What headunit can I get!? - MTCD Android Head Units General

Hi everyone, I basically have an ongoing project at the moment where I'd like to have a headunit in the open top kit car me and a friend are building. Everything is full on stripped down back to basics, no ABS, no powersteering but we're keen to have a bit of fimiliarities with the headunit. I'm struggling a little bit on exactly what to get, I don't know if an off the shelf solution exists or if I'd have to go down something like the rasperry pi route but effectively here's what I'm after from the unit. Don't mind the idea of a tablet of sorts as well, but it would need multiple USB slots (see below).
Android OS is probably best for what we're after however open to suggestions/other ideas
Multiple USB slots 3 minimum - 1 for ODB/ Diagnostic connection, 1 for Apple CarPlay and the other for DAB radio if required
Resistive touch screen - there's no roof on the kit car we'll do our best to weatherproof it but we'd like for the screen to be not effected by droplets of water if it does start raining
Something that's not incredible slow
The monitor and the OS can be two separate devices if required e.g Resistive monitor and then trailing a HDMI/USB to the computer which would be in a dry wiring tray.
Has anyone done this? Seen anything that'd suit? We're really open to suggestions and looking to find a solution asap.

Perhaps post in the Android head units forum, this thread is for specific "MTCD" units.

Most units I have seen are Capacitive screens not resistive, but rain does not affect either really when you dry them off.
If you are looking for reliable Apple CarPlay then Android head units are not the best bet.
I know that the Dasaita PX6 head units have a HDMI out which you can connect another touch screen to for dual touchscreens.
I have the Dasiata in a topless jeep which has had some (light) rain on it in the past with no ill effects.

Sorry all, new to the forums I'll post in the correct place now

Related

Anyone building or thought about building there own Head Unit?

With the new Pi just coming out and all the Pi spin offs or competitors, more powerful core hardware is more and more available.
So has anyone thought about building there own head unit?
Or even heavily modifying one of the cheaper chinese ones so you have the facades on the front?
I could see building a simple touch screen system would be fairly easy. But I must admit I want the knobs and buttons... Not to mention a CD drive for audio cds.
So how easy is it?
You can make a pretty decent "knobs and buttons" face plate from... well knobs and buttons and some 3D-printed or custom-made frame, or just recycle from a defective unit.
To start, draw a block scheme with the individual systems you need.
You could start from something like this:
Raspberry
Power level
Audio Amp level
Touchscreen + buttons
Peripherals (Bluetooth dongle, WiFi dongle, etc)
Steering wheel controls decoder
Cameras
OBD2 interface and decoder
Add or remove whatever your needs are.
Then check what components will be needed and what skills are required for said system (programming, soldering, etc).
You'll now have a price and you'll be able to see if you can actually do it with your current skills and resources.
If you want just an entertainment system, I suggest buying a product that does exactly that, because it will be way easier to setup and under some conditions, even cheaper.
If I took the time to build something like this, surely it won't be just for entertainment. I would do my best to connect most of my car to it, say climate control, seat and mirror positions, driver profiles, remote control, etc.
Over time, yes ill be adding more and more controls that interface with the car... Also i dont just want an entertainment system. i want to build and learn at the same time . but its also about customising the whole thing.
As for the face plate. I dont have a 3D printer.... yet, its on my list. (as a 3dartist its kind of a given really) But even if I could print my own stuff off it just wont be the same as a decent plastic moulded part. Thats why i was wondering if its possible to hack/destroy/remake from an existing cheaper model unit. like the very old wince units that use the same face plate as the more modern android units....
NutsyUK said:
Thats why i was wondering if its possible to hack/destroy/remake from an existing cheaper model unit. like the very old wince units that use the same face plate as the more modern android units....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why not, they all have mechanical switches that you can connect to whatever you want
what i meant was... The switches... in what way are they sending a signal are all the face plates the same in sending that signal?
That's different between manufacturers, but if it has electronics between the buttons and the actual player you can strip that part and add wires straight from the mechanical switches to your Raspberry or whatever you wish to use

