my home made OEM radio -> ipod controller.

[ian332isport]

Hi Thaniel,

Just out of interest, do you happen to remember what connections you had to make to get the BMW head unit to function on the bench ?

I've hooked up a Business Tape player identical to the one you used, but I can't get it to show any telephone messages. I've got it connected to my PC through a Resler interface, and also have an Intravee iPod interface connected. The radio thinks it has a CD changer connected (emulated via the Intravee), and I can navigate the Intravee menu system by viewing the iBus traffic on the PC (using Navcoder), but the radio will not display any messages. I can send commands to set the time, and this updates on the radio display, so it's happy to read the iBus and act on messages.

I've currently got permanent and switched live connected (Pins 9 & 5), as well as the GND (pin 15) and IBUS (pin 7). I can't see any of the others are needed for a simple bench setup.

I did wonder if the radio needs to see some messages from the instrument cluster (IKE), but I can't see any messages from logs I've taken from the car.

Thanks,

Ian.

[ian332isport]

Hi Thaniel,

Do you happen to remember what connections you made to the Business CD to get it to function on the bench?

I've got it all powered up, and all appears to be fine, except that it won't display any messages from the TEL. All the radio buttons report on the iBus as expected, and I can navigate the menu system on an Intravee iPod interface if I monitor the iBus traffic using a Resler interface and Navcoder, but none of the messages display on the radio.

I did wonder if the radio needs to see messages from the instrument cluster to function fully, but I've never seen anything in my iBus logs that I've taken from the car.

Thanks,

Ian.

[ian332isport]

Sorry about the second post. I didn't notice that the moderator needs to approve the message. I assumed I'd messed up the first time....

[Thaniel]

Hi Thaniel,

Just out of interest, do you happen to remember what connections you had to make to get the BMW head unit to function on the bench ?

I've hooked up a Business Tape player identical to the one you used, but I can't get it to show any telephone messages. I've got it connected to my PC through a Resler interface, and also have an Intravee iPod interface connected. The radio thinks it has a CD changer connected (emulated via the Intravee), and I can navigate the Intravee menu system by viewing the iBus traffic on the PC (using Navcoder), but the radio will not display any messages. I can send commands to set the time, and this updates on the radio display, so it's happy to read the iBus and act on messages.

I've currently got permanent and switched live connected (Pins 9 & 5), as well as the GND (pin 15) and IBUS (pin 7). I can't see any of the others are needed for a simple bench setup.

I did wonder if the radio needs to see some messages from the instrument cluster (IKE), but I can't see any messages from logs I've taken from the car.

Thanks,

Ian.

if you are getting all that to work then I think you have it connected correctly. Might recheck to ensure the phone messages are being sent correctly?

[mbt28]

Hi Thaniel,

How do you enable head unit while working with computer? I think head unit should detect some kbus messages, is there any guide for it?

[Thaniel]

Hi Thaniel,

How do you enable head unit while working with computer? I think head unit should detect some kbus messages, is there any guide for it?

If you get the unit to power up, Screen lights up and says disabled, then you need to supply some sort of kbus traffic. I have a bench to IKE and just connect my radio's to it. But others in this thread appear to say that any valid Kbus message will work. If you need the kbus format there is link early in this thread to a google drive where I posted some info. Or search the web and there is some good info from 5 series BMW's. It's almost all the same for E46's.

[mbt28]

If you get the unit to power up, Screen lights up and says disabled, then you need to supply some sort of kbus traffic. I have a bench to IKE and just connect my radio's to it. But others in this thread appear to say that any valid Kbus message will work. If you need the kbus format there is link early in this thread to a google drive where I posted some info. Or search the web and there is some good info from 5 series BMW's. It's almost all the same for E46's.

Actually, I just see the blinking led, the screen doesnt turns on, I mean no disabled message. I am trying to send kbus messages through computer and nothing happens. I cannot compile your code for arduino to try it because it gives errors. Previously I was able to compile it but now no.

[mbt28]

Actually, I just see the blinking led, the screen doesnt turns on, I mean no disabled message. I am trying to send kbus messages through computer and nothing happens. I cannot compile your code for arduino to try it because it gives errors. Previously I was able to compile it but now no.

I made it now. I am trying to use arduino and computer try it with my head unit but it doesn't enable. I think the problem is linbus transceiver. As far as I understand it doesn't really wake up until it receives a message from linbus line. Am I true? Is there any way to wake it up beside linbus line. I tried to give 5v to csl/wake port but didn't do anything.

[mbt28]

Hi Thaniel,

How do you overcome collisions with mcp2025? Is there any way to understand if the bus line busy or available?

[Thaniel]

I dint remember the details any more. Looking over the program will probably be the most accurate. From memory I know we have it sense a specific interval looking for a space in the traffic. And we collect a message or two to be sent at once. So once we get control of the bus we send all we have without a break. We may have some other detection. Can't remember.

