Re: gauges on Nav display

**heavymetals** · 04-01-09 09:23 PM

If anyone is seriously interested in having this mod done to their radio, I think it going to require (besides opening the radio) some "cut and jumpering" and soldering with a fine point iron.

If you don't have those skills, then you have to have it done, and that means ya got no radio!

For how long depends on who does it I suppose....

My solution would be to provide a replacement radio that is modified on an exchange basis, with the vin# already done via TECH II.

I figure the demand would be about 6 units a year.

Iam revisiting the addition of a USB touch screen because it would be worth it if your gonna mod the thing at all.

I keep saying the V is obsolete (it is), but it is such a neat niche car it deserves to be modded to be kept up to date, doggone it!

So.......

What would you think of a mod to the radio where you get an ext video input and a USB touchscreen?

Then you could at least run a laptop into the nav screen and with an OBD connector you could see all kinds of good stuff......

(I am ramblings because I just got out of jury duty and now I have the time to spend on my real interests!)

OPINIONS WANTED PLEASE

**ccextra1976** · 04-01-09 11:23 PM

I've stayed out of this because it's over my head, not my area...but the original point of the post was to see if you could display gauges on the nav screen...so if you could do that and display additional info then I would be game...if the price was right...there are a few systems out there that enable you to display gauges off the OBDII, from 600-900 $$$ so if you could do it for a cost around there....then I'm in...

maybe a whole radio package..

like ipod adapter, gauge display etc??

what say you?

**V for Vendetta** · 04-02-09 01:04 AM

I have a source that adds a composite video (RCA) input as a mod for $600.

Use a system that posts gauge info and voila!

Or just use it as a backup cam input...

Or use a V-MOd/Kenwood Car Portal, or V-Hub from Alpine and convert the oem screen to an aftermarket-like headunit. The Kenwood unit also ahs built-in relasy that you can add to any B+ 12v component such as sunroof, so you can close your sunroof from your radio.

No it does not make the unit touchscreen, but through a seperate control lcd and/or remote control, you can even add the Garmin Navigation module and have it display just like a Garmin Nuvi portable...

It's pretty slick imo...

I can't im yet cuz I'm too "new" but if anyone wants more info on this option let me know....

Personally I would love to have a usb/touchscreen module and still have the error messages come up on the screen, but also am an audio-phile type and love the a/v integration side of things.

The Alpine unit utilizes an "orb" which emulates a BMW command system, but there are some con's to this unit, which is why I went with Kenwood.

Kenwood has the following that Alpine does not:

1. Garmin Nav direct connect/control
2. Parrot-based Bluetooth which works flawlessly w iPhone and Storm-full contact info etc...
3. 2 built-in relays to control vehicle components (the possibilities are limitless)

I would really love to add a Carputer w touchscreen as another source...

**atdeneve** · 04-02-09 11:05 AM

When referring to a USB touchscreen, is that replacing the current NAV screen or are we talking about a separate portable touchscreen that would just plug in to the stock system?

I think a carputer touchscreen interface would be awesome. With a PC integrated as the core of the system, it seems like accessing OBDII info, displaying performance gauges, back-up camera, blue-tooth, wi-fi, audiovisual functions, etc. would be the easy part. However, it'd be nice to still maintain accessibility of all the stock DIC information, error codes, and messages. For me, that would be the ideal package. But I guess, at this point, we're not quite there yet.

Either way, interested to see what options this opens up for us.

**heavymetals** · 04-02-09 12:40 PM

Keep these coming!

I realized that a composite video input is needed also, if I am filling out the "wish list".

**Kael** · 04-02-09 02:47 PM

you know, reading the incoming stream from the obdii port is not all that hard.
I am sure there is plenty of sample code out there to do it.

and I have a ton of graphical bits (guages and such) to put into an interface.

even that pretty black one should be doable with a little bit of work.

