So I finally decided to find a way to control my computer better. The remote mounted in the center console just wasn't cutting it. I figured it wasn't going to be exactly what I wanted so I temporarily mounted it. I am finding that the buttons are rather small and the location is not ideal. It takes my eyes off the road if I can't figure out what button I am pressing. So I started a thread on how I could control it
HERE
Without much hacking, if I used a PIE cd changer to M-bus controller with the CAR2PC M-bus to USB adapter, then I could retain some functionality, but not everything I need. So I decided to hack open my dash and wire directly to all the switches.
(First 3 pictures are from my old 04 Mazda 6, but the 06 is pretty much the same.)
Dash with modular radio attached
Dash with Radio removed
Closeup showing where the modular radio connects to the dash mounted buttons
Button circuit board removed. The climate controls connect to this board and three buttons that control the climate control are actually attached to the board. The hazard switch is also wired to this board.
I took a parallel cable and wired it to all the buttons I wanted to use. With 25 wires to work with, it gave me 12 buttons I could wire to, which was really all I needed. I wanted SAT,MEDIA,CD, Track up/down, FF, RR, Repeat, Disc Up/down to work for example.
I neglected to think about the buttons themselves. They are micro tactile switchs that have barely any movement. So, the way they desinged the dash button panel did not allow for any room for the wires, even though they were very small gauge. The buttons are also surface mount so there was no way to wire from the back side of the board. I ran out of time and need to put it back together, so I unfortunately un soldered all my wires and put it back together. Another project goes unfinished for the moment. 
Linear Mode
