Related
So I've had a project for the last few months getting Android running as an infotainment system. Here is a demo i thought i'd share with you guys..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNcDq9S8n3I
Basic features:
Android 2.1 (looking to update to GB)
7inch touch-screen (800x480)
3G modem
GPS
Reverse camera (backup camera to see what's behind you)
USB port
would love to hear some criticism or anything regarding the device.. its not perfect, its got a few bugs and glitches.. but is sort of ready for everyday use but is missing a few components to make it 'official' android device (wifi, bluetooth etc).. but i'm just wondering if anyone is interested in something like this? Is this worth developing further on?
This thing runs on Cortex a8 omap3530 board and is based off 0xdroid build.
apologies if im in the wrong forum
Wow dude, thats really cool! I'd love one of these for my car. If you could get Honeycomb on that bad boy it'd be sweet! Just wondering, how do you plan on setting up a rear view camera? Just connect a camera at the back of the car to the tablet itself, then run the Camera app? Seems like the simplest way to me..
Haha cheers love to see the honeycomb source once its out then we'll talk although I'd imagine i'd need better hardware...
currently camera is interfaced by usb (has a usb hub) so i got a cable running under the carpet through the boot then camera is mounted on the bumper. yup camera is called by any camera calling intent.. so any app can use it.
I want to get some proximity sensors (like parking sensors) and write a proper reverse cam app to complement it. But we'll see...
Very cool!
I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I was going to use MeeGo or maybe Moblin since I don't have the programming skills (or Android knowledge for that matter) to build my own computer around Android. I dig what you got so far though.
My suggestion for the reverse camera is one of two things, because it would bug me to have to find and open the camera app every time I needed to back up.
Keep your touchscreen (what model are you using BTW?) and use a bluetooth or wi-fi relay (I know they make 'em, but they are $$$) to provide an input from +12V signal from your reverse light wire to automatically open the camera app, then close the app. Of course, you'd have to program for that.
Or
Have you considered this touch screen? Lilliput 7" touch screen with auto-reverse input. (Needs a RCA camera though)
http://store.mp3car.com/Lilliput_629GL_70NP_C_T_7_VGA_Touchscreen_w_Aut_p/MON-016-0002.htm
This is the one I plan on using since it switches automatically to the camera input whenever you are in reverse. Once you go back to any other gear, the OS input shows up again.
Just a thought to make life a little more convenient (although you already bought your parts so you may be stuck.)
chjade84 said:
Very cool!
I've been wanting to do this for a while, but I was going to use MeeGo or maybe Moblin since I don't have the programming skills (or Android knowledge for that matter) to build my own computer around Android. I dig what you got so far though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot! It needs a lot of time and dedication but it's a real good learning curve. I had to learn a lot of things on the way.. especially c/c++ I wasn't great at but had decent skills with higher level programming.
If you are planning to work with MeeGo its a little fussy with the hardware requirements.. Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think you need an Intel Atom processor. These are a little pricey if you're after an evaluation/hackable kit! But I'd imagine it'll be easier to program as it's a lot more closey coupled with linux.
chjade84 said:
My suggestion for the reverse camera is one of two things, because it would bug me to have to find and open the camera app every time I needed to back up.
Keep your touchscreen (what model are you using BTW?) and use a bluetooth or wi-fi relay (I know they make 'em, but they are $$$) to provide an input from +12V signal from your reverse light wire to automatically open the camera app, then close the app. Of course, you'd have to program for that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just had a look at those relays, sounds like its something I really need! Is this how the standard backup cameras work? That was something I was confused about.. I wasn't sure how to detect if i'm on reverse.. especially with the parts I already had. I'd imagine once you implement it you just need a service running in the background to listen for the relay.
The touchscreen is a TFT resistive 4wire touch-screen. It's not something I want to keep as I really want capacitive multi-touch.. But this fits perfectly with the board and was easier to deal with
chjade84 said:
Or
Have you considered this touch screen? Lilliput 7" touch screen with auto-reverse input. (Needs a RCA camera though)
http://store.mp3car.com/Lilliput_629GL_70NP_C_T_7_VGA_Touchscreen_w_Aut_p/MON-016-0002.htm
This is the one I plan on using since it switches automatically to the camera input whenever you are in reverse. Once you go back to any other gear, the OS input shows up again.
Just a thought to make life a little more convenient (although you already bought your parts so you may be stuck.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice find! I wish I saw that earlier .. Quite pricey but would make life so much easierrrrr!
Cheers for the feedback! Best of luck for your project!
tknz said:
I just had a look at those relays, sounds like its something I really need! Is this how the standard backup cameras work? That was something I was confused about.. I wasn't sure how to detect if i'm on reverse.. especially with the parts I already had. I'd imagine once you implement it you just need a service running in the background to listen for the relay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think most factory backup cameras use two inputs and switch between them. I don't have a lot of experience with them though.
chjade84 said:
I think most factory backup cameras use two inputs and switch between them. I don't have a lot of experience with them though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean exactly. I'll try the relays because it at-least gives me a standard interface to work with (bluetooth or wifi) so there isn't any work you have to deal with on the hardware abstraction.. Although it would probably be better designed if I had some sort of voltage input coming when the vehicle on reverse (the reverse light as mentioned). But I don't really have the electrical expertise to make it happen lol.
tknz said:
Not sure what you mean exactly. I'll try the relays because it at-least gives me a standard interface to work with (bluetooth or wifi) so there isn't any work you have to deal with on the hardware abstraction.. Although it would probably be better designed if I had some sort of voltage input coming when the vehicle on reverse (the reverse light as mentioned). But I don't really have the electrical expertise to make it happen lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well essentially what I was thinking was you'd have the bluetooth relay hooked up to your reverse light wire. This should allow your computer to monitor whether or not your car was in reverse. Relays are pretty simple - one input switches on/off another, usually one of a much higher or lower voltage. So in essence, it's a switch activated by voltage. (There used to be an electromagnet inside that physically moves a piece of metal to make a connection when a voltage is applied - now it's all transistors and whatnot.)
