VW Phatbox to Music Keg--pinouts?

[oxwilder]

I'm trying to use a VW Phatbox with my Kenwood head unit.  I upgraded the firmware to the Music Keg (710) version and rewired the connector with almost no problem using the info at http://www.bingner.com/phatnoise/pinouts.html.  Unfortunately, no effect.  My HU, which is a couple months old, doesn't even recognize the PB, although it does power up.

On that diagram, you'll notice that there's no connection from the Kenwood connector's pin 7 to the serial end.  Could this maybe be the problem?  Is there anyone else that has the pinout info?  I just think it's ridiculous to spend 50 hard-earned dollars on an effin' cable--particularly since I don't, at the moment, have the cash.

Stranger still, if you look at the diagram, you'll note that the 12v+ and the ground connection goes to two pins.  Before I remembered to put jumpers on, the HU briefly recognized the PB as a CD CHGR.  Answers to any of these questions would be greatly appreciated.

oxwilder

[sbingner]

If you look at the rest if the pinouts you'll notice that they ALL have ground and VCC going to multiple pins on the phatbox side... perhaps it was to provide a better connection since the pins were small or something... no idea why but that's how it's supposed to be.   I expect if you missed one it would still work but you could end up burning out a wire or something *shrug*  

Also, the shield should really be connected to the far end shield, which is ground....  I don't know if that would really matter or not.    If it powers up, double check all your pins... if they're as listed it should work

[LloydDobler]

I can verify that the pinout schematic on sbingner's site is correct, as I traced out a cable myself and built it before I knew that site was there.  My diagram matched exactly, and my cable worked fine.  

You might need to reload the firmware or something, the two units need to talk to each other the first time you power it up, and if it flipped the new firmware flag the first time you saw that cd changer blip it might just not have linked up to the headunit right.  

[arexsvn]

Has anyone gotten a modified cable to work? I am also trying to adapt the stock Phatbox to VW/Audi cable into one for the Kenwood Music Keg. Can you share what color wires went to which PB pins? I can make sense of the audio wires, power & ground wires, but not the data send-receive and clock wires. I am using the VW/Audi cable that came with the Phatbox and a Kenwood Music Keg with the KCA-R70FM controller. I bought some 13-pin connectors (for the Kenwood end) from Digi-Key. Everything is here except the connection from the Keg to the controller.

[LloydDobler]

You can't adapt the VW/Audi cable itself to a Kenwood head unit.  The pinouts at the phatbox end are different.  You have to slice off the backshell and cut or melt out the wax potting, then de-solder the wires and wire in a Kenwood changer cable to different pins on the phatbox connector.  Then you can pot the wires with hot glue and stick the backshell back on.  You'll notice that the kenwood cable uses 12 conductors but there are only 9 coming out of the VW/Audi cable...

It's a total pain but it does work.  I built my second cable last week using the same pinouts from sbingner's page and it does work right.  I should have taken pictures of the solder job before potting it with hot glue I suppose.

[arexsvn]

Thanks for the reply. I gathered the same idea from searches here and convinced myself to fork over the $50 for a genuine cable. All works great, BTW.

[pezz]

This might be understood but; Using a Kenwood 'Keg cable' wired from a VW Phatbox to a Kenwood Head unit is possible without having to cross-wire the cable? Or are the boxes wired differently to the connector?

[LloydDobler]

You are correct, all you need is the right cable, and a firmware upgrade.  The boxes are all connected the same internally.

[arexsvn]

I have done this very thing and it works fine. The VW Phatbox was flashed to be a Kenwood via DMS update from the cradle. The Kenwood head unit in the car navigates music just fine, and displays title name, etc.

[pezz]

Awesome, just wanted to make sure.

Once the smoke comes out, it's hard to get it back in

[242]

You may want to invest in VOIT, The standard interface for kenwood is pretty lacking.

-j