#243603 - 22/12/2004 05:58
Re: What are the pinouts of the rear serial D connector?
[Re: DJZorro]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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Quote:
Even if the LCD-display just say CD01-1
That's about all I can ever hope to do on mine, so I need to sort out some sort of remote display somehow.
Quote:
(already mounted with the self-made adapor in the same bay of the original cd-changer)
So your empeg mounts vertically? My changer mounts horizontally under the rear shelf. I can't see that mounting it horizontally will be very good so I think a bracket angling the empeg up might be a good idea to prevent any chance of it sliding out.
Quote:
1) Using +12V/GND from the original cd-changer connector (the one that also has the I-BUS signal), I can haar the alternator in the speakers (!). I hope it's a not-so-good-ground problem, I have to investigate further.
Up until now I have been powering off the cigarette lighter socket and have been getting noticeable alternator whine. I was planning to move to power off the Ibus connector hoping the whine would go away - Apparently it might not it seems. The only option might be a good ground loop isolator.
Quote:
4) Maybe, when I finish the daemon that deals with the I-BUS, I could think to swap also the player software (the original software eat a lof of CPU, and I think I don't need anymore most of the original features): what alternative (and open source) player do you suggest? Squash looks good, but don't seems actively developed anymore.
I think the original software will be the best. I doubt you'll get much lower CPU usage with anything else. Turning off visuals would be a good start though.
I'm finding some "lag" in the button presses but that's more than likely my interface code doing wierd things.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243604 - 22/12/2004 19:11
Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 19/12/2003
Posts: 22
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Quote:
That's about all I can ever hope to do on mine, so I need to sort out some sort of remote display somehow.
Yes, in your case I think so: if the display and the radio aren't a different "entity" (= different I-BUS addressing), you won't have a chance to force the display something different the radio firmware expect.
Quote:
So your empeg mounts vertically? My changer mounts horizontally under the rear shelf.
The same as mine (there's a bay - something like a non-standard mini-rack - that holds the radio, that also include the power amplifier IMHO, and the tv-tuner on the lower side.
Upper side there's the MKIII CD-based GPS navigator and finally, on the top off all things, there's the cd-changer (now the empeg with my adaptor, painted of black color). See the attached picture.
When I resolve the most big problem I have now (see below) I will remount everything and redefine the software, and of course publish everything (after a bit of cleanup) all the software on a web site.
Quote:
Up until now I have been powering off the cigarette lighter socket and have been getting noticeable alternator whine.
I have to first try to connect the empeg directly to the battery (tonight I'm too destroyed to even think about it, but I'll do it tomorrow) to check if the problem disappear.
The sound is crisp clear, but I can hear everything.. the HDD powering up, the engine, lights, and so on.
Quote:
I was planning to move to power off the Ibus connector hoping the whine would go away - Apparently it might not it seems. The only option might be a good ground loop isolator.
Ground loop isolator = something before the +12V/GND or after the pre-amp output? If later.. mmm.. how much sound you will lose that way.
Also, I anyway tought: "But my original cd-changer works quite well and sounds perfectly with the very same input" (ok, not cosidering different power consuption), so I called the car-shop where I bought my 2nd-hand E46 asking for a dead changer to analyze.. and the guy promised me one 
Quote:
I think the original software will be the best. I doubt you'll get much lower CPU usage with anything else. Turning off visuals would be a good start though.
Then when the visuals are turned off, they are really "off"? I never checked this thing with "top" or something like this.
Also another question: I tried some 3.x alphas with not very good results (2.0 is rock solid). Does the database rebuild problem & the "hard-disk always on" issues has been resolved in latest build? OGG Vorbis is so nice 
Quote:
I'm finding some "lag" in the button presses but that's more than likely my interface code doing wierd things.
My very own problem is that the "lag" most of the time is due the delay from /proc/empeg_notify writing to real seek by the player (of course with hard-disk already turned on and ready - something don't appears with real keys), but it's not so big deal for me.
About knowing when the player is really in pause, I'm thinking to examine the display frame-buffer in the || area sign.. ok, lame but it should work.
