yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Android Head-Units] secured-nor1:
Bezels are sold seperately. You may buy and modify it to your neeeds.

There is no bezel for my car and I am modelling my bezel in 3d max right now and i am planning to use friends 3d printer :)

The below lcd housing is what i did in the past. Its hand made from carbon fiber.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/cucuman/media/technics/DSC_4171.jpg.html
[Android Head-Units] checksum123:
Nice,

I will look into 3d printing, since I am not very good at fabrication. My radio opening is big enough to accommodate a 10 inch screen. I want to go either 8 inch or 10.5. Right now I have a 10.2 inch android head unit in there.
[Android Head-Units] isomalt:
My experience so far

Hi guys,

I've made a permanant headunit install with a LG G pad 7.0 since a bit less than a year now so i wanted to share my experience with you. And so far it's quiet good!

I've managed to install the tablet in the place of my old 2DIN radio (with minimal cuttings) then wired it to an amplifier for the sound. I then installed a bunch off apps to have everything needed ( Headunit launcher, GPS apps, Music player, shortcuts ...). And finally, i had to automate a few things for when i jump in and out of the car like swithcing the music or the screen. For this i used the app called "AutoMate"

But i also experienced a few problems and limitations that you should consider :

The first thing is that in summer the tablet can overheat if you are parked in the sun (especially in my black car). So try to keep the tablet easily removable in this case.

The second issue may be related only to my tablet but i'm still seeking for solution. (maybe somone will have an idea here ???) When i'm playing sound throught the jack of the tablet to the amplifier, everything is fine. But if the sound stops (if i pause the music for exemple) after 5 seconds, the audio driver of the tablet goes into some kind of "standby mode". I suspect this standby mode to somhow disconect the audio line witch leads to a massive intrusion of interferences in the audio line. I found a little patch for this problem by having a script that plays a mp3 with no sound when i don't play music. but it creats more problems than it fixes....

The last problem (or more limitation) i'm having now is the single USB OTG port of the tablet. It is already used for charging so it's apparently not possible to plug a hub or something like that to expand it's capacities (USB keys or steering wheel controls for exemple).

But other than that it's all working fine and it's really great to have built this for a fraction of the cost of an normal head unit! ( less than 150€! )

I'll try to stay tuned on this thread if i can give you more infos!
[Android Head-Units] checksum123:
Hi,

Thank you for the tips, I just bought my tablet this weekend (samsung galaxy tab a 10.1 2016 edition), I will install it soon.

Your sound issue might be related to your tablet. Try to see if you experience the same issue with a headphone, I am assuming you are using the 3.5mm jack on your tablet for the sound. Also, check with LG to see if this is a common issue.

You can use a USB hub for your OTG, should work fine. You will also be able to charge the tablet and use data at the same time, but you will need to root it an install TWRT, since android does not allow charging and using the port for data at the same time.
[Android Head-Units] isomalt:
Great news! hope you'll have good fun with this projetc ! But i'm curious in what type of car you'll install a that big tablet ! :p

About this sound issue i tried with headphone without problems... i'll give a look in the dedicated forum soon. I will also look for informations about my amplifier. Maybe i could manage to supress this with a different wiring.

But for the OTG i looked for a moment and couldn't manage to make it work. I tried with a USB HUB, without sucess (it powers the external devices but not the tab) and with some kind of Y cable. I recently found a thread on XDA explainig that's an hardware issue but also that it may be overcome with some diy electronic. I'll try to look forward to this when i'll have time. (https://xdaforums.com/showthread.php?t=1822653)

My tablet is already rooted and have cyanogenMod on it. But also i'm curious about this TWRT app. Can you give me more infos about this ?
[Android Head-Units] checksum123:
I have a 2015 Nissan murano, the radio opening is big enough to fit a 10.1 inch. I currently have in there an android head unit I bought from aliexpress, but I don't like it for the reasons I listed above.

