Hi all,
I am a newbee, I am looking to develop firmware for Android Car Box, however I have no knowledge about this. I have experience developing fw for Android TV, but not with Android Car Box. I have tried to find out but there is not much information about it yet. I have a few questions that I hope someone can help answer with:
- Is the Android used for Android Car Box products a specific type of Android (such as Android TV, Android Mobile, Android Tablet,...). Or is it simply Android + Android Auto (service or app).
- Is there any difference between using Android Car Box and Android mobile (both use Android Auto to connect to DHU in the car)? If not different then Android Car Box is also using fw which is Android mobile right?
- About hardware, is there anything to pay attention to to build Android Car Box? (like CPU, RAM, ROM, ....)
Thanks everyone!
Related
I've looked around on the web, and I can't seem to find an answer to this, but what exactly IS Android Auto? Is it a special ROM of Android? Is it an app? Is it specialized Firmware?
I want to build my own carputer, and I can replicate pretty much everything I want EXCEPT the ability for the headunit to interact with my phone to handle SMS and calls. I know that there are a lot of aftermarket headunits that can do this, but again, I want to build my own (fairly certain I can do so for cheaper). Ideally, it's a matter of building my own and customizing the ROM to handle my hardware, but I haven't been able to find any information suggesting that this is the case. Does anyone here an idea?
Hi mate, I'm in same boat, I have got nexus 7 2013 , everything will be worked out except phonecalls or text messages...
All I need is nexus 7 to have a bluetooth headset profile... I.e. nexus 7 acting as a Bluetooth headset.
If you can create rom or modify rom there are already source codes and system dumps available
Other people have made it and made Chinese android head units with this Bluetooth capability...
Basically bluez.org also has complete Bluetooth source code that can be added to any rom
I can send you link from PC if you want to see the source code of already working ROM of a Chinese head unit
I wish I knew programming etc I would have made nexus 7 act as bluetooth headset...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Free mobile app
Hey!
I'm new to Android Auto.
I'm owning a Opel Astra which supports Android Auto.
Is it possible to use the Android Auto feature of the car to mirror the whole Android phone (like Mirracast)?
Thanks for any help.
Marcel
Unfortunately not. I was hoping somebody with the right skills would build a modified Android Auto app that can do that but since it hasn't happened yet I suspect that:
1. building an Android Auto app that mirrors the entire phone is simply impossible
2. the amount of people currently using Android Auto is too small to even care
3. nobody wants to risk being sued because somebody killed himself while using a modified Android Auto app
For now, just install the sensible Android extension for xposed. It does solve some annoyances and it is a good start
Kenwood head units in Australia do this, it sucks. Super slow and not very user friendly.
Short answer : access to the headunit using the Android Auto protocol is protected using a signing certificate. So basiclaly only Google can write a software that works with the head unit. So there is no way to create a custom Android Auto app unfortunately.
marcjero said:
Short answer : access to the headunit using the Android Auto protocol is protected using a signing certificate. So basiclaly only Google can write a software that works with the head unit. So there is no way to create a custom Android Auto app unfortunately.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can't it be cracked with xposed or something?
sosimple said:
Can't it be cracked with xposed or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think xposed could unlock some limitations (like application side loading) but won't enable something like mirroring..
Will the app mirror link not work
Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk
Hi,
I have searched on the internet but I can't find any good info about android auto.
First I don't understand how it works. I have seen that you need android auto on your phone in order to communicate with your car device but what is running on the car device? Is a different type of operating system?
Can I add an application developed for Android on Android Auto?
adrian94a said:
Hi,
I have searched on the internet but I can't find any good info about android auto.
First I don't understand how it works. I have seen that you need android auto on your phone in order to communicate with your car device but what is running on the car device? Is a different type of operating system?
Can I add an application developed for Android on Android Auto?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
AA consists of 2 parts -
AA application running on the phone
AA client on say a car headunit (could also be another android phone or an android tablet) that mirrors the AA phone display
AA can be run self hosted on a phone, then you don't need the second part.
If you want to have a fixed display (client/server setup) in the car & you don't already have a car headunit supporting AA, you can install an app such as HUR- https://forum.xda-developers.com/ge...ndroid-4-1-headunit-reloaded-android-t3432348 on the headunit/tablet. There's a trial version that you can download to try.
Hi kk131
Thank you for your replay.
So if is running on my phone this means that all my phone application will be available on my car console?
adrian94a said:
Hi kk131
Thank you for your replay.
So if is running on my phone this means that all my phone application will be available on my car console?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As the purpose of AA is to enable phone use during driving, it provides limited access with a simplified display :
Google assistant - so you can have voice interaction
Phone
Navigation - waze/google maps
Music apps - google play music, spotify (depends what you have installed on your phone)
Great info.
I am asking this because I have an application of podcast on google play and I would like to be available on AA and I am trying to find out how can I do that.
