Automobile on-board computers running Windows XP Tablet Edition can be divided into two groups: ready-made (“factory") solutions and self-assembled options.
With the latter, things are as follows: you find a 7- or even 9-inch display and place it in a 2DIN connector on the front panel (although you can twist and equip a remote monitor), after connecting to a miniatX system unit in miniATX or microATX formats, which position ... and here is the first serious problem - where to find a place for the system unit: well, if you have an SUV (or just a big car), where there is enough space in the cabin; and if it is a small car, where you have to sit "in the lapping"? So, for the second case, there is an option: buy a regular UMPC like Asus R2H with a GPS module and a touch screen, fix it in the cabin (pre-installing specialized software like Check-Engine) and get not just a trip computer, but a trip on-board multimedia computer ”(where they will be: navigator, audio and video functions). It will cost about $ 1200.
If you don’t feel like a skilled enough master, then you can choose a ready-made solution (for example, Hiinfo or Giantec). The design of such on-board computers inspires confidence - what does the factory vibration protection and the built-in system unit cost (for which you do not need to look for a place in the cabin). Here again, two options are possible (depending on the design of the dashboard):
- If the dashboard has a 1DIN connector, we recommend paying attention to the Giantec VCP2500 models. They look like an ordinary radio tape recorder with a slot for CD / DVD-ROMs, but inside their cases are hidden 3-inch hard drives (40-60 GB), RAM slots (512 MB) and processors of the Celeron M or Pentium M families. the panels, of course, are “decorated” with USB ports, card readers and PCMCIA connectors.
As for the displays, they are supplied complete or sold separately (which makes it possible to select the matrix of the required size and brightness). - But 2DIN solutions look more attractive and fit better into the interior of the car. In addition, you do not need to buy a display, which then will also need to be successfully placed / fixed. However, the diagonal of the displays that these on-board computers are equipped with is limited to 7 or 9 inches - this is not always enough for the demanding car owner who is going to work with Windows.
Otherwise, the functionality of 2DIN computers is slightly lower (due to screens that occupy almost the entire surface of the front panel, so PCMCIA slots and USB ports are less common here). However, for a full-fledged car trip computer this is not a problem - you can bring a USB port with an extension cord to where it will be needed.
Of course, a good car computer just has to be equipped with a Bluetooth module, which allows you to connect a mouse, keyboard, wireless headphones and even an external GPS receiver.
In conclusion, I want to note that, with a competent approach, on-board computers work out the money spent on them - at least due to fuel economy. Another thing is that not all car owners perceive an on-board computer as a necessary element of a car, considering it an unnecessary expensive toy. Here we can only say - “they don’t argue about tastes”, in the sense of “every point of view has the right to life”. Someone, for example, is more accustomed to take into account fuel consumption by recording sensor readings in a notebook (after each trip) and determining the state of the engine “by ear”.
From the Editor:
This is an application for a new section. If you read the column of the editor-in-chief in this issue, you know that it means its name. The leader of the column, just appointed by order of the editorial office, is Artyom Bogdanov. For the first time his first and last name appeared on our pages in 2006. Then - under the heading "My game." The topic is a computer-based audio system in the VAZ-2111. The next appearance was in 2008. Already under the heading "Systems". The topic is an audio system in a Honda NSX based on ... a computer, of course. The name of the author of the system has not changed, the status has changed - the head of the Digital Car studio.
The system’s functionality has also changed; the term “audio” has already approached it poorly. Another fit - infotainment. That same "new word." Three years have passed since then, and now Artyom is with us again, this time on a regular basis. In the materials of this section, he will consistently reveal various aspects of the answer to the same question: "How to teach a car to do everything?" For in practical terms, this is the true meaning of the new word: everything. From music to Skype with all the stops.
Artyom decided to start a series of his publications with an explanation of what, in fact, will be discussed. And why. However, why - we ourselves know. Because the 21st century is around. And for quite some time ...
DIGITAL CAR
Vinyl ... What's the vinyl here? I will explain now. A sweet word for a music lover, I thought, sorting through the found fragments of Armstrong's plate. The younger brother, who was passing by, only grinned and “turned over” the next album on his pocket mp3 player. And with that ...