The recovery is called TWRP, here is the link on how to install it on my tablet

https://xdaforums.com/galaxy-tab-a/development/recovery-official-twrp-gtaxlwifi-galaxy-t3437666

I will try it out tonight and see if it works

You can Google TWRP for your specific tablet
[Android Head-Units] checksum123:
I am going to try this, according to their website, it works on my samsung galaxy tab a 10.1. A little bit expensive, but as far as OTG + Charge, this is the only one available. You ca check with them if it will work with your tablet, I am sure they can test it and let you know:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MOQFUQM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AVM1Z79WGIB6T
[Android Head-Units] secured-nor1:
Actually it is a bit risky to use lion battery inside a car at hot summer areas

Pipo X9 has no battery inside.
[Android Head-Units] uudruid74:
Thats not true. Not at all. Its a tablet controlling a microcontroller-based system. The Android part is only part of the solution. You also have to realize that the head units are designed for use in harsh environments like cars. A few things mine does that your tablet will have some issues with.

1 - I turn on my lights because its dark and my head unit dims automatically so that its not crazy bright

2 - I have a REAL volume knob

3 - Not just an SD Card and a micro USB, but 2 REAL USB ports, no OTG cable needed

4 - Steering wheel button support

5 - Easy bluetooth handoff and sync to my phone and speakerphone/hands-free

6 - Reverse camera comes on automatically when I shift into reverse, even if the unit is still booting, and can optionally turn down the volume

7 - Real FM Radio

8 - Optional dash cam with DVR

9 - Apple port (I don't use it or even have it installed, but its an option)

10 - Apps for controlling the car's climate control system, reading tire pressure, etc

11 - Auto on/off when I turn the key and stand-by modes

12 - Real GPS antennae for better signal

13 - On-board EQ (doesn't need the Android CPU, its hardware)

14 - Industrial temp spec for harsh car environments

15 - Easy DIN mounting

16 - Real 4 channel output with balance and fader. 4 x 50W/channel

And it was $260. You can't build one that cheap. Not with those kinda features, and I rooted it easily and installed Viper4Android. You should realize that the head units are not "far behind". There is a big difference between an industrial spec chip and one that is in a consumer product designed for use a temp controlled environment. The former will always seem to "lag behind" the technology, but it takes time and research to get that stuff done.

As for your OTG problems. Look into the USB spec. It is possible to charge your phone/tablet and put the USB controller into host mode at the same time, but it requires that the phone/tablet support it and that you have the right cable. I forget what pins have to be unbridged or if its a resistor that is added, but there is a mode for this. Most cables only support the mode where the host controller supplies power, and thus it can't charge off the USB bus if its powering the bus! This is the mode you are seeing. There is a hybrid mode in the spec where it can be in host mode and get power FROM the bus .. this lets you use a powered USB hub to supply power all your devices and charge the phone/tablet at once. But, you may not be able to get ENOUGH power into the device depending on what charging specs the device supports, and there is always the issue of a lithium battery in the sun (best to dump the battery and run off car juice only, which means you can't take it with you and make it useful outside the car).
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
Can you recommend some cheap 2 DIN Android head unit? I was also thinking about using some tablet, but I think real head unit would be more convenient. I just cannot choose from all those brands online...
[Android Head-Units] checksum123:
Hi uudruid74,

I agree with you, you are 100% correct. I currently have on of these android head unit in my car, and it fits beautifully into the dash, but there are lots of things I do not like, reasons I stated above.

Tablet are not meant to be install in a car, I actually would no recommend it unless you are very tech savvy and know what you are doing.

For me, I did a lot of research and figure out all the potential issues you stated, the only real issue for me would be the heat in the summer and a custom bezel mod to fit the tablet into my dash. But in the end, I will be much more happier with the tablet than with my current head unit.

Remember that these head unit are meant to be mass produced, and the market for them is much smaller than tablets, so most likely they want to minimize cost by putting the cheapest part available.

