Recently got myself a CARDA/PENHUI unit for my Volvo C70, unfortunately the unit didn't come with a CANBUS decoder.
Said decoder would have been somewhat pointless for SWC since they're hooked to the factory HU through LIN-Bus instead and Volvos have a genuinely weird canbus setup to start with (shares a lot in common with the Ford C1 platform; 2 separate CAN busses, 1 high-speed and 1 low-speed).
As such, could someone with a logic analyzer, oscilloscope or 'in-the-middle' adapter have a peek at what normally happens on the CAN-RX and CAN-TX lines between the Android unit and its CANBUS decoder (messages, baudrate, voltage levels, etc)? With that information I should be able to make a decoder that would work with my car and other similar ones (C30, S40, V50).
From the findings of @JeeBee87 baudrate seems to be 38400/8/N/2, but finding the voltage levels would also be important.
Most of the Android ChinaRadios come with some sort of CANbus decoder (or so they are labeled) to provide steering wheel controls, backup support, etc... Every single vendor will only sell you a CANbus decoder that they 'manufacture' for their units - claiming that any other combination of decoder/radio will not work.
Aside from this being mostly BS, these vendors are absolutely adamant of not wanting to sell individual of these decoders - which for Chinese vendors is curious, to say the least, to turn down any opportunity to make a buck.
Either way, despite all of them claiming to manufacture their own, we know that is BS -- these vendors buy products from actual manufacturers, repackage them, and sell them.
Try as I might (Alibaba, aliexpress, globalSources) I have not been able to find a manufacturer that produces just these boxes.
Does anyone around here have any leads?
MacConsult said:
Most of the Android ChinaRadios come with some sort of CANbus decoder (or so they are labeled) to provide steering wheel controls, backup support, etc... Every single vendor will only sell you a CANbus decoder that they 'manufacture' for their units - claiming that any other combination of decoder/radio will not work.
Aside from this being mostly BS, these vendors are absolutely adamant of not wanting to sell individual of these decoders - which for Chinese vendors is curious, to say the least, to turn down any opportunity to make a buck.
Either way, despite all of them claiming to manufacture their own, we know that is BS -- these vendors buy products from actual manufacturers, repackage them, and sell them.
Try as I might (Alibaba, aliexpress, globalSources) I have not been able to find a manufacturer that produces just these boxes.
Does anyone around here have any leads?
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Click to collapse
To add more to that.
My previous unit an Witson 3066/1Gb ram has an CAN decoder that worked fine for my Ford but the Joying ones work only 85% fine meaning the PREV and NEXT buttons were reversed and that was a pain to use since all my life when I push the NEXT button I expect to hear the next song not the previous one.
Anyway, although I was struggling to correct the Joying CAN mistake I could not because I did not find any way that I could reflash the CAN box. Joying said that the CAN might not be 100% compatible with my car although it should be.
Even if the old CAN box from my former Witson unit was looking exactly the same and the wire socket was exactly the same as the Joying one, the wiring was completely different, different wiring location on the socket, different wire colours. The internals of the CAN boxes looked almost the same but I did not had the courage to test the Witson one on the Joying afraid that I would damage the headunit or more importantly the car...
What I did in the end was to directly connect the resistive buttons of the steering wheel directly to the unit (bypassing the CAN) and program them via the unit software and let the CAN box to decode the other stuff like putting the car in reverse, turning on the lights, feeding +12V to the unit when I start the car.
What I learned is that CAN box is a black box... if it's not working it's almost impossible to find a fix of any kind... or buy a working replacement...
That appears to mirror my initial impression, albeit I feel that different vendors use different providers for these CANboxes and hence that a different CANbox should be able to do the job another can't.
Example, on my XTRONS unit, the steering wheel controls didn't work at all - albeit reverse detection and lights worked well. Unlike my prior box (from 'alec-power' where everything worked (except the radio didn't produce any sound - a slight issue. They took it back and refunded me). Now, XTRONS had me send back the CANbus box, and promised to send another as soon as they have stock again. (1-2 weeks), but they also confirmed that their e39/e46 (BMW) decoder is the same as the one for e53.
What we really need is to figure out how these CANbus boxes work, and ideally how to program them (if that is possible -- which it ought to be).
That's what I was attempting to kick-start with this thread.
Bummer, so no one has any information on these CANbus decoders?
MacConsult said:
Bummer, so no one has any information on these CANbus decoders?
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Click to collapse
Your best bet is to try a different car in the canbus setting in factory settings. I had that problem on my ford focus I set the canbus for it and it didn't work right with the steering wheel so went through them all to find that the ford Mondeo rise settings worked and fixed that problem for me.
Where can i buy new canbus gor ownice c500? I send mail to manufacturer but no answer
pcmender2005 said:
Your best bet is to try a different car in the canbus setting in factory settings. I had that problem on my ford focus I set the canbus for it and it didn't work right with the steering wheel so went through them all to find that the ford Mondeo rise settings worked and fixed that problem for me.
