Has anyone been able to get a full data sheet for the TDA7708 radio chip used in many of these units?
I found one for the TEF6686 but all I can find for the TDA7708 is basically a 7 or 9 page PDF which is just a sales brochure and has no real technical information.
Has anyone successfully reverse engineered the radio app that is common to many of these units? Does it exist as a separate part which could be modified and reloaded or is it a hard coded part of the firmware?
Reason for the inquiry is that the AM radio frequency response is absolutely disgusting on the units I have, seeming to have a bandwidth of less than 4kHz. The TEF6686 data shows it can be set for bandwidths up to 8kHz in steps of 0.1kHz, if the TDA7708 has similar capability it would be a huge improvement albeit still not good quality, it would just need someone to find the command sent to the chip and edit it to program the widest available bandwidth each time AM is selected.
It may not be commonly known but here in NZ and also in Australia, maybe elsewhere too the quality of the AM transmissions is very good and when received by a properly designed wideband receiver can be almost as good as FM.
The other changes in the app that would be really good are to remove the autoscan function which is easily activated by accident instantly wiping out all your preset stations and to hide the functions we don't use i.e AF, PTY, etc. We need only RDS.
Hi, install a different style of radio like radioNAVI app from google playstore. But first use default one, FREE version just to know if device supports. Other one cost some money.
Anton, no offense intended to you and I appreciate that English may not be your first language but please read what I ask and try to actually answer me, otherwise leave it for others to answer.
I did not ask for any other app, I asked whether any of the software geniuses here had been able to achieve anything with the existing radio app which is otherwise very good, also I asked for technical information on the TDA7708 to confirm whether it can be set up the same way that the TEF6686 can, you seem to have missed all of that.
Look... I only meant to help with radio app. You told that is disgusting, so I provided help in that area. I proposed app that maybe will suit you needs.
Let's face it - I know and I've read what it says, but the things you ask for can only be done by a software vendor or dealer. "Reverse Engineering"? No, and I don't think anyone is going to do it on their own.
On the other hand, this can help you ... Studying the software on my radio.app I noticed that each firmware from different vendors has the same app only changing the UI (interface). As a rule, you should ask the vendor if he has a similar application or find it on the Google Store, since it is impossible to remake the original radio app, you can just replace it with another version of the firmware and with it the radio app.
If you can't find a solution buy a new radio chip for the unit. You mentioned some frequencies there yourself and that you are not happy with it. Radio chips can be replaced on some units. Just search on Ali Express and you will find it. The newer the better the reception frequency, the rest can be adjusted in the factory settings of the unit. You have there settings for IC - radio chip, interval size 4M , 9.12 or 12M, rds system to adjust, etc.
Play with it!
Thanks for understanding and yes it is not my native language but I try give best translation from my language and from my head not from Google translator!
Regards.
OK Anton, I see what's happening is that the translator is not coping with what I write so you're not really seeing what I say accurately.
I wish there was a way to read that Russian forum but Google translate seems to work only on the first page of any thread then it's back to Russian for the rest of the pages.
I think I'll just back out and live with the small issues as the units are really very good.
By the way do you know if they are really made by Alps or are they Chinese fakes labelled as Alps?
Many years ago I used to repair valve operated black-and-white television sets, Alps components were used in some of them and were of very good quality. Later Alps formed a subsidiary called Alpine Electronics which soon became known as a manufacturer of very high quality car audio products, it seems strange that a company of such standing would now produce bad products which would surely damage their previously good reputation.
Mr.TT_NZ said:
OK Anton, I see what's happening is that the translator is not coping with what I write so you're not really seeing what I say accurately.
I wish there was a way to read that Russian forum but Google translate seems to work only on the first page of any thread then it's back to Russian for the rest of the pages.
I think I'll just back out and live with the small issues as the units are really very good.
By the way do you know if they are really made by Alps or are they Chinese fakes labelled as Alps?
