From the editor:

This is an application for a new heading. If you've read the editor-in-chief's column in this issue, you know that it means its title. The head of the column, just appointed by the order of the editorial board, is Artyom Bogdanov. For the first time his name and surname appeared on our pages in 2006. Then - in the heading "Your own game". The topic is a computer-based audio system in the VAZ-2111. The next appearance was in 2008. Already under the heading "Systems". The topic is the audio system in the Honda NSX based on ... a computer, of course. The name of the author of the system has not changed, the status has changed - the head of the Digital Car studio.

The functionality of the system has also changed, the term "audio" has already approached it badly. Another came up - infotainment. That same "new word". Three years have passed since then, and now Artyom is with us again, this time on a regular basis. In the materials of this section, he will consistently reveal different aspects of the answer to the same question: "How to teach a car to do everything?" For this is, in practical terms, the true meaning of the new word: everything. From music to Skype with all the stops.

Artyom decided to start a series of his publications with an explanation of what, in fact, will be discussed. And why. However, we ourselves know why. Because the XXI century is all around. And for quite some time ...

DIGITAL VEHICLE

Vinyl ... What does vinyl have to do with it? I'll explain now. A sweet word for a music lover, I thought, sorting through the fragments of Armstrong's record that I had found. The younger brother, who was running by, just grinned and flipped through the next album on his pocket mp3-player. And what is more ...

It's no secret that all modern audio and video media (I'm not afraid of the wrath of "purists") are recorded using a computer. Why not use the same PC for playback as well, getting rid of inconvenient media along the way? Do not limit yourself either in the formats or in the volume of your favorite recordings. This idea has probably come at least once to every reader of these lines. But music, no matter how eternal it may be, is only a part of our life (otherwise why would we need a car?). Why not add here navigation, video registration, speakerphone, mail and the Internet, which originally live in a computer, no one offers vinyl for them?

The described mise-en-scene with Armstrong and the younger brother happened a long time ago, but long ago I came to the logical conclusion that followed it. There were attempts to make friends between a car (what it was then) with a computer (what it was then), one, quite successful for its time, served as the basis for my first publication in AZ (Project of the Century, No. 8/2006).

Later it turned out that I was not alone in this idea. At first there was a club of amateurs, later a professional installation studio for car computers appeared. The leitmotif of installations of this type is that there is no impossible, the limit of the system's functionality is determined only by the customer's imagination. However, it is this fantasy that we still marvel at. The modern customer does not compromise and wants to get the maximum of functions from the newly acquired system, while he is not ready to put up with any cacophony, or with a mediocre image, or with the chaos of wires and boxes in the trunk. And least of all - with a lack in the car of any functions, capabilities or amenities to which he is accustomed. Or simply that he knows exist.

What makes CarPC different from other head units? First, of course, there is a special wrapper for easy finger control. Naturally resizable and customizable. Secondly, there is no limited choice of functional software.

Here's an example: the most modern (according to the manufacturers and the part of the public that they managed to convince) multimedia navigation head units are “charged” with one navigation program, less often - a choice of two is offered (lo and behold!).

Now I have counted more than ten navigation programs that work steadily on the territory of Russia, with and without traffic jams, with or without 3D, from high-resolution graphics to the aesthetics of a map from a pack of Belomor. In the CarPC environment, there is no need to choose in advance: everything is loaded at once, you can use anyone, the rest, if you don’t need it, lie on your disk, they don’t ask for bread ...

Third, omnivorousness. Modern civilization has spawned an insane amount of information storage formats. The car audio industry grapples with them, one every several years. Having started to list all the formats and media that CarPC can handle, we risk going far beyond the pages generously provided to us in the magazine and, for sure, biting off the neighboring headings already in Nedamsky Store. Here are just the most common audio formats: mp3, WAV, APE, FLAC. The first one is taken by all "radio tape recorders with a disc", the second - only a few, the third and fourth, highly valued in our time - none. With video - even more colorful. Once, digging deeper into the "codecs" installed in the system, I found a bunch of formats that I had heard about for the first time. About 400 in total. Do you need it? Will ... At the same time, playback of different formats does not mean changing media or switching settings from the remotes. Just one tap on the touch screen.

A unique feature of CarPC is unlimited, total compatibility with any peripheral. Flash drives, portable hard drives, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi adapters, modems for Internet access, TV tuners, cameras, diagnostic adapters, joysticks, keyboards and even printers or cash registers - connect via USB and ... work without asking unnecessary questions ...

