Can the Phatbox be programmed to send "CAN" signal/messages?

[todd1010]

I've had the Phatbox for quite a few years and the only thing that has baffled me is why Audi didn't make the CD Changer capable of sending song information to the head unit. The one thing that I want to know is that if there is someone (which I know someome) that know's how to program CAN signals. Could a "small black box" that would be plugged inbetween the Phatbox and the head unit be made to receive the song information and send to to the head unit?

I'm just wondering how the song information can be sent "out" of the head unit? Could a program be written and installed to send that information out or what?

[beckfield]

Not sure what "CAN" signals are, but are you talking about having the system announce track titles like it does artist, genre, album and playlist?

If so, check out Phatvoice:  http://www.tmk.com/PhatVoice/htmldoc/phatvoice.html

It can generate the necessary wav files, and section 2.4 shows you how to enable them.

Hope that helps,
Beckfield

[judb]

Todd is talking about the communications bus used by Audi and VW that would allow text display to the head unit from the phatbox..

If there were a phatbox firmware that supported the CAN text protocol then yes you could do that.  Currently we haven't figured out how to customize and load the code (what the phatniose firmware update releases do) to the 8052 controller that interfaces with the head units.  When we decode that, or hopefully phatnoise releases specs, which I doubt would happen because that would be the coolest thing if they did... we can start working on coding for new interfaces and protocols like the CAN bus or AI-Net for alpine etc...

[beckfield]

Oh, that would be cool.  Thanks for the correction.

Beckfield

[todd1010]

I don't understand why they won't release the firmware so that we can modify it because it seems that Phatnoise isn't doing very well from what I see. There hasn't been any kind of update to h/u firmware in quite a while. I haven't seen any kind of movement on that website at all. I don't believe those multimedia Phatnoise boxes they are selling to Chrysler or whoever, is even doing them any good.

Does someone know anything about what's up with Phatnoise? Other than Harmon Kardon buying them.

Getting back to the subject, as my Phatbox sits as it is. Is it capable of sending song information from the output harness?

[judb]

The phatbox does have the capability to send data to the head unit, its built into the wiring of the cables etc... but the  trick is does the firmware support it?

Kenwood head units display text using any kind of phatbox as long as the kenwood firmware is loaded.. so all phatboxes have the hardware inside them.. its a question of software on the 8052 and the capabilities of the bus / protocol used between the 8052 and the head unit.

maybe someone can start a petition to phatnoise to release the firmware code and an SDK or something?

[todd1010]

If someone can write one up I'll be glad to sign it. I can also put it up on the Navplus forums which is an Audi navigation forum with plenty of knowledgeable users. Quite a few of them will possibly help out on the programming.

If someone that knows what needs to be said in this petition then please step up. The reason I'm wanting this so bad is that there is a new Ipod adaptor for my car and this will allow ID tags on the navigation screen and you'll be able to control it. I really like that idea but I don't care for the hard drive sizes of the ipods. So I'm really pushing this.

[todd1010]

I emailed the the following email.


I am writing this in behalf of a lot of long time Phatbox owners to see if you would release the firmware code and an SDK or something. There are plenty of loyal users of the product and we have dedicated a website and lots of followers that really want to make the Phatbox a better product. There arer even guys that wrote their own Media Managers because they knew how the owners wanted it to work.

We want to abiltity with this SDK or releasing of the firmware code to tweak and improve the Phatbox so that at least in my case the ability to have ID tags displayed on my Audi navigation screen.

Please consider this a plea to make this a better product and keep Phatnoise around as a car mp3 player.

[Anton]

There is a fellow at the VW forums that I attend, he was able to adjust his phatbox to work with the VW MFD navi unit.  This unit was only available in europe, but some people in NA started to import them, and managed to install them in US cars.  I think that the phatbox would not work with this unit without some modifications.   I'm not sure what modifications he has made, but it would be big if he figured out how to enable ID3 info.

[judb]

I remember there being stuff on vwvortex a while back about getting europe nav units working with US VW cars.. I think the issue was voltage and pin connector related, not in any way related to the 8052 controller code since there is no known way of updating it.