In the end, most of us do this for the fun part of the project, we like to build things, take things apart, etc... at least for me
[Android Head-Units] CadillacMike:
a Joying unit with 2GB of RAM and an Intel processor
[Android Head-Units] uudruid74:
No, someone that is tech savvy would know that you don't put consumer products into automotive use. The parts for both are all chinese and come from the same places. The difference is that the Rockchip parts are rated for more extreme conditions than the tablet chips. You basically got it totally backwards. Its bad enough the software is in its infancy, but you wanna make the hardware an untested mish-mash of parts as well?
[Android Head-Units] checksum123:
Well, that is your opinion, and I am not going agree with you back and forth wether it is right or not. Back in 2008, I built a full computer into my car, and it ran beautifully for 5 years until I sold it, I can show you my built over at mp3car. There are user groups/forums/meetings for people putting tablet into their car, so it is not something new. Also, I am very convince that it will work, once I am done, you wouldn't know I have a tablet in there, from the steering wheel control all the way to the Bluetooth and sound, I already figured out everything.

I know the hardware as well as the software very well, and no it is not like this thing is going to blow up because of heat as you make it sound. Heat will be an issue, but we are not talking about extreme heat here, if you can stand the heat in the summer then your tablet can handle it as well. If you live somewhere where it gets really hot in the summer, my only concern would be the battery, worst case you can make it detachable and take it out of the car. I am not the first one who is doing this and I sure will not be the last one. I have seen a lot of people successfully install a tablet into their car.

These android head unit are way behind in terms of what is available out there. I know, because I use them everyday, and I am not happy with it.

Just wish me good luck

I will dedicate a thread just for my build so that people can see, learn, and I can learn as well.

This is android auto? Isn't it? Anything android inside a car...
[Android Head-Units] uudruid74:
Can you state some reasons why Joying would be better than another, and your choice of an Intel processor is at best curious. Quite a few projects use native code and not all offer x86 support. ARM still rules the Android world and Houdini has a severe performance impact.

Now consider that most of your custom ROMs for Joying are for ARM, not Intel. It looks like Joying has some of the same basic units as Pumpkin, but they change out the software and the CPU card. I would say that pumpkin and joying are pretty equal. A 1GB RAM unit running Lollipop wont be much worse than a KitKat based unit with 2 GB. If you plan on doing a lot of multitasking, look for a lollipop unit with 2GB.

Pumpkin has some Marshmallow based units which offer native suspend for a much quicker boot when not on standby. I don't see too many of these with 2GB of RAM and they switched CPUs. The Rockchip are easier to support and if you get one of these things from either manufacturer, expect to support it yourself. Pumpkin now releases ROM images for general download and they are unsigned and easy to hack. I dont know if Joying does the same, but it looks like people generally are more satisfied with Joying units.
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
Thank you, guys, so I see there are two big brands, Joying and Pumpkin, right? I prefer something around 200 €, not much more. Both Joying and Pumpkin products looks good according to their websites.

Is there another similar brand to compare? I think I prefer ARM based CPU for compatibility, maybe some CM/LOS support would be an advantage.
[Android Head-Units] m00n61:
You should read the wiki :)

Joying is preferred mainly because they have some customer support, but they are resellers, just like Pumpkin, Eonon, Seicane and so many others.

Now, depending on what you actually want to do, there are several things to consider:

- RAM: go for 2 GB if you want to run Lollipop.

- OS: forget about OS upgrades. The kernels used in these units are closed, no source code available therefore custom ROMs are mainly beautifications :(

- around 200 Euros FOB price you can get a pretty good unit but if you want to pay 200 Euros including taxes you will probably end up with a piece of c**p

-you should look for dedicated units for your car in order to minimize total expense. As opposite to generic units, dedicated units require no wiring modifications and will have most of the compatibility issues sorted out - SWC, rear camera, etc )
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
Ok, by wiki you mean Wikipedia? I read it and also participate, although I wanted also some info from the users. I was searching something for my car (Dacia Logan 2013) but I see that universal head units are much cheaper.
[Android Head-Units] m00n61:
Keep in mind that you will need to add at least 100 Euros more to the cost of the generic unit for the adapter frame and wiring harness. Plus some more fixing as these generic 2DIN units do actually have different sizes so most of them do not fit 2DIN frames directly.

