USB 12volt relay?? SHO going digital

[Nophix]

So, here's my issue... I have a '93 Taurus SHO I'll be picking up shortly after January 1st. It's a complete toy, since I already have a daily driver. I'm using an older laptop in the car as a carputer solution, running to a 7" touchscreen. I was thinking that I want to not only have the GPS and MP3 streaming(and maybe some wardriving.....), but I want to integrate the system into the car's security. Basically, I need a way for it to control a 12v relay for the starting system. I can build the passcode interface if I can figure out how to get it to talk to a security system relay of some type. I know there are things out there, but I'm not sure what. It would have to be USB.

That, and I could integrate the wireless card with a small app that would allow me to remote start it over my home network, and even time it to warm it up in the morning before work if I choose to take that car. Maybe even get it to talk to the security/keyless system as well from the network?

If that works, I can set up a secondary connection ad-hoc to my other laptop that I always have with me for controlling it as well.

Just a thought I've been playing with. I would like to integrate some more features but I'll get this done and go from there.

I'm not much of an amateur electronics guy, so forgive me if this is a n00b question.

Forgot to add, this will also control TWeecER, the tuning device on the engine.

[moonlit]

Sounds awesome, I don't know a whole lot about automobile electronics though so sadly I don't have an answer. Good luck though and keep us posted!

[Nophix]

I came up with a few more things that it will do. I think instead of finding a start relay, I'm going to try to tie the relay into the security system, and find a way for them to talk. That way I could use the remote functions of the system through the network. Things like, window conrol function(oops, left windows open..+up+), remote start, keyless entry, and arm/disarm.

The other advantage with this is I would be able to pull the car in the garage for the night, and download an datalogging I had saved from tuning, or upload and download music. A few of us have our music drives set up so that computers with permission to be on our networks can use the music and movies on our network drives. Well, say I pull up to a friends house so we can gocruising. He wants to bring some tunes.. I just log on, grab it from his network, and off we go.

I did have something similar set up in my old SHO, but it wasn't quite as advanced. I could dl the data logs, and swap musi from my shop/home network.