Many eminent brands have noticed the tempting direction of car computers from afar, and I think it was the universality and universal compatibility of everything with everything that soon scared them off, and the CarPC directions were curtailed.

It was they who rooted in our heads the axiom “a good multimedia harvester cannot be cheap”. And each additional function must certainly cost a pretty penny and have no alternative implementation options. Only an expensive adapter or Navi-block with the same label as the head. Once such a game was started with CD-changers, and, I suppose, it is precisely because of this that the changers first stopped developing, and then left the stage altogether. Several years earlier than they could ...

The computer, due to its massiveness, has received undeniable advantages over potential competitors: familiarity and clarity of the interface, unlimited functionality and ... price. The reverse side of mass character. Practice has shown: by assembling the kit yourself, for the amount of 1000 metro trips, you can get a further expandable infotainment harvester with access to the Internet and all office applications. The same infotainment ...

What tasks do you have to (or rather, you have to, everyone will be there, I don't doubt for a second) to solve in the course of integrating a multifunctional computer complex into a car? Later we will talk about the details and pitfalls of each separately, now - in general terms.

In one of the first places in terms of importance - organically and ergonomically (now widespread concepts) to introduce the main part of the system - the touch screen. Here, ready-made Plug & Play solutions are already beginning to appear: consoles, visors and adapter frames, and even 2DIN versions.

Why not a laptop or tablet? - you ask.

Broken glass or a smashed lock, I'll tell you. - Maybe someone likes it. Most - not very much. Control experiment (at your expense): we put the iPhone on the dashboard and move away to a distance of 100 meters.

Yes, even without this inhuman experience, it is clear: it is much more convenient and more pleasant when you start the car, and after a few seconds the system starts up on its own and already greets you with a pleasant-looking interface. No wires, connectors, chargers, "cigarette lighters" and power buttons. And no cards of a regular customer of the World of Autoglass store.

After all, the undoubted plus of a well-integrated system is a completely "regular" design. Feel the idea: no luminous buttons, labels or removable panels - only the screen on the panel, as if it was registered there from the factory or at least ingrown into the center console as a monolith, will not cause the thieves to have a single thought of profiting from a thoroughbred device. In this form, it is not even a device, but a detail ...

We have come to the most interesting for a large part of readers who are committed to eternal values. And what does the digital car sound like? As a rule, already in the basic version of all systems based on Car PC, there is a built-in 24-bit sound card. This turns out to be enough for some part of users. If it’s not enough, it’s not a problem, no one in the registry office signed with this card. Texas Instruments and Burr-Brown DACs installed in external "sound blasters" are already something. Numerous experiments have shown that a high-quality audiophile system can be made on CarPC, not to mention multimedia - complex, theatrical, with surround sound. But, despite the functionality of sound cards, the most interesting thing is the connection between a computer and an external specialized sound processor using a digital SPDIF bus (optics or coaxial). This scheme allows you to "unload" the central processor from the "subtle matters" of sound. With all the adherence of our "club" to computer technologies and components, we must admit: the best results are achieved precisely along this path, so that traditional car audio manufacturers, even with a total transition to CarPC, will not be left out of business. This refers, of course, to the most progressive of them. At the same time, by the way, sometimes an enviable, unattainable in traditional systems, harmony and mutual understanding of components is established in the system, when the processor (for example, Audison bit one, which very well fits into the architecture of the infotainment system) is configured from “its own” on-board computer.

Another task - managing (in the simplest case, replenishing) a media library in a car computer is easier and more convenient to solve than in any other environment. An elementary solution, on the verge of primitiveness, is to carry flash drives with you, but this is no longer in step with the times, if you can synchronize with your home Wi-Fi collection in an almost "unmanned" mode.

An important feature of a full-fledged car computer is the possibility of a phased partial upgrade. Not enough five hundred gigabytes for a matured music collection? Put the disk on a couple of terabytes. Enough for the first time, but we'll see. Do you want to connect several video recording cameras? How much to put in pieces? The processor is more powerful - please, gas welding is not required. Are you going to conquer Yakutia and the Sahara by car in one navigation? A solid state hard drive helps you - no heat, no moving parts.

