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I realized after a few more days of researching that GVIF to HDMI hack is a hard way to achieve smartphone mirroring. HDCP is a pain in the ass to get around and it's one you don't need to deal with because there's actually a better way: Access to the screen through the backup camera. I know that Naviks is a GVIF-Switch. Not sure how Navtool does it but this might explain why so many of these modules have an RCA out instead of digital. Nonetheless now that I know this option is available I may wait a bit for its price to come down or follow up with my own wiring to achieve my own custom smartphone mirroring setup below.
What I know with certainty at least for my TLX is that I don't need multiple AV inputs for my screen. Also I just want my mirroring to be done as simply and quickly as possible. Simply put, I just want to get in my car, plug my phone, and see content mirrored on the Top Screen immediately. I also know that none of the 3rd party offerings can achieve this and the price tagged for all the extra stuff is wasted on me. The question is how difficult it is to figure this out over paying for a non-GVIF-switch.
My first thought is to modify the backup camera route so that I'll be able to see both the backup view (in R) and my phone (in all other modes) when plugged in. There are
and even sell cheap modules so that you can turn on the backup camera while driving say to keep an eye on the hitched trailer. I'd be modifying this idea so that the switch itself would be plugging my phone and the feed be rerouted to the to the AV adapter itself.
I'd be repurposing the current OEM harness and parts and even make use of the detached AUX in to address the sound lag if Bluetooth was used for the image. I'd probably need to make some custom harnesses if I want to keep this plug-n-play but I suspect that'd be the most I'd need to do in order to achieve this. I'll update accordingly.
oh and I'm still hoping to hear back from Acura Relations. Something in the very least.
after some rudimentary crash course on backup camera hacking I have the general idea of what needs to be done.
based on the TLX diagram attached the cavities that need to be tapped are the following:
G3: Camera Ground
G15: Video Signal
G16: Camera Power Source (8v)
G24: Reverse Signal (Back LT)
The basic idea is this: you provide an external power to G16 though a switch which will trick the Head Unit that it's in reverse and route the top screen for the rearview camera. The feed that goes in however will be routed from an alternate video source.
In addition I would require an HDMI to RCA converter and a couple of RCA head cables spliced to meet the end of G15. I also would require to solder the Reverse signals ends to G24 after cutting it in half. I can essentially have a single switch video module that provides priority to the backup camera. A couple of caveats however:
1. The voltage that powers the camera is not the standard 12v but 8v. I'd require a voltage regulator from 12 to 8v so that the switch doesn't overwhelm the camera and
2. I need to find a better switch to replace the existing one. I'm considering an OEM switch that can fit in one of the empty slots next to the Trunk Opener Switch.... albeit without much luck.
Another puzzle I'm still trying to complete is the USB port. If I am to keep the OEM look and use the HDMI/USB housing I'll need to route the USB end to at least provide 5v power so it can charge the phone while it's providing mirroring with something like this:
But I am hoping for a more elegant solution. Something that perhaps allows me to even expand the number of USB ports through the Head Unit itself.
I still haven't made up my mind on going ahead with these parts for the moment for I'm hoping that perhaps the Axi-rgb2 will fall in price but since now I'm fairly sure this is the path I'm going to take I chose an HDMI to analog converter: https://www.radioshack.com/products/...ant=7187960453
The audio will be provided by AUX port which will be placed inside the dashboard connected to the converter... well that's all.
Hello those of you who are still interested in smartphone mirroring:
Those of you who have been following this thread know that I've been exploring every possible combination of known video and backup camera modules to try to make smartphone mirroring in my 2015 Base happen. Previously I added OEM Bluetooth and USB/MP3 connectivity to my 09' Mustang so it would work with the stock radio.
What I've found during my messing around with my TLX is that adding the OEM HDMI harness works but in order to do so it must go into Diagnosis Mode. This hack was previously explored by ILX users in this forum although in contrast to their hack mine had both video and sound. While this may be good for some it wasn't a very good solution for me. After a few less than successful attempts at trying to access the radio's software to tweak it for a "quick diagnosis mode button" I gave up and returned to looking for a hardware solution. Shortly after life happened, wife got sick and I figured I should go back to school after 10 years, so I took a step back and see if technology would "catch up"
Meanwhile I've been hitting the net to see what progress has been made. I've found two major information sources regarding the Honda Radio:
One comes from an Accord post now almost 3 years ago describing its head unit hacking attempts: iMid software hacking discussion - Drive Accord Honda Forums
The second comes a post last year regarding a method of hacking the system via something called QCONN: https://abhijitlamsogeblog.wordpress...ms-over-qconn/
The gist is this: I-MID is the name of the software running in the Honda/Acura cars and it's been around for years now. Previous gen Civic and CRV owners have been the most prolific in trying to find a hack solution although very few seem to have the skills like one shown in the Accord forum. But a car model needs to reach "iPhone" levels to get enough people to find a jailbreak which it's why I searched for a QNX hack instead. QNX is the OS of the I-MID which supports actually a crap ton of car makers radios. Now I have a basis for accessing my radio software.
