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Since the previous year, there existed a complicated, very specific computer and electronic system on the wagon, which lead to a massive increase in complexity and effort for the whole project. On the other hand that lead also to more possibilities and thus, that technology was used again in 2006. At these point, it should be mentioned that the work on the chassis is now below 20% of the whole effort. The wagon has become a bunch of high-tech features and this page presents those, in an overview easily overlooked, but elaborate details. The PC in the plexiglass case, the bluetooth wireless music control and the lightshow were already developed last year. A detailled description of those features can be found here. The PC was upgraded a bit (CPU, RAM, mainboard) and some additional periphery was added. The biggest change was the integration of a graphics card and two displays – a TFT monitor and a custom LCD display. To not annoy the reader with details, all that stuff is presented by a annotated images:

Electronics and high-tech

The displays is a 2-row LCD Display, which is embedded into a custom made button panel. The music program (XMMS) can be controlled by a custom developed menu system.

Additionally, the display can show current power consumption and temperature data. The display is so bright that it can be used comfortably in direct sunlight. This music controller is used as a complement of the wireless control – both can be used at the same time.

The PC resided in the same plexiglass case as in 2005. However, it was completely removed in between, some parts were exchanged and the software was completely overhauled (new kernel, debian upgraded etc). Thus, the hardware had to be installed from the scratch again. Because of that, it can be seen here with just the ATX 12VDC power supply and without the usual cable mess. The PC resided now a “floor higher” on top of the new tower.

On this picture, the new USB_Hub can still be seen, the bluetooth dongle attached. It was later installed in the tower and thus removed from view.

The PC, when finally installed and ready, yet without plexiglass case. The new fan for cooling the tower, the webcam and the GPS can be seen. The blue light shows, that the lightshow is active.

The lightshow, using the same technology as last year was still placed at a unfavourable position. At that moment, only the small, red LEDs are on. While it worked fine this year, it will surely be expanded in the future. There is also a demovideo of the lightshow.

A close-up of high-tech. Behind the running fan, the 12VDC power supply, then the GPS and finally the adaptor for wireless keyboard and the webcam can be seen.

On this picture, the TFT monitor is not finally installed, so it is displaced a bit. The KDE desktop and XMMS can be seen. The TFT was primarily included because of the playstation. As it was installed anyways, it could also be used for the computer – the playstation VGA adaptor has a switch. It was planned to use the TFT also for some karaoke texts, but there were several reasons for dropping that feature: software conflicts and the TFT is too dark in direct sunlight.

The other side of the tower shows the LCD-Display, the power circuit switch box, below that in the dark the playstation VGA adaptor and on the right, buffered the playstation 2. That model has a vertical working DVD slot.

Switchbox, VGA-Switch/Adaptor and the Playstation 2 with wireless controller stub behind the open door.

The interior of the wagon

This is, how the front, at the bottom looks at the beginning of the assembly. On this picture there is only the 12VDC-230VAC converter and a pair of frequency switches.

Now, the two 100Ah batteries have been added.

At an even more advanced stage, there is a huge mess of cables, although many cables have already disappeared in cable channels like the one in the right, top corner of the picture. On the battery holder, there is one of the uC-boards.

One floor above, it looks quite similar. The TFT is already installed as is the harddisk case, which can hardly be seen in the background. The Playstation 2 is not yet installed, but the outer case can be seen on the left.

The tower again, on the left there can be seen another uC-board.

The tower and the PC can be seen, even without USB-periphery, the cable mess is huge. Imagine, all the software and firmware was visible somehow…

The 230VAC “Schuko”-poweroutlets hang below the tower top-down.

Most of the high-tech is at the front, but even in the middle and the rear of the wagon, there is some. This pictures shows one of the amplifiers and cable-channels.

The other amplifier at the beginning of the assembly.

At the rear, the basstube and the 66Ah battery are right next to each other.

Because of detachable extensions, the rear battery can be charged without removing the barbecue.

Assembly of the wagon

This is how the wagon looked like at an early stage of the assembly.

Some time later.

And ready to rock’n'roll. The final varnishing improves the colours.