RSNAV

[dcchristopher]

I am not terribly pleased with the sound quality when it comes to songs and videos. It all sounds very flat. The audio may be OK for sound effects and navigation instructions but it's definitely not going to work for entertainment.

Daniel himself pointed out before that the on-board DAC is what's handling that processing. What I find odd is that if I use the wired mirroring setup, the sound is quite good (and I'm using some cheapo HDMI to RCA converter). Ideally, the CarPlay module would be feeding the digital stream into the head unit which would in turn do the conversion. I opted for the B&O for a reason. Me thinks I need to reach out to Keldo Gliana (Audi hacker and all around awesome person).

If we can't improve upon the quality of the audio as it's processed by the CarPlay module, it would be great if there was a way to "mix" channels so that I could listen to my CDs or on-board media while also hearing any audio messages coming in from the phone.

[a4android]

I am not terribly pleased with the sound quality when it comes to songs and videos. It all sounds very flat. The audio may be OK for sound effects and navigation instructions but it's definitely not going to work for entertainment.

Daniel himself pointed out before that the on-board DAC is what's handling that processing. What I find odd is that if I use the wired mirroring setup, the sound is quite good (and I'm using some cheapo HDMI to RCA converter). Ideally, the CarPlay module would be feeding the digital stream into the head unit which would in turn do the conversion. I opted for the B&O for a reason. Me thinks I need to reach out to Keldo Gliana (Audi hacker and all around awesome person).

If we can't improve upon the quality of the audio as it's processed by the CarPlay module, it would be great if there was a way to "mix" channels so that I could listen to my CDs or on-board media while also hearing any audio messages coming in from the phone.

Will check EQ settings if they are adjustable. Mix is possible by rerouting audio output lines.

[CrownSeven]

Is it possible to dim the screen when in carplay mode? Or is that only possible through the mmi controls themselves? At night the screen is fairly bright when in carplay.

[a4android]

Will check EQ settings if they are adjustable. Mix is possible by rerouting audio output lines.

Is it possible to dim the screen when in carplay mode? Or is that only possible through the mmi controls themselves? At night the screen is fairly bright when in carplay.

Will check if we can add screen brightness control. As far as I know, the CANBUS decoder is tracking the vehicle's headlight status and change the brightness automatically, but I do agree that ACP brightness can be annoying in night driving.

[dcchristopher]

Is it possible to dim the screen when in carplay mode? Or is that only possible through the mmi controls themselves? At night the screen is fairly bright when in carplay.

+1

It’s getting darker earlier and earlier. I was driving around in the dark and the screen stayed bright while the maps were drawn with light colors. Aren’t they supposed to look like a film negative in night time mode?

[a4android]

It seems like the CarPlay interface unable to connect to my phone at all. Last few days, my phone was able to connect for a short period of time. Today, the interface doesn't work at all. I tried different cables, Linear Tech USB isolator, or USB regen (https://uptoneaudio.com/products/usb-regen). Nothing works. CarPlay is dead

Okay I checked both Linear Tech and Regen, Linear tech's transfer speed limit is rated at 12Mbps, where we need 480Mbps high speed.
Regen does not provide more details about their USB IC, but I think it's also liminted to 12Mbps.
Thus, do not buy these for better connection would not help.
What is proven now is a 10 dollar USB 2.0 Hub(not 3.0!) with Fe1.1s USB HUB IC and 5v external power supply would help the connection when you refit one of your car's 12v line stepped down to 5v/2A and feed it to the hub's external power supply.

What you may want to try is something with 'USB-IF certified High Speed 480mbps support' not 'compatible','Full Speed(12Mbps).

We are continuing our research to stablize the connection further.

I am going to test inexpensive USB filters would help.

Thanks.

[niner]

Okay I checked both Linear Tech and Regen, Linear tech's transfer speed limit is rated at 12Mbps, where we need 480Mbps high speed.
Regen does not provide more details about their USB IC, but I think it's also liminted to 12Mbps.
Thus, do not buy these for better connection would not help.
What is proven now is a 10 dollar USB 2.0 Hub(not 3.0!) with Fe1.1s USB HUB IC and 5v external power supply would help the connection when you refit one of your car's 12v line stepped down to 5v/2A and feed it to the hub's external power supply.