Almost ready to buy, few final questions. Octocore PX5, 4GB, Oreo

A quick bit of background, I have recently sold my car that had a factory fit wince media centre fitted, and although locked down I miss the navigation and ease of use in my new car. The new car is actually a 10 year old Mazda MX5 NC (MK3) and currently has the stock radio which I'm thinking of upgrading.
I have figured I had 2 choices, either an all singing android unit, or a regular manufactures unit which supports Apple AirPlay. I figured that would still give me the basics of what I need, and probably with no potential for things to go wrong Anyway I like a challenge and the though of having more possible functionality I think is winning the argument for getting an android unit, but I have a few final questions from people in the know!
I have bene looking at a couple of units that look pretty similar spec wise (cornet me if I'm wrong) :-
Pumpkin AE0273B, XTRONS TE706PL. I was posting links to them but I'm not allowed yet So you will have to google for the exact details if needed.
So onto the questions :
1. I see a lot of the connectivity is via USB, and If I were to add several of the extras (E.g DAB+, 3/4G, DashCam, Phone) I would ned more USB ports than supplied (The XTRONS has 3, but the Pumpkin only 2). Can I just use a USB hub to get more ports like on a computer? If yes I'm assuming a powered one would be better as those accessories all need power.
2. I currently have a simple dash cam that just records video and audio in a loop onto an SD card all the time the ignition is on. Each file is about 2 mins long and I get about 4 hours recording before it starts to overwrite older files. This works great as I can forget about it and in 3 years, have never had to even look at the footage, and hopefully never will. But it gives peace of mind. I see you can get a USB one that I'm sure will have much better user interface if I want to play back footage. My existing camera has a phono out which I could connect to an AUX input to use the screen, but would still have the fiddly buttons to press on the camera behind my mirror.
Does the DVR app on the unit with the USB camera just crack on and record stuff in a similar I can forget about it way, and its just all there if I need it in the future. Or do I need to do something every time I turn the ignition on? Where does it record the footage, do I need to provide an additional SD card?
3. I see there are often 2 SD card slots, one marked for maps, the other presumably for music. Is there actually any difference, or are these just 2 mount points in the system that get used for anything? This question just came to me when thinking about the camera above. It wasn't actually on my list!
4. I'm worried that with a convertible car I'm not going to be able to see the screen due to the huge amount of ambient or even direct sun light. I have heard that there are anti-glare filters which could help a bit, but is this going to be a problem for me when it comes to navigating etc? Are the screens on the standard manufacture units (e.g. Pioneer etc) any better. In other words would I be better off sacrificing the cool stuff and getting a straight CarPlay unit that would be bright enough to see?
5. Lots os talk about rooting the device. What are the actual advantages of doing this? Are there some killer apps that make this a worth while exercise?
I appreciate its a long post and there are lots of questions, so a big thank you in advance for any of the questions you might be able to answer.
Regards
Ben
EDIT: forgot to mention — almost all units are identical to one another. They all have almost identical MTCD/MTCE MCU boards with the same audio/radio/wifi/Bluetooth chips (there are exceptions). And the main SoC is gonna be a PX5 with 4 GB of ram. So outside of that you want build quality (buttons, screen, plastic) and if it’s made to fit your car already.
First off, check out Joying units which have Carplay built in as well (and they have Octa core 4gb android 8.0 double din universal ones).
Next, yes you’d be able to use a USB hub and yes a powered one is best. Get one that works off of 12v and wire it in for a clean solution (so you always have a powered hub in your glove box for instance)
There are dash cams that the head unit manufacturers will sell you that you can leave plugged into your unit and they will auto record as you say. You basically don’t have to touch them, and just open the necessary app if you wanna change settings, or lock/save a file.
The 2 SD card slots are identical but one of them is meant to be always-in for GPS maps (for the Navi that the seller pre-loads sometimes). Also for firmware updates the GPS slot is the only one it boots from.
Glare depends heavily on the angle that your dash positions the screen at, so it’s hard to say. But yeah sometimes the sun hits it just right and there’s pretty much nothing you can do. Happens on oem units too.
Rooting isn’t super necessary but depending on how much you want to tinker it adds nice features like apps staying open after sleep, and the ability to customize the way everything looks. That said, there’s a lot in the way of customization that’s already available. Check malaysk’s custom ROM though. It’s pretty stable and the inclusion of viper4android alone is worth the hassle (in my opinion)
Hope this helps!
So it looks to me like there are 3 generic systems that have been badged up, one with a knob at the top, one with a knob at the bottom, and one without a knob.
The ones with the knobs seem to have the slightly newer TDA7851 amp chip, and the one with out uses the older TDA7850, which is a shame as I prefer the look of just buttons.
The Xtrons unit has a 3rd USB, which saves having to get a USB hub.
The Joying has the benefit of the built in ZLink, but as its software it does mean you loose that benefit if you use a different rom.
And there are various options on the back of the units, some have small wifi antenna built in, some have connectors for an external one.
It all make for lots of extra decisions!!
After getting Whitehouse support from Pumpkin, I would only buy Dasaita now. I just ordered a Dasaita PX5 4GB Oreo to replace my Pumpkin PX3 2GB.