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Turned out, in my case, that the proper setting was "NONE" in the CANbus settings, and suddenly everything worked.
Chinese engineering....
If you need a canbus box, your best bet would be to go with a more mainstream manufacturer, like axxess/metra. Their units can tie back into the car radio using the SWI1/2 wires.
Any update on this?
Just reviving an old thread looking for answers
I also think there is a problem with my bmw e39 can-bus box i am using with Xtrons PQ7939BIP. When i connect the can-bus box, the red (terminal R) and the yellow (battery + terminal 30) become "shorted" and they should not "touch" each other. This way, i have to connect the yellow and the red wires from the android unit to the violet/white wire from my car (terminal R - accesory) and leave the terminal 30 (hot all time) wire from the car disconnected so that the xtrons unit shuts down when i put the ignition switch in position 0 or when i pull out the key from the ignition switch.
Is this normal or is my can-bus box bad?
Trimis de pe al meu SM-G950F folosind Tapatalk
bogdan wst said:
I also think there is a problem with my bmw e39 can-bus box i am using with Xtrons PQ7939BIP. When i connect the can-bus box, the red (terminal R) and the yellow (battery + terminal 30) become "shorted" and they should not "touch" each other. This way, i have to connect the yellow and the red wires from the android unit to the violet/white wire from my car (terminal R - accesory) and leave the terminal 30 (hot all time) wire from the car disconnected so that the xtrons unit shuts down when i put the ignition switch in position 0 or when i pull out the key from the ignition switch.
Is this normal or is my can-bus box bad?
Trimis de pe al meu SM-G950F folosind Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can connect the red wire to any wire on your bmw that has 12 volts with the key on RUN or ACCESSORY, but the yellow wire needs to have 12 volts all the time.
MacConsult said:
Most of the Android ChinaRadios come with some sort of CANbus decoder (or so they are labeled) to provide steering wheel controls, backup support, etc... Every single vendor will only sell you a CANbus decoder that they 'manufacture' for their units - claiming that any other combination of decoder/radio will not work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Every PX5 and PX head unit can work with a canbus decoder from different manufacturers. You have to go to Android Settings > Car settings > Factory settings (password: 126) > Canbus tab > Select the manufacturer of your canbus decoder and the car model.
I have a PX5 head unit with a canbus decoder from "Simple", and when it broke, I replaced it with "Raise" and it works.
I recommend to review the list of supported canbus decoders in your head unit in the Factory settings, before purchasing a new one. You may need also to buy a new wire harness if you don't have a plug for the canbus decoder.
piotrmocko said:
Every PX5 and PX head unit can work with a canbus decoder from different manufacturers. You have to go to Android Settings > Car settings > Factory settings (password: 126) > Canbus tab > Select the manufacturer of your canbus decoder and the car model.
I have a PX5 head unit with a canbus decoder from "Simple", and when it broke, I replaced it with "Raise" and it works.
I recommend to review the list of supported canbus decoders in your head unit in the Factory settings, before purchasing a new one. You may need also to buy a new wire harness if you don't have a plug for the canbus decoder.
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Click to collapse
Hi,
I also have PX unit (PX6) with Simple soft CANBUS and I get more options when I chose raise like air-conditioning info on my PX6 unit. I have Honda civic 2016 and the only thing that is not working is the car clock not syncing through the CANBUS from my Dasaita PX6 unit. which is a bummer.
I am very curious about the Can Box options as when looking to buy a unit for my '18 WRX with HK Audio I found the IDoing selling them with support for the HK and was surprised as Crutchfield and Meastro just added support for this setup and I was about to order their harness and box to wire in a Kenwood unit I have in my old car.
When I found the IDoing(FYT) I figured all the other better know sellers should have had same option so I emailed Joying as I couldn't find option from them and they responded that they didn't have a solution. SYGAV does claim to have one but but it's nearly double cost and all the WRX reviews said it was hit or miss if it worked.
I bought the IDoing unit and it was plug and play and works great(with one exception)
If these are all the same HU and CanBus hardware, why the variances? Just programming by the seller or are they all buying from different MFR?
Before ordering I tried to order a harness and canbus from IDoing and the unit from Joying, Joying wouldn't sell me the HU because I had mentioned I had HK Audio and IDoing Flat out refused to sell me a canbus and harness without proof I had bought a HU from them.
That said the Unit works very well and the only issue with the Canbus is that it can't control the rear speaker separate from the front(no fade).
Someone earlier mentioned buying a maestro, has anyone ever connected one of these chinese units to a maestro box?
Just so everyone knows
I managed to add canbus functionality to my xtrons unit even though they said it’s not compatible
I bought a harness for my car with the correct decoder and chopped it to fit the pin outs of my head unit.
works like a dream.