Modern car manufacturers "sing" in unison with the manufacturers of expensive radio tape recorders: digital buses - each has its own, protocols - are unique. Here, the installers of additional equipment seem to step on the foot. And the "digital car" in such a situation is one of the universal means to avoid the collision of desire and possibilities. Few are developing matching peripherals for CarPC, but now there are several adapters, in particular, for OEM monitors Audi, Lexus, Toyota. There are frequent precedents for the removal of standard monitors and the installation of new, touch-sensitive, computer (VGA / HDMI), high-resolution monitors in their place, with on-board information displayed on them.

It's been seven years since I started my first digital car. There were meetings and partings with cars. They were united by one thing - they all had car computers. In this my tastes have definitely not changed. And with each of our next meetings yours will become closer to mine, I'm sure ...

Integral studio solution for VW vehicles

Not a single sound ... CarPC can diagnose a car in a simple mode ...

... maybe in advanced ...

... or special, for example - to monitor the operation of the relay unit

The equalizer can also be organized using the CarPC software, but we came to the conclusion that an external processor is better

A "new word" may appear in the car as a scattering of individual blocks ...

... among which there is still the main, systemic

What if your car doesn't have your own display? Here's an example: Toyota LC 100 before visiting us and after

Examples of infotainment systems in different cars: Landrover Discovery 3 with a large overhead monitor at the driver

The monitor is even larger, but the passenger has a Mercedes S500

Volvo XC90, the screen is in the "house"

Also a screen, also a house, but a car - IS 250 (I don't remember the brand)

Subaru Tribeca. A house is not needed here

Penetration of CarPC into the inner world of the car: display of the VW Golf instrument cluster

Implementation options for an "advanced" display for working with CarPC

There are more navigation systems than will fit on the navigation mode title screen. From three-dimensional graphics to the "pack of Belomor"

The range of the periphery is limited only by fantasy (and therefore nothing). From keyboards to analog knobs

Unlimited freedom is provided by software shells. If you like Windows 7, please. If you don't like it, please too ...

You can familiarize yourself with the models of previous years, already excluded from the main catalog
Select A.P.S. from the list. ACES ACV AD Adagio AfterShokz Airline Airtone AIV Aiwa AKAI Alco Stop Alcosafe Alligator Alphard Alpine Aqua Work ARC Audio Arena ARIA Arizona Eagle Art Sound Artway ASUS Audio Art Audio Link Audio System Audiobahn Audiotop Audiovox Audison Auditor AURA Autofun Autotek Avatar AVELook Belt Best Balance Beyma Bigson Blackview BlackVue BLAM Blaupunkt Blaupunkt Veloc .. BOSCH Boschmann Boss Audio Boss Marine Boston Acoustic .. BrandX Brax Bull Audio BURY Cadence Calcell Calearo CAMRAD Canton Car4G CARAV CARCAM Carformer CARLINE CDD CDT Audio Celestra Cenmax Cerwinet Clarion Clifford Cobra Cobra Connex Crescendo Crunch CTEK Cubietech Daewoo Datakam Daxx DD Audio Defender Denon Diamond Dietz Digma DLS Dragster Dunobil Dynamic State Dynaudio EOS Earthquake Eclipse ECON EDGE EGO Light Embest Info Tec .. ENVIX EONON Ergo Electronic .. Erisson ESX Eton EVO Formance Explay FarCar Farenheit FLI Flyaudio Focal FORYOU FUNKY Fusion Garmin Gazer Genesis Gigabyte Gladen Audio Ground Zero GRUNDIG GYS Helix Hellon Hertz Hifk Impulse INCAR InCarBite Infinity Inspector INTEGO INTRO iO Ivolga Jaguar JBL JBQ Jensen JJ-Connect JL Audio JVC Kenwood KGB Kicker Kicx KKB-AUTO Korkunoff Audio LADA Lanzar LAVA Legendford Lexand LG Lightning Audio LKT MacAudio MacNAG .. Maxwatt MB Quart McIntosh MD.Lab Megaforcer MeTra miniDSP Minigps Mio Mitsubishi Mobicool MOMO Mongoose Morel MRM MTX Multitronics MyDean Mystery Nakamichi NaviPilot Navitel Neoline NESA Nextech Nitech NRG nTray Obsidian Obsidian Obsidian Park Audio Peerless Perfeo Phantom Pharaon Phili ps Phoenix Gold Pioneer Planet Audio Playme Pleervox PolkAudio Power Acoustik PPI Premiera Premium Accesso .. Prestige Prestigio Pride Prology Rainbow Raptor Rcf RE Audio RECXON REVOLT by Audio .. Rockford Fosgat .. Rolsen Roximo RTO Sanyo Saturn ScanSpeak Scher-Khan Signat SHERIFF SilverStone F1 Skar SKYLOR Slimtec SMART Smartmat Sony Sound Quest Soundmax Soundstatus Soundstream SP Audio SPL SPL-Laboratory Star StarLine Stealth Steg Stinger Street Storm Subini Sundown Audio Supra SWAT TAKARA TchernovAudio C .. Teac Telefunken TeXet Tiger Shark Tomahawk TrendVision TRINaITY UNITED NATIONS VDO-Dayton Velas Vibe Videosvidetel Videovox Vieta Vifa Vtrek Waeco Whistler X-Driven X-Program by DL. ... xDevice XM Xtant Yurson Zapco ZZX Karkam Kachok Kompoplast KUYALNIK Mirkom MoyMechanik Triad Yauza µ-Dimension