What you may want to try is something with 'USB-IF certified High Speed 480mbps support' not 'compatible','Full Speed(12Mbps).

We are continuing our research to stablize the connection further.

I am going to test inexpensive USB filters would help.

Thanks.

Thanks Daniel. Do you have any hub from Amazon store that you would recommend? I want to pick up a new one to try.

[dcchristopher]

Just a quick note that switching to Radio or Media (other than AUX) and then holding the Nav button for three seconds allows one to listen to another media source while still watching the CarPlay screen (maps, etc). No sound from CarPlay/iPhone will pipe through with the exception of calls (over bluetooth). Not ideal but at least a compromise.

[10til4]

After Daniel helped me out with my unit(iphone7+) I have to say I'm more then impressed with it now! It works like a charm with the USB extension and the apple lighting cable also the sound is awesome I have no complaints and I am on b&o sound
So thanks again Daniel (lars)

[a4android]

Thanks Daniel. Do you have any hub from Amazon store that you would recommend? I want to pick up a new one to try.

I will reply to this question later after I examined further. I trying to calculate what's the actual power draw of new iphones over USB @ 2.0.

[dcchristopher]

I do have one issue that's nagging me, but I bet it can be fixed in a firmware update. Specifically, Apple Music will not engage the fast-scroll function where it switches to scrolling through letters rather than artists or song titles when you turn the wheel very quickly.

I don’t know if anything else was discussed on this topic but I just wanted to say that if you have a little joystick on top of the main MMI knob, it will act as a page-up/down scroll. I know, it’s not quite like the alpha scroll but at least it moves a lot faster than clicking that MMI knob 1000 times.

[Maldew]

Successfully installed RSNav on my 2012 C7 and can confirm its working well with my iphone x and the suggested amazon cable directly into the harness. For any other C7 owners with a heated steering wheel, the volume control on the steering wheel will work due to the use of aux but not the other multi function buttons (e.g. voice command, etc). Would like to see if a possible firmware update can provide the ability to connect the device before starting the car (minor annoyance). Also I noticed that some third party apps (e.g. amazon music) seem particular about unlocking the phone even after carplay is running in order to hear audio (Doesn't happen to native apple apps). This may be a carplay thing and not related to the RS Nav though. Nice job Daniel, this breathes life back into the tech of the car.

[rdowling]

I don’t know if anything else was discussed on this topic but I just wanted to say that if you have a little joystick on top of the main MMI knob, it will act as a page-up/down scroll. I know, it’s not quite like the alpha scroll but at least it moves a lot faster than clicking that MMI knob 1000 times.

Good point. That does work as expected, which is a must without the alpha / quick scroll. It's still a pretty big issue if you have a large library. It takes about fifteen to twenty down-taps of the joystick to get to the center of my library and I frequently hit the joystick slightly too long and cause it to skip straight to the bottom. That said, I've changed my original thinking and I'm not so sure the MMI control panel registers clicks of the wheel fast enough for CarPlay to see it as a request for alpha / quick scroll.

Will check if we can add screen brightness control. As far as I know, the CANBUS decoder is tracking the vehicle's headlight status and change the brightness automatically, but I do agree that ACP brightness can be annoying in night driving.

I think the backlight brightness is handled pretty well. With my Allroad, it seems to behave as with the MMI and even respects the custom brightness setting in the MMI menu. However, CarPlay doesn't seem to be getting the message that the headlights are on because it never inverts the colors in Apple Maps. It does invert them whenever the headlights are on in a B9, on an RCD330, and on an AppRadio 4. It's not the end of the world, but it would be nice if it were fixed, especially for rural nighttime driving.

Sadly, the lightning cable we provided was a fake... I dismantled to confirm despite whatever the supplier told me, and found it's fake. So killed self claimed foxconn supplier. Please use genuine apple lightning cable for iphone X or amazon cables with mfi certification.