So, if you are in reverse and your reverse lights are getting power, the bluetooth relay should sense that and signal the computer (through a serial command it seems) which in turn could tell a background service to open the camera app. Once the voltage from the reverse light wire is lost, the relay should again tell the computer that you aren't in reverse anymore and the background service would close the camera app and re-open whatever app you were in.
*I should note this is all "in theory"... I don't know exactly how those wireless relays work/communicate and I don't know Android programming at all.
Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking what about using the GPIOs on the board and attach that to the reverse light? would that be possible? and using some resistors on the way to limit the voltages so i don't fry the board.. but we just need to detect some voltage input...
Not sure, will look into it. Right now, taking a pause on the development.. Got a lot of work to take care of but I can't wait to get back into it. I really want to port this to gingerbread.
tknz said:
Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking what about using the GPIOs on the board and attach that to the reverse light? would that be possible? and using some resistors on the way to limit the voltages so i don't fry the board.. but we just need to detect some voltage input...
Not sure, will look into it. Right now, taking a pause on the development.. Got a lot of work to take care of but I can't wait to get back into it. I really want to port this to gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could possibly do that, a real cheap voltage regulator would probably be better though. You could also use a cheap relay if the correct voltage is already somewhere on the car. Again, I'm not too sure how those bluetooth relays work, but it sounds like you are on the right track.
Great Job!
I was thinking of doing something similar myself.
I am looking at going with one of the tablets as it is just seems easier? I only really need internet, google maps(GPS) and wifi tethering. I would imagine you are running stereo sound from a 3.5mm? I would still have a seperate head unit to control volume and handle all the regular functions as well as inputs from a 3.5 to RCA cable.
How are you running sound off that setup? Are you running a head unit still?
The sound is running off a small amplifier. then RCA to 3.5mm.
Haven't had the chance to play around with the wifi tether as right now i don't have a wifi card.. It would make sense to have wifi tethering or just wifi reciever and use a phone to tether 3g to the system. Avoids having separate data plans.
Can we get a copy of your "AIVI Car Home" for our own DIY projects?
I don't mind releasing the source for it. Its just right now its a bit messy and quite a few things are hardcoded.
tknz said:
So I've had a project for the last few months getting Android running as an infotainment system. Here is a demo i thought i'd share with you guys..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice project. I gutted a Clarion Mind last year to do pretty much the same thing but am looking to upgrade. You said the software needs work but it's a real good start. Would you mind sharing your hardware list with us?
Nice work!
Something I was also interested in seeing is having vehicle manufacturer recommended service intervals and such available as reminders from your in car system or phone or both.
Stu_Gotti said:
Something I was also interested in seeing is having vehicle manufacturer recommended service intervals and such available as reminders from your in car system or phone or both.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could use 'aCar' which, if you are unfamiliar, you enter the make, model, mileage and all the pertinent service requirements. Battery every 3 years or 50,000 miles, coolant every year or 15,000 miles, oil every 6 months or 3,000 miles, etc. Then, every time you get gas you enter the current mileage as well as gallons/liters of fuel and the price. From that information you not only get your MPG but it will also trigger reminders to do the necessary maintenance at the correct intervals when they come up. You can do this for multiple cars as well. It's a very good program.
On a related note to this thread, I started my own 'carputer' project using an Archos 70 Internet Tablet and an unused articulating wall mount for TVs. It's still a work in progress as well since I don't have all the parts yet but will do everything I wanted (eventually... lol) except the rear facing camera. The video is obviously just of the media player.
I shot this late last night to show a friend. He wanted to know why someone would want a tablet/computer in their car, lol. Sorry about it being so dark.
Dude
I am keen as mustard on one of these beauties, I was considering running xp MCE but the android option would be much nicer..
Love ya work.
tknz said:
I don't mind releasing the source for it. Its just right now its a bit messy and quite a few things are hardcoded.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please do. Would love to play with it. No matter how clean the code is it's just gonna get better...
thanks for showing it..
Ok so some of you may know that a usb flash drive will play a lot louder and more clear than using bluetooth to listen to your music in your car. I can use bluetooth to listen to the music on my phone but when i plug it in to use it as a flash drive to listen to the music it says usb device not supported on my sony headunit. Even after i change it to disk drive mode.
Before i attempt to go into the kernel to somehow correct this do any of you know of a fix that would correct this? The reason this is important to me is that i have a sub in my car and a lot of the low frequency notes sound faint over bluetooth compared to playing it over a flash drive.
Ideally i would like to eliminate my flash drive entirely rather than finding songs i like but then having to transfer them to a flash drive to get better play-back.
Bump
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
I also get the USB device error where I never did before on my old incredible. I am running an Alpine headunit. I wonder why its so much softer in volume over Bluetooth than USB.