On-board computers
We live in the computer age. And computerization has affected not only our homes and offices, but also our cars. Many modern cars are equipped with on-board computers.
On-board computers can significantly protect the driver and passengers, save on expensive diagnostics at the auto center and warn about a malfunction in time. All this is due to the fact that they:

• Receive and analyze information from all kinds of automotive sensors,
• Display indicators of the current state of various vehicle systems,
• "Prompt" the car owner what needs to be done to avoid a malfunction or fix it.

There are many functions of on-board computers. The most important ones are:

• The on-board computer monitors the number of revolutions of the engine, and also monitors its temperature.
• Keeps track of the speed at which the vehicle is moving,
• Checks the oil level, and also monitors the health of the candles and filters,
• Monitors fuel consumption depending on various conditions: vehicle load, engine usage, road surface quality, etc.
• Shows the temperature both inside the car and outside.
• Many on-board computers are equipped with speech synthesizers, thanks to which they can pronounce any information, for example, about the state of a particular car system, which allows not to be distracted during the trip.
• And much more

Any detected problem is immediately displayed on the screen and stored in the memory of the on-board computer. There you can also see information about troubleshooting, how to properly operate the car so that similar malfunctions do not appear in the future, find the addresses of service centers, etc.

Also, the on-board computer is able to:

• Display vehicle mileage in kilometers,
• Draw a timetable for the movement of a vehicle,
• Calculate the amount of fuel you need for a given trip,
• Connect to the internet,
• Serve as a parking sensor screen,
• Compile reports on the functioning of all vehicle systems,
• Operate an air conditioner,
• And much more.

That is, the driver can customize the on-board computer to suit his individual needs.
Most often, an on-board computer is installed in a standard place on the dashboard. However, it can sometimes be installed directly into the roof of a car. It can be installed on vehicles with any engine: injection, carburetor or diesel.
As you can see, the on-board computer allows you not only to repair the car yourself, but also to prevent its breakdown, which saves money and avoids accidents.

Any digital device seemed to us a computer - even a primitive tachometer with two numbers. How many computers are installed in a mid-range machine today? The matter is already going to a hundred ... Moreover, the capabilities of a modern smartphone significantly exceed the potential of the computer of the Curiosity rover, which is only five years old.

And what can't regular on-board computers do? Curl your fingers. They will never tell you error codes for engine management systems, automatic transmissions, doors or windows. They rarely show the engine temperature, average speed, travel time or acceleration dynamics to hundreds, and also do not like to remember the errors that occur. In addition, many drivers need warning lights that monitor temperature, engine speed, and speed.

The owners have their own requests - take at least two types of fuel consumption. Someone needs to automatically turn on the headlights on a signal from a speed sensor or connect parking sensors with adjustable sensitivity. In some cases, the forced switching on of the cooling fan can be useful. Someone wants to more accurately adjust the fuel level sensor in the tank. The forgetful ones will be helped by various reminders - warning about the side lights that are not switched off, about ice on the road or the need to go through the next MOT. Many people love simple talking toys ("Hello, master!"). Extremals may need a wheel slip indicator. And then there is such a function as a taximeter ...

We decided to test fit for budget cars. The capabilities of the devices selected for research are different, but all the more interesting.