I suspected the one I received was fake after having connection troubles out of the box and seeing that the retaining dimples on the lightning connecter were nowhere near as perfectly milled as the ones on a known-genuine cable. Nice touch of them to print "Foxconn" on the wrapping, but that doesn't make sense after a little thinking. It's not like Apple would allow its OEM manufacturers to sell self-branded versions of their accessories. I've had great results with an actual Apple cable and an iPhone 6s. (Not Plus) The interface seems to have hung a couple of times, and I don't recall just why, but I got the impression I was seeing a reboot rather than a connectivity interruption. Both times, I had been in CarPlay, switched to MMI, and fairly quickly switched back to CarPlay. Might just be coincidence though.

[dcchristopher]

Another potentially helpful tip: I recently started having audio issues beyond the “random” no-audio I was having with the CarPlay module. Your usual no-audio issues could be solved by switching to Media-AUX and back to CarPlay (hold Nav for 3 seconds). This new problem though seemed much worse. I’d hear a success/failure chime like USB connecting and disconnecting. I tried everything including rebooting the phones, restarting the MMI, unplugging replugging, nothing would fix it. I was convinced the CarPlay module was fried. This was new behavior that I had not witnessed in a week or using the device.

Suddenly I had the bright idea to load the Audi MMI app on the CarPlay home screen. I have to admit, I have no idea what it does or if I ever need to access it. All it gives you is that faux menu with CarPlay, Android Auto, HDMI, etc. Guess what though? Whenever I’m having ANY audio issues, accessing that MMI “app” and then simply clicking the MMI knob which pretends it selected f$&*-all, the audio suddenly works without any other intervention. I know, it’s a stupid thing to have to do almost every time but ... it works!

[Tyintegra]

It's hell, if you went for the armrest.

Very late reply to this, but yes I did mean armrest.

Was a pain, but totally worth it. We ended up just adding the USB extension next to the lighter just so we didn’t remove anything from the factory.

We occasionally have connection issues when the car is cold, but have just ordered the USB cable from Amazon, so we will see if that solves it.

[rdowling]

Very late reply to this, but yes I did mean armrest.

Was a pain, but totally worth it. We ended up just adding the USB extension next to the lighter just so we didn’t remove anything from the factory.

...

Not sure what other cars look like, but on a B8.5, there's a pop-out on the rear of the cubby under the armrest. It looks like it was intended for a factory USB connector, though I'm pretty sure it wasn't. Still, I was able route a cable through it without removing the center console entirely. It's still a pain in the ass, but not nearly on the order of removing the whole console. Basically, you remove the rear vent and MMI control panel. Then, you thread a stiff wire through the rear vent hole so that it comes out underneath the console into the driver footwell. From there, you remove the AC controls and ashtray and route the RSNAV female USB connector to the same spot. You connect an extension or a lightning cable, tape it together, and then use the stiff wire to pull the far end back up into the console and toward the rear vent. Once close to the vent opening, you use a pick, bent coat hanger, etc. to pull the cable back through the pop-out hole. You just have to be careful with the routing to be sure the armrest mechanism doesn't gnaw on the cable.

Eventually, I hope to design a model for 3D-printing an insert for the pop-out that fits around an Amazon Basics USB extension and locks it into place for a factory look. If I get off my butt and do this, I'll post a link to the model here.

[rand0mher0]

For B8, Ambient lighting is not supported. I will issue two firmware with ambient lighting and without it. Anyway ambient lighting requires accessories.

For HDMI, it's also new to me, because the sample I had was without it, and I received new versions, and it has the connector, but as jmaddr reported it's not selectable now.

Tonight, I will figure out how to activate it. Thanks.

The ambient lighting is a major concern for me. Is it just the B8 that there's an issue? What about the facelift model B8.5?

[superb]

Any ETA on Android Auto inclusion?