Many years ago I used to repair valve operated black-and-white television sets, Alps components were used in some of them and were of very good quality. Later Alps formed a subsidiary called Alpine Electronics which soon became known as a manufacturer of very high quality car audio products, it seems strange that a company of such standing would now produce bad products which would surely damage their previously good reputation.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These are old devices, aftermarket ones remodded by Chinese. They are using tricks to modify an old device and put fake Android 10 or 11 (Oreo 8.1) on them. These are underperforming units.
Real ones , untouched by Chinese and with standard operating system of their own, like Alpine, Kenwood etc. costs too much money.
Related
Guys. I have a really good contact to a manufacturer
And he asked me how he can make units better.
I told him the new units are good hardware but bad software. He asked me how he can make the software better... He really don't know the problems and want a end of the problems.
So i make a list. And need u to complete it.
0. The simplest, and most effective answer Release the source code! Make it public. Let the developer community fix the software problems for you. You'll get better solutions AND you'll get them sooner. You will also sell many, many more head units
We need a ROM with ability to root, we need access to recovery so our developers can make the ROM flash, the problem with your software still the same...
1. We want Ok Google without bush button
2. Making Call someone with ok Google
3. We want Google maps but today there are problems with voice output
4. After reboot some apps don't work properly
5. Your Equalizer is not enough. We need more options like car headunits...
Crossover that's seperate per channel HPF, LPF and possible BandPass (Front, Rear, Sub)
We are power users, and audiophile.
6. Chinch output for subwoofer is without function... All China devices still have this problem..
7. Ok Google from any screen
8. Full band equalizers
9. Proper internal amp
10. A real RDS for radio! I really don't know what is exactly the issue with Chinese head units and RDS support, which they claim they have it, but they usually don't. Now we search radio stations on frequency numbers... c'mon! A real and working RDS support is a MUST feature. We want to see radio station names and other RDS data.
11. Software is really the pain of these head units. Now they are just Android tablets in a 2din form-factor. What we need is a car dedicated launcher with 10-foot UI approach that works good with HU dedicated apps like Radio.app.
12.Proper Bluetooth implementation for connection to other devices (keyboards,Joypad,TPMS etc).
13. Color changeable buttons
14. Buttons and sterling wheel custom remap (hold, press, dubble press)
15.FM frequency range are from 76 to 95 Mhz since 2014.But most of Chinese HU are still 76 to 90 Mhz.
16.ability to control which apps gets killed on power off and which app will auto start on ignition.
I know there are much more problems... But he asked me, because I'm from Germany and i can speak 4 different languages (English,German,Turkish,arabic) all of them not god enough haha.
I'm the wrong person and i don't want forget something important.
I really don't know why he chooses me... My English ist bad. But he did. And that's it. now it's in our hands. To make it right. now he wants a list. A buketlist
How can we make u happy explicitly the developers!
To carry on supporting the older units like mtcb/c
Android units that can control iPods such as the normal head units with the "Made for iPod" logo.
Reading external hard drives of large capacity
Single din head units that don't look like something out of the movie Tron.
Full band equalizers
Proper internal amp
Voice commands such as those in Parrot Asteroid Smart.
Quality microphone. I have a somewhat noisy car (louder exhaust) and call quality is sub-par to what I was getting with a prior JVC unit.
What do i want?
A brand cpu like a Snapdragon 821 (it contains wifi AC 2.5/5.0 GHZ, LTE 4G+ modem, Spectra Camera ISP for car dashcam and so on...) 4gb mem, 32 or 64 gb SLC Nand, Burr Brown or Wolfson or Cirrus audio dac, high sensitive FM and DAB+ receiver from NXP, in sun readable OLED screen, voice control, and a pure Android shell like the pixel and root so people with Android skills can make this device better.
I know, this unit will be expensive and maybe overkill, but the advantage is that these are very good brand parts with driver support from factory, and that you can have this device for years instead to upgrade it after 2 year, if the producer follow the Android OS updates (for example, from Android 6 to 7 or 8) this device is strong enough to make such upgrade for some years.
Wich company have the nerve to make such device?
Flemischguy said:
What do i want?