It’s no secret that all (I’m not afraid of the «purists’ anger) modern audio and video media are recorded using a computer. Why not use the same PC for playback, simultaneously getting rid of inconvenient media? Do not limit yourself either in the formats or in the volumes of your favorite recordings. This idea probably came at least once to every reader of these lines. But music, no matter how eternal it is, is only part of our life (otherwise why would we need a car?). Why not add here navigation, video recording, speakerphone, mail and the Internet, which originally live in a computer, no one offers vinyl for them?
The described mise-en-scenes with Armstrong and younger brother happened a long time ago, long ago I came to the logical conclusion that followed. There were attempts to make friends with a car (which was then) with a computer (which were then), one, quite successful for its time, served as the basis for my first publication in AZ (Project of the Century, No. 8/2006).
Subsequently, it turned out that I was not alone in this idea. At first there was a club of lovers, later a professional installation studio for automobile computers appeared. The leitmotif of the installations of this type is impossible, the limit of the system’s functionality is determined only by the customer’s imagination. However, it is precisely this fantasy that we still marvel at. The modern customer does not compromise and wants to get the most out of the newfound system, while he is not ready to put up with cacophony, or with a mediocre image, or with the chaos of wires and boxes in the trunk. And least of all - with the lack of any functions, capabilities or amenities in the car that he is used to. Or simply the existence of which he knows.
What distinguishes CarPC from other head units? Firstly, of course, a special shell program for convenient finger control. Naturally, changeable and customizable. Secondly, an unlimited choice of functional software.
Here is an example: the most modern (according to the manufacturers and that part of the public, which they managed to convince) multimedia and navigation head units are “charged” with one navigation program, less often - a choice of two is offered (lo and behold!).
Now I have counted more than ten navigation programs that are steadily working in Russia, with and without traffic jams, with 3D or without 3D, from high-resolution graphics to the aesthetics of the map from the Belomora pack. In the CarPC environment, you don’t have to choose in advance: everything is loaded right away, you can use anything, the rest, if you didn’t need it, lie on your disk, don’t ask for bread ...
Third, omnivorous. Modern civilization has generated an insane amount of information storage formats. The car audio industry masters them with a scratch, one in a few years. By starting to list all the formats and media that CarPC can handle, we run the risk of going far beyond the pages generously provided to us in the magazine and probably biting off the neighboring rubrics as far as Nedamskiy Magazin. Here are just the most common sound formats: mp3, wav, ape, flac. The first is taken by all “radio tape recorders”, the second - only a few, the third and fourth, highly valued in our time - not a single one. With video - even more colorful. Once, having dug deeper “codecs” installed in the system, I found a bunch of formats that I heard about for the first time. Only about 400. Is it necessary? There will be ... At the same time, playback of different formats does not mean changing media or switching settings from remote controls. Just one touch on the touch screen.
A unique feature of CarPC is unlimited, total compatibility with any peripherals. Flash drives, portable hard drives, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi adapters, modems for accessing the Internet, TV tuners, cameras, diagnostic adapters, joysticks, keyboards and even printers or cash registers - connect via USB and ... work without asking unnecessary questions .
Many well-known brands from far away have noticed the attractive direction of automotive computers, and I think that the universality and universal compatibility of everything with everything soon frightened them away, and the CarPC directions were turned off.
It was they who rooted in our heads the axiom “a good multimedia processor cannot be cheap”. And each additional function must certainly fly a pretty penny and not have alternative implementation options. Only an expensive adapter or navi block with the same label as the “head”. Once such a game was started with CD-changers, and, I believe, because of this, the changers at first stopped developing, and then completely left the stage. A few years earlier than they could ...
The computer, due to its massive size, has gained undeniable advantages over potential competitors: familiarity and understandability of the interface, unlimited functionality and ... price. The flip side of mass. Practice has shown: collecting the kit yourself, for the amount of 1000 trips in the subway, you can get a future expandable infotainment processor with access to the Internet and all office applications. The same infotainment ...