One more thing, if you are looking for cheaper units you may want to look at KLYDE on Alibaba - they are a maor manufacturer of such units and also sell directly.
[Android Head-Units] Flemischguy:
You forget Ownice, they have a C500 quad core system that runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and they produce for them self.

Calls with this unit are great, just like the C200.
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
Thank you very much, I will consider this brand too.

I have one additional maybe stupid question. How does that Android Auto devices work? Just like Android Wear, it means that it only uses data from paired phone and use all the contacts, google data, etc, from phone, or it has kind of own data with own linked account and it is able to operate independently?
[Android Head-Units] secured-nor1:
You can and with much more features.

Especially if you are coming from mp3car community and done that before when there are no headunits around.
[Android Head-Units] m00n61:
These units work like any Android tablet. You could run AA on your phone and use EasyConnected to mirror it if you want to.
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
So it is kind of independent device? I have to login with my primary google account and when someone other use my car, they will see my hangouts messages there? What about internet connection? I guess some of these HU has SIM card slot and some of them use data from BT connection with phone? Sorry for these elementary questions :)
[Android Head-Units] m00n61:
Yes, it's an independent device. You don't HAVE TO login with your primary Google account, actually you don't have to use a Google account at all. For data you can use a WiFI connection to your phone or a 3G/4G USB stick, no SIM card slot.

On a different note, you are the first person that I hear who uses Hangouts :)
[Android Head-Units] CadillacMike:
I never actually had a pumpkin unit, but I had a Joying MTCD and now a Joying 2GB Intel unit. and I'm a huge fan of the Joying 2GB Intel. Seems plenty of quick, practically instantly on. Joying support is pretty solid, like you said they seem to drop a new ROM once a month or so.

I dont really need a custom ROM, you can slap Nova or whatever you like on the Joying and it runs fine.

As far as Joying over another unit, that would be my non-scientific research on these boards. I lurked on XDA, Reddit, and various car forums for years reading up on these things. More often than not, people seem to complain less about Joying. Eonon & RoadNavi seem to do ok as well, but they have older units and less people on here use them. Pumpkin I actually see a lot of complaints on. I was excited about the In-Dash units when they first got posted on here, but their support seems to have slowed, and there seems to be a lot of bugs/issues when I read their thread. Ownice also looked exciting, but it wasn't on Amazon, and i read less feedback on them.

On top of that the Joying forum is somewhat active, and Boy Ka posts pretty consistently on YouTube

---------- Post added at 11:15 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:14 AM ----------

You can also just install Android Auto directly on the head unit. I did on my Joying. The phone portion is about the only part that doesn't work right in that setup. I rarely have phone calls i the Jeep, so it didn't phase me

---------- Post added at 11:20 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 AM ----------

As the other poster said, you don't technically have to use your primary Google account, but for me, that was part of the appeal of having Android in the first place.

For me, no one gets in my Jeep that I dont know about, so it is not a concern. If you are worrying about it getting stolen, you can add Android Device Manager on it, and you could wipe it remotely if someone put it back online. Without it being online, it is only moderately useful to a thief.

On top of that, you can download various apps from the Play Store to lock apps you dont want to be accessible.

For data, I use my phone in hotspot, but you dont need data all the time. From my driveway it will pick up my Wifi, so I use that for updates, etc. As far as day to day use, you can download your whole city, state, etc in Google Maps for offline use. And I have my music in Google Play Music downloaded to the sd card. So the only time I need data is if I want live traffic
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
Thanks for the explanation. I just still do not get what is Android Auto app for. It seems to be incompatible with all my phones and tablets. Is is designed just for car head units, not the usual phones?
[Android Head-Units] gustden:
I recently moved from a dash mounted tablet to a Joying 2Gb head unit. I do admit that the screen and processor are a slight downgrade from my Samsung Tab A.

