Boat PC.

[Allan]

After reading about the Raspberry Pi recently, I started thinking of building a PC for the boat. At home I have a couple of old laptop screens and a waterproof keyboard.
I would like a simple PC which uses the minimum power and can run a chartplotter program with a usb input from my AIS reciever. A bit of internet access for email and surfing via wifi would be good.
Any suggestions on if this is possible or what parts to use?
Allan

 

[prv]

I think you will struggle to use a laptop display. The connection to them is completely different to anything used for external monitors.

It uses an ARM processor (distant descendant of the old BBC school computers!) rather than Intel x86 as in PCs, so you will only be able to run software which has an ARM version. In practice that mostly means Linux as an operating system, and not all software for Linux will come ready-made for ARM so you will need to check.

It's not massively powerful. The makers say it's roughly equivalent to a 300MHz Pentium II, which is about 1998 vintage.

So overall, it's probably possible to make a workable chartplotter from it, but it's not going to be plug-and-play and it will probably take a certain amount of electronic and computing knowledge and tinkering to do what you want.

After all, the reason it was invented was to get children interested in electronic and computing knowledge and tinkering

Pete

 

[Allan]

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. It was just the other thread that got me thinking. The only things that restricts my choice of motherboard etc. are suitability and price. The Raspberry pi looks good for what it is but I think I need something a little more conventional. I've played with Linux quite like so would prefer to use that if possible, bearing in mind I'm not too software literate.
Allan

 

[Slycat]

Old cheap laptop

Umbuntu Linux (its very easy to install/work with)

Open CPN charting software

12v adapter for laptop I wired in a 12v car/ciggy socket and just plug laptop into that

 

[Jenaline IV]

Why not grab a Nano ITX board instead. More processing power and not expensive with the plus that you have more freedom with OS and applications. Making a watertight box with heatpipes and heatsinks wouldn't be too difficult either.

 

[idpnd]

I use an ITX board with nvidia (ion) chip for playing HD films but mainly navigation via ubuntu/opencpn with ais, see screenshot. No fan/hdd (runs on sdcard) - no moving parts - doesnt really use any lecky at all. For a monitor I use a small 12v one at the helm (ebay eur 100), and a large LED backlit monitor at the navstation (via inverter, but there are some 12v ones).

Having said that the easiest way to get a working low power pc is buying a cheap netbook (ideally solid state, i.e. no fan/hdd, I think dell's are like that).

Re: rasperry pi, some geeks are at work to have opencpn running on arm - http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f134/opencpn-runs-on-embedded-arm-74082.html

 

[maby]

...
It uses an ARM processor (distant descendant of the old BBC school computers!) rather than Intel x86 as in PCs, so you will only be able to run software which has an ARM version. In practice that mostly means Linux as an operating system, and not all software for Linux will come ready-made for ARM so you will need to check.

...

Pete

There is a Windows for ARM in the pipeline, but it will require a lot of cooperation from the hardware manufacturers to bring it up on their particular machines since there is no standardisation of the platform in the way there is for Intel PCs

 

[GrahamM376]

I would like a simple PC which uses the minimum power and can run a chartplotter program with a usb input from my AIS reciever. A bit of internet access for email and surfing via wifi would be good.
Any suggestions on if this is possible or what parts to use?
Allan

For minimum power consumption a netbook is the way to go. We used to use HP Pavillion 17" laptop but when that packed up due to overheat replaced with an Asus Eee. Hell of a difference in power consumption meaning we can have it running all day. Does everything we need and to watch films we just plug into LCD TV as monitor.

 

[prv]

There is a Windows for ARM in the pipeline, but it will require a lot of cooperation from the hardware manufacturers

Yep, and the Raspberry Pi folks say they have no plans to do so.

The stated aim is to get kids interested in programming and understanding how computers work, rather than teaching them how to drive Windows and Office as the current "IT" curriculum does.

Pete

 

[ianj99]

After reading about the Raspberry Pi recently, I started thinking of building a PC for the boat. At home I have a couple of old laptop screens and a waterproof keyboard.
I would like a simple PC which uses the minimum power and can run a chartplotter program with a usb input from my AIS reciever. A bit of internet access for email and surfing via wifi would be good.
Any suggestions on if this is possible or what parts to use?
Allan

I use a refurbished Acer One notebook connected to a old Relisys 17" tv/monitor. I chose this because it runs off 12v and the notebook supports dual display use. I removed the tv tuner, speaker and casing and then mounted it on a swivel arm over the chart table. (so I can see it through the wheelhouse aft window as well)

The notebook runs Belfield Chartplotter, PolarNavy's Polarview and Polarcom and Navmonpc. Internet is via a wifi usb dongle on an extension cable.
Power consumption of the whole lot, including nav instruments is about 6.5amps, which drops by 3 amps if the monitor is dispensed with.