The approximate price is 9800 rubles. A universal on-board computer that we installed on the dashboard. Such a device, due to its solid size, is more suitable for large cars. The buttons are also large, they are convenient to use. And the color display is rather big. In addition to all the standard features, including connecting a parking sensor, the device allows you to control the temperature and read error codes or a variator on many cars. Can be used with gas powered machines to provide accurate fuel consumption figures.	The approximate price is 1580 rubles. A compact device, rather even a miniature one. This will fit well in the socket for the button on the dashboard of Samara 2, Grant, Kalina, Priora or. Provides almost the same information as larger devices, but the presentation of parameters (on a modest three-digit display) is much less convenient. There is no sound synthesizer. Programming is difficult: there are only two buttons! You can also install it on foreign cars, if you find a suitable place. We believe that it is especially useful for cars that do not have a standard indication of any important parameter, for example, coolant temperature or engine speed.
The approximate price of 5670 rubles. The unusual-looking device fits perfectly into all cars with round ventilation system deflectors. Including the one where we tested it. There are other models designed for installation in the panel of Chevrolet Niva, GAZelle Business, UAZ Patriot, VAZ-2110. The functionality and the number of protocols supported by the onboard computer are the maximum for a particular vehicle. Devices of the C family have voice guidance, while the CL family does not. Indicates the temperature of the oil in automatic transmissions of some models. The firmware is updated when the on-board computer is connected to a stationary computer via a USB cable.	The approximate price is 5050 rubles. The device does not have an unusual-looking display - it was necessary to use a smartphone for testing. The device was placed under the panel, since it has nothing to do outside. And it’s good - it doesn’t make an eyesore. The information is displayed on the screen of a smartphone or tablet on an Android platform paired via Bluetooth. The program was downloaded from the manufacturer's website. Firmware update - via smartphone or laptop. I liked that the device saves the data of all trips, regardless of whether it is in touch with a mobile device or not. You can send the error log to the service station - also via a smartphone, although we did not check this. The downside is obvious: you need an additional gadget (smartphone).
The approximate price of 5510 rubles. Front panel or windshield mounted. The display is monochrome. This is primarily suitable for VAZ and UAZ, but in principle it is capable of connecting via OBD-II cable and with some foreign cars produced after 2001. Supports original diagnostic protocols of some models. To clarify compatibility, the site www.microline.ru will help	The approximate price is 3900 rubles. The place of manufacture of this device with a monochrome graphic display is Togliatti, and it is obvious that it is maximally adapted to VAZ cars. We installed it on the front panel, although it can be attached to the windshield as well. The instructions say that the device is compatible with control units of not only VAZ cars, but also GAZ cars, as well as foreign cars, but only according to the standard OBD-II protocol. The firmware is installed from an SD card. The device can separately calculate the parameters of the vehicle running on petrol and gas.

Our devices have a lot in common. In particular, they show:

• trip parameters: travel time, mileage, current and average speed, instant and average consumption, fuel remaining in the tank, ambient temperature, trip cost;
• current engine operating parameters: intake manifold pressure, fuel line pressure, injection duration, air pressure at the compressor outlet, mass air flow, oxygen sensor voltage, crankshaft speed, throttle position, gas pedal position, instantaneous fuel consumption, estimated engine load, coolant temperature;
• error parameters: ECU errors, reset and error recording;
• parking parameters (some devices turn their screen into a full-fledged parking sensor display).

And most of the devices have a voice warning about the output of the monitored parameters from the specified range.

It seemed to us that the most interesting option in the presented computer company is Multitronics MPC-800. Mainly because such a device with decent "brains" does not disfigure the interior of the car, since it hides somewhere inside, putting "representative" functions on the owner's smartphone. For many, this can be a decisive factor when choosing a device.

If you decide to purchase a trip computer, we advise you to consider the possibilities of its placement and connection. The version that we captured for fun in the title shot is not so unrealistic. Very often, various additional devices, instead of good, bring harm: they block, fall off due to flimsy fastening, and sometimes completely deprive the person of the opportunity to use the standard equipment of the machine. For example, deciding to purchase a nice round device that is placed instead of a deflector, do not forget that at the same time you will lose this deflector! Another example: in many cars (for example, the Logan family) the OBD connector to which such computers are connected is located in the middle of the glove box. The solution is not the best: it is inconvenient to drag the wiring harness to this connector. However, if you consider yourself a handyman, you will definitely find a convenient solution. Not sure - contact the installers: they will quickly explain what is what and how it will look. Separate advice for those whose vision is poor. Make sure the small display is readable when operating the machine. Otherwise, you will have to focus only on the voice prompts of the computer, which immediately changes the guidelines when choosing it. Bon voyage - and hello to computers!