[kpykng1]

As of right now, I'm frustrated with my unit. Somedays it works perfect others it doesn't want to detect my iPhone or restarts in the middle of a song. Did have to take a road trip this weekend and the unit restarted 4 times one way and worked fine the way back. It's definitely not the cable cause if purchased 4 different ones from Amazon all MFi certified all work perfectly at home for the computer or my other car for Carplay.

I also received Daniel's email to provide a review on the product for his website but don't want to do it, cause it's not completely positive. I know their are still some bugs to work out, maybe it's something with the SQ5's, who exactly knows, but is there anyone else here it installed in their SQ5? As for screen brightness issue mine dims when the lights come on so at least that works 100%.

[a4android]

As of right now, I'm frustrated with my unit. Somedays it works perfect others it doesn't want to detect my iPhone or restarts in the middle of a song. Did have to take a road trip this weekend and the unit restarted 4 times one way and worked fine the way back. It's definitely not the cable cause if purchased 4 different ones from Amazon all MFi certified all work perfectly at home for the computer or my other car for Carplay.

I also received Daniel's email to provide a review on the product for his website but don't want to do it, cause it's not completely positive. I know their are still some bugs to work out, maybe it's something with the SQ5's, who exactly knows, but is there anyone else here it installed in their SQ5? As for screen brightness issue mine dims when the lights come on so at least that works 100%.

Hi, what's your iphone?
SQ5 should be the perfectly okay, because it was our main test vehicle.

[kpykng1]

Hi, what's your iphone?
SQ5 should be the perfectly okay, because it was our main test vehicle.

An iphone 6S Plus, I have been putting off the most recent update, but finally gave in tonight Ver. 11.1.1 (15B150) and will be testing it some more the rest of the week.

[a4android]

Ok, also firmware update will be given out within a week so let's try that too. If the problem persists, I will take full responsibility.

[dcchristopher]

Ok, also firmware update will be given out within a week so let's try that too. If the problem persists, I will take full responsibility.

That's great news, Daniel! Kamsahamnida!

I hate to get all corporate but is there a chance we can track a list of outstanding issues as identified by the early adopters and put down some realistic dates by which these issues can/should be resolved?

So far I've got:
- Dropped connections (signal degradation issues)
- Stable connections but without audio (sometimes media only, sometimes both media and system sounds; quick fix, for me at least: open the Audi MMI app in the CarPlay module)
- Night mode when the headlights are on (as an example, it's not working in my B8.5 S5)
- Alpha scroll triggering
- Media output sounds monaural or flat (e.g., most of the sound is coming out of the center speaker and the only bass I'm getting comes from the mid-range speakers, not my subwoofer; something about the audio signal is getting messed up)
- Ambient Lighting (I honestly have no idea what that is even supposed to do, especially in older tech vehicles like mine)
- Android Auto activation

Looking forward to that firmware update! I don't know what's supposed to be in it but it will at least educate us on the process going forward.

[rand0mher0]

That's great news, Daniel! Kamsahamnida!

I hate to get all corporate but is there a chance we can track a list of outstanding issues as identified by the early adopters and put down some realistic dates by which these issues can/should be resolved?

So far I've got:
- Night mode when the headlights are on (as an example, it's not working in my B8.5 S5)
- Ambient Lighting (I honestly have no idea what that is even supposed to do, especially in older tech vehicles like mine)


Looking forward to that firmware update! I don't know what's supposed to be in it but it will at least educate us on the process going forward.

These two are related, the ambient lighting is the screen supposed to dim with the headlights. Which answers my question that it also doesn't work on the B8.5, major bummer. :( Probably gonna be the deal breaker for me unless a fix for that is in the pipeline, as I don't want a super bright screen in my face at nighttime, lol.

[a4android]

These two are related, the ambient lighting is the screen supposed to dim with the headlights. Which answers my question that it also doesn't work on the B8.5, major bummer. :( Probably gonna be the deal breaker for me unless a fix for that is in the pipeline, as I don't want a super bright screen in my face at nighttime, lol.

Ambient light has nothing to do with night mode. It's just to provide interior light shades and colors by adding some light strips. Since none of b8.5 has something called ambient light, no, it's not going to work.