What tasks do you have to (or rather, have to, everyone will be there, I have no doubt for a second) to solve during the integration of a multifunctional computer complex into a car? Later we will talk about the details and pitfalls of each separately, now in general terms.
In one of the first places in terms of importance - organically and ergonomically (now widespread concepts) to introduce the main part of the system - the touch screen. Ready-made Plug & Play solutions are already beginning to appear here: consoles, visors and transition frames, and even 2DIN options.
Why not a laptop or tablet? - you ask.
Broken glass or a broken castle, I tell you. “Maybe someone likes it.” Most - not really. Control experiment (at your expense): put the iPhone on the dashboard and move to a distance of 100 meters.
And even without this inhuman experience it is clear: it is much more convenient and pleasant when you start the car, and after a few seconds the system starts up independently and already welcomes you with a nice looking interface. No wires, connectors, chargers, “cigarette lighter” and power buttons. And no cards for a regular customer of the Auto Glass World store.
Indeed, an undoubted plus of a competently integrated system is a completely “regular” design. Feel the idea: no luminous buttons, labels and removable panels - only the screen on the panel, as if written there from the factory or at least grown into a monolith in the center console, will not cause thieves to make a single thought to profit from a thoroughbred device. In this form, it’s not even a device, but a detail ...
We have come to the most interesting for a considerable part of readers committed to eternal values. And what does the “digital car” sound like? As a rule, already in the basic version of all systems based on Car PC, there is a built-in 24-bit sound card. For some users this is enough. If it’s not enough, it doesn’t matter, no one has signed this card with the card. DACs Texas Instruments and Burr-Brown, installed in an external "sound blasters" - this is something. Numerous experiments have shown: at CarPC you can create a high-class audiophile system, not to mention multimedia - complex, cinema, with surround sound. But, despite the functionality of sound cards, the bundle of a computer and an external specialized sound processor using the digital SPDIF bus (optics or coaxial) looks most interesting. Such a scheme allows you to “offload” the central processor from the “subtle matters” of sound. With all our club’s commitment to computer technology and components, it must be admitted that the best results are achieved on this path, so that traditional car audio manufacturers, even with a total transition to CarPC, will not be out of work. This refers, of course, to the most progressive of them. At the same time, by the way, sometimes an enviable harmony and mutual understanding of components is established in the system, when the processor (for example, Audison bit one, which fits very well in the architecture of the infotainment system) is configured from "your own" on-board computer.
Another task is to manage (in the simplest case, replenishment) the media library in an automobile computer is solved more simply and more conveniently than in any other environment. An elementary solution, on the verge of primitiveness, is to carry flash drives with you, but this is no keeping up with the times if you can synchronize with your Wi-Fi home collection in almost “unmanned” mode.
An important feature of a full-fledged automobile computer is the possibility of a phased partial upgrade. Not enough five hundred gigabytes for an older music collection? Put the disk a couple terabytes. Enough for the first time, and then we'll see. Do you want to connect several DVR cameras? How much to put in pieces? The processor is more powerful - please, gas welding works are not required. Are you going to conquer Yakutia and the Sahara by car in one navigation? A solid-state hard drive to help you - no heating, no moving parts.
Modern car manufacturers “sing” in unison with manufacturers of expensive radio tape recorders: each has its own digital bus, its protocols are unique. Here, the installers of additional equipment seem to step on their feet. And the “digital car” in such a situation is one of the universal means of avoiding the conflict of desire and opportunity. Few develop matching peripherals for CarPC, but now there are several adapters, in particular, to the standard monitors Audi, Lexus, Toyota. The precedents of removing regular monitors and installing in their place new, touch, computer (VGA / HDMI), high resolution, with the output of on-board information to them are not uncommon.
Since I started my first “digital car”, seven years have passed. With the cars there were meetings and parting. They were united by one thing - all had automobile computers. In this, my tastes have not exactly changed. And with each of our next meeting, yours will become closer to mine, I’m sure ...
Integrated studio solution for VW cars
Not a single sound ... CarPC can diagnose a car in simple mode ...
... maybe in advanced ...
... or special, for example - to monitor the operation of the relay block
Equalizer can be arranged with CarPC software, but we came to the conclusion that an external processor is better
"New Word" may appear in the machine in bulk of individual blocks ...
