Windows tablet multidisplay

[turbodailydan]

I was playing with this a while back and gave up trying to get it to work. I got as far as buying a cheap windows tablet and connecting it to the Ecu, installing the software and testing it, however couldn't suss out how to get it to charge from the ecu via the USB, or how to get the tablet to power up and down with ignition on/off. My ecu is a v88 plugin. Am I wasting my time? 

 

A guy on Facebook recently had a tablet installed to his G4+ to do the above but not sure how this was achieved? 

thanks dan 

[Simon]

From the ECU we do not supply power out of the USB so to have the tablet charging it would need either a dedicated power input (not USB) or the use of a adapter cable to allow one connection for power and the other for the data.

[turbodailydan]

Ok that's not a problem I can get a twin USB laptop and use an adaptor for the charging, the main concern is getting it to turn on and off with ignition. I'm guessing this can be done via changing the settings on windows? Was looking through threads on here where people have done it but no mention on whether they have to manually turn it on/off or get it to operate with ignition 

[Adamw]

Ok that's not a problem I can get a twin USB laptop and use an adaptor for the charging, the main concern is getting it to turn on and off with ignition. I'm guessing this can be done via changing the settings on windows? Was looking through threads on here where people have done it but no mention on whether they have to manually turn it on/off or get it to operate with ignition 

I suspect there will be some application or script avaiable the can wake/suspend the PC based on USB activity.  I would probably try asking on one of the "Car PC" forums, as it is probably something they need to work with often.

[josey]

i had tablet in my car, it was pain in the ...

Get your power supply for tablet to car Ign

if you need 12 to 5v charger, just get it from ebay for few $

getting it i off is not problem,

just set windows to go to hibernate  after 1 minute without external power (dont get it to sleep if you dont drive your car for long periods, it will drain your car battery )

 

turn it on when external power gets back can be tricky, that is BIOS job, so if you dont have option "power on after power failure" or "power on on AC" or similar, forget it.

And usually cheap windows models dont have that option in bios.

that is my experience, yours can be different

regards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[turbodailydan]

Thanks for the info. Regarding the type of windows, is there one in particular to look for that will have them options for the powering up?

[josey]

its not windows option, its BIOS option.

its "program" tthat runs when computer / tablet boot during black screen just at the moment you turn on device (computer or tablet or ...)

after that device reads boot sector and starts boot from it, and depending on the installed OS you boot to win xp, win 7, win 10 ... (or linux, android...)

here, this is in my car

 

[lekonna]

i got this same thing going on with my car currently. the problem is that once the device (Tablet) is in the host mode it will not charge through the same port. however it should be possible to just open the device and depeding on the battery, either remove it completely and just wire the device directly to +5v from a power source or then bypass the power feed from the battery if the power ic is expecting some digital hand shakes with the battery to allow the device to boot up.

Frankly i've been too lazy to progress this much further. for replacing the dash, even with the usb connectivity the dash is too laggy to be actually usable when comparing to the actual dash. 

I got as far as setting the display setup with vipec starting automatically on full screen mode and connecting to the ecu automatically. with modifying an on screen keyboard it would be possible to add buttons for "start logging" and "change display" type of buttons that would be on top of the screen.

[josey]

there is cable on ebay that enables you to charge device and use usb port at same time, because opening device and connecting it directly to 5v on battery leads is not good idea i think. Batteries are 3v or so (3.6v if i recall)

 

 

[turbodailydan]

its not windows option, its BIOS option.

its "program" tthat runs when computer / tablet boot during black screen just at the moment you turn on device (computer or tablet or ...)

after that device reads boot sector and starts boot from it, and depending on the installed OS you boot to win xp, win 7, win 10 ... (or linux, android...)

here, this is in my car

 

 

So how will I know which tablets have bios? 

im going to purchase a tablet but struggling to find one that has 2 USB ports AND 7" screen. Might have to get a single USB and then use an adaptor, I've seen ones that have 1 micro usb female and 2 normal size USB female ports, not sure wether connecting these into one single USB port on the tablet will allow for charging and comms together? (I was under the impression that a single USB port can transfer data and charge from more than one input source on a single port?)