[Robin Smallbone]

I just built one of these. Seems like a great bit of kit and exactly what I was looking for! Thank you for all your hard work.

The electronics is second nature to me, but I am completely new to Arduino code.

I downloaded your original files from https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...kFpZVk1UHRvd3c but I can't get the files to compile. I get errors relating to undeclared variables. Should there also be some header files?

[Thaniel]

Thanks for the compliment. I'm still using them in my cars.

Yah the ardunio compiler keeps changing. But surprise my code doesn't :-) Likely need to download an older version of the arduino compiler. They were written using 1.0.4

Download and install the
Arduino software 1.0.4 from here:
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/OldSoftwareReleases

[Robin Smallbone]

Hi Thaniel

Thanks for the quick reply. I did try 1.0.4 but still saw the same errors. The compile errors related to declarations and definitions in files other than the main.ino file. I cut and pasted these into the main.ino file and it compiled fine! I'm a complete newbie to Arduino code so there may be another solution that I don't know about, but it works anyway.

There was also an issue with RX1 and TX1, defined as pins 10 and 11. I am using a Mega 2560 and needed to change these to pins 18 and 19.

So - I now have a working system - thank you very much! I want to play around with the software now to see what I can make it do.

[Thaniel]

Hi Thaniel

The compile errors related to declarations and definitions in files other than the main.ino file.

research tabs in the Arduino complier.

Sounds like the psketch was opened in correctly and the complier didn't load the tabs. Wrote the sketch with tabs since it is so long and scrolling around gets tedious.

glad you got it to go either way. Enjoy.

thaniel

[Xandeerzz]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I saw at one point someone wanting to build a bluetooth interface..
I know there are plenty of options out there on the market, but:
1.They are quite expensive
2.They don't offer much flexibility in terms of customization
3.Modules with complete functionalities are even more expensive
4.As far as I read, the stock bluetooth module on the E46 sucks(being about 15 y/o)

I'm planning to integrate the following:
-Steering wheel buttons
-Song metadata using AVRCP and dispaying it on the CD player
-Lots of other functions that will probably come along the way

Parts used:
TJA1020 LIN transceiver
STM32F103C Board (which has 3 UART interfaces )
BK8000L Bluetooth module(I have to see if I like the quality of the sound, and if the UART port works at all ) )
Various other parts.

Until the parts will arrive from China, I already tried hacking the IBus, and I tried reading some data, with no success at all...
I don't have the TJA IC at the moment, so I built an optocoupler based one. I also tried using the simplest of all, that is the voltage divider, and that still doesn't work..
I used an arduino UNO, with the Atmega off the board, just to use the built-in USB-serial(FT232RL) and get the data that way..no success..
Then I used an arduino Nano, with a piece of code which uses software interrupts I believe, on RX/TX and then sends off some data to the USB-Serial..that didn't work also..
I got the signal from the back of the CD player, which is the pin 7, I believe, and then pushed some buttons on the steering wheel hoping that something will pop up on the serial monitor
Oh, BTW, i believe the circuit was taken from Thaniel's e46canbus blog, so Thaniel, maybe you can provide some help on that

Someone, please let me know if I should make a separate thread describing all the details of my project

[Thaniel]

This thread or another. Whatever you like. Somewhere in this thread I posted a link to a google drive that has code to capture the Ibus without a transceiver. But sounds like you get no data at all? If so just high and low the voltage manually and have your program trigger something (Serial monitor, led, whatever) to ensure the data is getting in. If the data is getting in but just corrupted check the standard things. Baud rate and parity set right, your program is finding the beginning of the message data packet (A trick on it's own). Once you get a transciever it'll do all that hardwork and make things much easier.

[swordz]

Hi!
Great work you did here. Just wanted to ask if MCP2025 chip is necessary if I'm going to use your modified code for AUX in and not an Ipod? In that case, do I connect iBus to Arduino's TX or RX? Seems logical to use TX, since I'll just need the Arduino to transmit a signal so that my radio (CD43 by the way) would think it has a cd changer hooked up.
Sorry to reply to an old thread, but i did not find an answer to this and thought it would be useful for others too.
Thanks!

[Thaniel]

Replying to an old thread is good if the info is relevant.

the I bus operates at 12v. The max input voltage for an Arduino on tx is 5v. Connecting them would fry it. Try if you like but I wouldn suggest it.

[swordz]

Ok, so I got the hardware part up and running, but I got lost in the code since I'm more of an electronics hobbyist and don't do that much programming. I can't seem to separate the Ipod part from the iBus part. Do you have any pointers how to separate them? I initially thought I'd just use the full code, but it's too big for the Uno (Atmega328). I could use an Atmega32 which should have more memory, but then again, the code probably wouldn't work too well without the Ipod. Also, I must note that I used the method with optocouplers since I couldn't find a MCP2025 chip in my country. So maybe you have a different code for that method, which is not uploaded in the google drive link you posted earlier.

