Robby BMW

I've started to work on a new project in order to add these advanced features in the RR's Cinergy 600 support:

- Stereo indicator (sorry, this works only on MK3 boards)
- Alternative Frequency Search (RDS AF function)
- Traffic Program Indicator (RDS TP indicator)
- Traffic Announcement (RDS TA function)
- Program Type Label (RDS PTY)
- Stations search by program type
- Signal strength slider

See the picture below for more details:


If somebody with a Cinergy 600 would like to give a try these new features (it would be very helpful for me), it's available the last beta release of the program (see below).

How it works:
AF: Alternate Frequencies. This allows a receiver to re-tune to a different frequency providing the same station when the first signal becomes too weak (e.g. when moving out of range).
TA, TP: Traffic Announcements, Traffic Program. The receiver can often be set to pay special attention to this flag and e.g stop the music player and start the redio to receive a Traffic bulletin. The TP flag is used to allow the user to find those stations that regularly broadcast traffic bulletins whereas the TA flag is used to stop the players or raise the volume during a traffic bulletin.
PTY: Program Type. This coding of up to 31 pre-defined programme types and allows the users to find similar programming by genre.

How to install:
- Make a backup of your current rr installation folder.
- Download and unpack the files in your rr installation root.
- Edit your favorite skin in order to add the new commands, indicators and labels (see below for a complete list) to the radio_player or download one of the two skins belowe and unpack it in your skin folder (before make a backup of the originals files related to the radio_player).
- Launch RRconfig and check the radio settings (there are 2 new settings for Cinergy 600)
- Optionally you can edit the rdbs.ini or the rds.ini file and uncomment any text you wish to override in order to localize the PTY label text in your language (e.g here is available a complete Italian localization).
- Optionally you can save a mixer preset with the volume level desired and rename it to "TA.PST", so when a Traffic Announcement is broadcasted this EQ preset will be loaded.

Change log:
09-21-07 BETA (Maybe this will be the definitive release):
- Based on the last RR official release (09-09-07). Please refer to this link before to install.
- Fixed some rare behaviors of the automatic search function (AF), manifested in particular circumstances.

02-17-07 BETA:
- Based on the last RR official release (11-12-06).
- Fixed issue that doesn't allow to save the radio presets when exiting from auto scan mode.

02-10-07 BETA:
- Based on the last RR official release (11-12-06).
- Added the ability to seek stations by program type. By pressing the PTY button, a list of possible programs type are loaded. To seek a station that transmits a specific program type, simply select it on the list and press the SEEKUP or SEEKDOWN button (FREQ+ and FREQ- also work if in "SCAN" mode) to start the search. You can stop the research by pressing any button or by exiting from the PTY mode.
- Added support for Radio Art by PI code in order to prevent the visualization of a wrong station logo when the radio is tuned to a different frequency providing the same station (AF function). The Radio Art by frequency is also still available, so you can still using it for the stations that not provide RDS transmissions or with radio cards without RDS. (see below for how to use it).
- Added the ability to optionally load a specific mixer preset when a Traffic Announcement is broadcasted. To enable it, simply save a mixer preset with the volume level desired and rename it to "TA.PST"
- Fixed some minor bugs of the previous release.
- It also includes a PhoCo integration bug fix (Please refer to this post for the details).
- Any RR compatibility with the others radio cards are preserved.

12-28-06 BETA:
- Based on the last RR official release (11-12-06).
- Fixed a lot of bugs introduced with the last BETA (12-15-06).

12-15-06 BETA:
- Based on the last RR official release (11-12-06).
- Added traffic announcement function (TA).
- Made some code optimizations.
- It also includes all the new Phoco features of the 10-28-06 BETA release.

09-18-06 BETA:
- Added stereo indicator
- Added alternative frequency automatic search function (AF).
- Added traffic program indicator (TP).
- Added program type label (PTY).
- Added signal strength slider.
- It also includes all the new PhoCo features of the 09-11-06 BETA release.

Some technical features:
The main feature of this new Cinergy 600 support is that now RR doesn't need a wrapper or an external program to be able to access the Terratec's API (yes, I've found the way to make calls to cdecl C functions from VB).

Please note:
Don't try to replace the Radio_IO.dll provided with this release with the one in the "Cinergy" folder located in the RR installation root, the two versions are differents and incompatibles.
Optionally you can delete (take care to make a backup before) the entire "Cinergy" folder in your RR instalation root.