John
Sent from my LogicPD Zoom2 using Tapatalk
Personally, I think it is the Bluetooth stack or hardware. My D2, the only thing I miss from that phone, had awesome range(100-200ft) and great SQ over BT. My TB only gets me about a 50ft range with the same sony mw600 bt module and subpar SQ. That is really my only true complaint about the phone. But, I deal because I love the phone overall.
yea that's what i thought...the only workaround i see is fixing this by allowing it to become capable with the headunit's usb device qualifiers somehow...i will work towards this...unless cm7 fixes everything and allows us to use it as a usb device lol...gotta love android
I had an Incredible and it worked fine hooking it up to the USB port on my Kenwood head unit. Once I upgraded to the TB I had a few issues. First the vcast drive that verizon installs on their phones interfere with the head unit reading the phone. It is the first drive that pops up wanting you to install software when you plug it into the computer. With the incredible you were able to access the phone menu and turn off the CD-ROM, but they took that access away on the TB. The only way I have found to get around that stupid drive is to plug in the phone to the USB port on the head unit with USB debugging turned on, wait a few seconds and then turn it off. For some reason this works to help my kenwood recognize the SD card and start playing music.
What is the advantage of this approach, compared to running an audio player on the t-bolt and going from the headphone jack to an aux in?
Better sound quality.
*EDIT* Plus you can control the music features through the head unit ie. skip, random, search, repeat, etc....
1454 said:
Personally, I think it is the Bluetooth stack or hardware. My D2, the only thing I miss from that phone, had awesome range(100-200ft) and great SQ over BT. My TB only gets me about a 50ft range with the same sony mw600 bt module and subpar SQ. That is really my only true complaint about the phone. But, I deal because I love the phone overall.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's the bluetooth stack. Specifically the bitpool setting. It's set too low and to date all anyone ever says when I ask about a fix is, "Mine sounds fine".
CM7 should fix this since they use a different bluetooth stack than the stock one and set a higher bitpool.
dharper said:
I had an Incredible and it worked fine hooking it up to the USB port on my Kenwood head unit. Once I upgraded to the TB I had a few issues. First the vcast drive that verizon installs on their phones interfere with the head unit reading the phone. It is the first drive that pops up wanting you to install software when you plug it into the computer. With the incredible you were able to access the phone menu and turn off the CD-ROM, but they took that access away on the TB. The only way I have found to get around that stupid drive is to plug in the phone to the USB port on the head unit with USB debugging turned on, wait a few seconds and then turn it off. For some reason this works to help my kenwood recognize the SD card and start playing music.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow i really appreciate this man i will def. try this out. Did you have to put it in disk drive mode as well?
kkozma said:
It's the bluetooth stack. Specifically the bitpool setting. It's set too low and to date all anyone ever says when I ask about a fix is, "Mine sounds fine".
CM7 should fix this since they use a different bluetooth stack than the stock one and set a higher bitpool.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea the users that say "mine sounds fine" obviously do not have custom audio equipement in their cars. having amps on your speaker in conjunction with a subwoofer allows you to hear a lot more from your music even the imperfections.
Either that or they listen to sonicly simple music... I listen to just about everything and there's a massive difference in sound quality when I listen to something that's simple like hip hop/rap versus heavy metal.
trendsetter37 said:
Wow i really appreciate this man i will def. try this out. Did you have to put it in disk drive mode as well?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. When you initially plug in the phone select disk drive. Then go to settings and turn on USB debugging. Wait a few seconds to allow the head unit to register the action on the phone and then turn USB debugging off. After this you shouldn't need to mess with anything on the phone.
It is a hassle to do this all the time when I am constantly getting in and out of the car, so I only use the USB feature if I know I am going to be in the car for a while. When I had my incredible I could reconnect and disconnect all day without touching anything on my phone. The only way I have found to disable it completely is if you are rooted you can go in and rename the CD-ROM.iso file, which essentially disables this drive from being accessed and not have to go through all this nonsense. I have yet to root the TB, and this is enough to make me want to root. I guess I am waiting to see if someone finds a better solution other than rooting to get rid of this Verizon nonsense.
I have yet to connect my phone to my car audio system. Will the imperfections have me gnawing away at steering wheel?
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
dharper said:
Better sound quality.
*EDIT* Plus you can control the music features through the head unit ie. skip, random, search, repeat, etc....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I can appreciate how the DAC in a head unit might be better than the one in a phone, but I'm skeptical that the differences can be heard above the road noise. Plus, most people play lossy mp3's in the car anyway. If the source was lossless, then perhaps the quality would be discernible.
Your latter point, tho, is valid - except in my case where I like to play straight through random albums. I never have liked random songs so much. It totally messes up great conceptual albums like Pink floyd and others. I suppose I'm a purist in my thinking that to play one random song from an album dilutes the band's artistic statement. Of course, pop generally doesn't apply here.
I noticed this as well. so i just decided to use the standard aux cable through the headphone port.
occam's razor.
I can't seem to rename that file even with a root file manager. How do you do it?
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Direct connect Works!
I repeat direct connect works! I flashed the new radio (ruu) and then my normal tesla coil 1.1 rom over that. Sat in the car because i was curious and plugged my phone into the headunit's usb port and it worked. Read the sd card and everything. I didn't think that leaked ota would have fixed this but apparently it has?
trendsetter37 said:
I repeat direct connect works! I flashed the new radio (ruu) and then my normal tesla coil 1.1 rom over that. Sat in the car because i was curious and plugged my phone into the headunit's usb port and it worked. Read the sd card and everything. I didn't think that leaked ota would have fixed this but apparently it has?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
also I do not have to switch the debugging feature...I just put it in disk drive mode and everything starts playing....I think it even sounds better coming from the tbolt rather than a flash drive; but maybe i'm just partial to my bolt lol
Ecomaniac said:
Okay, I can appreciate how the DAC in a head unit might be better than the one in a phone, but I'm skeptical that the differences can be heard above the road noise. Plus, most people play lossy mp3's in the car anyway. If the source was lossless, then perhaps the quality would be discernible.
