Hello Community. I have an idea buzzing around in the back of my head to use my L5 as a hidden onboard entertainment system in a very low tech small car. From a lot of time spent reading here i’m aware that the L5 processor is already used by major car manufacturers as part of their OEM ICE systems hence the L5 supply shortage after Evergiven. Maps, Phone calls, Music player, Browser & terminal would be my 5 must haves. SMS, MMS are not a requirement which would eliminate any issues the modem may have with loss of 3G in Ireland. Wifi/Bluetooth also would not be required as my thoughts are simply to throw a long RJ45 patch lead out of my house window if upgrades are required, or to use mobile data whichever suits. SO L5 hooked to a large power bank via DC buck converter & relay linked to car battery, Eliminates overnight/idle car battery drain. USB hub also connected with Male/Female extensions to panel mounted front outlets for various USB/RJ45 connections. Double DIN touchscreen via HDMI from hub as front facing interface.
It is all doable in my head. Any Pro’s/Con’s i am not considering here. 3.5mm headphone outlet will hook to incar amplifier(active amp with own its own 12v battery wired off car altenator with a relay to prevent main battery drain with ignition key off)system to drive a hefty set of speakers/bass box. The more i type the more im convinced but i would like your thoughts on it. I have pretty much all the bits required except for the touchscreen (this may kill my idea, touchscreen to L5 comms). What in my eagerness am i overlooking? Possible GPS/Signal failure from metal encasement etc. Provision of speaker/mic for calls vying with amp connection etc.
- Ventilation for thermal management
- Phone mount
- HDMI hub placement
- Cable routing
- Software configuration
- Supported telecommunication cellular bands
- Music player connectivity requirements (online or offline)
As an example, I use Shortwave for Internet radio, but otherwise I use Lollypop for my local music libraries.
- Preferred web browser and terminal
I am partial to Firefox ESR and its variants:
Ptyxis has a great terminal experience:
Some replies
I built and operate a good 3d printer and have autocad qualifications and can also use Fusion 360 for my own designs.
- Ventilation for thermal management
12v fans Fixed in 3D printed holder in the void space the traditional car stereo would take up.
NTC Refrigeration panelmount controller with relay. Plan B - duct cold air from existing car ventilation system with tie in to phone’s inbuilt temperature readings. - Phone mount
As above, ample space. - HDMI hub placement
As above, ample space. - Cable routing
I can do this in my sleep - Electrician, Auto electrician not a problem( Have stripped wiring looms and transferred engines from car’s to buggies, RV wiring etc, no issue) - Software configuration
I will fall down there - this i know and would have to ask for help to strip down the OS/Modify it. I’m not a coder, but a builder/installer.
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Music from phone memory/shortwave which i know work no problem.
Not travelling globally - E1 modem works for calls/data in my area.
Both existing in phone browsers ( why reinvent the wheel)
Also as above for terminal.
Doc Brown might come back in his delorean if he sees so much dashboard bling going on lol.
With the understanding that the Librem 5 has no ethernet capability, so you would need an ethernet USB dongle. (This definitely works.)
Upgrades are definitely required. They are happening all the time and I would not be comfortable having an unupdated device on the network.
So, yes, you probably want to use mobile data periodically in order to pick up updates, if you don’t want to use WiFi or WiFi is not practical.
With the understanding that I saw you said that the car is “very low tech” but some cars have two USB ports - one that is powered directly from the battery and hence which works 24x7 but drains the battery - and one that is only powered when the car is “on” (although the exact meaning of “on” may vary) which in typical use serves to ensure that there is no battery drain.
That can be tricky. As far as I know, you can’t use a touchscreen with HDMI period - so you would need the touchscreen also to have a USB port. I think the cleanest option would be a touchscreen display that takes USB-C input for video (so that video going out and touch events coming in to the phone can all be handled over USB-C). This may avoid a dock (USB hub).
I have tested both of these scenarios with Linux and I think I have tested both with the Librem 5 - and achieved basic connectivity.
Of all the phones on the market, the L5 is IMHO the best candidate for purchasing appropriately-tuned antennae for WiFi/Bluetooth/cellular/GPS as you could adapt the U.FL connectors to e.g. SMA and mounting the antennae in the vehicle for best reception. But, of course, an RJ45-USBC adapter would give you a wired connection very easily.
It may be easier to configure a nut-server on the L5. Treat the car battery as a UPS and have it shut down automatically based on some configured threshold. Here’s a related ServerFault scenario.
You may also consider a motorized single-DIN touchscreen panel so you could perhaps convert a 1U computer bay (5.75"w x 1"h x 7"d) to single-DIN (7"w x 2"h x 6.75"d) and put whatever you want there, such as a flush-mounted multi-card reader or USB hub. Might look nicer.
Yes the i.MX8M is used in a wide variety of automotive, commercial, and industrial environments. The rest of the PCB, however, is not rated for automotive/industrial applications. You’ll most definitely have thermal throttling without any ambient airflow. Expect slower performance and reduced lifespan, but it may work. Consider an industrial-grade micro SD card, if you need one at all. Perhaps consider creating your own case or making significant modifications to e.g. mount heat pipes to the frame of the L5 (its heatsink, basically). A small computer fan greatly helps heat dissipation in general, so it would be important if you were permanently mounting the L5 in your vehicle.
The rest is all software. It’s a full computer, so you could connect the L5 to the CAN bus, read/clear codes, display gauges, infotainment, TCM, ECU, etc. The sky is the limit with enough time and interest.
Thanks for replies. I’ll checkout screen options and get the music backend installed, this will be fun.