-K
(software developer)

**ssstealth** · 04-03-09 11:39 AM

How about just making a nice leather box and mounting this on the dash in the crease between the driver and center pod... It is touchscreen and ready for any video input. KOS-L702

**V8V** · 04-13-09 12:55 PM

I worked on this some more this weekend. I still think it's possible, but it's getting more complicated, and the end result is looking less attractive.

No luck with sending the heartbeats over the bus, so I don't have any short term options for doing this without tearing open the nav.

I found most of the chip specs to force the external input on, but didn't pull the unit out to ohm things yet.

The bad news is in the resolution of the display itself. It looks like it may only be 400x234 pixels. (probably 15kHz horizontal / 60 Hz vertical) XP won't setup for anything lower than 640x480. It also appears that we have a 'RGBs' system that combines horizontal and vertical sync onto a single pin, vs. 'RGBhv' which is what PC's use which has seperate horizontal and vertical sync.

Here a link to others doing something like this with a VGA converter, but the image quality is degraded.

http://www.audiforum.us/multimedia/2...c-project.html

There's also more information on the mp3car forums that will take some time to digest.

There's a utility called PowerStrip that forces non-standard resolutions. I tried it with my laptop, and the lowest horizontal refresh that I could get was 25kHz, not the 15kHz that I think that we will need.

There is some information out there about a video card that is intended to drive arcade monitors that might work, but more more digging is needed.

Some video cards may generate a RGBs compatible signal if you use the horizontal sync signal only, but again, more research is needed.

V8V

**ssstealth** · 04-20-09 07:51 PM

I liked the looks of this so I ordered one to try on the STS-V. I received the package today. It looks professional enough...

This is the screen that came up out of the box..

After a few screen adjustments, I was able to make it fill up the space a little better...

Here is the full driver view to show they are readable...

And this is the layout settled on for now. There are MANY combinations of layouts and colors.

In driving I did notice some slight variation between oil and water temparature and now I have some numbers to match to the needle on the dash cluster. The gear calibration is proving to be tough. They ask you to do 2500 rpm in each gear. Needless to say 2500 in 6th gear can not be done in your local neighborhood or side street.

I don't know if that helps any with the CTS-V project, but at least we know that it communicates with the GM computer now and that it will play through the video ports that GM installs.

**Doctornick** · 04-20-09 07:56 PM

If we can't get a computer to generate that low a resolution, why not look into putting a better screen in there? If we can get away with a new screen but all stock electronics and make the carputer or whatever work on the AUX input, it would be a worthwhile hump to dealwith IMO.

**ccextra1976** · 04-20-09 08:06 PM

[QUOTE=ssstealth;1852146]I liked the looks of this so I ordered one to try on the STS-V. I received the package today. It looks professional enough...

thanks for posting that in this thread!!! that is exactly what I was looking for....so overall do you feel it's money well spent?

**heavymetals** · 04-20-09 08:59 PM

That is bitchin.

On the V if I ended up replacing the screen, I would add a USB touch screen for expansion.

It is getting further and further away as the car is already two years out of production.

**ssstealth** · 04-20-09 09:10 PM

I think that it would be worth it if you could get a dedicated split signal. You don't want to give up audio just to gain a gauge. There are also limited input signals that it can take. Your touchscreen must have a usb connection so that means that the STS-V touch screen will not work for this unit. The biggest gain is the 5 extra gauges without using up real estate on the A-pillar or windsheild. There are some cool packages out there that can do just as much on a laptop screen

**nmaier2201** · 05-12-09 04:06 PM

bump. I for one am still interested in the findings..... no reason this should have fallen back a dozen pages!

**heavymetals** · 05-12-09 04:56 PM

I had a chance to brainstorm with a friend and we came up with:

Create a "black box" to monitor the line for error codes and flag and send to a totally new system (like the one shown).

Software would need to be written to change a usb touchscreen to the default buttons needed from the old nav system.

Development time and the limited interest are showstoppers.