Forget about using standard PC components - the power consumption is way too high. Cheap refurb laptop is the way to go with or without external monitor. Ideally a 15" monitor would do me but unfortunately finding a one with 12v DC power input is difficult as even the led ones have built in mains psu.

 

[Allan]

Many thanks for the input. I am thinking of something like the ITX unit mentioned above. I think there are a few different types and my problem is which to choose? My idea of using the old laptop screens was that they should be power frugal and are free, although that sounds more difficult.
I really can't afford 6.5amps.
Is there somewhere I can read up on this type of project?
Allan

 

[greenalien]

I am thinking of something like the ITX unit mentioned above

There are a good number of low-power ITX boards available with integrated processer and on-board graphics. Various good suppliers, including
http://www.mini-itx.com/store/
http://www.itx-warehouse.co.uk/ - and I'm sure Google would turn up lots more. Add a solid-state HDD and you can put together a silent, fanless computer that uses under 5 amps.

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the Raspberry Pi, interesting and capable though they are - unless you got one of the initial release, you won't get one until May, at the earliest.

 

[NickRobinson]

Inverters maligned?

Hi-
My on board pc has been a series of elderly laptops.

Current one is a ACER for which I bought a direct 12v Belkin charger as the advice here universally pans inverters as power hungry. (12 to 240 to 19 or whatever)

I've run the setup via an AVO meter both direct 12v charger and laptop mains power supply via a 150 watt ALDI inverter and get equal results however.

When Windows show the internal lappy battery is charging, c. 5A. After it shows 100% (or if you use the laptop with the battery removed, not 'killed one yet), c. 2A

Now all I need to do is sort out the serial cable for the 'new' boat's Garmin 128

Nick (Rivendell)

 

[Allan]

There are a good number of low-power ITX boards available with integrated processer and on-board graphics. Various good suppliers, including
http://www.mini-itx.com/store/
http://www.itx-warehouse.co.uk/ - and I'm sure Google would turn up lots more. Add a solid-state HDD and you can put together a silent, fanless computer that uses under 5 amps.

I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for the Raspberry Pi, interesting and capable though they are - unless you got one of the initial release, you won't get one until May, at the earliest.

As I said before, I realise the Raspberry is not for me. Are there any alternatives to the ITX? I've found in the past that adding RAM can help with the speed so some sort of expansion would be good. I'm also finding it difficult to sort out which is the best chip to look for.
Allan

 

[Wunja]

Allan, the few times I have seen laptop monitors, they have had a ribbon cable, with almost certainly proprietary connectivity. I'm not sure how you would link this to the video driver on the mother board.

I have just built an old pent II laptop as an on-board device. Using Puppy Linux allows Open CPN to run in the meagre 128mb memory. Will probably buy another memory chip to double the capacity.

 

[greenalien]

Are there any alternatives to the ITX? I've found in the past that adding RAM can help with the speed so some sort of expansion would be good. I'm also finding it difficult to sort out which is the best chip to look for.

There are a lot of different ITX boards available - as they get more expensive, so they get faster and more power-hungry. As far as I know, all ITX boards will take at least 4GB of Ram, more than enough. The advantage of going this route compared with using a laptop is that the ITX board (with processor, RAM and graphics chip) can be cased up with a solid-state hard drive and kept somewhere dry, with just the keyboard, mouse/trackball and screen 'out in the open'.

There are other 'nettop' PCs available, like this :
http://www.ebuyer.com/279899-acer-aspire-revo-r3700-nettop-pt-semec-037?ref=ga&tmcampid=6&tmad=c&gclid=CLKs6vrK0q4CFeMmtAodZXJ5_g which also look suitable, if you don't want a custom solution.

 

[Conachair]

quite a bit of useful info on this thread..
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292665

I went via epia 5000 route which works OK but graphics slow with opencpn. Will try a raspberry pi if I can get hold of one.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

There is a Windows for ARM in the pipeline, but it will require a lot of cooperation from the hardware manufacturers to bring it up on their particular machines since there is no standardisation of the platform in the way there is for Intel PCs

It's been around for years - Windows Mobile is for mobile phones running on ARM processors.

 

[Allan]

I'm still at the stage of deciding things like the processor speed and type. Once I've xorted that I can move on to PSU and HDD etc.
Allan

 

[thalassa]

Alchemist has a (then already three years old) 400 Mhz ITX running on 12 V and Win 2K for five years (...ebay...), and it has been an amazing little machine. It is fanless and is located under the charttable, where it gets rather hot in summer, and then the video card starts to play up sometimes.I'm looking to replace it now. I've bought SWMBO a 'nettop' as a desktop, and it cost us just under 200 EUR.
It is in fact a fast notebook sans screen but with six USB ports. http://be.msi.com/product/desktop/Wind-Box-DC100.html . You can run it on a step-up adapter off the battery. In theory, with a DIY bracket, you can mount it in the boat with one bolt. It has a small fan, but it is quiet.