Your latter point, tho, is valid - except in my case where I like to play straight through random albums. I never have liked random songs so much. It totally messes up great conceptual albums like Pink floyd and others. I suppose I'm a purist in my thinking that to play one random song from an album dilutes the band's artistic statement. Of course, pop generally doesn't apply here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have used BT audio since I bought my Moto Droid well over a year ago. Yes you can plainly hear the distortion even over road noise. I have a Pioneer headunit with BT headset/audio built in. You would be surprised how easy it is to discern the difference between streaming audio (pandora) and decent quality mp3 (256k). The stock BT stack is prone to artifacts that come across midrange speakers as pops. You end up thinking you blew a speaker. Change source / song and all is well. While I personally can hear a small improvement in the overall quality of audio running CM7 on my old droid vs liquid rom on my TB it isn't much different.
By the way agree on Pink Floyd, comfortably numb has to be one of my favorite songs on a great album.
Hey guys, Im new and might be getting a Xoom soon. I plan on using it to replace my car stereo. I already have speaker/sub amps and will use a 1/2 din equalizer to adjust volume and config inputs and whatnot. Basically, I have no idea where to look for software to make my own custom UI, rather than just having a tablet shoved in my dash, like the other installs I have seen. I have built many computer systems, mainly for gaming and I have also done custom stereo installs, so I know I can do this once I find what I need to research. Im not trying to be lazy and get all the answers, I just need pointed in the right direction. Thanks guys
Hey all,
I just bought a pumpkin android octo core, 4GB ram Android 8 head unit.
This isn't my first android HU. So some quick thoughts...
Very nice they gave a good WiFi antenna with the included kit.
This unit has something odd about it that I need some guidance on... it supports some super fast boot up where if I put the igntion on , the unit is ready to go in a second.
I wonder is this a battery built into the unit? Is it using some large capacitor (tested at least 1hr after shutdown, bootup took 1 second) I very much hope it's not draining the car battery (old android head unit never did).
Everything seems lightning fast on this unit. I can finally even use Google assistant. I sort of could with the last Joying one, but it was just too slow to be practical... as was waiting 5 minutes to be able to use the GPS.
This is literally day zero, as in I just got it a few hours ago so I'll be updating this and testing anything people want me to test later... but I have one other issue and that is that there seems to be a slight hissing sound coming from the unit .. .even with the levels turned way down in the factory settings app... not sure what's causing that but it's a bit of an issue while there's no music playing / not driving around.
Some pics of course :
I got it from Amazon. Cost me £250 on-sale.
The sleep mode you're talking about is the "Auto" setting in the sleep settings menu, I think it's under the "Extra Settings" menu entry. It basically keeps the unit on in a low power mode indefinitely until it gets a 12v+ signal on the red wire behind the radio. During this time though, it's still drawing from your vehicle's battery. Unless your car has a low capacity battery or other charging system issues, it shouldn't be a problem for you. I've left my truck sitting for over a week with the radio in sleep mode and it fired right up to whatever screen I left it on.
Since this is your first unit, don't get hung up on brand names. All of these units are basically either a PX3 or a PX5, and the roms and programs you'll find on these boards are broken down based on what processor is in it. Theres a dozen different brand names, but they're all basically the same three units.
Thanks Hazard15301 it's good to know. I travel a lot for work and often leave my car in airport car parks for weeks. It has a good AGM battery so I guess I should be ok.
from what i can tell, that box is actually the design Erisin uses on their boxes. and the headunit im pretty sure is a Klyde. what is the MCU version on it?
I left my car for well over a week with my unit in 'sleep' mode. Started up no problem
Hi, how did you download Google Assistant onto the pumpkin head unit? And can it work just like the phone - playing specific songs in Spotify etc? Thanks.
Google assistant is built-in to the android OS on it. Just enable it and say "OK Google". It can do anything you can do on your phone (although i'm now having trouble with it making phone calls because it thinks it's a phone.. on my old unit it would just bluetooth to the phone and make the call ... the new one won't make calls for some reason - haven't had time to figure out why yet) ... very happy with this unit. This is what Android head units should be like. Everything works, and it's fast.
Thank you very much for the quick reply!
Is the Google assistant an app on its own in the HU? Do I have to click the app first in order to say “ok Google”?
Or can I be on any screen and say “ok Google” and it’ll work?
thanks!
imogenheap said:
Thank you very much for the quick reply!
Is the Google assistant an app on its own in the HU? Do I have to click the app first in order to say “ok Google”?
Or can I be on any screen and say “ok Google” and it’ll work?
thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's already there, installed as part of the OS, but you have to enable it.
open the Google app (again, built in / pre-installed)
At the bottom right, tap More More and then Settings and then Voice.
Under "Okay Google," tap Voice match.
Turn on Access with voice match.
It's not a separate app, it's just in the "google" app (it's just literally called Google on mine)
Once you enable it ... you can just say "OK Google" from any screen ... you don't have to press anything / open any app first.
For some reason I have to set my language to English US (I'm British) otherwise it says English UK isn't supported.
Cheers
Follow up on unit
Hello, I know this is an old post, however i would like to know how your Pumpkin stereo has held up? Even if you no longer have the head unit or you sold your car, what was your thoughts during the time you had it?
I am considering putting one in my VW Jetta, as i noticed you also had it in a VW and would appreciate your input?
