In-Vehicle Computers

An in-vehicle computer is a PC designed to be fitted to a road vehicle, bus, truck or mobile machine and run from its electrical system. It starts with the ignition, accepts a wide DC input, survives shock and vibration and connects to cameras, the CAN bus and cellular networks. You will also see it called a vehicle PC, an automotive PC or an automotive embedded computer.

Without it, a computer either drains the battery while the engine is off or loses data when the power is cut. Ignition control watches the key signal, starts the system with the engine and keeps it running for a set delay after switch-off, so recordings close, uploads finish and the operating system shuts down cleanly.

For electronics fitted to road vehicles in Europe, E-Mark type approval under UN ECE R10 is the usual requirement, and many fleet operators and bodybuilders ask for it worldwide. It shows the computer will not interfere with the vehicle’s own systems. Off-road machines, rail vehicles and military platforms follow other standards.

Cars and vans run on 12 V and most trucks and buses on 24 V, so vehicle PCs usually accept 9 to 36 V or 9 to 60 V DC. Electric forklifts and rail vehicles can need 48 to 110 V inputs, and military vehicles use 28 V to MIL-STD-1275. Check that the input also covers starting dips and charging surges. A discrete GPU raises the current draw sharply, so read our guide to vehicle power for GPU computers before sizing the wiring and fuse.

Most ride through short dips on their wide-range input. For longer drops, or to finish writing files after the supply fails, choose a model with a supercapacitor or battery UPS that holds the system up long enough to shut down safely. Supercapacitors suit vehicles best, as they tolerate heat, cold and frequent cycling.

Yes. Most in-vehicle computers have one or two isolated CAN or CAN FD ports, and many support J1939 for trucks, buses and off-highway machines. That lets the computer log engine, fuel and door data, read fault codes or feed driver behavior into telematics software. SocketCAN drivers on Linux make the ports simple to use in code.

Most fleets want 4G or 5G with dual SIM sockets, so the vehicle stays connected when one network drops, plus GNSS for position and Wi-Fi for depot uploads. Add Bluetooth for driver devices and, for autonomous or survey work, RTK positioning. Fit external antennas on the roof rather than relying on internal ones.

Yes. Core Ultra processors with an NPU handle driver monitoring and plate recognition on a few cameras, while NVIDIA Jetson Orin and Thor modules, Qualcomm IQ9 and MXM GPUs run multi-camera detection for driver assistance and autonomous machines. GMSL camera inputs keep latency low and cables long enough to reach the corners of a vehicle.

Yes, where the manufacturer declares it. Several in-vehicle ranges carry TAA and NDAA declarations from their makers, which matters for US federal, transit and defense fleets. None of the vehicle PCs on this page is sold as Buy American Act compliant or made in the USA. Tell us which declaration your contract needs, and we’ll check it against each datasheet.

Yes. Integration is standard: every in-vehicle computer we supply is configured and tested before it ships. We fit memory, storage and 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi modules, install and image the operating system, set the ignition timing and BIOS for the vehicle, and match brackets, antennas and power leads, so each system arrives ready to fit.