Please help me with these silly problems of mine if it's not too much to ask. Thanks.

[Thaniel]

I'm more of an electronics hobbyist and don't do that much programming.

I'm a hobbyist too. This ipod thing was one of my first serious microcontroller programs. I'm sure you can do it. Just have to put time into it (I'm a mechanical engineer. Not a programmer)

I used the method with optocouplers since I couldn't find a MCP2025 chip in my country.

Yah the ibus is old tech. The MCP2025 will be obsolete soon. My blog I posted 3 ways to get the pulses from kbus into the arduino. All work. The arduino doesn't care what conversts the pulses to a voltage and format it can take.

So maybe you have a different code for that method, which is not uploaded in the google drive link you posted earlier.

Please help me with these silly problems of mine if it's not too much to ask. Thanks.

My son went to rework the program as you asked. And sure enough someone else had already wanted it and it was done already. See google drive here
https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...3c?usp=sharing
file is called "KBUS_IPOD_534___No_ipod_controls"

Direct link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bwf...ew?usp=sharing

Thaniel

[swordz]

Thanks!
Wanted to try it out right away, but I only had a CD unit from e39, so I tried hooking it up with mid and speedometer, but it won't turn on. My speedometer has been acting up lately, so I figure that must be the culprit of this problem. I hooked it up to my oscilloscope to see what's happening and noticed that iBus is always low, no signal whatsoever. When I disconnect it from other devices and leave the power only, it shows constant 10V.
But that doesn't matter that much now, since I'm doing this for a friend, who has CD43 unit in his e36, which works fine with just power supplied to it. It has only 5 pins in the cd changer slot (http://www.bimmernav.com/images/radioWD.jpg pins 4,5, 8, 9 and 10), so I figured that it should communicate with the cd changer (if it had one) through the same iBus wire in the main connector (pin 7). Is that right?
Also, I wondered if this whole mod would work for iPhone lightning connector too? (by using an adapter)

[swordz]

Thanks for that.
I put everything together according to your schematics (with 2 optocouplers, i used LTV817 ones) in your blog. However, it acts kind of strange: iBus line does some communicating in the beginning and then just sits at ~6.1V. If i disconnect the board from the radio, it shows the normal ~12V voltage and there's also some communication appears to be going on at the beginning. Also, RX line stays at ~2V, while TX is 5V. The voltage from iBus at the RX optocoupler is 1.1V. Any ideas of what might be causing this? I rechecked my board several times, and only found a transistor put in backwards (collector in place of emitter and vice versa). The transistor by the way is PN2222A, which can only handle 400mA, but I figured it should be fine. I also used a L7805 voltage regulator to convert 12V to 5V for a standalone Atmega328 (because i see no need to sacrifice the whole arduino board).
The radio I'm working with is CD43 (BP9263). In CD changer slot it only has 5 pins (see the pic below) for audio. So I used iBus from pin 7 in the main connector to connect to my board. Also, I'm trying it out at home, with nothing else connected, just a battery and my board (might that have any influence for my results?).
radioWD.jpg

[Thaniel]

Are you connecting to just a radio or the whole car? The radio by itself doesn't create an Ibus. There is more to it than that. Ibus with no messages being sent (idle) should be near 12v.

sorry I can't tell you anything about an e36. I don't know what bus systems they have. I know e39, and e38 and e53 have similar bus systems. But they are all made from a similar time frame.

[swordz]

Didn't work when connected to the car either. I guess it needs a different code written for it then.

[Xandeerzz]

Just a quick update, I got all the required parts at the moment, and I did some important steps on the projects.

1. I managed to get the data from the Ibus in the serial console with a simple serial passthrough, so now I just have to make the code, or adapt Thaniel's to work on my hardware.

2.I got the BK8000L Bluetooth module, and, as expected, the serial connection didn't work because of the bad firmware on the flash memory. I had to desolder it and flash another dumped firmware from another serial-working module provided by a fellow guy on YouTube. The sound is just awesome and I didn't even expect that from a 2.5$ module :P

3.For the power supply I am currently using a very small buck converter which has an enable pin, which I can control with the TJA1020's INH(I hope I'm correct on that) pin, which goes high when it is on the active state(that is, some code was sent over the IBus). So I can basically prevent the final device from draining the battery.

4.I also bought a small plastic enclosure with the dimensions of 100x60x25mm so I can fit everything inside it. I initially wanted to make everything modular, but as for the first Beta prototype, the pin headers may be directly soldered on the etched board.

The biggest obstacle now is the code, which will be quite tricky to get it work at least, not to mention that it has to be as efficient as possible