A brand cpu like a Snapdragon 821 (it contains wifi AC 2.5/5.0 GHZ, LTE 4G+ modem, Spectra Camera ISP for car dashcam and so on...) 4gb mem, 32 or 64 gb SLC Nand, Burr Brown or Wolfson or Cirrus audio dac, high sensitive FM and DAB+ receiver from NXP, in sun readable OLED screen, voice control, and a pure Android shell like the pixel and root so people with Android skills can make this device better.
I know, this unit will be expensive and maybe overkill, but the advantage is that these are very good brand parts with driver support from factory, and that you can have this device for years instead to upgrade it after 2 year, if the producer follow the Android OS updates (for example, from Android 6 to 7 or 8) this device is strong enough to make such upgrade for some years.
Wich company have the nerve to make such device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That would be epic, but 99% of china stuff won't ever get that. Cost would be too high and they wouldn't move units in masses like they do now
Would it be possible to use an external battery to keep the hu in sleep mode instead of car battery? Like those 10 000mah cheap ones.
Good quality radio chip.
Rear camera on start.
Old snapdragon models, probably better than the cpu they use and cheap.
At least 64gb for app storage.
3gb of ram would be nice.
Real dvd player not like the mercedes special Joying HU...
Thats about it and it's a perfect unit for 2017 I guess^^
And yes I'd rather pay a few more and get a good headunit. I dont plan to change my hu evey two years like I do with smartphones.
Android auto. And Apple CarPlay. Let our phones do all the hard work.
kaderekusen said:
Guys. I have a really good contact to a manufacturer
And he asked me how he can make units better....
...How can we make u happy explicitly the developers!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The simplest, and most effective answer to your question is this: release the source code! Make it public. Let the developer community fix the software problems for you. You'll get better solutions AND you'll get them sooner. You will also sell many, many more head units.
I may sound cynical, but I don't think you will find a Chinese supplier who understands what is needed to deliver the quality we are looking for, even if you tell them 10 times. I honestly think they don't understand any of the complaints on this forum. These guys are very creative in producing large numbers against very low cost, at the cost of serious quality assurance. They never look beyond their next sale, brand loyalty is a concept unknown to them.
Are they incapable of delivering what we would like? No, of course not. 90% of the equipment we use in everyday life was produced in China. It's just that companies like Sony, Kenwood, etc take the entire design process in their own hands, define their own QA-protocols and have their own people on site checking before batches leave the factory. In the end they have the purchasing power to kick out any supplier that doesn't perform. For this to change will take at least another generation, maybe even more. So unless somebody in another part of the world takes matters in his own hands and has units produced to his specs, I don't think much will change in the near future.
That being said, the software is the worst part of the system. As dhmsjs said, release that to the public and they will make it much better.
Apart from that:
- Carkit on Parrot-level;
- Quality DAC for the pre-out and amplifier section;
- Proper aftersales and parts-supply (if something breaks down now, with most suppliers you can throw away the entire unit, although issues can often easily be solved by simply providing a new button or board)
But then again, they mostly compete on pricing. The items mentioned above have the BOM rise and they think we are not willing to pay for that.
Ok he is here and read all your wishes
A real RDS for radio! I really don't know what is exactly the issue with Chinese head units and RDS support, which they claim they have it, but they usually don't. Now we search radio stations on frequency numbers... c'mon! A real and working RDS support is a MUST feature. We want to see radio station names and other RDS data.
Software is really the pain of these head units. Now they are just Android tablets in a 2din form-factor. What we need is a car dedicated launcher with 10-foot UI approach that works good with HU dedicated apps like Radio.app.
Agree with more focus on Audio quality/DAC and control - EQ, time alignment etc or at least full support for USB DAC including the ability to route radio and Bluetooth through it. Proper Bluetooth implementation for connection to other devices (keyboards,Joypad,TPMS etc).
Community engagement on XDA, there are effectively free software developers sat here waiting to help.
Always on OK Google with voice feedback.