Any more elegant ideas?
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#243605 - 23/12/2004 06:07
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: DJZorro]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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I won't quote since my head isn't quite working good enough... Whine: I believe the problem is possibly not power through the empeg. For testing I've had the empeg powered off the cigarette lighter socket. I was still getting the whine with the tuner AND the tape deck though, so the noise must be getting into the amp somehow. I'm still going to try running of the Ibus supply but I'm guessing the CD changer has some special circuitry. It appears from the diagrams I have that the CD changer outputs balanced signals. I have a few things to try first (after power from Ibus) Isolator: A ground loop isolator goes on the RCA audio lines. The whine is coming from currents flowing through the shields in the RCA jacks. Filters can be placed on power lines, but the problem is caused by the loop through the audio circuitry so start there. The isolation transformer is a special 1:1 audio transformer. I managed to pick one that was reasonable quality for A$20. Disdavantages are that they generally roll off at high and low frequencies (particularly low if I'm thinking right) Lag: Now that I think about it, my debugging showed the empeg received the button commands instantly and it was the software that was slow. So maybe it's not our code
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243606 - 24/12/2004 22:56
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 19/12/2003
Posts: 22
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I finnally managed to sleep a complete day (yesterday) and find some time to put my head on piles of documentation from riocar.org & analyze the dead cd-changer: I now control /dev/empeg_state and fixed the no more "pause instead of play". Also the cd-input of the radio module is balanced you are right (hey where you found the cd-changer schematic!!?): I'm still evaluating if it's better to buy a converter or build one with savaged components from original-but-dead cd-changer.
Apart the noise, evertthing is quite stable and, when I fix the audio path, I can assemble the rear of the machine and finnally focus on redefine the software (the lacking area is the title/author display and some other goodies not very critical).
Having my empeg player back is really cool, I couldn't drive without it.
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#243607 - 26/12/2004 04:16
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: DJZorro]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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Although it's sort of the shonky ( ) way out, I bought a ground loop isolator since I knew it would work. The one I bought seems to be pretty decent quality and only A$20. Apart from the lack of whine I don't think I can really tell the difference. This is exactly what I bought hereI still might try the pseudo-balanced circuit I have, but if this is just as good why bother really. I figured the input was balanced from here and also the ETM I have. This doco describes the circuit to convert to a pseudo balanced signal. We bought a stack of new test equipment just recently. I might hook it up with a signal generator and receiver and see what kind of frequency response the isolator has when I get a chance.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243608 - 28/12/2004 19:48
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 19/12/2003
Posts: 22
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Thank you Shonky: I will find a bit of time to sort out the crappy-sound issue (I tested a DI-BOX, but nothing changed. As I have a lot of hard-drive noise even with engine turned off, I think I have a grounding problem).
Anyway I'm enjoyning various coding: it's really fun.
hijack.c & c. are REALLY A FANTASTIC PIECE OF WORK.
MARK LORD ROCKS BIG TIME.
To solve the "double pause/play" issue was rather trivial, just something like this:
[..]
if (*s && get_button_code(&s, &button, 1, raw, ".\r")) {
if ((button == (IR_RIO_PLAY_PRESSED|ALT)) && (empeg_statebuf[0xc] == 0x00))
return s; /* Empeg is pausing - no need to issue a pause virtual key again */
if ((button == (IR_RIO_PLAY_PRESSED)) && (empeg_statebuf[0xc] == 0x02))
return s; /* Empeg is playing - no need to issue a play virtual key again */
if (raw) {
[..]
on do_button().
The I-BUS software is under heavy rewriting, preparing it for GPL release; I think I'll need a month or so.
I'm SO amazed about how much I learned by just watching at the code. I would to thank you all!
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#243609 - 29/12/2004 02:39
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: DJZorro]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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After saying the one I bought is good quality it has developed a broken connection on one channel and I had to get it replaced. I'm not having any "double pause" issues. My main problem is the code I used to inject the button press seems to be waiting for the drives to spin up. You seemed to mention this problem earlier - how did you get around it? It's really starting to annoy me. I'm now trying to figure out how I'm going to remotely display the empegs VFD. I found this post where Hugo seemed to think extending the cable wouldn't be a problem. I think extending the display is my best option with the empeg in the glovebox. It means I keep all the button functions too.
