The MB Carputer Project
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 245
Likes: 11
From: Los Angeles
1997 E420
The MB Carputer Project
Hey all,
I'm currently working on adding a "carputer" or "CarPC" to my w210. It's a tiny (17cm X 17xm), low power, fanless motherboard with an 8" touchscreen LCD monitor. I have a special "smart" power supply that will sequence the startup, sleep/hibernation and shutdown with the car ignition.
What I'm trying to sort out is how to interface it with the Bose sound system. I basically have low level analog 5.1 sound outputs (2 channels each on those little mini headphone style jacks) or I can use a coaxial digital output. Can I wire up the analog outputs directly to the bose system? I can't tell from searching through posts if the bose amps take low level signals from most headunits. It sounds like a lot of people are wiring speaker level outputs to the bose?
Any advice or even speculation would be appreciated.
P.S. Pic of the system under construction attached. Eventually the screen is going to be molded into the dash. I may set it up to look like a Comand installation or I might actually move my AC/heater controls down to where my cubby is right now. Also might relocate the hazard and other switches up top so that the screen is way up high by the vents.
I'm currently working on adding a "carputer" or "CarPC" to my w210. It's a tiny (17cm X 17xm), low power, fanless motherboard with an 8" touchscreen LCD monitor. I have a special "smart" power supply that will sequence the startup, sleep/hibernation and shutdown with the car ignition.
What I'm trying to sort out is how to interface it with the Bose sound system. I basically have low level analog 5.1 sound outputs (2 channels each on those little mini headphone style jacks) or I can use a coaxial digital output. Can I wire up the analog outputs directly to the bose system? I can't tell from searching through posts if the bose amps take low level signals from most headunits. It sounds like a lot of people are wiring speaker level outputs to the bose?
Any advice or even speculation would be appreciated.
P.S. Pic of the system under construction attached. Eventually the screen is going to be molded into the dash. I may set it up to look like a Comand installation or I might actually move my AC/heater controls down to where my cubby is right now. Also might relocate the hazard and other switches up top so that the screen is way up high by the vents.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 245
Likes: 11
From: Los Angeles
1997 E420
I'm basically going to do something like this for mounting, but I intend for it to look more factory finished...
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/fabr...8-install.html
But anyway, the question is about interfacing the computer level sound outputs with the bose sound system in the w210 as per my original post.
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/fabr...8-install.html
But anyway, the question is about interfacing the computer level sound outputs with the bose sound system in the w210 as per my original post.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 245
Likes: 11
From: Los Angeles
1997 E420
Basically the same question posted on mp3car.com -- but never fully answered...
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/newb...s-c-class.html
I want to get rid of my head unit too. Seems silly to keep it just to convert the sound to something the bose amps can use. I'll unfortunately think about changing out the bose system before I do that, but that seems extreme as well.
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/newb...s-c-class.html
I want to get rid of my head unit too. Seems silly to keep it just to convert the sound to something the bose amps can use. I'll unfortunately think about changing out the bose system before I do that, but that seems extreme as well.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 245
Likes: 11
From: Los Angeles
1997 E420
It works! I figured it couldn't hurt anything to try the computer sound output, so the carputer is wired up to the harness and I have great sound without anything in between. I bought a wiring harness with RCA connections for each speaker and right now I have fronts going into one Y adapter (to a single headphone type stereo jack) and back going into another Y. Then, both headphone style Y's go into another headphone Y and into the computer. Not very pretty but it works well for now.
I have 5.1+ channel surround sound on board so I'll eventually split it up a bit more, perhaps with a center channel speaker built into the console and a subwoofer. It might be tricky to make optimal use of the built in Bose subwoofers, however, if I want to use the 5.1 surround to directly drive a new amp and subwoofer. If I set it up this way, the computer might not be sending much meaningful bass to the existing Bose subs. Hopefully there will be settings to allow me to send all the bass into existing 4 channels PLUS the new subwoofer channel.
Anyway, just wanted to post an update to keep seeing this thread through for anyone else who might be looking for this info in the future.
I have 5.1+ channel surround sound on board so I'll eventually split it up a bit more, perhaps with a center channel speaker built into the console and a subwoofer. It might be tricky to make optimal use of the built in Bose subwoofers, however, if I want to use the 5.1 surround to directly drive a new amp and subwoofer. If I set it up this way, the computer might not be sending much meaningful bass to the existing Bose subs. Hopefully there will be settings to allow me to send all the bass into existing 4 channels PLUS the new subwoofer channel.
Anyway, just wanted to post an update to keep seeing this thread through for anyone else who might be looking for this info in the future.
Last edited by CA_Tallguy; Nov 29, 2007 at 09:06 PM.
