenance.
While this seems like a bad installation method, I hope this is a project that anyone can make with a tool in a garage;
However, in the future, I will most likely order a 3D printing frame for the LCD.
Be sure to connect the audio cable to the auxiliary port of the stereo.
This is the way audio goes from Pi to speaker. (
I forgot to do so, so I had to take off the circle. )
So, now that you have finished the structure. Congrats!
There are some important things about this Instructable: I won't teach you how to use XBMC.
This is a completely new explanation in itself.
If the Pi is idle, it will enter sleep mode;
This is good to a large extent.
When leaving through the software for a long time, close it safely and do not unplug the Pi when it is turned on.
To turn it on, unplug it.
Splitters can be used to add Bluetooth, more usbs and game handles.
Games can also be added.
Thanks for reading! (
Note: Video does not show music due to copyright infringement)