_________________________
Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243610 - 29/12/2004 02:54
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 29/12/2004
Posts: 7
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Would you believe I joined this forum just for this thread?
I too have an e36 M3, although I don't have an empeg. I do however have a Zaurus SL-5500 which runs Linux, has a serial cable and has a headphone jack. I'm planning on turning it into an mp3 player since I no longer use it.
Shonky: I'm putting together the simple iBus interface tomorrow. Have you actually been able to read/write to the iBus thus far? What year is your M3 and what color is the iBus wire? I'm assuming you're using the CD Changer cable in the trunk? Best of luck on your project!
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#243611 - 29/12/2004 03:42
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: fliplap]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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Yes I would believe you joined for the thread.
I use this interface and it works OK except for the empeg getting confused when characters echo back to it while booting.
Yes I can read/write Ibus no problems and currently have the 1 - 6 direct CD access buttons controlling my empeg remotely with great success (apart from the delay due to drives spinning up). Ibus is quite simple to program. I wrote my code completely from scratch in just a few hours, plus another few hours debugging some stuff where the head unit didn't like exactly what I was sending.
On mine, I am using the CD changer Ibus interface and have disconnected the changer for now. I might try and do some sort of pass through so I can have both empeg and CD changer but now the changer lies dormant. On mine the red wire is +12, black is ground and yellow is Ibus from memory.
The CD changer with Ibus appeared on later E36s. I don't know when but would guess around 96-97.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243612 - 29/12/2004 03:45
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: fliplap]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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Oh and my M3 is a 5/98 Euro model (i.e. with the real 321hp S50 B32 engine and not the 240hp US version)
Edit: I'm still not sure whether it's an S50B32 or an S52. Different sources say different things. I think it's probably an S50 B32 since that's what the ETM calls it.
Edited by Shonky (29/12/2004 03:50)
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243613 - 29/12/2004 20:25
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 29/12/2004
Posts: 7
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Yep, you have the S50B32 engine. My US model has the S52 engine :-( I have a 98 M3 as well and it has the 3-wire connector I-Bus connector as opposed to the 2-wire M-Bus of the older e36 Cd changers. I'm sitting in my garage with my trunk open trying to get _something_ off of the I-Bus. Right now I've got a multimeter attached to the yellow wire (ground on brown). It holds a steady 8v, even when buttons are pressed I don't see a drop which is alittle discouraging
Edited by fliplap (29/12/2004 20:27)
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#243614 - 29/12/2004 20:55
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: fliplap]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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Well I don't understand how they code their engines i.e. S50B30 Euro 3.0 S50B32 Euro 3.2 For the US, some say the engines are S50US US 3.0 S52US US 3.2 eg: http://www.bentleypublishers.com/product.htm?code=b398and then some sites refer to S50US B30 3.0 S50US B32 3.2 eg : http://www.bcw3design.com/m3/us_euro_faq.htmSo I really don't know what's what. Anyhoo... With regards to your Ibus problem. A volt meter will show nothing of value. I'm not sure about ground being brown, but if your unsure find a bare chassis bolt and temporarily use that as ground. To see a signal you need an oscilloscope. The Ibus signal is pulled high to +12V so it should read +12V most of the time and very very briefly dip when something is transmitted. There will be very little traffic if the CD changer is disconnected. The head unit will only transmit about once every 30 seconds looking for the changer. If you have an Ibus changer, the CD changer should have two connectors. 1 x 6 pin connector for the audio and 1 x 3 pin connector for power, ground and Ibus. I just built the basic circuit above and connected it up with the CD changer still connected and watched all the packets go backwards and forwards. Have you seen the HackTheIbus Yahoo group? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HackTheIBus/Specifically I used: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HackTheIBus/files/IBUS%20Interfaces/SimpleInterface2.jpghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/HackTheIBu...deDRAFTREV5.PDFand http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HackTheIBu..._Connectors.pdfYou probably have to be a member to get the files.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243615 - 30/12/2004 00:46
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 29/12/2004
Posts: 7
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I can say with certainty that my engine code is S52US On the topic of I-Bus, I rebuilt my interface again on the breadboard, but unfortunatly I still am not able to read anything off of it. Oddly enough my I-Bus seems to pull to a constant +10.5V, though my CD Changer functions fine. In the back of the manual for my headunit, it does indeed refer an I-Bus pin, so i can verify that I've got it. I suppose I'll try rebuilting my connector once more Thanks for all your help!