[niner]

At this moment, the CarPlay Interface stops working all together. I have 2013 S3 w/ B&O and iPhone SE. It was working fine for the first few days, then the connection issue starts to surface. And the problem got worse progressively. It went from disconnection every few minutes, to now it couldn't detect the iPhone at all. I tried all kind of USB 2.0 hub, powered or non-powered, including the FE 1.1S hub that was suggested in an earlier post. None of them would make my phone to connect to the interface anymore. With hub in place, I can see the USB active LED lights up, my phone beeps and charging. Then in a couple seconds, the USB LED goes away and the phone lost USB power.

It is totally useless right now.

I also have not reviewed it yet. I don't think it was working long enough for me.

[a4android]

At this moment, the CarPlay Interface stops working all together. I have 2013 S3 w/ B&O and iPhone SE. It was working fine for the first few days, then the connection issue starts to surface. And the problem got worse progressively. It went from disconnection every few minutes, to now it couldn't detect the iPhone at all. I tried all kind of USB 2.0 hub, powered or non-powered, including the FE 1.1S hub that was suggested in an earlier post. None of them would make my phone to connect to the interface anymore. With hub in place, I can see the USB active LED lights up, my phone beeps and charging. Then in a couple seconds, the USB LED goes away and the phone lost USB power.

It is totally useless right now.

I also have not reviewed it yet. I don't think it was working long enough for me.

Oh well. That's new... Especially, I sent you the revised version with usb filter in the usb port tip... Also, it make me curious that it failed progressively, which makes me wonder how?.

Let me try to identify problem first.

[niner]

Oh well. That's new... Especially, I sent you the revised version with usb filter in the usb port tip... Also, it make me curious that it failed progressively, which makes me wonder how?.

Let me try to identify problem first.

Daniel, did you say you have sent me a revised version? I didn't receive anything from you. May be you have mistaken me with someone else? Is there anything you can help?

[a4android]

Daniel, did you say you have sent me a revised version? I didn't receive anything from you. May be you have mistaken me with someone else? Is there anything you can help?

I mean All S3 compatible device was equipped with a new USB cable that has a filter on the USB port which is a difference from C7, B8 devices.
I need to check few things first and I will be in touch with you.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh may be you have S4 and it was typo.. your name please?

[niner]

I mean All S3 compatible device was equipped with a new USB cable that has a filter on the USB port which is a difference from C7, B8 devices.
I need to check few things first and I will be in touch with you.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh may be you have S4 and it was typo.. your name please?

I'm sorry, it was a typo. I have 2013 S4. PM coming your way.

[a4android]

Some Tests


So carplay starts at least 4.85v. Under this, unless few miliseconds, CarPlay wouldn't start. Now it's connected to the supplied USB extension



Direct connection to the USB port. The voltage is constant like before, thus we can rule out the supplied USB extension is the culprit



Audio Quest's Jitterbug($55).... is very bad... it makes the voltage down to 4.71 and Carplay won't start



Then what's the supplied voltage without any connection. RSNAV supplies 5.01v constant.


Conclusion
As I suspected iPhone draws a lot of power and drops the voltage down.
When voltage level is too low, carplay wouldn't start or disconnect.

There are some problems:
- It will be helpful if we increase the supplied 5v voltage further, will see how we can do this.
- Now, This testing RSNAV is connected to 4A power supply, and it seems RSNAV also draw a lot of power as well.
- When I used 22gauge wire(0.92A max) to power up the RSNAV, RSNAV suffered from exotic behaviors(for sure), and I used 13 gauge wire(7.2A max) in the photo, and RSNAV start to works fine.
- We tap power from MMI head unit. I think MMI head unit also draws quite power to run HDD something like that.
- MMI Fuse is only 5A max. RSNAV and MMI combined I am suspecting drawing at least 3 to 4.5A at peak(it could be even more).
- Consequently, RSNAV would suffer from under voltage when MMI draws quite a power or there is a surge in other electrical systems.
- It seems it's better to reroute power tap somewhere else.