... among which there is still a main, system
What if there is no display in the car? Here is an example: Toyota LC 100 before we visited, and after
Examples of infotainment systems in different cars: Landrover Discovery 3 with a large overhead driver monitor
The monitor is even larger, but the passenger Mercedes S500
Volvo XC90, the screen is in the "house"
Also a screen, also a house, but the car is IS 250 (I don’t remember the brand)
Subaru Tribeca. No house needed here
CarPC Infiltration: VW Golf Instrument Display
Options for implementing an "advanced" display for working with CarPC
There are more navigation systems than fit on the main screen of the navigation mode. From three-dimensional graphics to the "pack of" Belomor "
The spectrum of the periphery is limited only by imagination (and therefore by nothing). From keyboard to analog controls
Unlimited freedom is provided by software shells. Like "Windows 7" - please. Do not like it - please too ...
Previously, automotive technology was limited to the sound reproduction function, and the development of this technology segment was significantly behind its stationary counterparts. Now car radios ceased to be just devices that read information from CDs or DVDs. They have become more advanced, which can be proved by citing a few facts.
Firstly, car radios are now able to reproduce sound not only from the above media. Now you can connect any USB-drive (flash drive or portable hard drive) to them. It became possible to interact with a mobile phone, PDA or audio player. Some car radios are equipped with card readers and can play music directly from memory cards, and if there is a display, an image. In addition, the presence of a USB port makes it possible to recharge the phone or mp3 player directly in the car.
An interesting enhancement to the car radio is Bluetooth connectivity. This innovation makes it possible not only to listen to music on the phone, but also to use the radio instead of hands-free.
A real abundance of functions is the dream of every motorist - Car PC. This miracle of technology combines the capabilities of several devices. Car PC features include:
- - Play video. This feature, combined with the computer's mind and LCD screen, makes watching videos a real pleasure. In addition, the computer has the ability to install a TV tuner and watch your favorite TV shows on the go.
- - The sound. The hard drive is capable of saving thousands of audio clips that will not fit in all the disks contained in the glove compartment. And the installation of a high-quality speaker system makes the car audio unique.
- - Navigation. A compact GPS system is also built into the car computer, which allows you to navigate the terrain using satellite communications. In addition, the presence of a Wi-Fi adapter allows you to update the catalog of road maps directly from the car. In general, access to high-speed Internet in the car gives the driver a number of additional features: download music and videos, update programs for PCs and much more.
There are now special adapters that allow you to synchronize the PC and the car engine. Such control over the operation of the car is provided by special software that allows you to display engine operation parameters on the PC screen. More expensive adapter models allow not only to observe these parameters, but also to change them on the go. A car equipped with such capabilities can rightfully be considered digital.
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Automobile on-board computers completely displace and replace classic devices. For some, this is a great opportunity to open a new device, and someone categorically does not want to change their old equipment, but only by acquiring one can find out how useful this thing is. Before making a rating about these devices, we will tell you what on-board computers are all about. On-board computers of simple models allow the vehicle owner to find out information about the state of fuel in the tank, engine speed or temperature, as well as the temperature outside the car. But, there are models of the latest generation, higher class, they have more functionality.
You need to select an on-board computer based on your car, and in order to choose the right model with the necessary functions, we have compiled 2018 on-board computer rating, which will be described in detail about each type of device.
The first three in our ranking, is the well-known model of Multitronics, the Russian brand, which has been letting in on-board computers from 1987 until today, is in the first place. This brand creates devices for both our domestic auto industry and foreign cars.
In the first place, the on-board computer of this model is great for cars with gasoline and diesel engines. The capabilities of this device are impressive, thanks to advanced diagnostics, and a huge number of functions, your car will always be under control. While in motion, the device notifies of any malfunction and its elimination. A powerful processor with 32 cores provides accurate and high-speed operation. The device has a USB connector for connecting to a computer, so you can update the software on-board computer, as well as edit and even save the settings that you set. Built-in voice notification for any errors or malfunctions and their elimination. And the final detail in the description of the Multitronics S-900 model is complemented by the presence of a universal mount, with which the device is installed on the vehicle panel.
