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#249263 - 14/02/2005 02:28 Kenwood Changer Bus controlled by Empeg?
n6mod
enthusiast

Registered: 27/09/1999
Posts: 200
Loc: Berkeley, CA
Has anyone ever thought about driving a Kenwood CD-Changer bus from the empeg. (and not the othe way around)

The reason I ask is that Kenwood makes Sirius Tuners (and probably XM, but I'm a Sirius subscriber) that live on the changer bus. They have the advantage of being cheap, ($50) and having a relatively well-known interface. There are lots of interface boxes that go from OEM head units to the Kenwood bus, just not the one I really want: RS-232.

TimeTrax has announced a USB interface, but that doesn't quite help either.

The Kenwood bus is sync. serial, but I don't know if this is something that could reasonably be implemented in a PIC, or if this ia a more major project.

Any thoughts/wisdom/laughter/interest?

-Z
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-Zandr
Mk.IIa #010101243 currently getting a 500GB SSD. More spares in the shed.

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#249264 - 14/02/2005 02:43 Re: Kenwood Changer Bus controlled by Empeg? [Re: n6mod]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Zandr, you know better than that.

Unless an RS-232-to-Sirius-or-XM controller circuit already exists somewhere in the Real World, I don't see anyone in the Empeg group rushing to build one...

I see your point about Empeg-to-CDchanger-cum-Sirius could be SLIGHTLY more likely, but still on the very unlikely side of things...
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#249265 - 14/02/2005 05:02 Re: Kenwood Changer Bus controlled by Empeg? [Re: tfabris]
Shonky
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
Quote:
Zandr, you know better than that.



Yeah. However, remember a couple of us have a BMW ibus emulator in the works. I also have the details and some basic code for an Alpine CD changer driver.

Nothing's impossible. Was worth asking the question although most of us knew the answer already.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)

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#249266 - 14/02/2005 05:07 Re: Kenwood Changer Bus controlled by Empeg? [Re: tfabris]
n6mod
enthusiast

Registered: 27/09/1999
Posts: 200
Loc: Berkeley, CA
Tony,

There are several examples of PC <> Satellite radio interfaces. I've been digging a bit further, and the XM Direct tuner interfaces appear to be straight serial interface, and several folks on the mp3car.com forums have software support for in-car PCs.

On the Sirius side of the fence, it appears that there's a serial interface between the display and tuner boards in many of the plug-n-play receivers.

So, I'm hammering out the hardware, I think this will soon be just a software problem.

And the thought of a serial-to-Kenwood bus adaptor isn't unreasonable. The Sirius version of the TimeTrax is basically a USB<>Kenwood adaptor. As soon as they start shipping, I'm sure someone will tear it apart...if there's a USB<>serial chip, we should be able to reach in with level shifters and get a serial interface.

I'll gather up some links tomorrow; I've got an early morning.

-Z
_________________________
-Zandr
Mk.IIa #010101243 currently getting a 500GB SSD. More spares in the shed.

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#249267 - 14/02/2005 15:44 Hardware problem solved, without messing with Kenwood busses. [Re: n6mod]
n6mod
enthusiast

Registered: 27/09/1999
Posts: 200
Loc: Berkeley, CA
Forget the changer bus. It turns out that the Sirius Starbase uses a normal async. serial interface between the display and the tuner box.

Only level shifters are required, like the XMDirect.

So, I'm going to pile on to the XM on Empeg thread over in Technical.

-Z
_________________________
-Zandr
Mk.IIa #010101243 currently getting a 500GB SSD. More spares in the shed.

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#249268 - 14/02/2005 15:55 Re: Hardware problem solved, without messing with Kenwood busses. [Re: n6mod]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Quote:
Forget the changer bus. It turns out that the Sirius Starbase uses a normal async. serial interface between the display and the tuner box.

Ah, there you go. Now you're talking. Now it's mostly down to software, and that's do-able.
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Tony Fabris

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