E46 Android In Car Entertainment (photos inside)

[bmdroid 0]

Hi guys,

Just wanted to show you the project I have completed just a few months ago. I have been looking at installing Dynavin but after reading few reviews i did not want to spend all that money for a product i would be 60% satisfied with, plus i don't think i will ever watch TV on it.

I wanted something that:

- Has OEM factory look

- fast with good specs,

- has multitouch hi-resolution screen with a good hardened glass that i won't scratch after first use.

- easy to use,

- gives me a lot of options in terms of software (apps) i can to install on it,

- has a good support by android community (system upgrades etc, so i dont get stuck with android 2.2)

- and i did not want to part with BMW stereo system and headunit.

After a few months of planning i have come up with a system that is just as good (if not better) than Dynavin, works every time, has offline voice recognition, life traffic info, online or offline navigation, plays any media file you throw at it, and all the other bits and pieces that tablets running Android OS can do.

So what you are about to see is a 7" Galaxy Tab installed into a custom made frame, connected to BMW stereo system via CD changer emulation interface.

This can be installed into E36, E46, E39, X5, E90 and E93

Anyway, as a saying goes pictures speak a 1000 words so check out the video and photos below

Note: since the photos have been taken, tablet has been upgraded to CM10 Android 4.1.1 JellyBean.

Hope you enjoy it and feel free to ask questions.

Edited July 30, 2012 by bmdroid

[polley 916]

I always thought the dynavin units looked tacky.

[hybrid 1043]

Impressive.

This is something I was looking at myself but at the time couldnt get my head around the steering wheel control thing.

I would miss my radio tuner too much unfortunately, its nice in the Dynavin to have it as well as the DVB-T (when you can get reception, working on that part with a new active aerial)

Some good new on the dynavin front, I have installed a new ROM with a black theme and task bar. It boots up super fast (around 15secs) compared to the old 30+ seconds, and its rock solid in performance. Also has opened up the CPU speed to its full speed.

For GPS I use Sygic with hardware accelerated graphics (nice smooth 3d) and the media player plays all media files / movies etc. Also running a 32GB SD card but it will look like im going to change that to a 256GB SSD drive for even faster performance.

I really like the approach you have taken with your project, and im very keen to come have a look if possible ?

[Neal 544]

Very interesting project and a great way to get a low cost high res touch screen into the car.

Like Hybrid I couldn't get around the steering wheel controls and also wanted a high end dac output for the audio system.

If you added 3 g with a 2degrees bulk plan data sim you could stream radio stations / gps maps / pandora

[bmdroid 0]

Impressive.

This is something I was looking at myself but at the time couldnt get my head around the steering wheel control thing.

I would miss my radio tuner too much unfortunately, its nice in the Dynavin to have it as well as the DVB-T (when you can get reception, working on that part with a new active aerial)

Some good new on the dynavin front, I have installed a new ROM with a black theme and task bar. It boots up super fast (around 15secs) compared to the old 30+ seconds, and its rock solid in performance. Also has opened up the CPU speed to its full speed.

For GPS I use Sygic with hardware accelerated graphics (nice smooth 3d) and the media player plays all media files / movies etc. Also running a 32GB SD card but it will look like im going to change that to a 256GB SSD drive for even faster performance.

I really like the approach you have taken with your project, and im very keen to come have a look if possible ?

Thanks for the feedback!

I was reading your thread on Dynavin and i like how you set it up. It certainly is a very nice system, with a great potential, but requires much more work to make it perform the way you want it.

I am currently working on an IBUS <> Bluetooth (SPP) interface so that i could send and receive the commands to the IBUS - this is pretty much the missing link of the whole setup. If this is done then i will even get FM radio back (because i still have my headunit in place which sits there waiting for the command) and potentially other functions. So far i can get some data to my Nexus but it appears to have some data scrambling issues and the data i receive is not in the correct format - possibly RX TX voltage is a bit too high. Anyone is good at microelectronics?

Yes you are totally welcome to have a look - PM me.

Edited July 29, 2012 by bmdroid

[bmdroid 0]

Very interesting project and a great way to get a low cost high res touch screen into the car.

Like Hybrid I couldn't get around the steering wheel controls and also wanted a high end dac output for the audio system.

If you added 3 g with a 2degrees bulk plan data sim you could stream radio stations / gps maps / pandora

Steering wheel control is not that difficult. Volume works by default because i have BMW headunit and amp still in place.