(+) Large high-contrast color display. Four color schemes to switch to a convenient image.
(-) There are no shortcomings, this model has proven itself only on the good side.
In second place on our list is the popular model -. This on-board computer supports a huge number of original protocols, thanks to which, the device can be installed in any car. On-board computer Multitronics VC731, has a color display with a resolution of 320 * 240 and excellent image quality. Diagnostics of the device will be carried out up to 30 parameters, quickly and accurately displaying all errors on the screen, or notifying with a voice synthesizer. The "Fuel Quality Control" function will allow you to track the consumption of your gasoline and warn about any change, and the "econometric" will monitor and calculate the amount of gasoline in transit. Included with the on-board computer, you will receive a 2-year warranty.
(+) A new, updated interface, "Hot Menu", allows you to quickly open the necessary functions without using too much time.
(-) Long instructions for use. We attributed this trifle to the minuses, since it has no more shortcomings.
The third place, which allows you to quickly and accurately get all the information about the state of the various systems of your car. A universal connection system allows you to use the device in any vehicle. The device is easily installed on the car panel, and has protection in the form of a peak, from hit of sunshine. With a voice alert, which has 21 emergency alerts, it provides complete comfort during your trip. Users of Multitronics TC750 leave only positive feedback, because the device has a large number of functions and has been stable for a long time.
(+) The ability to connect an on-board computer to two parking radars, this will ensure complete safety of the car during parking.
(-) Due to the large number of functions, it’s a little difficult to figure out the settings right away.
The next model in the rating list, well-known, by our manufacturer and entered the market after restyling in 2012. Designed for use by UAZ-Patriot, UAZ-Pickup cars. The device boasts its large volume of functionality. With its help, you will always be aware of all malfunctions or failures in management. A liquid crystal display with a resolution of 128 * 32 pixels, as well as an accurate image. The sensor of fuel level and external temperature, thanks to this opportunity, any trip will become comfortable. Operating temperature range (-35 to +60 degrees). And of course, free software updates over the Internet.
(+) Equipped with a self-diagnosis system (gasoline and diesel engines).
(-) It is installed on the dashboard near the air duct, therefore, to be correctly installed, an accurate installation is required.
Fifth place opens on-board computer, a model that is perfectly installed in the standard department for the radio (1DIN, 2DIN). The device is equipped with a color display, with automatic adjustment (day / night), as well as voice notification, thanks to these functions, the trip will be more comfortable. Ability to over 100 settings and connect to your laptop to save or transfer trip statistics. A removable front panel will complement a number of good ratings about this on-board computer model.
(+) Powerful 32-bit processor, support for a large number of protocols, advanced diagnostics, up to 200 parameters.
(-) The disadvantages of the device include a complicated menu.
In sixth place, we put the on-board computer, with a new 16-bit processor, which will ensure high and accurate operation of the device. The device can be installed in any compartment that you choose (1DIN, 2DIN), for convenient use. A removable front panel as well as a casing for storing it comes with the device. Graphic display with various backlights, and a visor from sunlight. In case of difficulty with the screen, voice guidance will help, which will notify you of all errors or fuel consumption during the trip. And also, the ability to connect two parking sensors (front and rear) of your car.
(+) The on-board computer is operated from car control units or from a speed sensor, this makes the device universal.
(-) Almost every Multitronics model comes with a huge number of functions, due to which it is much more difficult to figure out the menu.
In seventh place is the on-board computer of the brand, completely different from previous models, made in the original design and installed in the duct in Gazelle-Business, UAZ-Patriot cars (dashboard before and after restyling). The on-board computer has a 32-bit processor that allows you to perform all the work at a high level. Automatic inclusion of headlights, at the beginning of the movement, and also display of skidding wheels. Connection to a stationary computer, thanks to the presence of a USB connector, and the ability to update software. The on-board computer can be connected simultaneously to two fuel level sensors, as well as connecting up to two parking radars. Multitronics C-580, has a large volume of various functions and is easy to manage and besides all this, has an attractive price.
(+) On the display of the device 9 different parameters are displayed immediately, which will allow monitoring the condition of the vehicle with full accuracy.