Better Radio app with full RDS support, a lot of these units don't even display the station name. RDS is very prevalent in Europe and not having it feels like using a radio form the 70's
Ability to change the function of hardware buttons on the unit.
In my country(Japan) FM frequency range are from 76 to 95 Mhz since 2014.But most of Chinese HU are still 76 to 90 Mhz.I think this problem are easy to fix with the MCU update.Make it public the source code please!
ability to control which apps gets killed on power off and which app will auto start on ignition.
full bluetooth function
better dash fit
better steering wheel button control/remapping ability
Better EQ, Crossover that's seperate per channel HPF, LPF and possible BandPass (Front, Rear, Sub) 2GB or better ram. Open Source Support for custom rom/recovery. Strong RCA Voltage Outputs, Possibly 4V. Better Cases/Buttons etc. thats all I can think of for now.
Open Source as previously mentioned, best way to get devs like me to help you for free.
Super simple rooting
Android Auto installed by default (not the mirror link).
OK Google always on (as mentioned previously)
Actually just having Android Auto would be fantastic, I have several cars most with factory navs, so when I get into those I immediately use android auto. I want the same for my car except on long road trips then I'll setup a mobile hotspot and use the much more full featured system. But for daily driving, I get into my car set google maps (with traffic alerts) and take the quickest path to work.
the ultimate would be if it is possible to have a HUD screen output for Navigation and Speedometer utilising OBD data for speedometer. Or even to the extend of Navdy style HUD.
mishoboss said:
A real RDS for radio! I really don't know what is exactly the issue with Chinese head units and RDS support, which they claim they have it, but they usually don't. Now we search radio stations on frequency numbers... c'mon! A real and working RDS support is a MUST feature. We want to see radio station names and other RDS data.
as i know ,many Chinese head unit can display the station name ,the radio chip NXP TEF6686 can support display the name . maybe you did not click the PTY ?
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Click to collapse
peterchan2003 said:
as i know ,many Chinese head unit can display the station name ,the radio chip NXP TEF6686 can support display the name . maybe you did not click the PTY ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are many fields of Rds data. Should be able to display: PS, Pty, & RT at minimum. Pty should adjust to region.
Hi Android Auto likers.
i'am new to this, so i need a little help please.
I have a head unit in my car now and some things i miss. So i come here!
For my understanding:
The deep operating system is the ROM, like Bios on a PC?
The MCU, in my case MTCE_CZ_V3.06_2, is the connecting part, or translater between ROM and Android? Like DOS in earlier times.
Android now is like Windows.
My android version is 9.
- The sound over Line out has a background noise
- settings are missed, compared to the smartphone
- instable some times
What i understand, first flash the latest MCU, is that right?
In my case a MTCE_CZ only (found here: MTCE-CZ-3.30sp+by+cs-x)
What means sp+by+cs-x?
I would be happy, if you make some light inside of my head
Regards, Olli
You will see many abbreviations through the forum as you've noticed. You are a bit confused though. First what things are:
- HU: Head Unit, the radio.
- SoM: System on Module, that's basically the motherboard you would find inside an Android tablet.
- SoC: System on Chip, that would be the CPU + GPU+ IO. That part is on the SoM.
- MCU: Micro Controller Unit, is an interface between the car and the SoM and also gives the SoM WiFi connectivity, USB ports and Bluetooth capabilities.
- ROM: The chip that contains the operating system and is also used to describe the firmware.
So you have 2 systems talking to each other and each has it's own firmware. There are custom Android firmware for some SoC's but all can used the generic Android as long as you match the ROM partition. The MCU firmware you have (MTCE_CZ_V3.06_2) is specific for that MCU, vendor and resolution. You must match all the characters except the Version number but you knew that. MTCE is the MCU type, CZ is the vendor and 2 is the settings preset and is usually related to the display res. You should only upgrade these HU to solve a problem. Before you upgrade the MCU always export the settings from the factory settings menu, in fact you should probably make a backup for safe keeping anyway.