Vehicle specific or double din w/ adapter?

I've been lurking around here for about a month now, just trying to figure out what would work best. I came across Android head units and this forum while searching for something with built-in offline GPS navigation and is compatible with Apple CarPlay but I've now become intrigued by installing apps to the head unit itself.
I'm pretty familiar with Android but head units running Android are quite new to me and I'm frankly a bit overwhelmed. I'm happy to do more reading here and elsewhere, but I have to say I find it very difficult to get much out of the massive threads. I've appreciated the Hui Fei wiki posts but I still feel like there's a bunch I don't know, specifically the pros and cons of the different types of units and where to buy them.
So from what I've been able to find, the best option right now, especially if I want to do any sort of customizing or upgrading down the road (rooting and swapping out processor boards) is to get an MTCE unit, so that's what I've been looking for. I believe the ideal unit is:
Android 8.0+
Octa-Core PX5 (I'm not sure I'm patient enough to wait for the PX6 to actually arrive in units)
2GB+ RAM (preferably 4GB)
32GB+ Storage
IPS Display
Steering wheel control support
I have a 7th Gen Honda Accord (2005) with dual zone automatic climate control. That feature in particular makes it a little more difficult to replace the stock head unit because the climate controls are integrated into it. My options are to get a aftermarket unit that has climate controls built in or to get a dash kit (like the Metra 99-7803) that handles the climate control and just has a double din slot.
My hesitation with a vehicle specific unit is that they seem to be poorly supported, and I can't find a decent US based reseller (I'm not very comfortable with the support and return policies of the sellers on AliExpress I've found so far). Also, it seems to be difficult to find out if a unit is actually a MTCD/E unit before buying it. The downside of a dash kit is that they basically add another $200-$300, the units have smaller displays or stick out a ways from the dash, and they don't look nearly as good.
Are there any limitations of vehicle specific units or generic units that I should be aware of? What would you recommend?