Do you know any relevant info on the web that can clarify me? I am guessing that there are some constraints if we speak of automotive
Install AA on your phone., run it, see if the app is shown in the menu. If it isn't you can go into AA developer mode and enable 'unknown sources' and test again. The thread I referenced above covers getting in AA developer mode.
If that test is successful, then go further and install the client on your car console.
Great, I will try it and come back with some answers.
Thank you for your time
Hello again,
I manage to complete all my tests and all was ok. I have installed a few applications and one custom application and all worked ok.
I have one more question for you if you can help me of course.
Do you know a tutorial or something from where I can start with Android auto? I have seen that there are not tow application (one for Android and one for Android auto ) is the same app but for Auto version are fewer scenes.
If you can give me a hint here it will be just great.
Thank you.
adrian94a said:
Hello again,
I manage to complete all my tests and all was ok. I have installed a few applications and one custom application and all worked ok.
I have one more question for you if you can help me of course.
Do you know a tutorial or something from where I can start with Android auto? I have seen that there are not tow application (one for Android and one for Android auto ) is the same app but for Auto version are fewer scenes.
If you can give me a hint here it will be just great.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It would be helpful to know what hardware you have in your car.
I'm not an expert, I use a Nexus 7 tablet for the car display with headunit reload (HUR).
So I am stuck in a dilemma. Ive switched roms so many times I still don't know which way to go.
I want to us Android Auto. But I want to natively run my Uber/Lyft driver apps on the main screen. I dont want to involve the use of a typical phone or tablet. I have 2 Raspberry Pi's. An 8gb and a 2gb. I have a Sim7600G-H cell/gps module. I have 2 mcp2515 can modules on the spi bus.
I have 10" screen and a 4" screen.
Ah, but it gets better. I also have a number of arduinos in the equation too. These will control lights and servos. All custom programmed in python to operate over i2c.
I think im sticking with the Open Auto Pro method as my main screen. But i'm not sure. I love the car launcher apps that are available on android so they would look cool as the main screen too. Not sold on Kodi as a launcher option.
So I open the floor to debate. Android as a main app and run linux as secondary? Or run Open Auto Pro (linux) as main and android (LineageOS or OmniRom) as secondary?
same question in my head because of another reason:
I have a carplay-dongle and bought Pi4 to use it. I can use it with LineageOS or openauto pro. I tried with an android-tablet but had some problems and decided to do it with raspberry.
Both of them has similar functions:
Integrated music player
Display OBD-II data
Plugin CarPlay Autobox for OpenAuto Pro
Navigation with Android Auto™ head unit emulation
Multi-langugage support
Benefits of LineageOS:
is free and you will get free updates all time.
Your android-apk will also updated all time.
Android developed and optimised for light hardware. A PI4 4GB will a really good hardware-base.
Openauto Pro:
It is developed as a car head unit. User interface, community, supports... All of them for same purpose. If you have a specific problem like wheel-controller or power on-off etc... It is easier than only-android. You can run not only apk's, also linux packages.
You get free-updates only one year. You have to buy Carplay-Plugin separately. Maybe this plugin will not works next year with IOS-16. I don't know, if I get a free update or not.
Other issue of it cpu-memory usage: Debian-OS is developed for a Desktop-PC and a Pi4-4GB is a thin hardware for this os.
My Wish-List:
DAB-Radio support
TSR (Traffic sign recognisition)
Lane Assistant
Both system does not have a built in solution for FM-Radio, TSR or Lane Assistent. But you can use Android-Apps on both systems.
I will try first with LineageOS and maybe some android-apps too. If it is not enought, I can buy Openauto and use bought apps on it too.
Recently I installed a double DIN Android 11 unit I picked up off Amazon. However, after a few days trying to get a feel for it, I’ll be returning it due to a laundry-list of reasons. Before attempting another model, I’d like to ask this community for their suggestions for a double DIN Android Auto Stereo.
Must-Have Features:
Physical volume knob. Physical "home" & "back" buttons are preferred, but not a deal-breaker.
Automatic screen dimming/brightening for ambient light levels.
Android Auto
Steering wheel control support
Backup Camera support
Budget: Up to $350 USD.
Android Auto Compatibility | Android
Android Auto works with hundreds of vehicles and aftermarket stereos. Check your compatibility here.
www.android.com
From the list of Google sanctioned stereos, what are you considering?
Or were you meaning generic chinese origin kanged android with unreliable pseudo/android auto.
marchnz said:
Android Auto Compatibility | Android
Android Auto works with hundreds of vehicles and aftermarket stereos. Check your compatibility here.
www.android.com
From the list of Google sanctioned stereos, what are you considering?
Or were you meaning generic chinese origin kanged android with unreliable pseudo/android auto.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great list! I had no idea there was an official sanctioned list. Thanks for this. I had been swimming through all sorts of Chinese "android auto" clones, and getting frustrated with claimed compatibility which was totally bogus. I'll look into this list and see if I can isolate my selection a bit more.