If anyone needs advice I am always available
what car and what harness? You bought a canbus and harness from another "seller" and made it fit? Or you bought something aftermarket like Maestro?
gottahavit said:
what car and what harness? You bought a canbus and harness from another "seller" and made it fit? Or you bought something aftermarket like Maestro?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Peugeot 207.
bought harness with decoder from feedo seller.
chopped off the connector and soldered it to my hu connector
are you looking to do same?
Sdpuk2020 said:
Peugeot 207.
bought harness with decoder from feedo seller.
chopped off the connector and soldered it to my hu connector
are you looking to do same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the harness I bought
Sdpuk2020 said:
Peugeot 207.
bought harness with decoder from feedo seller.
chopped off the connector and soldered it to my hu connector
are you looking to do same?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are you looking to do?
Sorry I was hoping you had found a way to make a maestro or other idatalink module work.
I bought a unit recently identified as Android 8802 https://www.ebay.com/itm/7-2-Din-Qu...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648 . It only has a Key 1 wire. My car, '03 Volvo XC70, has 2 CANBUS wires in the harness, CanL, CanH. I did some reading and found that sometimes you can ground 1 of the wires and just use the other. I tried this both ways, ground L and connect H to Key 1 and, ground H and connect L to Key 1.
One of those combinations was BAD, no lights on dash and major oh sh!# moment. One of the combinations let me set the buttons for vol up/down and track forward/back BUT, after setting the last button and exiting the setup software whatever was the last function I setup would act like I was pressing the button continuously. Like if it was vol up it would just keep going up, up, up, up, up etc.
Has anyone else dealt with a HU that just had Key 1 and 2 BUS lines?
I think you would want/need a canbus adapter. I found this: https://volvoforums.com/forum/audio...ermarket-steering-wheel-radio-controls-57081/
Thanks for the link/info. I'm seeing a lot of "if" and "maybe" and the like. Nothing that is identified as The solution. I'd much rather try to understand how my unit, which has only 1 SWC wire (Key 1) is meant to be connected to cars to make it work.
I was thinking about joining both CanL and CanH to the Key 1 wire. I'm no EE but my assumption is that if they are both putting out variable voltages and resistances (one "low" and one "high") that combining them would just be sending the entire range of signals through the Key 1 wire to my HU for decoding by the on board s/w. Anyone see a red flag on that?
treojoew said:
Thanks for the link/info. I'm seeing a lot of "if" and "maybe" and the like. Nothing that is identified as The solution. I'd much rather try to understand how my unit, which has only 1 SWC wire (Key 1) is meant to be connected to cars to make it work.
I was thinking about joining both CanL and CanH to the Key 1 wire. I'm no EE but my assumption is that if they are both putting out variable voltages and resistances (one "low" and one "high") that combining them would just be sending the entire range of signals through the Key 1 wire to my HU for decoding by the on board s/w. Anyone see a red flag on that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Generally canbus is sending out a digital signal. Headunits are expecting an analogue voltage or resistance between key1 and ground. A key2 wire just allows a second analogue signal to be used in addition (I use a key1 +ground and key2+ground in our mazda5 as it has *resistive* steering wheel controls with two different paths - one for most controls and one for just the "phone" button which in the oem set-up only routes to the bluetooth box). I am surprised that canbus signals on their own can ever function on a headnit that is expecting resistive/analogue voltage inputs. I would never attempt to hook it up, but instead would source a canbus adapter that will convert the digital signal to an analogue output. This is exactly what I have on our Saab 9-3: canbus to Connects2 adapter to chinese head unit, where the connects2 box output is connected to the headunit key1 and ground. It is to note that some chinese headunits come with a canbus box built-in, but for a specific vehicle, and in that case the canbus wires would be hooked up directly.
Ahh. That is a huge distinction that I had not heard anywhere else. The fact that the CanBus is digital and the HU is analog. Had you not stated that you also have a Chinese HU (assuming Android) I would have thought you were referring a traditional HU. Why is the Android unit not designed for the digital signal?
Are you certain about all of this? Is this a true statement, "The Chinese Android HU's are designed only to connect to SWC that are analog, NOT the digital CanBus lines"?
treojoew said:
Ahh. That is a huge distinction that I had not heard anywhere else. The fact that the CanBus is digital and the HU is analog. Had you not stated that you also have a Chinese HU (assuming Android) I would have thought you were referring a traditional HU. Why is the Android unit not designed for the digital signal?
Are you certain about all of this? Is this a true statement, "The Chinese Android HU's are designed only to connect to SWC that are analog, NOT the digital CanBus lines"?
