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Post by jhornbr225 on May 1, 2020 19:09:14 GMT -5
I spent the day in the truck. The first task was to put the interior back together. A week or so ago we had a little accident inside involving 32 Oz of Dr. Pepper going all in front passenger footwell. I had removed all the seats, the center console, and the carpet. We wiped down the metal, and ran the carpet cleaner on the carpet then left it to dry.
I put the interior back together today, and I installed the Aux module. This one appears to work better. It's playing the songs in order, and the display is showing the proper track. I did take it apart and do some investigating. It has 4 chips on the board. One is a audio system on a chip, providing the MP3 capability, and switching to the Aux input based on whether or not a USB stick is plugged in. There is an ATMEGA8, obviously for control. There is a dual channel op-amp for audio buffering, and a CAN Bus transceiver. And on the board it says CAN + and CAN-, so obviously the track control for the USB is powered by CAN Bus. When you pull out the memory stick, the display freezes the Disk, Track and Time data, then it picks right back up when you plug the stick back in. I plugged in my MPOW Bluetooth module to the Aux jack, and the Bluetooth works great.
I did a little scope probing, trying to look at the audio signal. Since this aux box is properly switching the head unit to the CD changer mode, there is no audio on the output side of the module when I play a CD in the radio itself. Although I do have some concerns about the audio. I do see that it is slightly quieter, nothing too bad, but it is noticeable when changing sources. I played a 1kHz signal through the Bluetooth and scoped the input and output. On the input side, it's a nice clean sine wave, but the output side appears to have some harmonics. I'll have to do some intermediate probing to see if I can determine the source of the harmonics. It sounds fine, but I would like to see a clean sine wave on the output.
The output plug header had a couple solder joints that were a little light on the amount of solder, so I took care of those.
At that point the wife came out and saw the stereo hanging out of the dash, and the module's bare circuit board hanging out of it's enclosure, and she said "Stop messing with my truck". Then I played her some music over the Bluetooth, and she appeared to be momentarily OK with what I was doing. We'll see what happens when I show her the Pi touchscreen.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 3, 2020 14:26:13 GMT -5
Yesterday I finished putting the truck together, and testing the MP3 player. Yes, it sucks as bad as the last one. Folders seem to not play all the music that is in them. Songs play in the wrong order. Random only randomizes the current folder. The only text that shows up on the radio's display is the disk number (folder), track number, and time. Those numbers freeze when you pull out the USB stick to play the 3.5mm Aux plug. Good thing I'll be plugging the Aux cable into the USB soundcard of the Pi. That way I'll be able to see exactly what's playing, but the radio's display will be pretty much useless. Today I made the mods to the RTC module. You can see just to the right of the text "SQW" on the left side, I removed a surface mount resistor. That will keep the power LED off. That saves power. Under the diode that's right above that, the trace is cut. That removes battery power the circuit. The path is now through the new diode. Add the new diode 1N4148 across the top. Anode goes to battery +, the cathode goes to the cathode of the existing diode on the right side of the board. Now, either the supplied 3.3V VCC or the battery power the circuit, but the battery cannot attempt to get charged by VCC. Add a 104 capacitor from the junction of the two cathodes to common. This will filter any interruptions of the battery voltage dropping out due to vibration. Lift pin 2 of the RTC IC (Lower left corner of the large chip). This is technically the VCC source for the chip. Also tie this pin to common. Doing this puts the chip into low power mode, as it only see the battery pin. A couple features are disabled, but nothing I need. All mods made as per the cave pearl project: thecavepearlproject.org/tag/ds3231/Seems like this guy has deployed quite a few of these in data logger applications in extreme environments. He's powering them with a battery source for the VCC in addition to the onboard CR2032, but the CR2032's last for years. I woke up this morning thinking about doing this, but then I remembered that in the truck, there is a clock on the dash, right under the radio that is staying. Also I believe that OpenAuto Pro allows you to not show the clock. So ideally, I didn't even need this. But I figured I'd give it a shot.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 4, 2020 19:35:09 GMT -5
Ran out to grab carryout for dinner tonight, and figured out that I'm in trouble. The wife turned on the radio hoping to listen to NPR, and no signal came in.
I forgot to plug in the antenna when I re-installed the stereo in the truck.
I guess the good thing is that Toyotas of that era (2005), are really easy to take apart. This is the only one that I've had to take apart, but man, it's simple. It's a little tight getting the heater controls out, which are just clips, then 4 6mm bolts, and the radio pops right out. Taking out the entire center console is only 4 little screws, and two bolts in the bottom of the cubby. And the only reason I did that was to get the carpet out.
Compared to my friend's 2000 Honda Civic, that literally the entire center console has to come out to access the radio. What a joke. But I do love my Hondas.
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Post by COMpulse on May 5, 2020 10:54:08 GMT -5
My Pontiac is 6 screws to remove the head unit. My Taurus is roughly 24 little bolts, removing most of the center console and most of the dash in the process.
It's not a big deal, until you have to do it 3 or 4 times.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 5, 2020 21:11:33 GMT -5
Spent a little time with the Pi tonight.