General questions for PX6 and other units

I purchased a Dasaita Max 6 10.2” unit, my first ever Android head unit. I’ve been reading the various posts and found answers to some of my questions but not all. Is there a good FAQ or a good resource for these units that someone can point me to? I also have a slew of questions I was wondering if anyone knew of the answers, or again knows of a good resource to find them. Here are some:
1. The Dasaita is installed in a 2013 Toyota Prius with a canbus adapter, I noticed that the radio displays some information about my AC settings when I change them. Is there a way to actually control the AC with the head unit too? If so that would be great, it opens the door to maybe getting as 12” unit instead and not have to worry that it will cover my physical buttons.
2. My OEM radio had the ability to display tire pressure in each tire, is there a way to get that data displayed on this unit? I’d love to know if there are ways to integrate this head unit into my car as much as possible. I do see I have regained the ability to adjust some of the car settings again that I lost when I removed my oem head unit.
3. I installed car launcher and set it to Always as my launcher, but the stock launcher always defaults when the unit is turned on. Is there a way around this?
4. If I install a Bluetooth ODBII module and pair it to the head unit, can it pair to the head unit at the same time my cell is paired to it? And does it not drain the battery leaving the ODBII module plugged in?
5. Are there firmware updates for this unit or custom ROMs?
6. When you rotate the screen, the display doesn’t rotate to match the physical orientation. Is it supposed to?
So far this unit is great, I’m curious what else I can get out of it.
What did the reseller advise for your questions?
marchnz said:
What did the reseller advise for your questions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I’m getting the feeling you’re asking that question assuming I haven’t done that. But to answer your question I have asked quite a few of these questions but not all. Iris from Dasaita has been very helpful in answering some of my questions, but some of them she just skips and doesn’t answer, or answers a question I’m not exactly answering. I think there is a language barrier with her understanding some of what I’m asking, and my understanding some of her answers. Ultimately she pointed me to XDA which I’ve been a member of for quite a long time... which is why I finally asked
Here. I did read the links in your sig which has already been very helpful in understanding the nomenclature of these devices and firmware file names so that’s at least a start.
kelkin said:
I purchased a Dasaita Max 6 10.2” unit, my first ever Android head unit. I’ve been reading the various posts and found answers to some of my questions but not all. Is there a good FAQ or a good resource for these units that someone can point me to? I also have a slew of questions I was wondering if anyone knew of the answers, or again knows of a good resource to find them. Here are some:
1. The Dasaita is installed in a 2013 Toyota Prius with a canbus adapter, I noticed that the radio displays some information about my AC settings when I change them. Is there a way to actually control the AC with the head unit too? If so that would be great, it opens the door to maybe getting as 12” unit instead and not have to worry that it will cover my physical buttons.
2. My OEM radio had the ability to display tire pressure in each tire, is there a way to get that data displayed on this unit? I’d love to know if there are ways to integrate this head unit into my car as much as possible. I do see I have regained the ability to adjust some of the car settings again that I lost when I removed my oem head unit.
3. I installed car launcher and set it to Always as my launcher, but the stock launcher always defaults when the unit is turned on. Is there a way around this?
4. If I install a Bluetooth ODBII module and pair it to the head unit, can it pair to the head unit at the same time my cell is paired to it? And does it not drain the battery leaving the ODBII module plugged in?
5. Are there firmware updates for this unit or custom ROMs?
6. When you rotate the screen, the display doesn’t rotate to match the physical orientation. Is it supposed to?
So far this unit is great, I’m curious what else I can get out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1 - The Tesla style units all have on screen climate controls unless the original controls had a built in display. You may be required to take apart the original controls and transfer a PCB to the HU. Some manufacturers only make vertical screens for cars that have climate controls with built in display but their screens is smaller than 12". No matter which of those Chinese Android HU you buy if you have any concerns you should contact the seller and confirm things before you buy.
2 - Not likely.
3 - Look around the factory menu there should be a setting that basically means to return to previous state after a reboot.
4 - Probably not that would depend on the ODBII adapter supporting simultaneous connections and I haven't seen one that does that yet and wouldn't be very useful anyways. No it wouldn't drain the battery if you left it plugged in the thing hardly draws any current, most adapters go to sleep and doesn't the Prius cut power to everything after a while.
5 - Dasaita is very good with support and updates usually contact your seller for them. You should know that you will find more info here if you search for CPU - MCU - Android rather than a specific model number. So look for PX6 - HA2 - Pie (I guess). Custom ROM.
6 - What the hay. Nobody has a screen that rotates! Who has time to rotate a screen while driving, let me know when you're out and about so I can hide safe in my basement. Kidding apart there's no need for an accelerometer in a car radio so unless they did install one or a switch to let the HU know the screen is rotated you will have to set that in display settings or download an app to switch orientation. Otherwise your unit is defective.