In the MTCE-CZ-3.30sp+by+cs-x filename the "sp+by+cs-x" stands for sound patched by cs-x. There's an issue with the audio level and cs-x found a solution, read the thread.
The background noise from the line outs whether you're talking speaker outs or RCA's is due to the low quality of these HU but could also be caused by the gain setting in the factory menu. Some people have found solutions for that are specific to the cause/type of the noise. You'll have to search. Same goes for the instability. Look at installing a heatsink or removing some apps.
These HU's are not phones so it's normal Android settings are missing.
nic2k said:
You will see many abbreviations
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you very mouch, that you take the time, to explain this to me!
I'am sure, many others will read with lot of interest.
Yes, the reason of background noise (here RCA), is quality. But you get a mega system for very small money...
I have a seperate DSP (Mosconi) with digital input and would love to use it.
Some weekend, i like to have a view inside of the machine, if there is a digital output.
The only mistake of the system now is, original FM/AM Radio failed. No sound, and starts not on last station. Reset here, and adjustments there, it works again.
For 1-2 days... but didn't find, what cures. One time on poweramp, there was TA, Traffic Information, Radio worked again for a time.
Best regards,
Olli
Sorry about a long post and likely basic questions as I couldn't find the answers I was looking for anywhere. Familiar with Android, but I've never used a Android based HU. Seems like there is very little actual technical documentation/manuals available from manufacturers, hence my confusion and questions.
My 2013 euro Focus MK3 currently has native Sync1 with navigation.
Assumptions based on my research. Please correct me if wrong:
Changing launcher won't get rid of the default menus that often occupy large parts of the screen. Hence I would have to look specifically for a HU without intrusive menus if not planning to root it.
Some HU's support PDC, some don't. Usually no info if supported or not looking at options.
Some HU's can be rooted, some can't.
All HU's support DAB, it's just that some shops sell it as an option and some don't. (Hence I could just buy a generic DAB adapter from somewhere else.)
Some HU might support using the car integrated Sync 1 as mic, some don't(?)
Looking for:
~10" screen in order to use Spotify/radio and navigation in splitscreen
Uncluttered UI, not some ugly native menus I don't need/want taking up like 30% of screen realestate. (A plain interface I could modify myself using Nova launcher or something similar would be good.)
Support the existing Ford front and rear PDC
Sufficient screen brightness
DAB+ radio (as I live in Norway where they killed FM a few years ago)
Android 9+ with Play store
Integrate with steering wheel infotainment buttons
Nice to have, but not at all needed or expected:
Support for the Ford Focus parallel parking functionality
Physical buttons for functionality like home and back in order to avoid using screen realestate for it.
Ability to use the correctly placed mic belonging to Sync 1 rather than the mic integrated in the actual HU.
No need for:
Vehicle Info like TPMS or speed (available in dash)
A/C controls/info (dedicated panel below)
3G/4G
Cameras
I don't expect anyone to reply based on all my requirements, but any hints of what to look for, where to look or how to better research technical capabilies of available options would be greatly appreciated. (Was planning to purchase from Aliexpress as I assume that's the cheapest place for these.)
Was contemplating something like this due to lack of intrusive menus: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/400...68#1000022185#1000066059#0_668#3422#15392#549
@abscondo
which one did you end up buying ?
Myself I had a try at Focus MK3 HU 4G, 64GB Rom, 8"screen
which works pretty nice actually. not sure you can fit an 10" screen in a 2012 model
however there's still lot you to configure.
in reference to PDC , it's still there, but the beeping sounds are lost
and turned out to be a 1024 res screen which was a turndown for me
I found this site from a comment on a youtube video where I was researching options for getting a head unit that is better than Toyota included for my Toyota Highlander Limited Hybrid. I'm sorry for the length of this post but I spent hours reading and watching youtube and I think I'm on right path, but I feel like I just need a little validation...
For reference, I'm an Apple mobile and tablet user but I owned a Samsung phone for about 3 months so I know what an Android launcher and the marketplace is. I know there are stores for hacked products, but I ended up with ads all over that phone so I prefer not to go that route. I'm not a big tinkerer - once I get something set where I want it, I won't usually change the settings unless I find a need.
