Open design car computer

Open design car computer is an area for developing, documenting, sharing, and improving openly designed computers intended for use in automobiles and other vehicles. A car computer can provide entertainment, navigation, diagnostics, communication, vehicle information, cameras, local computing, and other functions.

Older car-computer concepts often focused on relatively simple hardware requirements such as a small processor, a few gigabytes of memory, local storage, Bluetooth, and audio playback. Modern computing hardware makes considerably more possible.

An open design car computer could now be a modular platform that combines open hardware, open source software, vehicle networking, audio, displays, sensors, wireless communication, and general-purpose computing.

The goal does not have to be to control the vehicle itself. A useful open car computer can remain separate from safety-critical systems while still providing access to information, entertainment, diagnostics, navigation, and experimentation. This area is about an open design car computer. This is a project that may develop more quickly.

Possible functions

A modern car computer could potentially provide:

Music and audio playback Internet radio Navigation Vehicle diagnostics Bluetooth audio Hands-free communication Wi-Fi GPS Backup cameras Dash cameras

Vehicle sensor displays Data logging Local media storage Voice interfaces Offline maps Local artificial intelligence Home automation integration Mobile-device integration Maintenance information Research and development tools

The exact features should depend on the purpose of the system.

A simple open car computer may only provide music, navigation, and diagnostics. A more advanced system could function as a complete vehicle computing platform.

Hardware

There is no longer much reason to define a car computer by requirements such as a 1.5 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, or 32 GB of storage.

Modern inexpensive single-board computers can significantly exceed those specifications.

A contemporary platform might use:

• ARM or x86 processor
• 4 GB to 16 GB or more of RAM
• Solid-state storage
• Wi-Fi
• Bluetooth
• USB
• Ethernet
• GPS
• Audio interfaces
• Camera interfaces
• GPIO
• CAN bus interfaces

A Raspberry Pi or similar single-board computer can provide enough performance for many experimental systems. More demanding applications could use an industrial computer, mini PC, automotive system-on-chip, or custom open hardware.

Hardware selection should consider more than performance.

A vehicle environment can involve heat, cold, vibration, electrical noise, sudden loss of power, and voltage changes.

A computer that works well on a desk is not automatically suitable for permanent installation in a car.

Power system

Vehicle power requires careful design.

A nominal 12-volt automotive electrical system does not provide perfectly stable 12-volt power.

Voltage can vary during engine starting, charging, and electrical disturbances.

A car computer should generally use a power supply designed to tolerate automotive conditions.

Useful features can include:

• Voltage regulation
• Overvoltage protection
• Reverse-polarity protection
• Fuse protection
• Controlled shutdown
• Low-voltage cutoff
• Ignition sensing
• Delayed shutdown
• Surge protection

A controlled shutdown system can allow the computer to detect when the vehicle is turned off, complete disk writes, and shut down correctly.

The system could also enter a low-power sleep state instead of completely turning off.

Vehicle networks

Modern vehicles contain many computers called electronic control units or ECUs.

These computers communicate over vehicle networks.

One of the most common technologies is the CAN bus.

CAN can carry information involving engine operation, transmission status, steering, braking, climate control, doors, lighting, instrument clusters, and many other systems.

Vehicles may also provide diagnostic access through OBD-II.

An open car computer could read appropriate diagnostic data and display information such as:

• Diagnostic trouble codes
• Engine speed
• Vehicle speed
• Coolant temperature
• Fuel information
• Sensor measurements

Vehicle network access needs to be treated carefully.

Reading diagnostic information is substantially different from transmitting commands onto networks that contain safety-critical systems.

An experimental infotainment computer should ideally be isolated from critical vehicle control functions.

Displays and user interfaces

A car computer may use a touchscreen, physical controls, voice commands, steering-wheel controls, or combinations of these.

Possible displays include:

• LCD
• OLED
• Open LCD
• Open e-ink
• Instrument cluster displays
• Head-up displays

Automotive interfaces should minimize unnecessary driver distraction.

Large buttons, simple layouts, readable text, and limited interaction while the vehicle is moving may be more useful than reproducing a desktop computer interface on a dashboard.

Physical controls can also remain useful.

A volume knob can sometimes be operated more easily without looking at the display than a touchscreen control.

Audio

Audio remains one of the most basic uses of a car computer.

The system could connect to an existing car amplifier or speakers.

Audio sources could include:

Local music Podcasts Internet radio Audiobooks Navigation instructions

Bluetooth devices USB storage Streaming services Voice communication Local network media

An open platform could allow users to choose software and services instead of depending entirely on a proprietary infotainment system.

The audio hardware could also be modular so that the computer can work with factory sound systems or aftermarket equipment.

Cameras

Modern computing hardware makes multiple cameras relatively inexpensive to integrate.

Possible applications include:

• Reversing camera
• Front camera
• Dash camera
• Side cameras
• Parking assistance
• Recording research data

Computer vision could also be studied experimentally.

However, a hobby or research computer vision system should not automatically be treated as a replacement for certified vehicle safety systems.

A system that displays a camera image is much simpler than one expected to make reliable safety-critical driving decisions.

Software

An open car computer could run Linux or another open operating system.

