DIY In Dash Android Tablet: A Worthy Quest

Oooooo, interesting. So iPad mini I assume?

 

I'm just iphone'ing it (Civic) but I may end up swapping the Air to a big memory mini just for this purpose in the truck possibly. Kinda depends on which car lends itself better for the three way. Because that'll determine which one gets the DSP thus the optical input. The 80PRS can rock the other car with the 2-way.

 

nice, I was considering using an older macbook tucked away with a nice 10inch touch screen. The mac needs some help, the screen is busted but everything ells works perfectly so i think it would be a worth candidate for such a project

 

Interesting.. Basically running a car-"pc".. Or rather CarMac. hehe. That could be pretty cool if they'll slave an external touch-screen. Wouldn't be short on IO for sure to feed the sound system and talk to cameras.

 

the macbook i have already tried external to the truck with this type of setup and worked flawlessly, but the pixel unit is pulling me super hard and has more / better features to utilize

 

HEAD BLOWN. I was just thinking about this and wondering if anyone had gotten into it. This is brilliant work!

Did you manage to get full integration with the steering wheel controls including voice controls and phone calls?
Have you gotten into the backup camera?

I built this DAC kit for my home system, it's fantastic and runs on 12v. The other thing that runs on 12v is my tube pre-amp... man oh man... this opens up so many possibilities. Check out my audio thread for the processor I'm using- it's been fantastic and what I went with instead of the bitTen, it might be able to boost your signal. Either that or consider a simple pre-amp like an Altoids preamp.

 

As mentioned before, steering wheel control integration has been done with success. My backup camera (2009 Taco) is in the rear view mirror so mine was unaffected. Phone calls I still haven't done the work for but there is a perfect solution if you have an Audison Bit1. The Audison processor has a mute line in that allows you to connect a generic bluetooth phone device like a Parrot or whatever. Super simple to do but I've been lazy lately.

 

Word on the street over on diyma concerning feeding an outboard DSP optical. Most methods work ok. Airport Express does well but I noticed it'd cut out on occasion which I'm unsure if that's a sketchy lighter plug or possibly one of my amateur soldering jobs. Dunno. However one method said to work pretty dang flawlessly with iPad is using the HDMI adapter and feeding an audio extractor from Parts-Express to get optical output for feeding the DSP. Sonically just as good as the Airport, but not wireless, so you'd need a dash setup with a lightning plug on one side, such as the SoundMan kits.

 

I'm selling my final version of this setup as a complete package for $600. Basically, it's the LTE Nexus 7 tablet with the custom fit dash kit that pops right into the Tacoma dash. The kit will include the microphone, USB DAC, and the wiring harness so it plugs right into the factory harness. If you're interested please PM me.

I'm only selling it because I'm now going to try and squeeze a Nexus 9 in the dash...which was my original plan.

 

Thanks for all of the info, I'm about to start my own project. I'm curious if anyone has tried or thought about connecting some type of displays for movies in the rear seat? I thought about maybe using Chromecast?

 

Good question. I don't think Android will extend it's screen to a second display and I don't think iOS will either. Your idea for the Chrome Cast would be smart. Chromecast works over WiFi and I doubt you'll have a router in the truck. You can do a direct/adhoc connection though and that might be easier. What that means for the audio I don't know. I would imagine it would cast both the video AND the audio which may present a different issue entirely....unless you want to have headphones plugged into the screen for the back seat kids.

 

I've started my own tablet install, and I've been working on the mount first, and how the interface will look. Think I'll start my own thread to show progress and what I'm doing. Attached the latest desktop for the tablet:

 

Looks great! Shoot me a message and I can help you with a few of the important details if you want. Very curious to learn about what your setup consists of. I've had to end up changing my setup for a few reasons (last week actually) but I think I have it VERY right now.

 

Great thread!
I have a 2017 TRD Sport and I really want to use an Android tablet to replace the stock head unit. Also, I have the same Nexus 7 LTE tablet you used. I'll be looking into that custom firmware for sure. For the time being, I just plan on mounting the tablet above the head unit (on top of the dash) and keeping it connected via bluetooth. Lots of other projects planned for the truck that take time and money...don't plan on starting the tablet-in-dash project for a little while.

 

@ItalynStylion what app are you using for the front camera, and which camera are you using? I want to add a backup cam to my truck but not spend loads of money. I already have a tablet on hand.

 

Truth be told, I never ended up adding the camera. Just never had time. I started using the GoPro app and my GoPro session mounted to the front bumper. The WiFi connectivity let me stream it from the front.

 

Drat, the search continues. I did some preliminary searching, and couldn't find much.

 

Yeah the number of Android compatible USB cameras out there is pretty much nil. No idea why the heck that is. I'm guessing it's because most devices already have embedded cameras so the market just isn't asking for it.

 

That's my guess as well. Hopefully I can figure something out. Otherwise I'll just shell out the money for a new HU.

 

Connecting USB cameras to Android is definitely possible, but I think it matters more on your Android device and what USB protocols it supports? Here's a quick example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68GIo3CJupU

Also, I purchased one of those tube cameras on Amazon for like $17 and it works perfectly with my Nexus 5, I just had to install an app that supported USB cameras (I think I use CameraFI...can't remember because I don't use it often). Here's the one I bought:

DBPOWER (2-in-1) 2Million Pixels 5Meter USB Waterproof HD 6LED Borescope Endoscope Inspection Tube Camera with USB Adpater for Android Device with OTG Function

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JERRES6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
That's just a USB camera really. Heads up to everyone, those cameras are awesome by the way, saved my butt lots of hassled many times. I keep it in the garage for working under the hood or inside my house walls etc.