So, It explains why certain people suffer from connection problem, while some are not.
If your car's electricity system is robust, you won't be affected.
If your car has/is developing electricity issue, you will be affected. Also, the presence of aftermarket amp, sub speakers etc would cause the issue further.

BTW, all test was performed using 'Genuine Apple Lightning cable', not the fake one we sent you.

Also, my life is messy as fu*k

[briceportier]

Editing..

Genius at work...

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[dcchristopher]

Genius at work...

[rand0mher0]

Ambient light has nothing to do with night mode. It's just to provide interior light shades and colors by adding some light strips. Since none of b8.5 has something called ambient light, no, it's not going to work.

Ah, night mode is what I was getting at. So that just doesn't exist on either the b8 or b8.5?

[dcchristopher]

Ah, night mode is what I was getting at. So that just doesn't exist on either the b8 or b8.5?

If by "that" you're referring to Ambient Lighting, it's only available in some of the models and only from 2016 and on, or thereabout. You know how a 2013 A8 has the tech of a 2018 S5? ;-) The staggering of the new features makes it a little hard to keep track of what is available when.

"Night mode" is just a loose term I used to describe the dark theme that is activated in mapping software in low-light environments. The idea is that your headlights turning on ought to trigger the dark theme in CarPlay's Apple Maps (and, God-willing, in Android Auto's Google Maps and Waze).

[rand0mher0]

If by "that" you're referring to Ambient Lighting, it's only available in some of the models and only from 2016 and on, or thereabout. You know how a 2013 A8 has the tech of a 2018 S5? ;-) The staggering of the new features makes it a little hard to keep track of what is available when.

"Night mode" is just a loose term I used to describe the dark theme that is activated in mapping software in low-light environments. The idea is that your headlights turning on ought to trigger the dark theme in CarPlay's Apple Maps (and, God-willing, in Android Auto's Google Maps and Waze).

all i want is the screen to dim when i turn the headlights on like the factory mmi does.. lol

[rdowling]

Some Tests


Conclusion
As I suspected iPhone draws a lot of power and drops the voltage down.
When voltage level is too low, carplay wouldn't start or disconnect.

There are some problems:
- It will be helpful if we increase the supplied 5v voltage further, will see how we can do this.
- Now, This testing RSNAV is connected to 4A power supply, and it seems RSNAV also draw a lot of power as well.
- When I used 22gauge wire(0.92A max) to power up the RSNAV, RSNAV suffered from exotic behaviors(for sure), and I used 13 gauge wire(7.2A max) in the photo, and RSNAV start to works fine.
- We tap power from MMI head unit. I think MMI head unit also draws quite power to run HDD something like that.
- MMI Fuse is only 5A max. RSNAV and MMI combined I am suspecting drawing at least 3 to 4.5A at peak(it could be even more).
- Consequently, RSNAV would suffer from under voltage when MMI draws quite a power or there is a surge in other electrical systems.
- It seems it's better to reroute power tap somewhere else.

So, It explains why certain people suffer from connection problem, while some are not.
If your car's electricity system is robust, you won't be affected.
If your car has/is developing electricity issue, you will be affected. Also, the presence of aftermarket amp, sub speakers etc would cause the issue further.

[/b]

It sounds like you're suggesting that the voltage drop seen under load at the USB output of the RSNAV device is due to voltage drop on the shared supply line of the MMI & RSNAV. Have you taken measurements at the input that would support this? I'm now wondering if there's a supply voltage (not battery percentage) readout somewhere in the MMI green menu. While I've had a good experience overall, I do often hear three or four connect / disconnect chimes from the phone before it settles-in and plays nicely with the RSNAV. I might see if I can dig up a powered USB hub to connect between my RSNAV and phone. Whether that makes a difference could be telling.

[denton.baker]

all i want is the screen to dim when i turn the headlights on like the factory mmi does.. lol

Agreed! The maps display is quite bright.


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[NAR Mike]

What kind of Android tablet does this set-up use?

[briceportier]

What kind of Android tablet does this set-up use?

Check https://rsnav.com

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