How to fix a RJ45 plug on the cage in the car.

I used to have an UTP cable lying loose in the cage running behind the dashboard into the glovecompartiment. Occasionally I forgot to attach/detach it, hereby causing friction on the female socket on the empeg. Therefore I'm looking into a way of having a RJ45 plug attached to the cage for use with a (future) wireless hub. I've looked at several options to get it firmly seated, but haven't succeeded in a solid construction. Has anyone done this before without modifying the cage itself? I really like to keep it original without drilling or cutting, although I don't mind glueing. Suggestions anyone?

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Edwin de Vaan

If you won't drill into the cage, that's going to be a tough one. It would totally depend on how your dash is constructed and whether there's anything to mount a bracket on in your dash.

I think you should consider drilling two holes into the cage and mounting a metal piece to it, then attaching the ethernet plug to the metal piece. Sort of like how Brian Mihulka did it on his component box, only you'll be anchoring the metal piece to the sled instead of the box.

Make sure to use bolts with low-clearance heads, going from the inside of the cage out.

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Tony Fabris

Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

I've seen the components box before. I wouldn't mind drilling if I had a second cage, but I only have one. What I was thinking of, is some sort of H-shaped thing (wood, plastic or metal) that goes between the inside and the back of the cage. I don't have to worry about space behind the cage, there's plenty (to a certain extent.)
Anyone know if there are RJ45 plugs out there that can be harnessed?

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Edwin de Vaan

Here's mine

Tom

Nice! An L-bracked bolted to the back screw hole. I hadn't thought of that. Good one. You just need a bracket of the correct size.

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Tony Fabris

THANKS! That looks promising.
I'll put something together real soon and post about it when it's ready.
Is it possible to use the empeg serial port, home line-out and USB port simultaneously with the serial port and line-outs that reside on the sled when docked in car? If possible I could come up with some sort of extension kit for the sled .

I think that the car and home serial ports are the same port, aren't they? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I think that the car and home serial ports are the same port, aren't they? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.


As well as the front line out and the line out physically on the player, if I'm not mistaken.

Well, I know I can't upload kernals/firmware while docked in my component box. However I never bothered to find out if I wired it wrong or something else is at fault.

Tom

Well, I know I can't upload kernals/firmware while docked in my component box. However I never bothered to find out if I wired it wrong or something else is at fault.

That's an easy one to fix.

When docked in-car, the serial port is slowed to 4800bps for compatibility with certain other in-car devices. If you want this to change back to 115200, you can do it in config.ini. Check riocar.org for dox on this subject.

Ok i just added the following to my config.ini through emplode. Very nice feature btw.

[serial]
car_rate=115200

It somewhat works, I can see the bootlog through hyperterminal now, but while sending a kernal I get this after cycling the power:

Error status in readbyte 16
Error status in readbyte 16

Any ideas?

Tom

As well as the front line out and the line out physically on the player

Aren't the 'home' line outs 1V while the 'car' line outs are 4V?
Hmmm, maybe that is changed depending on detected powersource...?

/Michael

Are you using my Logo Editor to send the kernel?

If not, then that's a known bug in the download.c code. Use my logo editor to send the kernel instead.

Yes, I'm using v1.4

I also get the same error when sending a logo.

Tom

I have no idea what causes this problem, sorry.

Are you willing to 'test' if the home line-out and serial-on-empeg are working when the player is docked (assuming of course you're supplying power through the docking-connector.) For the USB connection it may be needed to start the player with the -u option? I can't try these things myself right now, since my car isn't here. Could check tomorrow, but you having a box right in front of you makes 'the test' easier, since I still have to take out the sled anyway. Mucho gracias!

Aren't the 'home' line outs 1V while the 'car' line outs are 4V?
Hmmm, maybe that is changed depending on detected powersource...?

It's not changed. They stay the same voltage. The point being made is that the home plugs and the car plugs are the same outputs. You can't get magical six-channel output by attaching something to the home plugs while docked.

Then I'm stumped, sorry.

Yes, the home line-out works while the player is docked. I did notice a slight difference in volume. USB also works while docked.

Tom

Aren't the 'home' line outs 1V while the 'car' line outs are 4V?
Hmmm, maybe that is changed depending on detected powersource...?


Physically, they may be ran from a different circuit, but they are the same source.

The point being made is that the home plugs and the car plugs are the same outputs

Physically, they may be ran from a different circuit, but they are the same source.

So, let's see if I get this right: front and rear car outputs come from the same source (the 2 channel mp3) but are split and (optionally) equalized differently/faded. The home output is the same as the car front output - meaning that it has the same equalization done to it, but delivers a signal with a quarter of the amplitude (1V vs 4V)?

/Michael

Looks right to me.

cu,
sven

Tony,

Weren't we talking about this the other night with Mike? I'd thought that when the player was running on car power, it didn't wait for a response on the serial port?

IIRC, Mike suggestion was to stick a dummy plug (or a matchstick) in the power port. Of course, if you do that, it thinks it's on home power, with all the attendant changes. (No tuner, no dimmer, 2 channels, etc.)

You'd really only want to do this while you're loading code.

Yes. That's correct. The flash programmer doesn't wait when it detects that it's on car power. You'll need to use the matchstick.

Well, you learn something new every day.

I can't imagine how I forgot that. I now seem to recall that very thing.

I'll stick that in the FAQ at RioCar.org.

Is that possible to change with a kernal hack?

Tom

No, it's in the write-protected boot sector of the flash. You can change it by fitting a link inside the empeg, but if you get it wrong you have to desolder the flash chip and put one with working boot code on!

Hugo

Haha! Thanks, I'll pass.

Tom

Rob has done this on his system (or at least the one in the Merc A Class Demonstrator) by removing the lock tang and mounting the connector on the cage flexibly.

Yes, I am planning on doing the same.

Hey guys;

This is an old thread, but I thought I'd show ya'll how I got ethernet going on my car docking sled. sorry they are low quality - PXT camera on my cellphone :|

Did have to drill 2 small holes in the sled, but you might be able to do a similar thing with glue on the bottom instead of bolts, tho it might not be so sturdy.

I have tapered the nose of the plug with a craft knife, and removed the locking tab. I found some plastic spacers that would hold the connector at the right height and used some gripping washers top and bottom to clamp the plug in place.

it is rigidly mounted, but I havent had any problems with locatiing it when inserting so far - be precise when building it

Took about 1/2 hour to make and so now my home dock is all IP-ed up!

pic 1..

this time with attachment

pic 2

Good idea!

Hmmm, if one used [fairly stiff] rubber instead of plastic distances, that might help even more with flexibility/insertion. Not that people seems to have had much problems with a fixed/rigid mount...

/Michael

There's something vaguely sexual in that post somewhere....