Software components might include:

• Media player
• Navigation software
• Bluetooth services
• Vehicle diagnostics
• Camera software
• Voice interface
• Web browser
• Local database
• Data logging
• Vehicle dashboard software

One important existing project is Automotive Grade Linux (AGL), a Linux Foundation project developing an open-source software platform for automotive applications.

AGL has worked on areas including infotainment, instrument clusters, telematics, vehicle networking, connected vehicles, and software-defined vehicle architectures.

A small experimental car computer does not need the complexity of a complete automotive platform, but projects such as AGL provide useful examples of how open automotive software can be organized.

Local artificial intelligence

A sufficiently powerful car computer could also run local artificial intelligence systems.

Possible uses could include:

• Voice control
• Speech recognition
• Text-to-speech
• Searching vehicle documentation
• Explaining diagnostic trouble codes
• Organizing maintenance information
• Summarizing recorded vehicle data
• Natural-language control of media or navigation

Local processing can reduce dependence on an Internet connection.

For example, a driver could ask the vehicle computer to locate information from an offline repair manual or explain a dashboard warning without transmitting the entire request to a remote server.

Any AI system used in a vehicle should still be treated as an information tool rather than an unquestioned authority.

Modularity

An open design car computer should ideally be modular.

Possible modules could include:

Main computer Display Audio interface CAN interface GPS Cellular modem Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

Cameras Storage Power supply Microphone Speakers Sensors Physical controls

A modular design allows one component to be upgraded without replacing the entire system.

This can also make repair easier.

A broken display should not necessarily require replacing the main computer. A newer computer should not necessarily require replacing the audio system.

Privacy and user control

Modern vehicles can generate large amounts of data.

An open car computer can give the owner greater control over where that information is stored and transmitted.

A privacy-oriented system could keep information such as location history, diagnostic data, camera recordings, and voice interactions entirely local unless the user intentionally shares it.

The software should make network activity understandable.

Users should be able to determine which services communicate with external servers and disable unnecessary connections.

Open-source software can make this easier to study, although openness alone does not guarantee privacy or security.

Security

A network-connected computer installed in a vehicle must be designed with security in mind.

Important practices can include:

• Keeping software updated
• Disabling unnecessary network services
• Restricting remote access
• Using encrypted connections
• Separating infotainment networks from vehicle control networks
• Protecting administrator access
• Recording security-relevant events
• Avoiding unnecessary exposure of CAN bus interfaces

A computer that controls music does not need unrestricted ability to send messages to braking or steering systems.

Separation between systems can reduce the consequences of software bugs or unauthorized access.

Open design and repairability

An open car computer could publish:

• Circuit diagrams
• CAD files
• Enclosure designs
• Wiring diagrams
• Bills of materials
• Software source code
• Installation instructions
• Connector specifications
• Configuration files
• Repair documentation

This would allow people to reproduce, repair, modify, and improve the system.

A long-term design goal could be to create a car computer that remains usable after the original hardware manufacturer stops supporting it.

Standard connectors and replaceable modules could make this considerably easier.

Learning and research activities

Possible projects include:

• Build a basic Raspberry Pi car computer.
• Connect a computer to an OBD-II adapter and display diagnostic data.
• Create an offline navigation system.
• Design a safe automotive power supply.
• Build an audio interface for factory car speakers.
• Create a touchscreen dashboard.
• Compare touchscreen and physical vehicle controls.
• Log vehicle sensor information and analyze it later.
• Study CAN bus communication using a test bench rather than a moving vehicle.
• Develop a local voice assistant for vehicle functions.
• Measure the power consumption of the computer while active and sleeping.
• Design a modular enclosure that can be manufactured with 3D printing.

Discussion questions, essay ideas, and learning related AI prompt ideas

• What should an open car computer be able to do?
• Which vehicle functions should remain isolated from a general-purpose computer?
• How can an open car computer remain useful for ten or twenty years?
• Should vehicle infotainment systems be replaceable like conventional computers?
• What advantages does Linux provide for automotive computing?
• How can automotive computers protect user privacy?
• What vehicle information should be stored locally?
• How could an open car computer support vehicle repair?
• What features should continue working without Internet access?
• How can modular hardware reduce electronic waste?
• What is the difference between OBD-II and CAN bus communication?
• How can car-computer interfaces minimize driver distraction?
• Ask an AI system to design a modular open car computer using currently available hardware.
• Ask an AI system to compare Raspberry Pi hardware with an automotive-grade computer for this purpose.
• Design a research project for measuring the reliability of a single-board computer under automotive temperature and vibration conditions.
• Develop a security model that isolates an infotainment computer from safety-critical vehicle systems.

Wikipedia readings

• Carputer
• Vehicle bus
• CAN bus
• On-board diagnostics
• Infotainment
• Automotive navigation system
• Electronic control unit
• Telematics
• Advanced driver-assistance system
• Raspberry Pi
• Linux
• Software-defined vehicle

External readings

• Automotive Grade Linux
• Automotive Grade Linux documentation
• Raspberry Pi 5

See also

Open design Open design car Open design computer Open design chip Open hardware Open source Car computer Automotive electronics CAN bus OBD-II

Linux Raspberry Pi Bluetooth GPS Computer security Internet privacy Artificial intelligence Open LCD Open e-ink Right to repair