Yet another android tablet as a head unit

Hi,
I'd like to introduce my project...
I'm building a vintage kit car using the BMW Z3 (2000 model year) as the base car. I want the car to have access to tech but for the tech to be hidden in the centre console, actually on the underside of the top of the console. The concept is that when no tech is needed (for example at shows) the car will retain its vintage looks but when tech is required (i.e. when being driven) the tech becomes available. I'm imagining a top section of the console which will hinge up and reveal the tablet. There isn't going to be much space on the underside of the console which is why I'm going for a tablet rather than one of the many Chinese android units.
As an aside, I've just ordered an Icebox Octa core 64G Rom / 4G Ram unit (TTF1983 ) for my facelift (2015) Vauxhall Insignia which I expect to arrive in the next week or so.
I've already researched other people's projects which has helped me to get to where I currently am. Where I currently am is ordering many of the bits and pieces which I expect to need.
My tablet project is intended to be a much simpler affair than the Icebox unit:
DAB and FM radio
Rear and, hopefully, front camera
Sat nav
OBD II
Mirror my phone if needs be
What I won't need includes:
Steering wheel controls
Air con management
Electric roof control
Pretty much everything else that an android head unit offers
What I might need is:
BT Phone but in a convertible that's going to be a bit of an issue any way
Because the car will only be used sporadically I need an effective power management system, one which will kick in after perhaps a month's lack of use.
My tablet of choice is a Galaxy Tab S 10.5 (SM-T800) which I happen to have lying around, it's currently running stock Android 6.01 . The tablet is a wifi model so the plan is to hotspot it to my Galaxy S8 when I'm on the road
I've already ordered
a 12V to 5V 3A dc-dc converter
a 4 port USB2 hub
an OTG Y cable to take power from the dc-dc converter to feed the tablet and to move data between the devices
an easycap UTV007 video capture device (for the parking camera units)
a USB to USB relay to allow the easycap to feed the video through to the USB when reverse is connected
an 'intelligent' video selector which has two video inputs (front and rear cameras) and one video output (to the head unit via the USB relay). The unit keeps the relevant camera connected to the output. I need to take delivery of this and play with it to see what it can really do.
an ELM327 bluetooth OBD II device
a NooElec Smart DVB+ device
a Creative Soundblaster DAC
I know that I'm going to need a decent amplifier between the DAC and the speakers (suggestions and recommendations welcome). I might also want a manual volume control, possibly with a push button mute facility. I've probably missed a bunch of stuff...
I've rooted the tablet and tweaked it (overwritten lpm) so that when the ignition is switched on then the tablet will boot. I've used MacroDroid to tell the device to switch off 10 seconds after the ignition is switched off (unless the ignition gets switched on again within those 10 seconds)
I'm looking very closely at the Agama Car Launcher to pull much of it together. There are some aspects of this launcher that I'd like to see improved. For example I'd like to be able to get back to the home screen from the maps screen (or other screens) CarWebGuru places a button on the screen to allow this. It would be nice also to have a split screen so that I can have maps on one side and Audio / OBD / any other app on the other side. I'm aware that I might not get all that I wish for
One thing I'd REALLY like to see improved is the cold boot time which is currently 50 seconds. I might consider a custom ROM if anyone knows of a ROM that will fire up quickly, or any other tweak which will significantly shorten the cold boot time. 10 seconds or less would be nice. I've looked at Cyanogenmod 12.1 or 13 with the quick boot utility but I understand that the quick boot is basically hibernate and may not survive a month without the ignition being switched on.
Hopefully I've given a reasonable overview of what I'm looking to achieve and hopefully there will be people out there that can help tie everything together and troubleshoot when the time comes.
Russell
nice project, good luck with it..
Keep us posted on your project progress...
Wondering how this is coming along?
My question for you is, will the tablet charge and use data via the OTG cable simultaneously? Did you need to run a custom kernel to enable that?
thanks.
Quite in consonance with what I've been wanting to achieve. Nevertheless, the plan was frustrated by other priorities. Would love to see how this emerges. Meanwhile here's a basic experiment I've tried.

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