Changing tracks, using steering wheel buttons, is a bit of a different story though. If i get the IBUS interface going it will be possible, otherwise it is just as easy to change tracks using the screen.

You can get 3G models of these tabs, i simply didnt want another data plan, therefore i tether it with my phone.

One great thing you can have with a 3G tablet in the car is that if the car gets stolen - you will know exactly where it is

[hybrid 1043]

Good stuff.

Yeah all you need is a KLINE 12v -> 5v transceiver to a Bluetooth serial repeater with a small bit of logic to repeat the IBUS commands down BT. Give us a yell if you need any help. I have been doing quite a bit of this sort of stuff over the past couple of years with some other projects im working on currently.

If you dont already have the commands.

50 04 68 32 11 1F <+> press

50 04 68 32 31 3F <+> release

50 04 68 32 10 1E <-> press

50 04 68 32 30 3E <-> release

50 04 68 3B 01 06 <next> press

50 04 68 3B 21 26 <next> release

50 04 68 3B 08 0F <previous> press

50 04 68 3B 28 2F <previous> release

50 04 C8 3B 80 27 <R/T>

50 04 C8 3B 80 27 <voice> press

50 04 C8 3B 90 37 <voice> hold

50 04 C8 3B A0 07 <voice> release

You're quite lucky that you only want to receive the commands.. when you want to send its a different kettle of fish. Not difficult but because the send and receive is on the same Kline you get both send and receive traffic, just need to write some clever code to read each message.

The IBUS basic message is:

Start byte is origin ID

Second is Data Length

Third byte is desitnation ID

Middle is the data

End byte is an XOR checksum of all bytes

[Neal 544]

The other way to sort the ibus connection would be via your usb on the tab.

Driver here http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDrivers.htm

Device here http://www.reslers.de/IBUS/

I'm running one of these via win 7 and all good so far.

[Guest Ari Gold]

Pics for those with no work youtube?

[bmdroid 0]

Thanks for the info hybrid!

I have read all the docs that are available on IBUS, but i think my problem is the interface itself that i tried to put together.

What i have is: Resler's RS232 connected to one of these Bluetooth SPP modules. But i think the serial from Resler's interface is not outputting on the TTY level, i've tried to put it through Serial To TTY level coverter but still couldnt get the correct output. I am receiving data but it is incorrect.

Connecting that BT serial module to PC's Serial RX and TX - and sending chars from PC to the phone i dont get the same letters i send - so i think the problem lies in the voltage levels of the RX and TX lines.

Hybrid, i see you are an admin, can i post some photos in the thread heading? It says to contact administrator when i try to upload files....

Thanks.

[bmdroid 0]

The other way to sort the ibus connection would be via your usb on the tab.

Driver here http://www.ftdichip.com/FTDrivers.htm

Device here http://www.reslers.de/IBUS/

I'm running one of these via win 7 and all good so far.

Yes - it would be the easiest way, unfortunately i will loose ability to charge that tablet if i do that.

[hybrid 1043]

What i have is: Resler's RS232 connected to one of these Bluetooth SPP modules. But i think the serial from Resler's interface is not outputting on the TTY level, i've tried to put it through Serial To TTY level coverter but still couldnt get the correct output. I am receiving data but it is incorrect.

Private message me, I think you know where youre going wrong .. same thing that got me for a while

you're just getting a bunch of 3F 3F 3F 3F BLAH BLAH ?

...can i post some photos in the thread heading? It says to contact administrator when i try to upload files....

This will be your issue ... size limit on resolution etc

http://www.bimmersport.co.nz/forums/index....showtopic=34872

[Neal 544]

also looks like The two interfaces use different flow control on the rs232. t

The bluetooth is expecting xon / xoff or no flowcontrol. The resiler is using hardware rts/cts Youi could try strapping RTS to CTS and set putty to none.

[hybrid 1043]

The problem is parity not flow control.

All the resler is doing is converting TTL 12 to 5volts using a IC that does the KLINE and voltage conversion and the FDTI chip (or MAX32 if youre using the DB9 version) is converting to RS232. You can achieve the same with a logic converter from jaycar into TTL.

What he is trying to achieve is 12-> 5 transciever TTL -> BT transmit. You can do anything else in software afterwards.