Thanks in advance
lordxenu said:
Hey all,
I just bought a pumpkin android octo core, 4GB ram Android 8 head unit.
This isn't my first android HU. So some quick thoughts...
Very nice they gave a good WiFi antenna with the included kit.
This unit has something odd about it that I need some guidance on... it supports some super fast boot up where if I put the igntion on , the unit is ready to go in a second.
I wonder is this a battery built into the unit? Is it using some large capacitor (tested at least 1hr after shutdown, bootup took 1 second) I very much hope it's not draining the car battery (old android head unit never did).
Everything seems lightning fast on this unit. I can finally even use Google assistant. I sort of could with the last Joying one, but it was just too slow to be practical... as was waiting 5 minutes to be able to use the GPS.
This is literally day zero, as in I just got it a few hours ago so I'll be updating this and testing anything people want me to test later... but I have one other issue and that is that there seems to be a slight hissing sound coming from the unit .. .even with the levels turned way down in the factory settings app... not sure what's causing that but it's a bit of an issue while there's no music playing / not driving around.
Some pics of course :
I got it from Amazon. Cost me £250 on-sale.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zapper_master said:
Hello, I know this is an old post, however i would like to know how your Pumpkin stereo has held up? Even if you no longer have the head unit or you sold your car, what was your thoughts during the time you had it?
I am considering putting one in my VW Jetta, as i noticed you also had it in a VW and would appreciate your input?
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
I still have the headunit, and I'm really happy with it. It has served me very well while i've had it. It has never failed, crashed, slowed down etc and I've never needed to mess around with custom ROMs or anything. I can still install apps from the play store etc. Waze works perfectly, as does google maps.
I did purchase poweramp for it and the controls on the steering wheel work just fine too. So I would still recommend it. This is my second android headunit and it's so much better than my first Joying one stuck on android 5 and had only 1GB of RAM and it was sooo slow that GPS was almost unusable. But this one is lightning fast, it goes into standby when you turn off the car so when you turn it back on it's up and running straight away.. no waiting to boot.
The radio is a bit crap though, if that bothers you (I never listen to it) .. it doesn't recieve signals very well and I did hook up the power to the antenna and I did set it to Europe region (where I live) but yeah it doesn't pick up that many channels for some reason but since I either stream music or listen to MP3s from the memory card, i'm not too bothered about that.
One other strange bug, on my old android head unit I could use google assistant / say OK Google and say "Call work" or whomever, and it would dial on my phone. This one seems to think it's a phone , and says that there is no service. But not a big problem, I can press the phone button and just dial .. but it would be nice if I could do it by speaking to it.
Overall, very happy.
Thank you so much for the quick response. Your information is VERY helpful. I do realize none are going to be perfect, but it sounds decent unit for the price. Do you mind sharing what model you got? unless you mentioned it earlier in the thread then i apologize for asking.
lordxenu said:
Hi
I still have the headunit, and I'm really happy with it. It has served me very well while i've had it. It has never failed, crashed, slowed down etc and I've never needed to mess around with custom ROMs or anything. I can still install apps from the play store etc. Waze works perfectly, as does google maps.
I did purchase poweramp for it and the controls on the steering wheel work just fine too. So I would still recommend it. This is my second android headunit and it's so much better than my first Joying one stuck on android 5 and had only 1GB of RAM and it was sooo slow that GPS was almost unusable. But this one is lightning fast, it goes into standby when you turn off the car so when you turn it back on it's up and running straight away.. no waiting to boot.
The radio is a bit crap though, if that bothers you (I never listen to it) .. it doesn't recieve signals very well and I did hook up the power to the antenna and I did set it to Europe region (where I live) but yeah it doesn't pick up that many channels for some reason but since I either stream music or listen to MP3s from the memory card, i'm not too bothered about that.
One other strange bug, on my old android head unit I could use google assistant / say OK Google and say "Call work" or whomever, and it would dial on my phone. This one seems to think it's a phone , and says that there is no service. But not a big problem, I can press the phone button and just dial .. but it would be nice if I could do it by speaking to it.
Overall, very happy.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
zapper_master said:
Thank you so much for the quick response. Your information is VERY helpful. I do realize none are going to be perfect, but it sounds decent unit for the price. Do you mind sharing what model you got? unless you mentioned it earlier in the thread then i apologize for asking.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No worries, feel free to ask me as many questions about it as you like and i'll try to answer.
With regards to which model,
The amazon listing said "Pumpkin Android 8.0 Car Stereo for VW Golf Passat Polo
4GB RAM Sat Nav Bluetooth Support CD DVD GPS DAB+ WIFI Android Auto"
if i check the about menu on the unit itself it says it's a "PX5"
Thank you I appreciate it. Looks like the internals are all about the same on most models with just small differences.
Enjoy your evening.
lordxenu said:
No worries, feel free to ask me as many questions about it as you like and i'll try to answer.
With regards to which model,
The amazon listing said "Pumpkin Android 8.0 Car Stereo for VW Golf Passat Polo
4GB RAM Sat Nav Bluetooth Support CD DVD GPS DAB+ WIFI Android Auto"
if i check the about menu on the unit itself it says it's a "PX5"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After a lot of reviews and reading I just ordered a 9" Idoing with CanBus for my 2018 WRX with Harman Kardon. A lot of positive reviews from WRX owners, but not seeing a lot of love(or hate) for the Idoing hear on XDA. It's nearly identical to the Joying, but Joying will not support the HK system in my car.
The system is an android 10, UIS 7862 4+64. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32955093508.html
I'm curious what custom options I have in terms of UI, ROMs, Root,, apps?