 

[Adamw]

So how will I know which tablets have bios? \

All will have a BIOS or the modern equivalent UEFI, the problem is you wont know if that BIOS has the needed "power failure" option in it until you actually had a tablet you can boot up and play with.

 

im going to purchase a tablet but struggling to find one that has 2 USB ports AND 7" screen. Might have to get a single USB and then use an adaptor, I've seen ones that have 1 micro usb female and 2 normal size USB female ports, not sure wether connecting these into one single USB port on the tablet will allow for charging and comms together? (I was under the impression that a single USB port can transfer data and charge from more than one input source on a single port?)

There are special adapters for some name brand tablets that allow charge/data at the same time, but just any old "USB hub" wont work.  One example: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/2014-new-Tablet-pc-usb-otg-charge-hub-for-thinkpad-8-X98-VivoTab-note8-M80ta-WT/2040501550.html

The problem is that USB was originally only designed to provide 0.5A current, most modern tablets however need more than this.  So they use one of the USB "fast charge" standards that provide say 1 or 2A.  For these chargers to work though the tablet needs to send some sort of "handshake" to the charger to tell it that it is capable of taking 2A.  So no USB data can be sent through the same port as the power is  supplied because the datalines are needed for the "handshake" signal.

[josey]

problem is in controller inside tablet

it is supposed to give power to external device

or, to receive power for battery,

and it is not designed to do both at same time.

 

so what you need is OTG and charging at same time "cable" and that will not work on all tablets.

 

best thing is to find tablet that have separate charge port and usb port.

or two usb ports.

 

 

 

[turbodailydan]

I've been looking for a windows tab with x2 USB ports with a 7" screen but no luck.. (needs to be around 7" to fit into the factory centre console). Has anyone got any links to someone who makes one with 7" screen and x2 USB?  

[josey]

7" seems small.

can you double check, because in 8" there is tonn of options, and in 7" none

 

[MagicMike]

I am in the process of doing something with a PIPO X8. It has no battery, and changing the BIOS bricks the unit, so it will need to be powered on manually each time, but that is something I am willing to work with.

 

It is exactly 2din screen size, but the unit itself is a weird shape.

[MagicMike]

Just a follow up to the above. I stupidly fried the original unit with reversed power. Got a new one and out of the box, the new one starts with power applied. Bonus!

[andybp]

I've gone with a 10" win 10 tablet took the back off and connected an external button to the power switch

 

 

 

[MagicMike]

Pretty much finished. First startup in car vid at the link below.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/p73ni3uusoj6t7m/car pc dash small.mp4?dl=0

 

[paulr33]

Do you have to use a tablet? CHeck out the thread my lekonna on doing a DIY CANBUS display, then you can write your own like I did for my evo lancer CANBUS DISPLAY 

[Landsworks]

So can an Android tablet be used or only windows? I am looking at fitting something in my winch truck and this would be cool. 

[Simon]

Has to be windows to run PC link 

[Funkyflynz]

anyone have an update on what tablets are currently are good option, finding something is doing my head in lol.

 

It would be great if someone with a tablet using the tuning cable could make a video showing what they have to do each time they start the car, i.e. do you have to turn the tablet on, then start the application, then wait 30sec for the application to sync?  Just looking to get an idea of whats involved and the time it takes.

[paulr33]

Plex usdm 102 and be done with it, no need for any displays or tricks. Just raw CAN and fully customisable. I did a thread on it the Vipec section 

 

[Funkyflynz]

2 hours ago, paulr33 said:

Plex usdm 102 and be done with it, no need for any displays or tricks. Just raw CAN and fully customisable. I did a thread on it the Vipec section 

 

Thanks, but im not looking to spend that kind of money, maybe one day further down the track but right now im cash strapped.  So a cheap $150 tablet is what im looking at

[josey]

11 hours ago, Funkyflynz said:

anyone have an update on what tablets are currently are good option, finding something is doing my head in lol.

 

It would be great if someone with a tablet using the tuning cable could make a video showing what they have to do each time they start the car, i.e. do you have to turn the tablet on, then start the application, then wait 30sec for the application to sync?  Just looking to get an idea of whats involved and the time it takes.

In theory any windows tablet, even cheap will work, but how good