Thread: Renault "Tuner List" Head Unit/CD changer hacking - Controls

Originally Posted by Vicne

Now I wonder what the Connects2 emulates. Maybe just having the time changing (no matter to which value) is sufficient...

http://www.connects2.com/forum/b.asp?m=2758 suggests that the VRNX001 "Tuner List" interface is incompatible with Update List HUs.

EDIT: Apparently they have solved the compatibility issues, as the interface is now called "CTVRNX001" and it comes with both TL and UL support.

Originally Posted by leola

Anyone working on Rockbox (http://www.rockbox.org/) interface with HU ?

Not that I know of. Nice project btw...

I planning on doing a pic based interface between HU and Archos Jukebox (could work with Ipod, IRiver ?).

The guys from rockbox explain how to do hardware modification on the Archos to add a serial port. The pic would convert HU remote order to rockbox protocol.

That's interesting indeed. You might even try to directly emulate the protocol from the Archos and just adapt levels... Well, I admit I'm not familiar with the programming of devices such as Archos...

Don't forget to take care of the sound issue. I know some models have a SPDIF output while some others don't. If you have to do both the hardware for the emulator and for Analog > SPDIF conversion, plus Archos modification, plus connectors, and such, it might end up more expensive than a Connects2.

Well, you'd just miss the fun of course

Originally Posted by mox

Apparently they have solved the compatibility issues, as the interface is now called "CTVRNX001" and it comes with both TL and UL support.

If anyone with an Update List can borrow a CTVRNX001, spying on it would be a huge plus obviously. Without that or an actual CDC, it'll be trial and error...

Originally Posted by Putput

If the Tuner List HU reacts the same as my Update List unit I have to disappoint you, when volume up/down is not shown on the HU display when changing the volume, SPDIF is NOT enabled. Perhaps Vicne can confirm/deny this?

I don't have the definite answer, but my bet would be that no volume change means no spdif output indeed... Maybe you can do the following test :
1) Listen to the radio at volume 5 or 10
2) Switch to CDC Emulator
3) Press and hold "Volume -"
4) Switch back to tuner

If volume is still at 5 or 10 (which I guess it would be), it means the change hasn't been taken into account so most probably it means CDC was not actually to be heared...

BTW, maybe you have a SPDIF output to test : just look carefully at the back of your CD/DVD ROM drives : http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/82 (didn't test it this way myself though as I have both an Epia and a SB Live Platinium...)

Hope it helps...

Originally Posted by jorgenuno04

Can someone give me a shematic to connect a Tuner List radio to a mp3 player? Thanks

In short... there isn't.
With our current knowledge, we could probably build one, but it would be roughly as expensive as the one made by connects2.com ...

For such a connection, 3 distinct functions would be needed :
1) Hardware interface for level adaptation of control wires
2) Software emulator to fake a CD Changer
3) Analog to Digital conversion of input sound

The current status is :
- for 1, we have a solution
- for 2, we have a solution with a PC and are working on a solution with a microcontroller
- for 3, we haven't worked on it yet.

So unfortunately, unless your mp3 player has a digital (SPDIF) output, we can't give you an out-of-the-box solution yet.