I think my post will give you a good idea about what level of knowledge I have - at least you know I tried. If there is highlander or hybrid specific feedback I'm overlooking somewhere, please let me know. If I'm missing something key to decide between systems let me know.
1. When I look at the forum categories, they are broken up into terms I'm not familiar with. I believe FYT Android is where I need to focus because I see references to the units I'm researching there. But I don't understand why they are considered FYT.
2. I'm trying to stay in the $500 range and get something that works well enough that I'll use it for more than just the radio - without breaking functionality but the canbus thing is new to me. I get the concept - my car's personal IoT/LAN. But does the dash operate independently of the headunit? I sort of feel like somethings will be independent and others will not. For example, I suspect the dash display will know my speed, trip miles, direction (compass), when I need an oil change. But I feel like the option for the radio is fed from the head unit. I feel like anything that appears on my dash when I'm using the GPS (like turn next left) is fed from the head unit. Is that correct? If yes, do those functions usually stop displaying on the dash with a replacement head unit?
3. I have buttons on the dash for different features on the car. I suspect most of those work independently of head unit - like the mirror heaters. But what about accident avoidance features? Those tend to display on my dash - are those possibly affected by a different head unit? And I have a button so I can turn on 360 video - I mainly use it to see how close I am to the car in front of me when parking in a tight space. I suspect that button will work with any head unit that has front camera and/or 360 degree integration.
4. From my research, I have been focusing on units that are 4 GB/64 GB although it sounds like 2 GB/32 GB would work just fine as long as I don't store over 32 GB of apps and data.
5. Items that don't differentiate: I expect these options to be the same result across all units. Please let me know if you know differently.
-Apple car play - All have it & should function exactly the same. (I don't need android phone integration but I know this does differ on units)
-Phone call integration - looks like all use same default android app. I am very interested in how clarity of calls might differ, but I think all are using same default android function and all are able to use an included external microphone.
-Toyota OEM microphone integration - it's unclear if any will integrate with existing Toyota mic but I suspect this won't yield a result I'm happy with in either case.
- Toyota speaker button on wheel control - I think this button fails to work on every integration. I would like this to work but even the Toyota system is so unreliable I don't use it.
- Marketplace apps - All should integrate with marketplace apps exactly the same.
6. So here is my list of options I came up with in order of most likely to least. Is there another brand I should research...
- Teyes CC3 (for highlander 2015-18) - It looks like it matches integration with the best out there. I don't care about the "Porsche simulator", but it still looks like the easiest to use launcher on the market & they are actively updating it. I cannot find the same level of highlander specific details I find on the SYGAV, but reviews seem overwhelmingly positive so I suspect it'll work just as well. My concern is that I have to order directly from alibaba and wait a month to receive and they seem to send wrong parts. I haven't used alibaba but it looks like the customs costs are included in the price of $435 (364+70.76). Does anyone know if this is accurate or if there are other fees? The main complaint I hear with this unit is that it is locked down, but I think that means for adding launchers and the like that I am not interested in.
- SYGAV (for highlander 2015-18) - I don't really love the user interface on this one. But this one is the one I have found most highlander related data on and it gives me some comfort I might have less issues getting it to work. I can find nothing close to this level of detail on the other brands about highlander installs.. I have read user responses that Carplay & android auto require no additional parts to install, 360 degree camera works as well as front camera view, Hybrid info displays. For the camera inputs, it sounds like I can use my OEM cameras but I may need a camera cable adapter (unclear if included in package). One user stated that to get it to work in a highlander, I need to get the Motorola 1 M 2 F & GM adapter to Motorola (for reception). One user states that they have TPMS working, but it's unclear if they connected to the TPMS already in tires or if they had to buy separate TPMS tire plugs. The main complaint is the GPS mapping if basic IGO.