(-) There are no shortcomings in this model, it is completely easy to manage.
The eighth place in our rating is occupied, with the ability to connect to the diagnostic block of any car. System "Hot Menu", with which you can quickly access the desired functions. And also, a travel and refueling journal, more than 20 of your trips will be saved, for the accurate calculation of the next trips. For a good and easy parking, or if you do not feel bad about the dimensions of the car, you can connect an on-board computer to two parking radars. Over 200 ECU diagnostic parameters, diagnostics of any errors that have arisen, as well as a color display, with settings for up to 4 different color schemes. All these important details are collected in the on-board computer Multitronics CL-590.
(+) Use with gas equipment will allow the most accurate calculation of fuel consumption.
(-) No voice synthesizer.
In the next place is the on-board computer, the ability of which, to understand up to 11 types of on-board systems, as well as diagnose more than 30 different parameters. Support for many diagnostic protocols, both domestic and foreign cars. It is equipped with a 32-bit processor, as well as a digital display, with the ability to display up to 9 parameters. Instead of a voice synthesizer, an on-board computer provides a buzzer that works when there is any malfunction. Any settings and even saved parameters, you can always transfer to a desktop computer.
(+) The advantages of this device include extensive functionality and convenient control. Multitronics CL-550, the most budget option, is not inferior to its predecessors in work.
(-) The minus of this device is only one, non-removable panel.
In the last place of our rating, We put the on-board computer model, an excellent choice for AvtoVAZ owners. It is installed easily, in a regular place of the car and is also easy to manage, and thanks to the instructions complete with the device, the installation will not take much time. A display with a maximum resolution and a working temperature of up to -30 degrees will please any owner of the domestic automobile industry. Voice notification, talking about any emergency situations, and with this, you can quickly and easily eliminate the cause of the error. Buying this model of an on-board computer, you get a good assistant on the road, who will monitor and correct any errors of your car.
(+) Completely new software interface and work in any weather conditions.
(-) Slightly different in size from other models.
All presented on-board computers in the rating can be bought from us in the online store, either by placing an order through the basket, or by calling us on the phone. If you have any questions, please call, we will definitely help you. Our store delivers all over Russia!
This article can be found by query: on-board computers 2018 - rating, best, comparison, review, test, top, review, miracle of technology, how to choose.
Any digital instrument seemed like a computer to us - even a primitive tachometer with two digits. And how many computers are installed in the middle-hand car today? It’s already going to a hundred ... Moreover, the capabilities of a modern smartphone significantly exceed the potential of the computer of the Curiosity rover, which is only five years old.
And what regular on-board computers do not know how to do? Bend your fingers. They will never give you error codes for engine management systems, automatic transmission, doors or windows. They rarely show engine temperature, average speed, travel time or acceleration dynamics to hundreds, and also do not like to remember errors that occur. In addition, many drivers need alarms that monitor temperature, engine speed, and speed.
The owners have their own requests - at least take two types of fuel consumption. Someone needs to automatically turn on the headlights by a speed sensor signal or connect parking sensors with adjustable sensitivity. In some cases, it may be useful to force the cooling fan. Someone wants to more accurately configure the fuel level sensor in the tank. Various reminders will help the forgetful - warning about unlit marker lights, ice on the road or the need to go through another MOT. Many people love simple talking toys ("Hello, master!"). Extremals may need a wheel slip indicator. And there is such a function as a taximeter ...
We decided to test suitable for budget cars. The capabilities of the instruments selected for the study are different, but all the more interesting.
