12vdc Marine Computers

[rgleason]

Review Intel Ivy Bridge Quad-Core Processors - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

Ivy quad-cores still have a TDP of 45 watts, like Sandy Bridge (and Clarksfield before that). Where only the top model "Extreme Edition" was the exception to the top with 55 watts until now, there is now a 35 watt model available for the first time – the Core i7-3612QM.
The prospect of adapting the TDP up and downward to a certain extent is fundamentally new. This feature, called "Configurable TDP", increases thermal flexibility. Increasing the TDP at home on the desk would make it possible to maintain the maximum Turbo clock frequency over a longer time when the laptop is connected to the ventilated docking station. Then again, reducing the TDP would increase the battery runtime during mobile use.
According to existing information, probably only the i7-3920XM (55 watts nominal, 45 to 65 Watts adjustable) as well as the ULV CPUs (17 watts nominal, 13 to 33 Watts adjustable) will be similarly configurable. All TDP adjustments are made in software.


--The i7-3612qm is probably overkill, but at 35 TDP it appears there will be a better CPU based on Ivy Bridge sometime soon. What are "ULV CPUs (17 watts nominal, 13 to 33 Watts adjustable)"? -What cpu?

-- ULV are Ultra Low Voltage 2010 Sandy Bridge 32nm CPU's

[BluegillBoy]

Personally, I love overkill solutions, so this is not to criticize but just to point out that navigation is a simple, undemanding task for a processor and graphics chip.

I run i7 and i3 boxes at home and work, love 'em.

But on the boat I've used Atom 330 (dual) and D510 - both on Intel motherboards. low power draw solutions, and absolutely capable of running Open CPN, Garmin's nRoute, AIS - and by the way video players like VLC, iTunes and the full Microsoft Office suite.

I don't like running anything else on my primary nav computer for obvious reasons, but have flawlessly run OCPN with AIS, iTunes and Office simultaneously never noticing any glitch.

so my reco would be to keep it simple, which is also BTW cheap and low power draw.

try this
Intel Atom mobo D525 1.8gHz $75
memory, 4G $22
power supply $24
wireless keyboard and mouse $35
SSD (for reliability under vibration more than power savings) $69

or, get the new D2800 Atom mobo with built in power supply for $120.

you get a full function computer for under $250, low power use, add the monitor of your choice. Runs everything you need.

And if you relax in the evening with games, computer TV or more demanding apps, bring a laptop along.

monitors, BTW is where I splurge. Since I like my nav at the helm, I use daylight viewable VDL02 Touchbook screens. $150 on eBay - but about 50W power draw.

[rgleason]

Thank you Bluegillboy, what OS do you use? Do you know how many watts /amps in normal Opencpn use?

[BluegillBoy]

Again I believe in standard and simple. I use XP Pro. Drivers for everything I need, plenty of community support, standardization, all that. Keeps it simple and reliable.

[rgleason]

Bluegillboy,
Found ebay Panasonic VDL02 Touchbook screens at $150. Back shows 15.5 vdc and 3.85 amps. Do you power this via 12vdc batteries?

The 3.85amps x 12vdc=46watts, so that is close to the 50 you give. Can the brightness /contrast be turned down to save power?

Do you use raster or vector charts? I am interested because OpenGL in beta versions promises to speed up vector, provided the graphics chip supports it. Don't really know how that plays out with the boards and chips, but Ivy Bridge has the Intel 4000 graphics system which is supposedly a little better and faster.

Do you notice a big difference in drawing raster and vector?

Thanks.

[BluegillBoy]

VDL02 runs just fine on a straight 12V input from the house bank. So that's a range of 12V to 14.1V when the engine's running or the charger's on at dockside. BTW, the power input is a size n jack. n-plugs are available at radio Shack to mate with it when you wire it in.

It has 5 brightness settings. I generally run on setting 4 during the day and 1 at night. Particularly at night that thing is so bright it would give night blindness!

Also, setting 0 is completely dark for when you're not actively watching it, without turning it off and on again. very handy.

With even the older Atom 330, I notice no lag in drawing charts, nor any difference between raster and vector drawing speeds.

I use both, prefer the vectors, but my area (Chicago) has a couple of weird vector chart issues where they don't quilt properly in OCPN.

[rgleason]

Bluegillboy thanks that is very helpful. I'm a bit concerned about the 50w on high brightness, do you happen to know what it draws at setting 2 or 3? We are a 32' sloop with two size 24 agm for the house bank with Balmar alternator and 3-step regulator. There is nothing else for power (solarpv or wind). We are on a mooring.

It looks like a VGA connector and cable. Is it?

Do you use the touch screen feature much?

LED Moniters use 18-23 watts I believe, but don't have touch screen and are not waterproof.