Added skin commands:

BUTTONS:
"AF" - Enables / disables the Alternative Frequency function
"TA" - Enables / disables the Traffic Announcement function
"PTY" - Enable / disable the research by program type

INDICARORS:
"AF" - Indicates that the AF function is active
"TP" - Indicates that the tuned station transmits traffic programs
"TA" - Indicates that the TA function is active

LABELS:
"PTY" - Indicates the program type currently received

SLIDERS:
"RSIGNAL" - Indicates the signal strength of the station

How to use RadioArt by PI code:
The PI Code (Program Identification Code) is the unique code that identifies the station. Every station with RDS broadcast transmits a specific code that can be used to set a station logo to be shown on RR when it's tuned.
There are two methods to obtain the PI Code of a station:
You can download this stations list (in Excel format) and try to find the code here, or more more simply you can tune the station, add it at your playlist, stop the radio and open the file "radio.ini" located in the RR installation folder.
This file will contain all the stations stored in RR included the last one saved
and it's look like this:

9280,Studio Delta,&H53FB,8930,9210,9650,10300,10390,10750
8880,Radio DJ,&H5214,10700,10360,9410,9490
8860,M Due O,&H5233,8890,9000,9310,9450,9940,9950,10200
9440,Radio Montecarlo,&H5213,9140,8920,10070,10540,940010330

The PI Code is the evidenced hexadecimal number that follows the station name (&Hxxxx). The Radio Arts based on Pi Code instead of Frequency must be named with the PI Code followed by the extension ".gif" (e.g &H5213.gif) and stored in the "RadioArt" folder.
For example this is a complete set of Radio Arts based on Pi Code of the main stations that can be recived in my country area.

Downloads:
BMW-E36 Radio Skin
Generic Radio Skin (BMV2)

Important note:
With this last beta release are been introduced substantial changes in the data stored in "radio.ini", so if you are updating from a previous beta release, please delete this file and let RR create a new one.

Any feed back and/or suggestion are welcome.

Note:
Terratec has released a new driver for the Cinergy 600.
It's available here: http://supporten.terratec.net/module...wnload&sid=507

MP3Car.com

 

Nomader

this is intreresting.. i will give it a try..
2 things.
1. the cinergy 600 is veeery hard to find nowadays..it is out of productions (i am actually thinking of buying another one just in case..)
2. since RR is open source i am confident you will send your mods eventually to be included in forthcoming version.

maxzor

I'll try it now!!!
nice idea man!!

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Robby BMW

I've bought my second Cinergy 600 just tre days ago on eBay...

As I've always done, I'll submit the source code to Guino when it will be completed.

Alx0363

Hi Robby,
always greats jobs.....I'll try it when I recive my cinergy.
Alex

guino

That's awesome man! the tightest integration I've seen to any radio card.. of course, It's possble to add some features to the HQCT too, but normally I'm limited because I'm underskilled with the skin side (which you obviously dominate as much as you dominate the code).

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cyberlancer

Hi, since the support for the radio card offered only basic functions since now, I've decided to give up with it and continue using my OEM head unit.
But now I think I'll revert to the cinergy 600 TV that I've hidden somewhere!!
Good Job Man!

P.S. In any case, since even you are from Italy, just to know, how is the quality of the radio signal from your card (since mine is not really good when moving faster)?

Thanx.

Robby BMW

I've tried to safeguard the modular structure of the radio module in RR in order to made possble to add some of these new features to the other radio cards (actuals and futures).
I'll send to you the sources as soon as possible, when I'll terminate to work on it.
Another thing Guino, when you need help with the skin side, don't hesitate to ask me

maxzor

Hy robby,
I've tried the plugin this morning and it works fine. The only trouble that I've found is the tune button that freeze the program. maybe because I'dont have the tune form skin ?

__________________
Alfa 147 project

Italian Rock Band! http://www.pikasso.it

Robby BMW

At which antenna you have connected the cinergy? I use it in my car connected to the OEM preamplified antenna with an excellent radio signal in any conditions

Robby BMW

The "TUNE" command open the "NUMOSK.SKIN", you need to have this in your skin folder.

cyberlancer

Since I left my OEM Head Unit connected to the original antenna, I've installed a triplex (gps, radio, TV) made by Calearo (even that is amplified) but often the signal quality sucks (gps gets satellites quite well, at least... ).

I'll try to connect the Cinergy to the original antenna.

Thanx again for all your efforts!

Robby BMW

Has somebody tried the AF function in the car?
Before to continue to coding the other functions, i need to know if it works without issues.

maxzor

Hi robby,
I've used the AF function but I don't know if that works fine..I mean how can I test It??
The new radio_IO.dll seems to work better than the radio.dll but I don't see the station frequency automatic change...should I see it?
let me know what kind of test I have to do.
Thank's a lot
Max

__________________
Alfa 147 project

Italian Rock Band! http://www.pikasso.it

FMode

Does that mean you get raw RDS access ? (I can remember that Terratec's stupid API-DLL contains a stupid RDS Interpreter and the core-calls are undocumented but giving you raw RDS access ?)

Did you read my thread ?
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/coders-corner/86190-radio-drivers-round-table.html

Can you program a driver (FMRadioHAL) for the Cinergy ?


Do you have raw access to RDS ? means do you get the "4x16 bits per RDS Message" ?
If yes then just get the AFLists from my RDS Interpreter and watch the signalstrength in the Cinergy driver....


Just read that !
Good work !

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