Hooked up the RTC and the DS18B20 Temperature sensor.
It took a little Googling, but I got them both hooked up and communicating with the Pi.
The time appears to be holding, and the temperature appears to be somewhat accurate. It reads 3° warmer than the thermometer in my office, but it is sitting next to the RTC, not that that should be making any heat. Not saying that my thermometer is the all's all that ends all either.
Still anxiously awaiting the timer relay. Then I could get the startup and shutdown scripts working.
I had an idea that I might mount the Pi and other stuff needed to the underside of the center console. Then it would only be the screen that is sitting in the alcove in front of the cupholders. I could get a longer ribbon cable for the screen. But I would also have to get a ribbon cable to get the 5V and GND to the touchscreen as right now it's a couple jumpers. If it was ribbon cable, I could run them through the crack in between the center console and the existing dash. No cutting or drilling required, and concealed behind the screen. And removing the center console would bring the whole kit and kaboodle out. Just need a plug for the power, ground, ignition and reverse signals, audio to the aux module, and the RCA cable for the backup camera. And if I want to remote mount the temp sensor, need those connections too.
Until the RPi Foundation releases a way to boot directly from USB Hard Drive without needing an SD card, I need access to the card. The cupholders pop right out, no screws or other parts need removed. If I was able to reach the SD card, then I would not have to take anything else apart to do any updates. I know that there are cable extenders that can move the SD card away from the Pi, but you take the chance of a loose connection. I don't believe that currently Open Auto Pro is an update-in-place system. I think it's a total re-image when a new version comes out. Then I have to do the whole setup again. RTC, temp sensor etc.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 8, 2020 15:33:02 GMT -5
I ordered a Pi4 case with a 40mm fan in it, $7.99. I also ordered a couple ribbon cables to extend from the Pi to the screen, and a 4 pin ribbon to hack up for the 5V power between the Pi and the screen. I also ordered a 12V to 5V 15A supply. We'll see how well it works. That stuff is set to arrive next week. Still waiting on the timer module.
I'm considering hand building a little board to plug into the GPIO. I don't need all the pins. just enough for RTC, Temp, Reverse, Ignition, maybe a couple spares. But I don't need all 40 pins. I have some more of those green 8 pin plugs I used on the front circuit in the Accord. But it should be big enough to hold the RTC module. So 5V, Ground, Reverse, Ignition, maybe rear camera power switched with a little relay on board, triggered by the reverse lead. But then I need 12V in on the plug too. So that's 6 pins so far. That gives me room for two spare pins for inputs/outputs.
I could always draw it up and send it to JLCPCB...
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 9, 2020 13:53:24 GMT -5
An update to Open Auto Pro came out yesterday. Now it's version 8.0. Looks like there is an update in place utility. It tried it and it appeared to work.
It took a little monkeying around with it to get it to connect wirelessly to my phone after that, but after a little playing, it started working.
One of the new features is the ability to connect to a new optional proprietary app on your phone, Connected Pro, an extra $9.90, to gain the abilities to, according to the Blue Wave Studio Homepage:
reading phone's notifications, automatic time synchronization, automatic Bluetooth tethering enabling, automatic desired music player startup
The auto time synchro seems cool, I would not need the RTC if I had that.
I'm not sure if I'd gain anything useful from the rest of the features, so I'm holding off on installing the $9.90 app for now.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 9, 2020 15:37:55 GMT -5
After a little research, I believe I found the resistor values to add the steering wheel controls to the truck without doing too much work. To do it properly, I'd need the switches themselves, then a new airbag cover, as on the steering wheel without switches, the airbag cover goes all the way across. Then probably pay the dealer to change the airbag cover. Bluetooth steering wheel controls.pdf (230.05 KB) I don't need the Bluetooth stuff, but there is a section that troubleshoots the steering wheel controls and the resistance values seen when pressing certain buttons. I have the electrical repair manual for the truck, but it does not show the resistor values as my Honda Accord book did. I can add aftermarket switches to the plastic cover on the side of the steering wheel, and add the resistors. It appears Toyota pre-wires the clockspring and harness to the radio itself, as a 3-pin plug is in the back of the stereo matching the colors and plug description in my manual relating to the steering wheel switches. I was hoping that I didn't have to buy a set of switches to figure out the resistors, or make friends on a Tacoma forum with someone who would be willing to pull their truck apart and take measurements.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 12, 2020 10:53:46 GMT -5
I have a feeling I'm going to get screwed on the timer relay. I bought 4 of them for $0.90 each on 3/20. Today I check the price, thinking I might have to order another set. The same seller is now selling them for $7.49 each, if you buy 4. Other sellers are about the same price.
The price has gone up by more than 8X!
Even if they were lost in shipping, they will most likely just want to give me a refund. That's not what I want though. I want what I bought and paid for. Four modules for $3.83 free shipping. I don't want 4 for $30.
But I have to wait until June 2nd to complain.
Raspberry Pi case, 4 pin FFC cables, and 15A 5V DC-DC converter are out for delivery.
