Using car stereos for distributed audio at home

**jleroux61** · 07-12-2006, 02:33 AM

I am interested in understanding more the automotive busses used in car stereos (CAN, MOST) and in which units they are applied.
I have a practical project in mind. Wouldn't it be great to build a distributed audio system for the home by using standard low cost car stereos. They provide everything including amplifier (typically four channels can serve two rooms) and sources like radio, mp3. I connect my PC to the aux input and have my jukebox playing in all rooms.
What am I missing? I need to be able to control the stereo by my PC (on/off, volume control, switch source/channels, etc). I know this can be done by using busses such as MOST & CAN. MOST (http://www.mostcooperation.com/)published the whole command set. I have not found this for CAN. Do you know where to find this?
Do you know of existing projects that do this? I also have problems finding out which stereos support which busses and which subset of the standard the unit support. Where could I find this information?

Thanks,
Jean

**Will Albers** · 07-12-2006, 08:43 AM

Only catch is 12v power supplies. They can be pricey for amperage needed

**Jahntassa** · 07-12-2006, 11:18 AM

That, and I don't know of many aftermarket radios that can be bus controlled, maybe if you hacked some sort of IR interface to 'act' like the remotes, or can find radios with 'hardwired' remote interfaces..

**Kalt** · 07-12-2006, 11:31 AM

you can use the UIRT to copy and send Ir codes

**jleroux61** · 07-12-2006, 12:09 PM

I looked into IR but you need to control the different stereos individually. So this means you have to create as much IR links as you have units and all the IR signals need to be isolated.
The hardwire remote interface is very interesting but you need to interface it. So ideally you should be able to send the commands from the PC through the remote interface. This was my first idea but I had to stop this becasue I could not find the command set or hardware specs of the hardwire remote interface. If anybody could help me with this, that would be great.
Jean

**RedGTiVR6** · 07-12-2006, 02:17 PM

what do you plan on doing about the 12v issue?

I guess I'm a little lost on how this project makes much sense.

You can buy cheap home audio systems that don't require this kind of hacking....so why try and adapt car audio?

**Jahntassa** · 07-12-2006, 03:29 PM

Because your two options for control are pretty much hardware remote or IR, and you've shot both those down, you pretty much don't have anywhere else to go. I can't think of any radios offhand that have any sort of 'BUS' networkable controls or something

**jleroux61** · 07-13-2006, 10:45 AM

>You can buy cheap home audio systems that don't require this kind of >hacking....so why try and adapt car audio?
I would love to see cheap home audio systems with multiple channels that can be controlled by a PC.

Regards,
Jean

**RedGTiVR6** · 07-13-2006, 10:51 AM

with the hacking you're going to have to do for a car audio piece, you could do the same things with a home audio system and you wouldn't have to do as much hacking. I'm failing to see why you only want to use car audio products?

You didn't answer the question about how you plan on dealing with the 12V DC needs....btw

**Jahntassa** · 07-13-2006, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by jleroux61

>You can buy cheap home audio systems that don't require this kind of >hacking....so why try and adapt car audio?
I would love to see cheap home audio systems with multiple channels that can be controlled by a PC.

Regards,
Jean

I'm curious what you mean by 'multiple channels'. They make 'cheap' home theater systems now. I do recall seeing something you posted about having one unit for two rooms, so you plan on using the fade controls through your computer interface to control the volume in both rooms?