| The approximate price of 9800 rubles. The universal on-board computer that we installed on the dashboard. Such a device, due to its solid size, is more suitable for large cars. The buttons are also large, so convenient to use. And the color display is rather big. In addition to all standard features, including the connection of parking sensors, the device allows you to control the temperature and read error codes or variators on many cars. It can work with cars converted to gas, providing accurate indicators of alternative fuel consumption. | The approximate price of 1580 rubles. A compact device, rather even a miniature one. This is well located in the button slot on the dashboard of cars Samara 2, Grant, Kalina, or Prior. It provides almost the same information as larger devices, but the presentation of parameters (on a modest three-digit display) is much less convenient. There is no sound synthesizer. Programming is difficult: there are only two buttons! You can install on foreign cars, if you find a suitable place. We believe that it is especially useful for cars that do not have a standard display of any important parameter, for example, coolant temperature or engine speed. |
| The approximate price of 5670 rubles. The unusual appearance of the device fits perfectly into all cars with round vents of the ventilation system. Including in, on which we checked it. There are other models designed for installation in the panel of cars Chevrolet Niva, GAZelle Business, UAZ Patriot, VAZ-2110. The functionality and the number of protocols supported by the on-board computer are maximum for a particular car. The devices of the C family have voice support, but the CL family do not. Indicates oil temperature in automatic transmissions of some models. The firmware is updated when the on-board computer is connected to a stationary computer via a USB cable. | The approximate price of 5050 rubles. The device has an unusual appearance and does not have a display - it was necessary to use a smartphone for testing. The device was placed under the panel, because outside it has nothing to do. And it’s good - it’s not an eyesore. Information is displayed on the screen of a Bluetooth-connected smartphone or tablet on the Android platform. The program was downloaded from the manufacturer’s website. Firmware update - via smartphone or laptop. I liked that the device saves the data of all trips, regardless of whether it is connected to a mobile device or not. You can send the error log to the service station - also via a smartphone, although we did not check this. The minus is obvious: an additional gadget (smartphone) is needed. |
| The approximate price of 5510 rubles. Mounted on the front panel or mounted on the windshield. The display is monochrome. This is suitable primarily for VAZ and UAZ, but in principle it is able to connect via OBD-II cable and with some foreign cars released after 2001. Supports original diagnostic protocols of some models. The site www.microline.ru will help to clarify compatibility. | The approximate price of 3900 rubles. The place of production of this device with a graphic monochrome display is Togliatti, and it is obvious that it is most adapted to VAZ cars. We installed it on the front panel, although it can also be attached to the windshield. The instructions say that the device is compatible with control units of not only VAZ cars, but also GAZ, as well as foreign cars, but only according to the standard OBD-II protocol. The firmware is installed from the SD card. The device can separately calculate the parameters of the car on gasoline and gas. |
- trip parameters: travel time, mileage, current and average speed, instant and average consumption, fuel remaining in the tank, ambient temperature, trip cost;
- current engine operation parameters: intake manifold pressure, fuel pressure in the line, injection duration, air pressure at the compressor outlet, air mass flow, oxygen sensor voltage, crankshaft speed, throttle position, gas pedal position, instantaneous fuel consumption, estimated engine load, coolant temperature;
- error parameters: ECU errors, reset and error recording;
- parking parameters (some devices turn their screen into a full-fledged parking sensors display).
And most devices have a voice warning about the output of controlled parameters from a given range.
It seemed to us that the most interesting option in the computer company represented was the Multitronics MPC-800. Mainly because such a device, which has decent “brains,” does not disfigure the interior of the machine, as it hides somewhere inside, entrusting “representative” functions to the owner’s smartphone. For many, this can be a decisive factor when choosing a device.
| If you decide to purchase a trip computer, we advise you to estimate the possibilities of its placement and connection. The option that we captured for the sake of a joke on the title frame is not so unrealistic. Very often, various additional devices instead of benefit do harm: they block, fall off due to flimsy fastening, and sometimes completely deprive the possibility to use the standard equipment of the machine. For example, deciding to purchase a nice round device instead of a deflector, do not forget that at the same time you lose this deflector! Another example: for many cars (for example, the Logan family), the OBD connector to which such computers are connected is located in the middle of the glove box. The solution is not the best: it is inconvenient to drag a wiring harness to this connector. However, if you consider yourself to be sleeveless, you will certainly find a convenient solution. Not sure - contact the installers: they will quickly explain what is what and how it will look. Separate advice to those whose vision leaves much to be desired. Make sure that when operating the machine, the small display will be readable for you. Otherwise, you will have to focus only on the voice prompts of the computer, which immediately changes the orientation when choosing it. Bon voyage - and hello to computers! |
