[FYT Android Head Units] surfer63:
Last revised: 09 May 2020.

The models are manufactured/assembled by Joying, but the motherboard/MCU is made by FYT who also "make" the Android and system apps for the units. There are a number of FYT compatible units available, like Joying, Sinosmart, Zhan, Funrover, Flyaudio, Witson, T'eyes and multiple "unnamed/unbranded" units. Not all of the units of these companies are FYT units though.

This thread is not for discussing your issues in case "things" don't function or questions like "How can I ../ How do I ../Where can I find ../ etcetera. There are other threads for that. If you have good tips yourself, please add them.

Almost all Q&As and tips are collected from other or much older posts. Too many people to mention. Thanks all!

I hope this will remain a "work in progress"!

#1. Passwords:

Factory menu / Developer options: 3368

Backlight Current Adjustment: 5768

Door lock interference: 0000

To change home launcher: 8086

#2. Where can I find the latest (and/or older) firmwares for my Joying unit.

You will find them on the Joying website www.joyingauto.com inside the blog: Updated firmware.

#3. Should I always upgrade to the latest firmware?

Theoretically: YES. Bugs are fixed. New features are added. But..: sometimes new bugs are introduced.

#4. Are there other Howto's, Q&As, Tips available?

The Joying blog at https://www.joyingauto.com/blog/

The Youtube Joying Boyka channel.

The official Joying forum: https://forum-joyingauto.com/

Modding your Joying/FYT SC9853i unit without root: https://xdaforums.com/android-auto/android-head-units/modding-joying-fyt-sc9853i-unit-root-t3974357

#5. Will all my apps and data still be there when I flash my unit with a new firmware?

That depends on the contents of the file "updatecfg.txt" in the firmware. See the explanation in post #1 of Modding your Joying/FYT SC9853i unit without root

#6. Can I root my unit?

Yes, you can. See HowTo: Root Joying SC9853i Head Unit.

#7. I have my unit rooted. How can I (relatively) easy install mods or tweak my unit?

Use the "Joying_Extra_Tools" app (also JET apk) which allows you to install Radio, Bluetooth, main server (nokill) mods and tweak/optimize (immersive mode, overscan, DPI, etc.) your unit.

#8. All the apps are killed when the unit goes to deep-sleep. Can I change this?

The unit does indeed kill all apps upon going into "deep sleep", apart from a few system apps.

Solution 1

(No root required) By modifying the "skipkillapp.prop" as described in both post #1 and post #2 of Modding your Joying/FYT SC9853i unit without root, you can change this.

Solution 2

(No root required) Install a nokill mod using a prebuild flashable image from post #3 of the thread "Modding your Joying/FYT SC9853i unit without root". This mod deactivates the "kill_all_app" function in the main server app.

Solution 3

(root required) Install a nokill mod (using the JET apk). This mod deactivates the "kill_all_app" function in the main server app.

"Solution" 4

(No root required for "starting apps" activity) If you simply want "your" app available after deep sleep, a much "cleaner" way to do this is to use [MENTION=575209]bambapin[/MENTION]s FYTStarter apk that lets you autostart apps on "waking up" of the unit. See post #1149 of the "Joying Android 8.1 Intel Airmont eight-core 1.8GHz SC9853i (4GB RAM, 32GB flash)" thread.

Alternative: You can assign any app to the "Navi app" setting inside the Joying settings. You can use Tasker/Easer/Llama/MacroDroid/Condi/Etcetera to start apps/do actions, etcetera after wake-up. Note that for some of these actions you need root access.

#9. I do not really care that apps are closed on going into deep sleep, but can I start some apps on waking up after deep sleep?

Like above topic: (No root required for "starting apps" activity) If you simply want "your" app available after deep sleep, a much "cleaner" way to do this is to use [MENTION=575209]bambapin[/MENTION]s FYTStarter apk that lets you autostart apps on "waking up" of the unit. See post #1149 of the "Joying Android 8.1 Intel Airmont eight-core 1.8GHz SC9853i (4GB RAM, 32GB flash)" thread.

If you are rooted you can use FYTStarter to start the accessibility service. It is not necessary for root to be kept active: it is enough to install and launch FYTStarter only once, while you have root. Later, even if you remove root, the app will still be able to start the accessibility services.

#10. Can I make modifications to the apps on my unit without root?

On these SC9853i units, you partially can. See this Modding your Joying/FYT SC9853i unit without root

#11. Are there Custom ROMs for this unit?

No, currently not. It is unlikely they will be created, but you never know.

#12. The unit starts some default apps on certain hardware keys or "system actions". Can I change this (without root)?

Yes, you can for a number apps and a number of SRC/MOD Steering Wheel keys. see the "FYT HW OneKey app". It doesn't need root, but will also work with root.

#13. I did something stupid and now my unit is in a boot loop or does not get past the boot logo. Help!

See post #4 in the "Modding your Joying/FYT SC9853i unit without root" thread.

#14. The Bluetooth app can only pair a few number of devices. Can I change this?

Yes, but your device needs to be rooted. [MENTION=9736252]seb21[/MENTION] has modified the Bluetooth app (based on 17 Sept 2019 firmware) which allows to pair any OBD device. See this post in the "Joying Android 8.1 Intel Airmont eight-core 1.8GHz SC9853i (4GB RAM, 32GB flash)" thread. This BT-app will only work till the next reboot, then it is completely disabled!

See also #27.

#15. Sleep mode: How much power is used? How long will it last? When does it really switch off?