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#243616 - 30/12/2004 20:26
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 29/12/2004
Posts: 7
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Sigh. Rebuilt it one last time and I'm not sure where to go from here. I have to think my circuit is built right.. I even tried tapping it with the CD Changer plugged in so i would know there would be traffic, nothing  Although i can confirm that when I detach the cd changer and attach the yellow iBus line to our Fluke digital multimeter there is a small drop in voltage every 12 seconds like clockwork. I don't suppose you have any suggestions?
Edited by fliplap (30/12/2004 20:40)
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#243617 - 30/12/2004 21:33
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: fliplap]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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OK, so I'm assuming you are using the circuit I inlined above. Make sure it's the version 2 where the IBus line is pulled up. Otherwise the original circuit pulled up the IBus line with DTR. If DTR wasn't active, the whole IBus would be pulled down and wouldn't work (hence the first question). 1) Does the CD changer still work OK with your interface? It should. 2) Are you sure you have your serial port pinouts right? Looking into the connector male and female are the opposite. Usually the connectors have very tiny numbers printed on them. This is looking into a male connector. 3) Are you using 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, even parity (8E1) and NOT 8N1? 4) What are you using to capture? I highly recommend Serial Watcher here for debugging this sort of stuff. It lets you select hexadecimal mode for non printable characters. 5) If you have a good macro camera, take some hires close ups of your board and I can have a look for you. My email address is in my profile and I can accept big emails. 6) When you have the changer connected, you are actually using it right (changing tracks etc)? Otherwise you'll simply get the hello messages every fixed interval. I thought it was 30 seconds but it doesn't matter.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243618 - 30/12/2004 21:47
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 29/12/2004
Posts: 7
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1) Yep still works
2) Yep, I used the tiny numbers printed on the connector
3) check
4) I'm using the I-Bus analyzer. I'm going to dig back into this on Saturday using Serial Watcher for sure, thanks for the tip
5) I'm very tempted to have you look at it. I'm going to rebuild it again on Saturday, space out all of the components so its easier to see.
6) Yeah, i've tried pushing buttons, I get nothing at all :/
Thanks again for your help! I really apprieciate it.
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#243619 - 30/12/2004 21:57
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: fliplap]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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Quote:
4) I'm using the I-Bus analyzer. I'm going to dig back into this on Saturday using Serial Watcher for sure, thanks for the tip
I used the IBus analyzer program initially and it did do the job and correctly captured basic packets. I just like the simplicity of Serial Watcher though - I use it every day for work.
Another couple:
7) Have you got your transistor pinouts right?
8) Are you using the Zaurus or a laptop/desktop? Some laptop serial ports can be a bit picky when you use interfaces like these since the interfaces don't really implement RS232 properly. If you can try another laptop/desktop easily, I would since I assume the Zaurus serial port could be like that.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243620 - 01/01/2005 18:15
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 29/12/2004
Posts: 7
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7) Yeah, i've double and triple checked the transistors.
8) I've tried 2 laptops, a dell and an IBM, no go on either. The serial cable for my zaurus should be here on Monday and I'll give it another shot.
But for now it looks like this might be a project I have to scrap :-/ Thanks so much for your help though. At least I know its possible.
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#243621 - 01/01/2005 21:27
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: fliplap]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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If it's not working on the two different laptops, I doubt it will work on the Zaurus.