- Dasaita (for highlander 2015-18) - This brand seems like the next most popular after Joying. It looks like they have 3 launchers they develop and you can install whichever you like best. In regard to the UI, I feel like this brand comes in 2nd after Teyes. But I can't find as detailed user experiences with highlander and which functions work and which do not.
- Joying - I am not actively researching this one but everyone seems to be using this one. I was considering this one but I couldn't locate any highlander option anywhere - not even from their website (joyingauto.eu). That sounds like I'd have to figure out the canbus thing on my own and find the plastic frame to put it in my dash & I don't feel like I'm knowledgeable enough to go that route. I really don't understand why this one is so popular above competition - it is one of the highest priced if I buy from the US markets. Everyone that uses it seems to add a separate launcher which makes me question whether Joying's UI development isn't all that great. I know some others lock down their products so you can't tinker as much. Is that why it's popular - because it isn't locked down? If so, I see similar hardware on cheaper units. It sounds like the UI development/support/upgrades is quite a bit of what one is paying for when buying these.
7. Maps - this is one of my major complaints from my Toyota unit . I do not see anything that makes me feel that the maps included with ANY of the units are any better. Most seem to use IGO GPS which seems to get the same complaints I have when using my GPS. I believe the only solution is a unit that includes apple car play. Or am I overlooking any with better mapping functions?
8. JBL audio - I know I have the JBL system in my car and on regular car head units this seems to make a difference with integration, but from my list above, I can't find anything to indicate that any will not work with the JBL system. I'm assuming it is because the car based units have hardware incompatibilities that android based do not, but it's really unclear to me. Can someone provide clarification? On the SYGAV unit, I read a review that it needs an amp to sound as good as an OEM unit, but I think that would apply to all of these units equally. In either case the Toyota JBL system has an AMP under my center console. I can't find this level of integration information but I think all units will connect to the amp.
9. 12 speakers - I feel like this will determine which system is best if I can figure it out... The JBL audio has 12 speakers (one of which is a subwoofer) in 10 locations in the highlander. I can't locate specific details on any of these if anyone gets all the speakers to connect successfully. I did see that one of these brands have 5.1 outputs but I don't really know what I need to be looking for in descriptions to figure this out on each unit. Any suggestions how to figure this out.
10. Video playback - All of these support video playback but it sounds like auto carplay may block mirroring while the car is actively moving. Is the behavior going to be the same across all units? I sort of feel like this is something that works differently across different brands, but I can't find details to figure out which allow video playback when car is moving.
11. Hybrid integration - SYGAV is the only unit I've seen where someone has hybrid info working on a highlander, but I feel like all the systems may work very similarly. I believe the dash display will work independent of the head unit so I can always switch the dash display when I want to see what the hybrid system is doing. I think another brand states it has hybrid integration but I couldn't find any responses where someone had it working successfully.
12. Daytime/Night time modes - I need to validate across all, but I know multiple have tried to integrate this. I do not think any have integrated without a bug. I feel like the ones that are likely to get this right first are Teyes and Dasaita since they are actively developing their UIs. Since these are all android based, I feel like all will have an android setting to dim the display even though the color scheme may not change.
I'm really leaning toward the Teyes because if I imagine myself driving, it looks like the easiest interface to use and they are actively developing. When looking at default display, it looks like the most 'modern' design also.
In case someone else reads this thread trying to figure all this stuff out, XM and HD radio integration may differentiate these units also. I know it doesn't work on some but I don't use either of those so it isn't important to me.
I'm mainly responding to my own post in case someone else is considering a T'eyes unit. I purchased one and I highly under estimated what is involved with getting these units to work. The T'eyes cc3 in my car may go up for auction - just too much of it is unusable.
Note that if you do not like tweeking your cell phone, you might not like these units to begin with - don't expect they'll just work out of the box. Consider hours if not days to configure these things. Also, look at the back of the units - this one came with a 'Toyota" harness which is a bunch of wires to convert all the cables in the back. And it isn't a single harness of wires - it's multiple bags of cables that you have to pick and choose from. You have extra cables and I'm pretty sure the set is missing cables. My car has 2 cables where I only have one adapter that matches them in all harness wiring. So one is unplugged. I have no idea what each cable from my car is used for. But most of the wires only have a single place they can connect in the primary harness. It's all a confusing mess even though I think I have 90% connected to the correct spots.