I'm guessing from what I read(or lack there of) ROMs are a no go, but what about root and other customization options?
Sorry long time rooter and custom ROM user for android phones and tablets, but total noob to android head units.
I have a Kenwood with wireless android auto in my old car and was going to move it to this one, but absolutely hate Android Auto almost as much as I hate mirrorlink in the stock HU in my WRX(shame on you subaru). Also the kit to install it from crutchfield cost nearly as much as the android unit and canbus shipped from china, so figured i'd take a chance.
If it doesn't work out I'll go with the kenwood, but really hopeful this will be a winner. I spent a lot of time on chat with them and they are extremely responsive to questions(really like live chat) where a question to Joying took 3 days to get a response.
I know there is little chance the 4G module will work in the US(IDoing says it works with tmobile) so expecting to use wifi tether with my phone with native apps and pretend android auto doesn't exist. Other option is put a spare phone with sim permanently connected to USB, but unsure if USB tether will work.
I will keep reading, but any thoughts or pointers are welcome. Just don't tell me to replace my HK system, I know not everyone likes it, but I love it ;-)
FAIR WARNING!!!! After a year with no issue, My IDoing fried itself today!! I was driving and it shut down and for about 1 minute I could smell burnt electronics. This was a plug n play install so no cutting, no splicing, no soldering. I am in the process of seeing what IDoing will do for me, but I expect the answer is nothing since it is now over a year old.
Update: Well at least IDoing is talking to me. I pulled the unit out today and put the Stock stereo back in(UGGGH). At least nothing else got fried.
Update 2: So they are saying that they want me to pull the unit off the mounting trim and mail it to them and they will send me a knew one. I'm assuming this is going to cost me 100 bucks in shipping and need to wait a month or more, but it's better response than I expect.
Update 3: They "say" that once I give them tracking number for the unit, they will ship new unit and all i have to pay for is return shipping(30 dollars)
Final Update: Well it cost me a lot more than the USPS web site inferred (85 dollars), but they shipped a replacement the same day I gave them the tracking for the return. New unit showed up in just over a week, Unit looks new installed in less than an hour and all works great, software looks to be nearly identical except the AA software that it came with support wireless out of the box, so small bons. Unfortunate the original unit fried itself after a year, but considering it was out of warranty I have to commend Idoing on how they handled this, now I just need to remember all the tweaks I had installed ;-)
Roms, you have 2 options both are "Lite" versions meaning you have to buy the other features.
No real need for twrp.
Best bet make sure it works with Android auto wireless
Also pay close attention to the button layouts for the different types of screens.
Most development will be in the "Android auto" fourm
Also ask the seller to provided the zlink activation codes
Hmm, I'm curious why I would use AA at all with this as opposed to running apps on the unit with wifi tether? I've used AA Mirror in the past with my kenwood, but would prefer to avoid that path if possible.
It should work with AA, but not wireless as far as I know.
So my unit arrived today:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32955093508.html
Got it to the point of plugging it in to test in the car.
Adding Heating controls vents was a Piece of Cake and this thing looks amazing
Tested:
Screen: Fast and gorgeous responsive, seems very good in bright sunlight
capacitive buttons:, work well , Reset and reprogrammed and much better. Also Illumination is working with custom colors.
Well Documented low volume buzz... Yep it's there, goes away if you mute the radio. Will look for setting to reduce perhaps as well as talk to IDoing
Harman Kardon Canbus, Works plug and play. One issue that may be related is the Fade controls don't really work to fade to rear as they mute the rear, while balance controls work fine... Talking to IDoing now and they just confirmed that any factory amp radio has this issue.
Wifi 5ghz tether, works flawlessly, get 50mbit off my cell. Not the fastest but more than good enough
Play store/google account setup: works flawlessly. Have installed several apps already
Waze/GPS: works flawlessly
USB: 3 dongles, all work for USB Drives, haven't tested for phone connection
Flac: Works off all 3 usb(one main reason I went with this unit)
4g: Working well with t-mobile, not working with verizon. Verizon shows as full bars, bars when I went more urban, but there are no APN settings and I cant get data to work.
Bluetooth audio: works ok, sound doesn't seem fantastic, but i will probably never use.
Android Auto: Wired works great, can't get wireless to work even though my phone says the head unit supports it. Wired it's very fast and responsive and looks great.
Carplay: works wired and woreless, didn't test much as I don't use apple except for app testing.
Fubo/Video: Works very well screen is gorgeous
Developer options: IDoing gave me codes
Launcher: Pretty flexible with different options.
Got USB Debugging, ADB to work today. In developer setting there is 3 "..." at the top, in there is USB mode, top is host mode, bottom is device mode(ADB).
Once I got ADB going I got SystemUITuner granted permissions to control immersive mode for Waze and the like.
Custom Launcher: Got custom launchers working with a trick to use the setting in Nova to set default launcher. Now Rocking Car Web Guru launcher. Also Like Car Launcher Free Version.
Split screen : woks well and is even remembered as last view on soft boot.
Geekbench: 500+, 1300+ very pleased.
android auto with Head unit reloaded: tested with dev server method. Works well with wireless, but UI layout is pretty bad.
Console USB Adapter: Bought from amazon, works perfectly. Now 4 functioning USB
USB access for File Manager : doesn't work yet
Music Apps: do have access to USB
Automation: Used Macrodroid to start Android auto whenever the phone usb is plugged in, or to start spotifiy if no usb and wifi connects. Will do some more of these.