I may have a problem though. Driving the truck around last night, it looks like the screen might not fit where I want it to. The cubby might be too small. I see that my 7" Fire is about the same size as the Pi Screen. I'll have to take it out there and see how it looks. That would be better than taking the raw pi screen out and playing with it.
I see there are 5" capacitive touchscreens screens with the DSI interface, for about $45.
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Post by COMpulse on May 19, 2020 10:02:02 GMT -5
Native USB booting for Pi 4 coming in the next week?
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 19, 2020 10:16:07 GMT -5
Yeah, I watched that video yesterday. Pretty cool, can't wait. The video made it sound imminent, like in the next few hours, but I have not seen anything yet.
After trying to place the Fire in the spot I was thinking about for the screen, I see that the cubby is too small. I suppose I need to try a "naked" 7" screen without bezels to see how that looks. If that's too big, I'll have to investigate the 5" screens. If I use a screen with the native composite input, I won't have to mess with the Pi's inputs to know I'm in reverse. I'll just hook the camera directly to the screen.
Currently I have the Pi4 on my desk, in the case, with the 24" FFC cable between the Pi and the screen. I have not chopped up a 4 pin FFC for the power to the touchscreen yet. And I'm only using 3 USB ports, BT module, sound card, and hard drive. So at this point I don't need a hub.
Still no sign of the timer relays, and still two weeks before I can complain to Ebay about it.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 19, 2020 17:18:05 GMT -5
Price went up again on the timer relays.
Now a single one from the same seller is $9.82, if you buy 4 it's $8.82 each.
When I bought 4, they were $0.90 each. So now the price is 9.8 times higher.
I wish I could increase the price of something I was selling by almost 10X in 2 months!
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 19, 2020 20:41:11 GMT -5
I had a crazy thought. Looking through my stash of old car PC parts. I found 4 Sony RM-X6S Wireless Rotary Commander remote controls. I know somewhere that I have an IR receiver that I bought from Mitch (MP3Car Days), that plugs in with USB. I remember messaging with Mitch at the time and he said that the IR receivers were getting hard to find, as they were a sunlight resistant model. He was building the USB receivers at the time, but had to quit, as the parts were becoming scarce. Well, I've got several old Sony car stereos out in the garage. I checked the compatibility list for the RM-X6S remote and found the part number for the IR receiver in one of the compatible models. I then checked the parts list for one of the car stereos that I know I have in the garage. Same IR receiver in both models. I could strip the IR receiver from that old Sony cassette stereo, and probably feed that input into an Arduino and use it for keyboard controls. A Google search on that Remote Commander led me to: nfgworld.com/car-stereo-hacking-again/This guy dismantled one, used the two pin harness in his Honda's factory steeering wheel controls to power the IR LED's out of the RM-X6S. He took the IR LED's out and mounted them in his hazard switch in the dash, right below his Sony stereo. He mounted all the brains for the remote on his steering wheel. That way the IR signal did not get blocked by the wheel, or his hand. I then would not have to hack up any part of my steering wheel in the truck, and try to put switches on the wheel. Or maybe if it's not to obtrusive, mount the remote commander directly to the steering wheel, and use those switches. Crazy...
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 21, 2020 10:47:18 GMT -5
Watched a video from Youtuber Andreas Spiess: Finally: Native USB Boot without SD card for the Raspberry Pi4 (SSD Boot) Looks like Pi4 USB boot is released in Beta. Funny, nothing about it on www.raspberrypi.org/. I might have to make a backup of my SSD, just in case, and then try this.
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Post by jhornbr225 on May 22, 2020 16:54:17 GMT -5
Well, whatever I did, didn't work. So I re-imaged an SD card, and put the same image on the SSD. I followed the directions again, and this time it worked.
I then had to go through and do all my custom changes. Add the RTC, Temp sensor, splash screens etc. On my desk I have the screen upside down, so I have to rotate that. In /boot/config.txt add lcd_rotate=2 as the first line.
Also the default image of Open Auto Pro hides the mouse cursor. That's very aggravating when you are trying to navigate Raspbian and can't see the mouse, but it's great for a full touchscreen system. There is a line in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf that you have to comment "xserver-command=X -nocursor". Doing that brings the mouse back.
I then started copying music over, and promptly ran out of space. What? A 250GB SSD out of space? I found that the SSD only showed 5.9GB available. I tried to use the Raspbian resize partition, but it complained that since it was not an SD card, it didn't know what to do. So I had to use GParted. So I put in the SD card I used to set it up to just boot from SSD, installed GParted, plugged in the SSD, then resized the partition. Then I shutdown, removed the SD and booted. Well, it took forever, but the splash screens came up, then it sat, for several minutes. I got impatient, and killed power. After 10 seconds I applied power, and it booted quickly, and went right to music, cool.
Browsing local music on the Pi while in Open Auto Pro defaults to /media/pi, but the usual user space for Music files is /home/pi/Music. The problem is that /media/pi is not writable as a normal user, you need to be root. So I need to find a way to copy all the music there without using the GUI file manager. I'd hate to have to do it one folder at a time in Terminal.
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