E39: Installing Android touch widescreen 10.25inch NAV

[Terabass]

Note: I realized bimmerforums.com has a lot more knowledge on nav systems than M5Board and so I posted this here also.
The original post: http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39...to-e39-m5.html

This is a post for discussion and food for thought on upgrading Navigation systems.
Looking at a way to really 1-up and modernize our navigation systems.

The coolest answer so far is to install the NBT-based system into the E39. Such as the one below.
This features a full wide screen and no buttons, giving a look that competes in year 2020.





Cons of NBT:

• Touch-screen is unavailable.
• People say the NBT web-browser works poorly due to low ram on NBT system.
• Typing into keyboard using BMW's iDrive button is real hassle
• Can't run apps such as Torque

For a full size screen with no buttons there are couple options, that I came across:
1st option: Smarty Trend



BMW 5 Series E39 Android Car Stereo Navigation In-Dash Head Unit

This unit appears to have the X5 bezel and no DSP functionality. .

DSP:
To fix the DSP/OBC/iBUS functionality there is Resler interface & iBus app
The idea is that the Resler USB interface wires to iBus, and plugs into the Android unit USB port, and the iBus app can then talk to iBus and control DSP and OBC functions.

Question is when the Resler iBus interface controls DSP, if it will also send audio signal to amplifier. Maybe someone has input on this?

Bezel:
I am considering 3D scanning the E39 standard bezel and the one that comes along the Smarty unit, then use both to construct and 3D print a proper fitting one for E39, so it looks stock, not like the out of place X5 bezel.


2nd option: Avin Android 10.25 for F16 retrofitted into E39

There is another idea I have to take the Avin Android 10.25 inch system for F15 or F16. Pictured below:

https://avinusa.com/10-25-bmw-x5-x6-...on-system.html

and remove the bezel completely, and create custom bezel with 3D scanning and printing. This would integrate a 10.25inch display and Android system into the E39, (same as the NBT system displayed above) making it look like the E39 M5 is yet to roll out of assembly line in year 2020.


Things to still needing research on fitting an F16 type unit into E39:

Sound quality:

DSP- Maybe someone has knowledge if the Resler interface and Android App can send audio to DSP amp from this Avin unit shown above. This would eliminate the need to re-wire the sound system.

Aftermarket sound - There is the idea to replace the entire DSP system with a high end audio system, but since these aftermarket Android units are cheap electronics mostly, it would be important to get the sound digitally to a high end aftermarket amp/processing system.
Maybe someone here knows some good solutions for this, such as digital signal chord to amp from unit, optical audio?

Steering wheel controls-
How is steering wheel button being controlled? Would the Resler App cover this function and connect wheel and Android system?

Wiring - What wiring issues arise from installing the 10.25 F16 unit into E39?

If you have any good solutions on above questions/issues, please speak up :-)

P.S. another good thread covering Android aftermarket unit install with lots of good info:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39...tallation.html

[Bmwe39528i1998]

There was e39 10.25 android unit on avin and then it disappeared...

[DennisCooper]

Hi,

Seeing as this thread has bumped up after a couple years with no responses! (Terabass - I believe the M5board thread for this had some discussions)

There's not really been as much of an installed user base of the Chinese replacement units route as it's the usual aspects again, poor quality electronics which results in poor/low quality in all other aspects. Reliability and performance is just like the usual unit's too, as a few who have gone this way have reported issues/problems/niggles with some saying in current threads not to bother. There's only a couple of these units from the usual chinese brands nowadays anyway.

The NBT retrofit remains a 'cool project' really with a comparitive handful of owners who've done the project. Cost for everything is a big factor here, it's very very expensive in comparison to other head unit upgrade routes to both buy and install. There's later oem audio modules too (I think they're still called NBT? might be wrong) which have more functionality/capacity/features which cost more to buy when comparing to the older NBT modules. The installation and finishing needs more spend again to look more cohesive and part of the car. The modules for UK pricing seem to be around the £800/1000 level, the last I saw the emulator unit is around £500, so give or take that's around £1300/1500 for the parts. There's a board member who's CNC machining the bezel and console panel to relocate the controller unit on the big NBT thread on this forum, but hasn't (as far as I know) given a ballpark on costs. I'd 'estimate' the bezel would be around £150 and the console perhaps £250. DIY fitting would be beneficial at this stage as then there's no additional costs, but for those who may need to have a specialist install it all, I'm going to estimate 2 days of labour/fitting charges, so perhaps £500. This would take the total to a ballpark of around £2200-2400 - possibly more for aspects I've probably missed out. USA pricing would be in the same equivalence in US Dollars I'd have thought, so from about $2750 to $3000.

Since the original post here, there is the iBus App and Resler interface items being used with the chinese replacements to connect to the OEM DSP amp and to offer OBC functionality too. There won't be optical outputs from chinese units as it'd cost far too much to develop specific motherboards and get the right electronic components together. Sound quality remains poor on these units as it needs to be kept in mind the electronics are based off cheap tablet computer internals/electronics.

Cheers, Dennis!