I constantly run torque, spotify, google maps, BT phone/tether, and a dash cam. It runs at about 50% CPU usage and is still very quick when switching apps or loading another music app. There are quite a few advantages over my tablet setup:

1) Tablet didn't have AM/FM radio.

2) Added a backup cam to my car

3) In-dash and looks completely factory installed

4) GPS lock is instant compared to my tablet

5) Navigation voice works great playing radio or any music app

6) No steering wheel controls on tablet ( plug and play with in dash unit )

7) Could not use my tablet as a bluetooth phone device (calls and music control not consolidated )

8) Built in car mic work with indash HU ( works great with google voice commands )

9) Could not use car "built in USB port" for car with tablet

10) Tablet could not power small USB hard drive in OTG mode

11) Instant on, and no need to worry about powering the device

12) Phone charges rapidly from head unit USB port

I'm sure I could list more, but you get the idea. I can drive an entire trip and never take my hands off the wheel. Change music sources, song changes, radio control, make calls, switch between apps, etc all from the steering wheel. I felt like having a tablet was a distraction to driving, now the head unit is an integrated part of driving.
[Android Head-Units] uudruid74:
Kernels are the least of your trouble (and technically the owe us the source code as its GPL). Its the Android base OS that counts, and they don't have to legally part with the source. The kernel is just there as a hardware driver and messing with it is the least of your concern. The UI sucks so bad on most of these units that UI is the primary concern, next is the base OS (aka android framework). However, much of this can be changed out bit-by-bit

Lollipop is better at managing memory than KitKat. I had a KitKat unit with 2GB and a Lollipop with 1GB, and there was very little difference (same CPU).

The joying units seem to be cheaper with a better UI, but Pumpkin is now selling Marshmallow based units with real suspend (restart in 5s). However, I KNOW you can root the Lollipop/Rockchip based units. The Marshmallow ones use a different chip and most use a lower-res screen.

---------- Post added at 01:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:22 AM ----------

Android Auto is Google's way of preventing lawsuits from people playing with the interface while they drive. The phone basically talks to a server in the head unit and tells it what to display, similar to Remote Desktop or XWindows. The app itself needs specific support for the Android Auto API and your phone needs the app and has to stay tethered. The phone does EVERYTHING. The head unit is just a remote display device.

---------- Post added at 01:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:25 AM ----------

Wrong. Android Head Units work like a tablet. Android Auto is a protocol to communicate with a dumb display. They don't work like a tablet at all.
[Android Head-Units] m00n61:
This is absolutely epic trolling. LOL
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
Are you sure? This is what I think it would be more logical, because it would allow to anyone use the car with own phone.

So it is even possible to install some Android apps to head unit independently? Or it differs according to device?

Btw, for those who use tablet as head unit: do you pair your phone with your tablet-head-unit and pair that tablet with car audio device? I wonder if I could use my old tablet and pair it to my existing dumb bluetooth radio. So I would not need any audio cable, because music would be played via BT. Just not sure how would I use the phone. Maybe I should pair my phone also to my existing car audio :)
[Android Head-Units] gustden:
When I was using a tablet, I would pair my phone with car BT phone and had to use audio cable for music from tablet. My car would only support one BT connection at a time, and tablet could not take calls if paired to phone. The cable from the tablet also sounded much better than music via BT from the tablet.
[Android Head-Units] wizzardsk:
I see that it will be the same in my car, I think it only supports one connection at a time, thanks for info :)

Maybe the best tablet is just a primary phone with big display and with Android Auto app. It just connects to BT in a car, put it in some mount and it can be used for calls, navigation, music, etc without need to connecting... Of course, if we have a car with BT at least.