Finally got Android in the car

[whats77inaname]

Originally Posted by Babyface1249

is this project still in the works? VERY interested in seeing the outcome!

Yup, still in the works. Saturday I *finally* rec'd the piece I was waiting for (after 7 weeks or so), but I was shipped the wrong color so they're shipping another :-\ ....from China. During the holidays. So yeah.....then that happened.

[kenkamm]

Updates?

[whats77inaname]

Still waiting for my shipment from China :-\ Kinda at a stand still until it arrives.

[Alpin3_F30]

Originally Posted by whats77inaname

Still waiting for my shipment from China :-\ Kinda at a stand still until it arrives.

still waiting for this. i need something to do about putting a screen in my car. the OEM retrofit went sour i sold the dash so im left with my non nav dash and i need ideas. hurry!!

[whats77inaname]

Working on it. What I was waiting for didn't work out, so I'm taking another route.

[Alpin3_F30]

Originally Posted by whats77inaname

Working on it. What I was waiting for didn't work out, so I'm taking another route.

i was thinking of something like this, using the 1 series screen.

[jdamore]

Originally Posted by whats77inaname

Working on it. What I was waiting for didn't work out, so I'm taking another route.

I think you were on the right path originally (maybe because that's what I ended up doing )
I've been rocking the Android since about the last time you posted and I'm very happy with it.

I think the key for me to be happy was to modify the screen density so it worked well with the CCC screen and has good visibility (has to be rooted 4.1 JB).

Touchpad works great and I used the Mic from a Web cam for voice control.

I found a good AndroidPC with composite video so I don't need to mess with an hdmi2av adapter which only adds more noise to the picture.

I wish I could find a tablet to replace what I currently have now. Or, even better, find a phone that I can connect power, composite out, and a USB hub (touchpad and Webcam). A tablet/phone would be so much easier on the battery while the 30g relay is on.

[Alpin3_F30]

Originally Posted by jdamore

I think you were on the right path originally (maybe because that's what I ended up doing )
I've been rocking the Android since about the last time you posted and I'm very happy with it.

I think the key for me to be happy was to modify the screen density so it worked well with the CCC screen and has good visibility (has to be rooted 4.1 JB).

Touchpad works great and I used the Mic from a Web cam for voice control.

I found a good AndroidPC with composite video so I don't need to mess with an hdmi2av adapter which only adds more noise to the picture.

I wish I could find a tablet to replace what I currently have now. Or, even better, find a phone that I can connect power, composite out, and a USB hub (touchpad and Webcam). A tablet/phone would be so much easier on the battery while the 30g relay is on.

where were you when i had my nav dash? i coulda done this.

[whats77inaname]

Originally Posted by jdamore

I think you were on the right path originally (maybe because that's what I ended up doing )
I've been rocking the Android since about the last time you posted and I'm very happy with it.

I think the key for me to be happy was to modify the screen density so it worked well with the CCC screen and has good visibility (has to be rooted 4.1 JB).

Touchpad works great and I used the Mic from a Web cam for voice control.

I found a good AndroidPC with composite video so I don't need to mess with an hdmi2av adapter which only adds more noise to the picture.

I wish I could find a tablet to replace what I currently have now. Or, even better, find a phone that I can connect power, composite out, and a USB hub (touchpad and Webcam). A tablet/phone would be so much easier on the battery while the 30g relay is on.

Awesome man! Glad someone else has taken the jump

[Alpin3_F30]

Originally Posted by whats77inaname

I finally had some time to work on the setup today. I picked up the dash on eBay for $250 a few weeks ago and drove to Stafford to pick it up. Found out today that the airbag is still in it, and they're going for ~$300 on eBay, so hopefully this dash will turn out to be free.

I cut a hole in it to fit the 1-series navi screen. I just need to pull out my heat gun tomorrow and shape the surround so that it fits the dash flush. Other than that, I'm *very* pleased with the results so far. Since I have premium audio, I'll have to modify the center channel speaker cover so that the speaker and vents will be still be functional.

i think i might do this setup and put an ipad mini in there that can be flipped up and down. it fits right in perfectly.

[7786]

Originally Posted by whats77inaname

Looks like a good fit

What is the part number of this folding piece?