[BluegillBoy]

I've not measured power draw at lower brightness levels. sorry.

Connections are a 15-pin VGA cable, and a 9-pin serial cable to operate the touchscreen.

[skenn_ie]

An old thread, I know, but
There are 1U Power supplies available that run off 12v and deliver power for ATX boatds. There is also the new "Raspberry Pi" which looks promising for less demanding apps. Or ... MiniITX boards which accept 12v directly.
Re smaller screens ... try a "visor" display that is built for watching DVDs in vehicles. They take composite video ... which most of the MiniITX boards generate. Not sure if the resolution is high enougs for plotters though. I use them as rear-view mirrors on my boat.

[Opie91]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Bluegillboy thanks that is very helpful. I'm a bit concerned about the 50w on high brightness, do you happen to know what it draws at setting 2 or 3? We are a 32' sloop with two size 24 agm for the house bank with Balmar alternator and 3-step regulator. There is nothing else for power (solarpv or wind). We are on a mooring.

It looks like a VGA connector and cable. Is it?

Do you use the touch screen feature much?

LED Moniters use 18-23 watts I believe, but don't have touch screen and are not waterproof.

Bought a VDL02 display and put a meter on it. I saw 10 different power levels with the meter, not so easy to see by brightness. Well here are the power draws I saw:

Full Bright -47.5 watts
9 - 42.5 watts
8 - 37.5 watts
7 - 32.5 watts
6 - 26.3 watts
5 - 22.5 watts
4 - 19.3 watts
3 - 16.2 watts
2 - 13.3 watts
1 - 7.2 watts
0 - 5.6 watts

As BluegillBoy said earlier in the thread, level 1 is perfect for night sailing and you do not need full except in direct sunlight.

[evm1024]

I can second the mini itc boards running atom cpu. you can get them fanless and with SSD you have no moving parts.

Also, I tend to put powersupplys on the boards from minibox. They make some that take extended voltage ranges.

Take a look here: Mini-Box.com - Mini-ITX | Motherboards | Power Supplies | Car PC

Look for the extended voltage range PS like the PicoPSU-80-WI-32

REgards

[rebel heart]

I was going to do the 12v marine computer thing but the android tablet has sold me otherwise. Much more portable, the transformer prime functions as a laptop for typing, and plays movies like a champ. Remote bluetooth speaker for music knocks out the need for a car stereo onboard as well.

[BluegillBoy]

rgleason:

In response to your question of whether I use the touchscreen function much, yes!

For navigation that's all I use. On both nRoute with Garmin blue charts and with OpenCPN.

The exception is when I use it as a regular computer. Mfor email I do usually use a keyboard, although click 'n type is pretty good as an onscreen keyboard emulator.

[eightyape]

for brilliant sunlight readable screen why not a "pixel qi" 10.1" - as found in the adam if you dont mind tablet form here: Adam tablet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia or you can just get the screen here and stickit right up yer netbook here- us supllier ships worldwide and densitron.com in europe here Leading LCD, TFT, OLED, Liquid Crystal Display, Graphic Display, Touchscreen, LCD backlight and LED Lightguide manufacturer.
i got the adam when it first cameout and am very impressed.

[rgleason]

Found this link New Navstation Computer? « VALIS

"I’ve used small netbooks previously (look at the EeePc line for one low-power solution). These have worked well, but this year It looks like we will have a different configuration: The EeeBox and a small 14-inch USB-connected display:"
ASUS - Eee- ASUS EeeBox PC EB1007

Newegg.com - lenovo ThinkVision LT1421 (1452DS6) Black 14" 8ms Widescreen LED-Backlit LCD Flat Panel Monitor 200 cd/m2 400:1 The display burns 5W or less, and with keyboard and mouse plugged in, and the EeeBox powered with a 12V/18V adaptor, the whole mess draws under 2A @ 12V. When I plug a quad RS232/USB adaptor, and an Iridium satphone into the remaining USB ports the current drain is under 2.5A @ 12V.
Hint: To use only the USB monitor, you need to have a “dummy VGA plug” plugged into the EeeBox VGA connector. Otherwise the EeeBox never completes the startup sequence and the USB display remains blank. I spent a few hours figuring this out!
This particular USB monitor has LED backlights, and there is a button on the back that lets you adjust the screen brightness. The lowest setting is completely appropriate for use on a dark night. I haven’t tried the display in sunlight, but that’s not where I will be using it. I’m looking for a software method to control the backlight, but haven’t found one yet. The brightness button is pretty easy to reach. This monitor and computer are both light enough that you could secure them with velcro if you wanted.
The EeeBox runs Windows 7 (64-bit), and so far all the programs I need are working fine.


Above was posted by Valis June 2012 on own website.