ok, would someone please explain to me what he has hacked? i read timw's message and am completely lost.

 

I've played with this at great length to fool/emulate it. It is hard but not impossible. One company has done it as far as I know. http://densionusa.com/merchant/merch...tegory_Code=IA

It currently says sold out but they respond to email and are very nice. Just think $199 is pricey. May as well invest in a unit with line in.

Many companies (P.I.E., Blitzsafe) have done it for the quest and some Altima units. Those use COM_ON and AUX_ON to control switching. An easy latch like circuit could achieve this and a board member once made & sold these units. These units will not work with non-Bose + CD/CHG button. I have a non-bose and built a latching circuit. The AUX_ON, COM_ON pins on the connector are not connected inside the radio. I opened and traced the circuit .

The non-bose wCD/CHG button can only be switched if you know how to emulate the protocol used with TXD/RXD/REQ type units. Then, constantly transmit "CD 1 Track 1".

If anyone has any info about this type of protocol or circuit, please share.

thanks
The highest form of wisdom is kindness
SHIFT_woosh

 

30585, there was nothing "hacked", he just tapped into the stock CD changer wiring. He didn't need to hack or emulate the communications protocol because he had a CD changer that already talks to the head unit. The hacking part is only relevant if you intend to use the CD/CHG button WITHOUT also using an external CD changer.

In short, his external CD changer was connected to the head unit using the factory harness. Tim determined that the audio going to the head unit from the CD changer was analog, not digital. The communications between the head unit and changer use different wires than the wires carrying the actual audio. He didn't touch the wires that handle the communications between head unit and CD changer. He ONLY needed to mess with the audio wires. In short, he was intercepting the audio from the changer to the head unit.

Because of this, Tim simply cut the audio wires (not the communications wires)and inserted male/female RCA plugs where the cut was made. With RCA plugs in place, you can then use a Y cable to add your accessory (mp3 player, satellite radio, etc.). The trick is that while your accesory is playing, the CD changer must also be playing a CD. This is because the head unit must talk to the CD changer and think the CD changer is indeed playing a CD (because it is).

The dilemma here is that if you use a Y cable like I just described, you would have the audio from the changer AND the audio from your aux device (mp3 player, etc) going to the head unit simulateneously. Obviously, not what you want.

You have two options here:

Option 1: Burn an 80-minute music CD with a silent track. In other words, record an 80-minute .wav file of silence/nothing. You then burn this .wav onto a music CD. Put this "blank" but playable CD in the changer. Let's say slot # 6. Then when you want to play your mp3 player. You select CD # 6 on the head unit. This allows for the combined signals (silent track + mp3) to get to the head unit and not sound like crap since the silent track won't interfere with the mp3/aux audio.

Option 2: Besides using the Y cable, also use a a/b switch that allows you to select which audio signal you're going to send to the head unit. A = CD changer audio, B= mp3 player/aux device audio.

Carlos

 

There is one more gotcha carlos. The input is differential (ie L+, L-(not gnd) and R+, R-) so you'd need to build a simple single ended input to differential output unity gain (multiply by 1) amp.

I'd advise using a switch on the input lines to totally disconnect the unit you're not playing. Else, 2 outputs would meet with only their output resistance between them, not good.


hope that helps
SHIFT_woosh

 

damn. So there is basically no way to connect an mp3 player using the cd-changer option w/o the actual changer?

I found a schematic somewhere on the altima site, describing the various DIN pins and what should be connected to each. This was for the 02+ altimas w/ bose. Any chance that the diagram will also work for us?

 

Hey guys, we may be in luck after all. There is a place in Florida (carstereohelp) that is actively working on a solution to the AUX input issue. This place specializes on repairing our OEM Bose units.

I spoke with the guy doing the work and he's making progress on it. The different model years work somewhat different but it sounds like he's got it figured out.

He said he's about a month away from having a completed product. The best part is that his solution sounded like it can work WITH or WITHOUT a CD changer.

They have a survey on their web site. They're trying to figure out how much demand there is for this. I'm posting this here so if you're interested, fill out the survey and he'll email you when they have them ready.

http://www.carstereohelp.org/MP3/MP3Nissan.htm

Carlos

 

SWEET
just filled out the survey!!

 

just filled the survey too

i hope this works out, i am tired of using my ipod through the tape adapter

 

I know your pain. I'm listening to my XM radio (Delphi Skyfi) using the cassette adapter and the sound of those little plastic gears grinding away inside the cassette adapter drives me nuts. Luckily, you only hear that if the music volume is soft.

Carlos

 

Carlos,

Do you know what their estimated price would be?

These guys have already figured it out. $179 if u leave off the proclip
http://densionusa.com/merchant/merch...tegory_Code=IA


SHIFT_woosh

 

The guy I spoke with said it would be priced to compete against the likes of Blitzsafe and PIE. I'm assuming that means it will be around the $50-60 range but that's my assumption. He didn't specify a price.

Carlos

 

Has anyone heard of any progress on this topic? I e-mailed the previously listed company and they asked me to send the make model and year of the vehicle in question (I sent that information in the initial e-mail to them).

 

I have AUX in that is being used by my OEM navigation system and is controlled by head unit. SO does this mean you guys can buy the same head unit I have and use the NAV aux input for XM? and if so Should I be able to find that input from my navi and get a/b switch for use with my xm?????

NOTE THAT MY NAV is also a touch screen audio cd player.. So there is audio.. ALso when in NAV mode.. VOICE Guidence talks through radio speakers as it fades and lowers volume on head unit. SO lets get to work and find out.

 

Someone turned me on to this product. Soungate ALNS1 it is a Alpine to Nissan /aux. input adapter for MP3 players etc.

http://www.soundgate.com/products/cd...n-infiniti.htm

You can find it for around $100.00