[jdamore]

Another must-have app that I've been using lately: WAZE

in the play store it says it's not compatible (I think because it's a tablet, not a phone) but you can find the APK online! It locked up my AndroidPC once but I think that was a fluke. Between that and a radar detector, I will never get busted speeding

I finally finished off my touchpad. It actually improved the touch response too! It finally has a finished look and feel to it now. It took a little modding; removed the cheap velcro backing and soldered the USB cable directly to the PCB (the USB connecter was bulky so the touchpad would have been sitting higher up).

I used two pieces of 1/8 plexiglass glued together. The bottom piece for the pad to sit on and the top one so the pad sits flush. After dremeling the cutouts and rounding the edges, I wrapped it with carbon fiber fabric (wrapped the center console too).

[8k3]

^^ very nice!

? though. How do you control the stereo and idrive settings? The stock interface is gone

[jdamore]

Originally Posted by 8k3

^^ very nice!

? though. How do you control the stereo and idrive settings? The stock interface is gone

I still have the OEM nav. Unintentionally, I hijacked whats77inaname's thread who is venturing a more elaborate setup.

whats77inaname- that's actually the same question I wanted to know. Are you going to change the VO and recode the car as not having idrive?

[8k3]

wonder if there is a video switcher that u can use to swap back and forth between stock and android

[jdamore]

Originally Posted by 8k3

wonder if there is a video switcher that u can use to swap back and forth between stock and android

The MMI is connected to the canbus so to switch between Android and stock menu, pressing (and holding for 2 seconds) the menu button on the idrive controller will switch it.

[8k3]

Originally Posted by jdamore

The MMI is connected to the canbus so to switch between Android and stock menu, pressing (and holding for 2 seconds) the menu button on the idrive controller will switch it.

Sweet. I'd love to see a detailed thread on everything you did. I want to run this in mine

[jdamore]

Originally Posted by 8k3

Sweet. I'd love to see a detailed thread on everything you did. I want to run this in mine

I can't take credit.. 95% of my setup is in the first post.

[Alpin3_F30]

Originally Posted by jdamore

Another must-have app that I've been using lately: WAZE

in the play store it says it's not compatible (I think because it's a tablet, not a phone) but you can find the APK online! It locked up my AndroidPC once but I think that was a fluke. Between that and a radar detector, I will never get busted speeding

I finally finished off my touchpad. It actually improved the touch response too! It finally has a finished look and feel to it now. It took a little modding; removed the cheap velcro backing and soldered the USB cable directly to the PCB (the USB connecter was bulky so the touchpad would have been sitting higher up).

I used two pieces of 1/8 plexiglass glued together. The bottom piece for the pad to sit on and the top one so the pad sits flush. After dremeling the cutouts and rounding the edges, I wrapped it with carbon fiber fabric (wrapped the center console too).

i need to see this in person

[Alpin3_F30]

Originally Posted by whats77inaname

Looks like a good fit

any news on this new setup?

[whats77inaname]

Originally Posted by 8k3

How do you control the stereo and idrive settings? The stock interface is gone

Originally Posted by jdamore

I still have the OEM nav. Unintentionally, I hijacked whats77inaname's thread who is venturing a more elaborate setup.

whats77inaname- that's actually the same question I wanted to know. Are you going to change the VO and recode the car as not having idrive?

Keeping the iDrive.

During my 3 month ban, I had to stop and take a step back as to how I was doing this. I lost focus for a sec in trying to make the tablet function as an all-in-one, when I could in actuality split up the workload. Had to remember to KISS. I really wanted to have the rear-facing tablet camera function as a DVR, but had to realize that that would require a lot more fabrication, and time. So I scrapped that idea in favor of something a bit more logical.

Originally Posted by E92Alpine328i

any news on this new setup?

More to come in a week or so.

[jdamore]

Have you looked into using the RGB input on the MMI?

I'm dying to know of the improvement of picture quality if any. I have no doubt it will improve the "noise" but I'm hoping for a better 1:1 pixel ratio.

It would go something like this:
Android HDMI>HDMI 2 VGA>Home made circuit>MMI RGB (sync on green)

VGA has separate horizontal sync and vertical sync. The "home made circuit" will combine H/V sync to the one wire sync ("sync on green") making it (hopefully) compatible. I found a bunch of schematics for the circuit but just haven't grown the balls to execute it yet..