On a side note: With the redesigned Pilot, Honda has shown it's moving away from the multi display platform and into a single screen with a custom-Android thus I-MID is being phased out. Reasons obviously fall along with the need to keep up with the times but this also tells me something more important: CarPlay or Android Auto are just NOT possible in the current TLX. Just like a car design and features are pretty much set on stone until the next redesign, car makers (with the exception of Ford and Hyundai perhaps) aren't interested in making current customers happy. Given that the MDX refresh couldn't get rid of the IMID I wouldn't put my money on the 2018 TLX refresh either.
Well that's it for now. I'll continue my updates as I go along. I like my TLX and plan to keep it for a long time
QNX headunits have been rooted before for other brand vehicles, like the FCA uConnect system. There are actually hardware (though, this mostly just looks like Naviks style units) and software mods to add Android Auto: https://forum.xda-developers.com/gen...nnect-t3194106
Someone is also coming up with an alt solution where you run a Raspberry Pi 3 on it's own screen and then you just route audio in via AUX. You have the benefit of not modding the base car system that way. But there's no clean way to really mount it.
The last thing I was also looking into but didn't spend too much time on was the fact that our phones technically have an interface with the head unit via the Acuralink phone apps, which unfortunately mostly looks like BT based interface, but future iterations of the Honda side units and apps eventually had some Mirrolink functionality to it. Not sure if we have any Mirrorlink functionality, but the Acuralink app tech is supposed to be a Mirrorlink product, albeit mostly with iOS functionality only so far (https://www.acura.ca/Content/acura.c...d_Final_EN.pdf).
Anyhow, thought those might be some useful leads for now. I haven't looked into too much, as I've more or less just accepted that we're stuck with a pretty crappy head unit. I'm still hoping that if we can root QNX on ours, we can potentially add an Android Auto variant to unit, but the TLX head unit is probably way more capable of doing so than the MDX one is (since we don't have HDMI on it).
hey neoshi, thanks for the links. I've been doing a quick study of the QNX platform although I still can't find a way to gain access to the current software in my radio unit.
Both Jeep and Accord forums approach the hack like a jailbreak meaning they introduce a new ISO or software configuration that overwrites the existing one. The modified ISO can be created (and compiled?) through the QNX emulator loaded through VMWare. The whitepaper mentioned in Jeep's PDF emphasizes how the system could be tricked to load the new ISO by inserting the original ISO first via USB. It is hypothesized that large discrepancies between the original and modified ISO could be detected by the system thus minor changes were encouraged.
This jailbreak method offers an interesting potential: custom ISOs can be created safely and shared at large, spawning communities within each model and even trim. This may be more so now that Honda is phasing out I-MID allowing for a more lax response from our choice manufacturer. The problem here is that we need to start with an ISO. Jeep, being under hack fiasco a few years back demanded users to update their Uconnect. Accord also had updates to incorporate Siri Talk for older head units but Acura hasn't released anything for us.
With no ISO in sight I'm thinking two alternatives: 1) I remember the head unit maker having shared the basic software and someone in the piloteers forum shared the link. I can't find it for the life of me though and even if I do, I recall the file being sort of a barebone (no firmware) and could make my head unit go caput no matter how carefully I build the new ISO. or 2)
Attempt something similar to what Mazda owners have been doing, making changes directly to the head unit via Ethernet and WiFi. Trouble is that I cannot find details of anyone else having done this with I-MID even though I'm fairly sure it's possible since Mazda's infotainment also has a QNX backbone. I read the IOActive's other papers before and it's to my understanding that Honda cars are generally harder to hack. They do not offer an explanation on why but I can guess that it is due to the "lack of entry points" like WiFi.
A software access still seems to me the best solution for me at this point so I plan to press on. First of all, I know mirroring won't take a tremendous amount of coding on my part since I was able to implement it in diagnostics mode. In my previous post I shared how turning on App Mode allowed me to access the HDMI connection (although that's where my success was stopped by the software). All I would need is to redirect that App Mode to make the system go into Diagnostics mode. There are other reasons I would love to access the software. Adding a 2nd USB port like the ILX for instance which would require a simple update in the hardware components list as well memory retention of the heat seats. Either way studying what the QNX like a developer would sounds like a good thing for me now.
Oh I forgot to ask, but have you tried using the hdmi connection and using an app like LG Mirrordrive to see if it can drive the head unit into showing video without going into diagnostics?