I think there must be something wrong with your wiring/components/board design, particularly if you've rebuilt it and had the same result (i.e. nothing).
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243622 - 01/01/2005 22:31
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 29/12/2004
Posts: 7
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Woops, meant to edit that post earlier. Turns out I'm a filthy liar. The transistors were wrong, I must have labeled my diagram wrong the first time and that got me twisted around each time a rebuilt it. I turned the transistors around and it works perfect now! Thanks so much for all your help!
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#243623 - 02/01/2005 11:56
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: fliplap]
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new poster
Registered: 19/12/2003
Posts: 22
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Eheh, to all non-NAV BMWist, check photo form my site my site BTW: Anyone of you want to exchange some free-days on the Lake of Garda in exchange of one hour on the whell of his M3? I will also pay for gasoline. 
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#243624 - 03/01/2005 20:27
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 19/12/2003
Posts: 22
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Quote:
It appears from the diagrams I have that the CD changer outputs balanced signals. I have a few things to try first (after power from Ibus)
The whine is coming from currents flowing through the shields in the RCA jacks.
I finally get the time to look to the noise issue, for the first part, I examined for well the original cd-changer: in the rear there's something that's look like a post-production add-on (where I-BUS connector & audio-linees connector are soldered); the circutary is a simple battery filter, and near the audio connector there's a passive band-pass circuit. One fact I got from this circuit is that negative audio output are common, then it's a balanced output non-GND relative (like all decent equipment out of there).
After checking this, I immediately installed an additional 3mm diamater direct wire from battery and the empeg/I-BUS interface and all the noise just disappeared (even with the engine turned on).
I'm veeeeeeeeeeeeeeery pleased of this, but now, to put another big smile on my face, I have to find a way to get a stereo balanced pre-output line from the headunit to add a subwoofer.
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#243625 - 03/01/2005 21:03
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: DJZorro]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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Excellent work - I'll probably just stick with the ground loop isolator I'd say since it seems to be quite good quality.
Any chance of pictures of the insides where the IBus / balanced interface is?
Also, how did you get around the issue where there was lag from pushing your button code in /proc/empeg_notify to the empeg responding?
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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#243626 - 03/01/2005 21:12
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: Shonky]
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new poster
Registered: 19/12/2003
Posts: 22
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Quote:
Any chance of pictures of the insides where the IBus / balanced interface is?
I intended to make a photo, but I have the camera at work Maybe tomorrow! The changer is just laying on a desk.. it will NEVER come back on the car, at least until I sell it.
Quote:
Also, how did you get around the issue where there was lag from pushing your button code in /proc/empeg_notify to the empeg responding?
The lag is not very high for my just-drive-and-hear-'80s-dance-music days, but I think one way to get around it is to use a uP between the empeg and the I-BUS, to do direct keypad driving and high-level I-BUS I/O for text. Or.. just find a way to do this in software I work on the project a bit every day and I plan to finish everything by the end of the month. On the software-only side, I think mr. Lord can give us an hint,,
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#243627 - 11/05/2005 01:55
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: DJZorro]
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Quiet One
Registered: 19/05/2004
Posts: 0
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Hi,
I was sitting down this evening to start working on adapting my empeg for my '04 BMW (with Nav) and discovered this thread. Needless to say, it looks like you folks are well on your way to doing exactly what I'd like to do. Have you made any additional progress on this, and would you be willing to share what you've done?
Cheers!
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#243628 - 11/05/2005 07:41
Re: Progress on the "Ze46peg" project
[Re: littlejimmy]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
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I had mine basically working but nowhere to really put the empeg. In the end, I went and did this instead. Probably better really. I did lose the speed dependent volume and it's not quite as loud as it could be, but I can probably get that speed dependent volume back if I figure out OBD2. The pulse signal is right there so at worst a small micro could do it. If I had an E46 I'd hopefully have navigation with the LCD/TV. In that case I'd be building a full car PC instead. I'd have a car PC now if there was an easy way to fit it in an E36 without losing the onboard computer and without covering the middle air vents.
_________________________
Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)
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