Overall:
Bummed about the rear speaker control, will have to see how much it affects my listening, found subwoofer control an tweaked EQ, sound is quite nice, still wish fade worked. Ok next note to others, make sure you calibrate your EQ with your back seats up. I forgot I had put them down to get my bike in and that was half my disappointment with the sound. Yes I still wish I had fade, but this thing sounds Really nice once dialed in.
The buzz is "irritating" that it exists, but unlikely a real issue for me.. Totally inaudible when car is running.
Otherwise this thing is pretty sweet so far.
Hi gottahavit,
I was just looking at this model on aliexpress and this post comes in just in time as you would say. I have a 2017 STI with no HK
What is your experience with the Mic for calls? does it retain the factory mic or do we have to plug in a new one?
You mention codes for Dev, can you share these?
The console USB Adapter - Which one did you use? do you have a link?
Have you tested ODB2 with apps like Torque?
The External GPS antenna is it required for it to work?
What about the 4G antennas?
thanks so much!
seryser said:
Hi gottahavit,
I was just looking at this model on aliexpress and this post comes in just in time as you would say. I have a 2017 STI with no HK
What is your experience with the Mic for calls? does it retain the factory mic or do we have to plug in a new one?
You mention codes for Dev, can you share these?
The console USB Adapter - Which one did you use? do you have a link?
Have you tested ODB2 with apps like Torque?
The External GPS antenna is it required for it to work?
What about the 4G antennas?
thanks so much!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So first, IDoing have been fantastic in helping with the right purchase and the support, but that said this suffers from a lot of issues the other MFG units do. If you had HK I'd def recommend the IDoing as it's plug and play works great.
However if you don't have the HK I might suggest you get a version with optical or coax out. I think Joying and Daisata sell the same unit but with one or the other cabling.
I don't really make calls, but have tested a couple and was told the mic is ok. No you can't keep the stock mic or GPS.
Codes:3368 for factory, 7171 for Launchers
USB: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DJ4KVQ6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 works perfectly.
No ODB2 here, should be the same as the Joying in another thread.
You need the GPS if you want waze or maps on the unit vs AA or Carplay. I just mounted it on the top of the unit and it works great.
4G works fine with Tmobile, I tested with a Mint mobile trial, but cannot get proper APNs in for Verizon SIm to work(still on my hit list)
I recommend the coax as so many of these unit suffer from some form of ground loop interference which is just annoying even if it doesn't really affect the sound. I had no choice given the HK system
Even with the HK this thing cranks our a lot more power than the POS subaru unit..
These things are great and all the work of install is getting the old unit out. It's not perfect but leaps and bounds above stock.
The other reason to go with Joying is you'll get more support here than you will with the IDoing(very specialized to subaru).
If you do buy from IDoing just chat with them first they will help you pick the proper unit and any canbus for your car.
I would definitely go with the UIS7862 version, as this thing is fast!
Thanks for all the information! Really clarifies what i need to get. Ill look at the joying unit and see what the differences are... There was also the Teyes CC3, but man is it more expensive but looks absolutely awesome
seryser said:
Thanks for all the information! Really clarifies what i need to get. Ill look at the joying unit and see what the differences are... There was also the Teyes CC3, but man is it more expensive but looks absolutely awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looking I see the unit 6+128 would be cool, but be careful, they all say forrester and have foreester button config for the top lcd and 4-wasy buttons. Maybe they have insert for WRX like IDoing. Also I don't see and coax or optical out, but just did quick search. Keep in mind that a lot of that marketing material is just that. I love my unit, but you can't believe everything you read. Also that's cheaper the IDoing or Joying. I think the key is make sure it has the key connections you want(optical, coax, HK my case) and that it fits your car.
Idoing is reseller of various types of kanged android head units.
Would be good to know factory/manufacturer or unit - sounds like it might be an FYT? You will then be able to know what rom options and mods are available from the forums.
Manufacturer can generally be identified from MCU version, what is the full MCU version listed?
marchnz said:
Idoing is reseller of various types of kanged android head units.
Would be good to know factory/manufacturer or unit - sounds like it might be an FYT? You will then be able to know what rom options and mods are available from the forums.
Manufacturer can generally be identified from MCU version, what is the full MCU version listed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IDoing is FYT, they are the only ones with the canbus for the HK system in my car, but that's fine for seryser as he/she has base stereo., but with no HK I recommend getting a unit with optical or coax.
Just a note on the WRX install, you will be tempted(as I was) to not drop the drivers air bag and try to get to the 10mm bolt on that side. DROP THE STUPID AIRBAG!!!!
It's really near impossible to get enough purchase on the bolt unless you do. I wasted an hour trying to not drop the air bag and gave up and had it done in 5 min.
When you put the new unit it, they are TIGHT, snap the clips at the bottom, bend in the clips at the top, then push REAL hard in the top of the screen to sanp the middle clips. They will snap in and what a beautiful fit this unit has. Make sure you run all your cables where you want them before you snap it in! You get 3 usb, I removed the cigarettes lighter under the unit and cut it and plugged it to have one USB in snapped in, ran the other two into the glove box along with the stock usb plug(was amazed it was long enough), then you just plug it into the adapter and one USB plug right in the glove box. Now I have one under the unit, one in the glove box, and 2 in the center console.
I just found the USB Mode toggle on the UIS7862 IDoing. It's the "..." menu at the root of developer setting. Two items in Chinese, top one is host mode, bottom is device mode. Got USB Debugging working fine even with usb-c cable from my laptop.
