In Car MP3 Player.
Page 2

panel wired up and running
Song title scrolls across the top, Spectrum Analyser in the middle. Bottom left is the remaining time [countdown] then track [no 3 of 74 in this case] and I have replaced the volume with the time on the right.

Panel with dash section [I will modify this a bit] the top switch
on the right is the backlight on / off, the top dial is the contrast, the bottom dial is the variable backlight.


The panel is now black and it has the numlock button, the enter button and the
track forward/reverse and fast forward/reverse momentary toggle switch.
I am going to add 10 more buttons along the bottom, then the search functions will work.


This is the more or less finished module [without other buttons]
The only driver boards are the small one on the left [keyboard] and the one
with the big heatsink on the right [12v to 5v power supply for the panel] under the
main panel is a small cube the size of a dice that is the backlight driver.



Here is the more or less finished installed panel.
Just need to redo the surround and put my other button pack in.



Well, I know this looks messy, but I am going to bundle the cables.
It is real conveinient to be able to just reach under the passenger seat and
grab a laptop to do whatever you want. It even plays VCD's with great sound.



Here is the AMP, and yes it is not quite finished and has messy cables. They will of course
be bundled and the power run separately from the signal.
Just trying to figure out what I am going to do with the carpet?
Under the amp and you can't get to the spare wheel, over and there is a bit lump.



Not too bad an install, doesn't look out of place, I am pretty happy with the way it works.




OK, next part of the project is to pretty up the display LCD section.
I found a FANTASTIC site with instructions on how to build a servo control board.
So, guess what I am doing now :-)
This is the tray that sits bellow the cup holder. I had removed this section to include the LCD.



First step was to cut the top off the tray to gain access to the inside.



OK, here are all the parts necessary for the job, without the servo linkages.



Here we have the finished module [ without the LCD in the panel ] in the up position.
I am also yet to put the door on the enclosure. I think it will hinge down on the lower edge of the tray
and be sprung so that it returns bu itself. The other option is that I can use another servo to open and close the door.



Here you can see the panel in the out position, nicely angled so that it is more visible.
Now I need to build the servo driver board and stuff, and I mean STUFF, the panel and the control buttons
into the fold out panel. I also need to find room for the servo control board and power supply for the LCD.
The interconnect to the panel is going to be a ribbon cable on the upper left of this panel.



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