No but if I had to guess based on the head unit's response when I installed the HDMI harness the "driver" that interacts with the smartphone in Normal Mode is missing altogether. The use case with the ILX, the only way to get mirroring in normal mode in the ILX was to trick the HU to think your phone was running their $60 Navi app with the help of a jailbroken app that ran two apps at once. This hack was specific to iPhones and the Navi app wasn't even available in Google Play for Android phones. My hope when I got the harness was that these restrictions wasn't in place for the TLX and I felt optimistic when I found all of the HDMI options in the HU settings. It turned out that the front GUI was there but when it came to mirror the phone itself with all the cables in place the system simply told me the HDMI feature had not bee fully implemented.
39112-TY2-A01 ADAPTER ASSY, USB
This cable which clips into the switch housing, accepts input from which USB from your ebay 3-wire bundle - the green end or the grey end?
I'll answer my own question
This is actually not a cable, it is a rectangular connector, one side is the USB-accepting side from everyday devices, the other side plugs directly into the long Green wire female end connector. It connects directly into the switch housing and locks into place.
For my purposes (Honda CR-V), I just swapped out Green connector cap and Grey connector caps so that I could install this USB directly in the back of the head unit for USB function. The green plug is meant to be used for MAP updates only. I'll route that USB under the glove box.
Can someone email me any other option other than the 300.00 navtool? or just the radio wiring, Im an engineer and I will see if I can make something that is a little more "affordable"
Can someone email me any other option other than the 300.00 navtool? or just the radio wiring, Im an engineer and I will see if I can make something that is a little more "affordable"
Thank you all in advance..
Sam
There's Naviks as well. It costs the same as Navtool new, but I'm about to sell mine if you're interested. Was using it in a MDX, but I'm pretty sure it's the same plugs and all.
Just plug this into your HDMI port and stream wireless (no cable). It works flawlessly and doesn't require wifi. I'm using it the back of my Kenwood HU now and I'm able to watch virtually everything Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, etc... cables suck!!
Just plug this into your HDMI port and stream wireless (no cable). It works flawlessly and doesn't require wifi. I'm using it the back of my Kenwood HU now and I'm able to watch virtually everything Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, etc... cables suck!! https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-Scr.../dp/B00O14JG2Y
Has anyone else tried this on the stock headunit?
I am interested and want to see if this works just plug and play.
If it has an HDMI input then I can almost guarantee it will work but if it doesn't you can always return it. I bought mine at the local Best Buy and they have a great return policy. Remember that your HDMI input is just a mode much like your TV (which it works for that too) that just allows you to control the media being displayed as it doesn't "allow" or "prevent" content being streamed to it. I know it sounds too simple but the reward is worth it considering the cost and did I mention that there's no ugly cables? Both Kenwood and Crutchfield tech support said " I don't think you can't do that" but I did and it worked flawlessly so there you go. Your phone has to support Miracast but that's about it.
On a side note, most of the newer phones and future models will not continue to support older MHL output technology as virtually everything is going the way of wireless casting such as Chromecast and Miracast to name a few. So if you do have a phone that has this feature now, chances are that it will go away the next time you upgrade your phone leaving you with a bunch of expensive cables and no functionality. The car audio industry is ALWAYS going to be one step behind the technological curve because our portable devices are continually evolving, with convenience in mind, so by the time they make a compatible product the technology will have changed yet again.
ok, I've scanned over this entire thread. What I have gathered is; you can buy the HDMI interface bits from the Odyssey that will plug into our screens on the TLX and allow for an HDMI input plug. The problem with this method is that it will only work in diagnostic mode.
Now later in the thread, someone has posted about this
I know it's pricey but I recommend Naviks. Been using maybe a year now and still going strong. Easy setup (plug & play). If u plan to add AppleTV then u need to tap wire. I use Apple Map and in order to have map speak while listening to iPod music w/out selecting AUX, i need to manually swipe up on map and select handfree then u can listen to iPod music and when Map speak it pause music.
I know it's pricey but I recommend Naviks. Been using maybe a year now and still going strong. Easy setup (plug & play). If u plan to add AppleTV then u need to tap wire. I use Apple Map and in order to have map speak while listening to iPod music w/out selecting AUX, i need to manually swipe up on map and select handfree then u can listen to iPod music and when Map speak it pause music.
You have both Naviks & Navtool? I saw your post on the Navtool thrread stating it was a plug & Play in your car and here you are saying you have been using Naviks? You have 2 Acura's?
You have both Naviks & Navtool? I saw your post on the Navtool thrread stating it was a plug & Play in your car and here you are saying you have been using Naviks? You have 2 Acura's?
yes I have 2 ‘17 Acura. Both Naviks and NavTool are plug&play. Naviks is only for mirroring whereas NavTool are both mirroring and CarPlay/Android.
Which do I like, I have to say Navtool because of CarPlay and been working good so far. Just some minor issue I noticed that sometime incoming call I cannot hear the other party and/or other party cannot hear me. Navtool said if I turn off iPhone Bluetooth and delete my phone from car, it will work better.. I never did it.
03-31-2016 | 07:36 AM
