Thread: Introducing Mimics. The ultimate iPhone-in-your-car experience

Classy. ;-)

Good idea but looks crap

Hello everyone, just wondering if this unit will work with my own touchscreen?
I'll be willing to just buy the module if it can work.
I have a pioneer indash touchscreen...
Thanks!

Unless the pioneer has a lilliput 4 wire ribon cable, it won't work with it just yet.

Originally Posted by AudioFanatik!

Hello everyone, just wondering if this unit will work with my own touchscreen?
I'll be willing to just buy the module if it can work.
I have a pioneer indash touchscreen...
Thanks!

it is technically incorrect to state that it only works with 'lilliput 4 wire touch' as far as i understand, many touch films are pretty basic, and so probably share many similarities between brands.

but there are 2 issues here:

1. mp3car has only tested, and verified correct functionality using lilliput screens, so very simply, that is what they support.
2. to use the touch screen panel from any headunit--no matter what brand/model-- you would need to open up the case, locate the touch screen wires, verify that they operate the same as what the mimics module expects, and if they don't, create a module that can decode the touch presses, and convert it to the mimics format. i would estimate that this would take at least 6 months of some pretty technical reverse engineering to get it to work--not to mention some very precise soldering skills--usually, these cables are less then 0.5mm pitch-- like soldering smd components. not to mention you would also be faced with the issue of getting the touch screen to switch with the inputs, otherwise, any presses you send while on the mimics screen would be sent to the pioneer box and vice-versa, and that could have some nasty side-effects(maybe a certain area of the screen deletes all your data, and bricks the phone/hu?)

so while technically it is possible to do, it is not financially worthwhile to do at this time. though, the fact that optikal says it work won't just yet indicates a possibility that they could be working to create a module that will work in the future, just nothing right now...

Originally Posted by soundman98

it is technically incorrect to state that it only works with 'lilliput 4 wire touch' as far as i understand, many touch films are pretty basic, and so probably share many similarities between brands.

but there are 2 issues here:

1. mp3car has only tested, and verified correct functionality using lilliput screens, so very simply, that is what they support.
2. to use the touch screen panel from any headunit--no matter what brand/model-- you would need to open up the case, locate the touch screen wires, verify that they operate the same as what the mimics module expects, and if they don't, create a module that can decode the touch presses, and convert it to the mimics format. i would estimate that this would take at least 6 months of some pretty technical reverse engineering to get it to work--not to mention some very precise soldering skills--usually, these cables are less then 0.5mm pitch-- like soldering smd components. not to mention you would also be faced with the issue of getting the touch screen to switch with the inputs, otherwise, any presses you send while on the mimics screen would be sent to the pioneer box and vice-versa, and that could have some nasty side-effects(maybe a certain area of the screen deletes all your data, and bricks the phone/hu?)

so while technically it is possible to do, it is not financially worthwhile to do at this time. though, the fact that optikal says it work won't just yet indicates a possibility that they could be working to create a module that will work in the future, just nothing right now...

Maybe I need to clear up some confusion

1. The Mimics will work with any 4-wire touch screen that has that almost standard 5mm wide ribbon connector, which basically covers almost all of them (unless you want to use the NintendoDS touchscreen, then you will require a tiny connector).

The iPhone calibration utility included in the 'Mimics driver' (Cydia) is used to re-calibrate the mimics to the touchscreen being used. By default the lilliput calibration settings are loaded to the mimics EEPROM during production. This re-calibration utility is to compensate for different properties and signals of the touchscreen which vary across manufacturers.

2. Your right, if you need to apply this to an aftermarket head unit you will need to open up the unit. You will then need to plug the original touchscreen connector into a tiny "DivertBoard" that can divert the touch signal to the head unit or mimics.

For diverting the touch signals you can use any of the following (with the 'DivertBoard'):
1. 'DockSence' AUX switch input of the Mimics (3-20v input)
2. Use the built in 'MimicsPaired' firmware feature to automatically divert the signals when the mimics is fully paired, and then switch back over when it looses connection.

If you are planning to do a touchscreen overlay on a OEM monitor that doesn't come without a touchscreen, then the 'DivertBoard' adapter is not required.

This will work with any headunit, jus buy a separate touch film and overlay your existing touchscreen.
Your buy this http://www.customgadz.com/store/prod...?id_product=11

It's still quite expensive.

you can't use a second overlay on a screen. each touch overlay is attached to a piece of glass, and that glass will prevent you from using the original touch screen(or oyu have to press really hard on the screen, which could damage something after a while). that specific product would work great if your current screen doesn't have a touch overlay at all.

To get around the problem of maybe not always having my iPhone in the car, or if other people drive it, I am curious if I could use an iPhone 3GS or iPod Touch 2ng Gen?