Not all units are made this way. There is going to be something converting the cables, but some units have some sort of box on the back that has all the cabling converting done for you - so it looks like the cables from the car attach into the unit directly. After my harness was attached, I did not have cables that match everything coming from the car. I feel like that is why things like my my surround cameras do not work. I also have no back up camera working now. That is a pretty big deal.
Also, car play isn't all I thought it would be. It seems to only mirror Apple written apps to the device. I can install apps onto the unit and connect to my phones hotspot, but the connection is very flaky. Unless you are willing to connect the unit with its own sim card, you may be severely limited. I wanted to be able to stream youtube and such while making a weekly 90 minute drive I make. Well, this just doesn't happen because half the time the unit will not connect to my hotspot. It usually connects within 30 minutes of me driving, but I haven't found a reliable way to get it to connect to the hotspot. Usually I'm driving with my phone playing through my phone speakers because audio streaming won't work with wifi/hotspot.
All in all, I wouldn't purchase this again. If I were going to attempt again, I'd go with one of the models that removes the 'harness' from the equation.
Hi,
i have a head unit (TS10) which actually works quite nicely. Its supposedly an octa-core unit (6GB/128GB version) that runs "Android 12" (i suspect that it would be version 10 irl, but anyhow...)
One thing that bothers me a bit is that this unit (or the software on it) is that the radio app (com.tw.radio.Radio) does not support radio text. I have tried other options (the navradio+) which doesn't support it either (it seems).
My previous unit (which was a cheap yt9213aj unit) DID support it. Am i doing something wrong here or does these TS10 units simply not support it?
TS10 support RDS text! And NavRadio running on TS10 support it too.
Why are you saying that?
RDS text depend mostly on the radio stations broadcasts.
If your unit receive the RDS station name then it can receive also the text.
In some countries the text is not sent in the correct field and everything is sent in the RDS name field sequentially.
That's what is called "LiveRDS".
Most of USA radio stations adopt this LiveRDS method.
In Poland is very common too.
Hey KoTiX2,
Maybe its me doing something very wrong here, but i can't get it to work whatever i try. On my old unit, i could alway see the current song/artist, etc in the particular portion of the screen (just beneath the station name) but on this unit, i can't really capture anything. I have tried to enable all/any option available in the menus but to no avail (unfortunately).
I think i have seen fragments of the same question here on this forum where other TS10 users have asked the same thing (and i need to find them again and link for reference). But in general, is there something specific that needs to be enabled for this to work? When i saw (IRL) my old yt9213aj having the support for it (and later on, reading up on how "funky" the implementation actually was for this particular family of units), i started to have my doubts.
(again, idk what is supposed to work and what is not, which is why i'm asking this perhaps daft question)
And please take my question the right way. I see that you are the author of navradio+ which is (imho) a superb application for radio (its rather brilliant tbh - clean interface and well laid out). Of course it could just be my own setup / configuration that is wrong in this case. I simply can't tell.
Check if you have RDS on, it's in the settings: config info. It also depends on what radio module you have, some do not support RDS, for example Phillips (NXP) TEF6851 is without RDS. Or there is an error in the firmware, someone was helped by an update. Your thread is here, try searching:
New TS10 UIS7862 6gb ram 128gb head unit q&a's
So I bit the bullet and bought myself this head unit: https://a.aliexpress.com/_9JZiHu Ad stated that unit is 4gb ts8, but unit shipped and arrived is 6gb TS10. Plugged everything up unit works nice and smooth as expected, but one seriously...
forum.xda-developers.com
Thx Pavel-71, i'll search that thread and/or post there
The unit reports that it has a TDA7708 radio module on-board and when looking at spec-sheets for this module, it should really support this properly. Maybe it is what KoTiX2 mentions above that they store the data in the wrong field (essentially hiding it from view).