This is mostly based on the previous Sofia 3GR and PX5 units, but I don't think it has changed as there was no change either between the (2) sofia model(s) and the PX5 model.

When switching off the unit it is not immediately in "deep sleep" mode. This takes about 30~60 seconds (on the PX5/Sofias ~4 minutes). In this period power usage is about 0.5~0.75A. When in "deep sleep" mode power consumption drops to 0.01~0.02A. A healthy battery can take this for at least a month.

After 5~7 days your unit will still be completely switched off resulting in a cold boot on starting your car. Just to make sure your battery is not drained. Nobody did ever exact measurements of this "switch off" period.

#16. A 3 seconds push on the PWR button switches off my unit, or a drag down (2X) from the notifiction bar enables me to shutdown the unit. Is there a difference with the Contact "switch off"?

Yes, there is. Pushing the PWR buton or dragging down the notification bar to shutdown the unit will only shutdown Android, not the hardware, and the energy consumption will still be above ~0.5A, but also makes it awake instantly. Switching off the car using your key, will bring the unit to "deep sleep". Then it will take 1-2 seconds to wake up again.

#17. I have a VW/Skoda/Seat unit with CAN-bus, but no Steering wheel buttons on my steering wheel. Will a 3rd party Steering wheel controller work?

No, not directly. These units come with a "VW motherboard" and do not listen to the Key1/Key2 wires, but only to the CAN-bus. Disconnecting the wires from the CAN-bus to such a 3rd part SWC-controller will not help.

The best solution requires some technical skills and involves an Arduino Micro-Pro device and is described in the [Joying for VW] Universal steering wheel controls with arduino by [MENTION=575209]bambapin[/MENTION].

(For a PX5: Another option is to resolder a resistor on your motherboard as described here).

#18. On long drives or high external temperatures (in the tropics) my unit doesn't work fluent anymore and apps start "stuttering" (voice) or slowing down. What is happening?

Install an app that wil monitor the temperature of your unit. The chips/motherboards in these units can get really hot. The CPU will "throttle" itself to lower CPU-cycles to cool down. Another problem of too high temperatures is that the lifespan of the unit will be shortened. And still another issue is that these units are "cold soldered", meaning that due to tension in the soldering due to the high temperatures, CPU soldering connections might be broken causing a non-functioning or mal-functioning unit. There are several threads on this forum giving examples of heat-sinks, fans and combinations of both.

#19. How can I use split-screen on this unit?

solution 1

Use the "Touch Assistant apk", which is the "white dot" floating top-left in your screen. It has a split-screen option and it remembers! that you are in splitscreen mode.

Solution 2

Start your "first" app and "second" app. Go to the task-manager (rectangle) in the top-right of the notification bar. It will show your active and last-used (but possibly closed) apps. Drag your "first" app to the left. In the right window you will now find the task manager with the other apps. Select the app you want on the right. (Of course this also works the other way round if you drag your first app to the right).

Note: This version only supports a 50%/50% split. Some Androids support 33%/66% splits as well.

#20. With every key press I hear this annoying beep. How do I remove it?

Solution 1

BEFORE (re)flashing your unit, edit the file “config.txt” from the firmware zip.

Add the line "ro.fyt.amp_switch=0" (or change that line from "ro.fyt.amp_switch=1" to this "ro.fyt.amp_switch=0")

Solution 2

1. Open the Settings app

2. Go to Device -> Sound -> Keypad Tone

3. Switch it off

#21. What is the default DPI on these units? Some apps/fonts seem too big or too small for the screen.

The default DPI is 160 for the 1024x600 units. Some screens are 1280x720. Some badly written apps (including my own JET apk) do not display correctly. On the 1280x720 screens you could go to a DPI of 180 or 200. Above that the Joying/FYT apps will not be displayed correctly. Changing the DPI is currently only possible if you have your unit rooted!

#22. When my unit boots, the radio is always started. Can I prevent this from happening?

You can't stop this. Not on a Joying and not on any other unit. And note that the radio app is actually only an interface that forwards commands to and receives data from the radio chip via the MCU. It is not an active app like your mediaplayer that does everything in Android.

When the unit boots, the hardware is up and running long before Android is. That means that the radio chip and amplifier are already working before Android has even booted. That is why you hear the radio. And that is why every manufacturer starts the radio app on boot: to enable you to mute the radio channel from the app.

The radio is never switched off as it cannot be switched off. It is only muted.

#23. Can I modify the lines/frames I see when having a reverse camera and driving backwards?

Yes, you can, but not from the app or Settings.

Unzip "190000000_com.syu.us.apk".

In /res/drawable you will find dl1.png to dl35.png, and dr1.png to dr35.png (left and right). These are used for the "frames" when driving backwards.

Change them, but keep the same resolution (size).

rezip the apk

use the "Creating an Allapp.pkg ..." from the "Modding your Joying/FYT....". Or in case you have rooted your unit you can directly replace the apk on your unit.

(There are more "frame" images in there, but I have no idea how to use them. Of course you could rename them if you want to use these)

#24. I only want to flash the MCU firmware, not the rest of the firmware. Can I do that?

There can be several reasons why you want to do this. Only(!) copy the "Stm32ud.bin" and the "lsec6521update" to a clean FAT32 formatted USB-stick/SD-card and put it in your unit. The flashing will start automatically.

#25. I want to flash a new firmware, but NOT the MCU firmware

Use your firmware of choice but remove(!) the "Stm32ud.bin" from the USB-stick/SD-card before flashing.