A picture's worth a thousand words
ludditefornow said:
A picture's worth a thousand words
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can post pics later, but if you can get into developer settings. Immediately in the top right there is a menu button(...) click that and there is one option "USB Configuration", click that you get a popup with 2 options in it in chinese. The first is USB Host mode and the second is Device mode which will let you do USB Debugging from a laptop.
again this is on my IDoing, YMMV
gottahavit said:
So my unit arrived today:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32955093508.html
Got it to the point of plugging it in to test in the car.
Adding Heating controls vents was a Piece of Cake and this thing looks amazing
Tested:
Screen: Fast and gorgeous responsive, seems very good in bright sunlight
capacitive buttons:, work well , Reset and reprogrammed and much better. Also Illumination is working with custom colors.
Well Documented low volume buzz... Yep it's there, goes away if you mute the radio. Will look for setting to reduce perhaps as well as talk to IDoing
Harman Kardon Canbus, Works plug and play. One issue that may be related is the Fade controls don't really work to fade to rear as they mute the rear, while balance controls work fine... Talking to IDoing now and they just confirmed that any factory amp radio has this issue.
Wifi 5ghz tether, works flawlessly, get 50mbit off my cell. Not the fastest but more than good enough
Play store/google account setup: works flawlessly. Have installed several apps already
Waze/GPS: works flawlessly
USB: 3 dongles, all work for USB Drives, haven't tested for phone connection
Flac: Works off all 3 usb(one main reason I went with this unit)
4g: Working well with t-mobile, not working with verizon. Verizon shows as full bars, bars when I went more urban, but there are no APN settings and I cant get data to work.
Bluetooth audio: works ok, sound doesn't seem fantastic, but i will probably never use.
Android Auto: Wired works great, can't get wireless to work even though my phone says the head unit supports it. Wired it's very fast and responsive and looks great.
Carplay: works wired and woreless, didn't test much as I don't use apple except for app testing.
Fubo/Video: Works very well screen is gorgeous
Developer options: IDoing gave me codes
Launcher: Pretty flexible with different options.
Got USB Debugging, ADB to work today. In developer setting there is 3 "..." at the top, in there is USB mode, top is host mode, bottom is device mode(ADB).
Once I got ADB going I got SystemUITuner granted permissions to control immersive mode for Waze and the like.
Custom Launcher: Got custom launchers working with a trick to use the setting in Nova to set default launcher. Now Rocking Car Web Guru launcher. Also Like Car Launcher Free Version.
Split screen : woks well and is even remembered as last view on soft boot.
Geekbench: 500+, 1300+ very pleased.
android auto with Head unit reloaded: tested with dev server method. Works well with wireless, but UI layout is pretty bad.
Console USB Adapter: Bought from amazon, works perfectly. Now 4 functioning USB
USB access for File Manager : doesn't work yet
Music Apps: do have access to USB
Automation: Used Macrodroid to start Android auto whenever the phone usb is plugged in, or to start spotifiy if no usb and wifi connects. Will do some more of these.
Overall:
Bummed about the rear speaker control, will have to see how much it affects my listening, found subwoofer control an tweaked EQ, sound is quite nice, still wish fade worked. Ok next note to others, make sure you calibrate your EQ with your back seats up. I forgot I had put them down to get my bike in and that was half my disappointment with the sound. Yes I still wish I had fade, but this thing sounds Really nice once dialed in.
The buzz is "irritating" that it exists, but unlikely a real issue for me.. Totally inaudible when car is running.
Otherwise this thing is pretty sweet so far.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What a good review!!!
Really "irritating" the permanent buzz. Only dissapear with volume to zero every time I turn on the unit. If somebody find a fix i will be more than happy
JAR99 said:
What a good review!!!
Really "irritating" the permanent buzz. Only dissapear with volume to zero every time I turn on the unit. If somebody find a fix i will be more than happy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I agree, at tis point it's the only real gripe I have with the unit. The thing is amazing compared to the crap that Subaru put in.
The issue seems to be pretty common on these chinese units, which is why if I didn't have the HK setup I would have bought one with Optical or Coax. Honestly you can't hear it when listening to music, but... If I ever pull the unit out again I will try to ground the board to see what that does.
IDoing has "tried" to be helpful, and they are extremely responsive on aliexpress.
I'm glad you found my review useful.
So I managed to get APN setting for verizon to stick, and I ca see the verizon network if I use a replacement mobile network settings like from CWG, however even though it will connect and I have the APN it sitll won't get any mobile data on the verizon network. I'm beginning to think they have it hardcoded in the System to only work with t-mobile. Either that or Verizon is rejecting data requests from the device even tough it lets it connect. I've tried with both true Verizon Sim and an Xfinity Mobile Sim(Both verizon, but different APNs).
gottahavit said:
Yes I agree, at tis point it's the only real gripe I have with the unit. The thing is amazing compared to the crap that Subaru put in.
The issue seems to be pretty common on these chinese units, which is why if I didn't have the HK setup I would have bought one with Optical or Coax. Honestly you can't hear it when listening to music, but... If I ever pull the unit out again I will try to ground the board to see what that does.
IDoing has "tried" to be helpful, and they are extremely responsive on aliexpress.
I'm glad you found my review useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do these buzz even if you don't have the hk?
speeddemon1891 said:
Do these buzz even if you don't have the hk?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe they do, only way around it without playing with internals is to get one with the coax or optical out and use that, then it's digital to your amp.
gottahavit said:
I believe they do, only way around it without playing with internals is to get one with the coax or optical out and use that, then it's digital to your amp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Think it might be possible to add some kind of pass-through filter/adapter to the RCA leads which could help reduce or eliminate the buzz?