Thread: Alpine IVA-C800

Do you feel confident that you could make such a beast? If so I'd gladly contribute to the cost of materials and the manual to create such a product.

Looking at the installation data-sheet online, it looks like the navigation input connector to the IVA-C800 is the same one used on the NVE-N851A navi unit. I have that navi box connected to the RGB inputs on my Sony XTL-770W monitor through a cable I had to make using the tech manuals from both manufactures. I'll post that pin-out if you are interested. I don't know enough about the IVA-C800 to know if it will switch to the RGB/navi input if there is not a navi unit connected & communicating on that connector.

I have also done a lot of work on the other technical requirements of pumping a PC's VGA output into the video/RGB display for my car PC project. One method is using a device driver on the PC that forces the VGA adaptor into interlaced 640 x 480 video mode. Another is to use a VGA/RGB to NTSC/RGB converter box, there are some that are very cheep. For more info look at http://www.hut.fi/Misc/Electronics/circuits/vga2tv/

Thanks everyone for their input. I'm extremely familiar with the VGA Breakout cable system. I have a Mitsubishi HDTV at home with a HTPC (Home Theater PC) wired to it via a VGA-to-RGB breakout cable.

My technical questions are more related to the Alpine product than the PC. I feel confident I can configure the PC correctly. 640x480 @ 60Hz is the most likely solution.

What I do need to know is what kind of inputs the Navi interface requires. Just RGB using the G for sync information or RGBHV using seperate Horizontial and Vertical control cables (like my HDTV uses).

I got some extra navigation and cd changer cables for alpine. I believe it's the Ai-Net stuff... anyway if anyone is interested drop me a line.

I did check-out the pinnout for the Alpine navi system - display connection. Here is the pin description for the navi out, which corresponds to the old Alpine display input which came with my navi.

1 - DATA GND
2 - VIDEO GND
3 - VOICE GUIDANCE AUDIO
4 - G. CONT (TTL HIGH ON VOICE GUIDANCE)
5 - COMPOSITE VIDEO OUT
6 - IR REMOTE (TTL DATA)
7 - D.CONT/EXTX DATA OUT
8 - RED VIDEO
9 - BLUE VIDEO
10 - VCC +5V
11 - EXRX DATA IN
12 - COMPOSITE TTL SYNC
13 - GREEN VIDEO

Here is a pic of the connector layout.


The IVA-C800 probably needs negative-going composite sync on pin-12 but a composite video signal may be enough to trigger it.

RGB to the display is definitely the way to go for the best picture, stuffing all the display info from a PC onto a small NTSC-rate screen requires some experimentation to get it to look good. To display square pixels on a wide-screen NTSC display, driving the PC at 860 x 486 x 60 interlaced would be best, IMHO.
It would be great if anyone would like to share their experience in this. Maybe another discussion on this topic has been started on this board but I haven't found it yet.