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As I stated above vehicle specific Chinese Android headunits will come with a canbus adapter (if required). All universal head units that I have seen (meaning Android Chinese head units) are expecting analog inputs. If you look at the advertising for joying or others on aliexpress it explicitly states that you need a canbus adpater if your vehicle outputs (in the harness for the radio) canbus signals. Be aware that the canbus signals that transmit steering wheel control information are not standard, each vehicle manufacturer is free to use whatever signal chain they want for the controls as they are also the "supplier" of the radio. That is why they have vehicle specific canbus adpaters (where the aftermarket canbus adpater manufacturer has "sniffed" that vehicles canbus lines to learn the codes), or universal ones that either learn thru button presses and/or are coded with multiple vehicles. I advise you to contact axxess (if you are in N/A) or connects2 (if you are in the EU) and talk to them about what you need. I have been in contact with both those companies over the years and both should be quite helpful. PAC is another option, but I have no experience with them.
---edit---
All that being said I did a little more googling on your vehicle and it seems it is a problematic one - connects2 shows using the axxess adapter, but only for later years than yours and axxess states that they have no info on your model year. All the more reason to contact axxess, but in the link in my first response didn't someone get your it working with your vehicle and year?
---more edit---
Reading thru that linked page it is definitely a problematic vehicle - it seems like this may be your best bet but more research is definitely required: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_249SWRVL54/CRUX-SWRVL-54-Wiring-Interface.html
Great info. Thanks for your time and your advice.
Hello,
I would like to understand more about the canbus box, hope someone could share some knowledge.
I see the models for sell and is like, model 1 is for 3 cars of the Y brand, other is model 2 is for 10 cars for brand X brand and so on... And if i check for example RZN vs HiWorld is almost the same car list.
I think the data the canbus have is not specific to the type of car, but for the can version of the car correct?
So, if a box have information for the Sylphy and for the Tiida, i can select any of these in the car select of the car?
I ask this because i have a sentra/sylphy, my box is Raise and my unit have sylphy only on the hiworld box, i use X-Trail in Raise and i have the basic working fine, dash TFT with radio infos, clock etc... But the new unit that i don´t install yet, don´t have sylphy/sentra in any place (i already ask a update for the vendor).
Another question related but not so much, these boxes make the 6v for the backup camera too? My current box use a exterior 12v - 6v converter, but the new one don´t have any of these, only the box.
Thanks for all the replies!
Johnralf said:
Another question related but not so much, these boxes make the 6v for the backup camera too? My current box use a exterior 12v - 6v converter, but the new one don´t have any of these, only the box.
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I have seen both types, one where the 6V came out of the Canbus decoder directly to the camera and another Canbus decoder from the same maker where that same wire went into a 12V/6V converter before feeding the camera. Suggest you probe the camera voltage feed wire before trying to connect the camera, I did on the first Canbus decoder and found 6V.
Indeed, after i read your message i check the Upindo vendor in aliexpress, he share the pins layout, and i compare some boxes there, not only some have 6v output but some have 16pins and others 20pins.
Just bought one of these eonon q03pro units to put in my 2006 mercedes c180 (W203), its a universal unit not car specific, to replace a failed other chinese unit(8 core 8667 chip based unit). I have tested it today but not fully fitted as waiting for facsia kit to arrive.
My last unit was car specific with dedicated wiring harness and canbus for steering controls, this one only came with a standard ISO connector and I have a dedicated mercedes wiring harness coming with the facsia kit, however having a day off I decided to try powering up with the harness from the old 8667 unit, it powered up ok but the steering controls will not work. I have been told Mercedes don't use the resistive control method, you can't program wheel controls like that via the key wires. You would need to use the high/low wires and select your Mercedes model in the advanced Canbus options
robfox1975 said:
Just bought one of these eonon q03pro units to put in my 2006 mercedes c180 (W203), its a universal unit not car specific, to replace a failed other chinese unit(8 core 8667 chip based unit). I have tested it today but not fully fitted as waiting for facsia kit to arrive.
My last unit was car specific with dedicated wiring harness and canbus for steering controls, this one only came with a standard ISO connector and I have a dedicated mercedes wiring harness coming with the facsia kit, however having a day off I decided to try powering up with the harness from the old 8667 unit, it powered up ok but the steering controls will not work. I have been told Mercedes don't use the resistive control method, you can't program wheel controls like that via the key wires. You would need to use the high/low wires and select your Mercedes model in the advanced Canbus options
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Click to collapse
Hi, as you changed device , you must set also model for wheel controls via canbus settings in factory settings. It must work.
Sometimes controls must be set afterwards, depends on the canbus box (if it is SIMPLE SOFT, HIWORLD or RAISE canbus) that you installed. You have to shift between canbus settings of various car models in order to work. If you have online update for canbus controls update via internet.
Thank you will try that, maybe trial and error but I thought there would be a way to make it work, as it was from a previous unit set for W203 Mercedes c class. This is my 3rd android unit in the car so hopefully this one will work