Embedded car PC has intelligent PSU

The VoomPC-2 family of low-power high-performance car PCs is based on the small-form-factor Mini-ITX platform with an integrated battery management unit. The VoomPC family is ideally suited for navigation, productivity and entertainment with superior audio and video performance. The unit is equipped with an intelligent power supply eliminates battery drain and prevents damage from unwanted power surges, a key requirement for successful car PC designs.

The VoomPC-2 is now shipping, shattering the industry's low cost barrier with the barebones version starting at just $399.

The VoomPC-2 is an industry standard X86 computer that runs Linux or Windows, enabling easy integration of nonproprietary telematics and other best of breed applications.

Whether for serious applications such as security, rescue or delivery services or as an in-vehicle entertainment device, the VoomPC-2 opens the road for a wide range of peripherals and telematics functions such as GPS navigation, and communication, as well as audio and video applications.

The VoomPC-2 is based on the industry's de facto standard for small form factor and low power consumption: the feature-packed Mini-ITX motherboard sporting a 1.5GHz VIA C7 processor, rich I/O such as VGA, S-Video, USB2.0, FireWire, Ethernet, PCMCIA type I and type II CardBus interface for GPRS/Wi-Fi/ and smart 5+1 channel audio.

'Car PCs have always been a dream that has been fraught with a multitude of power challenges', says Andrei Bulucea, President of Mini-Box.

'The VoomPC platform has solved those issues in one, mass produced, low cost package'.

'Combined with the power and flexibility of running standard Linux or Windows operating systems, in-car computers are no longer limited to proprietary telematics applications, which means OEMs and system integrators can now provide best of breed applications regardless of the operating system or customer environment'.

Computers consume power, even when they are turned off, which can quickly run down a car battery, when the car itself is turned off.

The M1-ATX intelligent power supply for the VoomPC manages downtime battery use by using intelligent schemes for cutting off various functions at predetermined times and shutting the computer down completely when the car battery drops below 11.2V.

'Heat dissipation management is a very difficult task in car PC environments, the only way to control it is to use low power consuming CPUs', said Bulucea.

'Using VIA's C7 native x86 embedded processors, the total power consumption of the VoomPC ranges between 15 and 35W, consuming less than the dimmest car parking lights'.

The VoomPC-2 has been tested to work in extreme cold temperatures.

The motherboard and power supply used in the VoomPC-2 is capable to cold starting at temperatures as low as -40C and continuous operation in environments as high as +55C.