20-23 Anytime front/backup camera

If you have the two main harnesses in place then you can buy an off the shelf 4 camera switch controller and install a camera under each mirror. You can even go for one of those 360 degree things, but their reviews are not always great.

 

For those who are looking at doing this, I just found this button, which actually says front and rear camera:
https://a.aliexpress.com/_msmKCXQ

 

FWIW: I just ordered this button.

Front Camera Switch for Toyota Vehicles 32mm

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083RRTKQZ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

I plan on just having the ability to turn on the forward camera, or turn on the rear camera when I am in reverse.
@bigssa - can you do a simple sketch of both harnesses, and indicate what wires get borrowed from another connection, or cut or "T"ed in the harnesses?

 

I found these files on another site. I hope it is OK to post them here.
YMMV - I am not responsible for the accuracy of this information.

 

Thanks for these documents. They are super helpful.

Starting with the 28 pins connector (R48 in the documents)
- Tap into pin 15 for a 12 V source
- Remove the wire and pins at location 16 (or any of the many other pins not in use)
- Please note that the new recommended way is to use a relay for the reverse trigger instead of diodes. Please use this post for a reference.
- Pin 28 will come with a red reverse trigger wire on the female end, leave that one in
- Cut the female end of the wire sourced from pin 16 and insert the male pin at location 28 on the male connector
- Here is a picture of mine (note that mine has the blue wire coming out of pin 28 due to the change I am making to use the relay implementation, but yours will have one side blue and one side red):


The 30 pins connector (R49 in the documents)
- Remove the wires and pins from locations 10 and 11 as donors for the video pins
- Cut each wire about two inches from the male connector and solder the exposed wire end to your +/- wires from the male RCA cable
- Insert the positive/red wire pin from the male RCA connector to pin 28
- Insert the negative/black wire pin from the male RCA connector to pin 29
- Here is a picture of the harness:

 

And thank you for the updated descriptions and picture. They are very helpful.

Now, what did you use for pin "harvesting"? Did you have one of those pin-pullers that collapse the pin "barbs" so you can pull them out easily without damage?

 

I had a set similar to

$20 Terminal Removal Tool Kit, 109Pcs Pin Extractor Tool Set for Car, Connector Pin Removal Tool Kit with Key Extractor for Most Connector Terminal

this one that I borrowed from a friend. It was quite useful and easy to get the pins out with it.

 

Since I was taking everything out to rewire it all, I figured I would post a picture of the button harness.

 

@bigssa I plan on posting a sketch of my planned solution in the next few days, using the 2-channel relay board recommended by @mutely.

It will consist mainly of the two wire harnesses ($26) and RCA connectors ($9) sourced from AliExpress, the button/switch ($12), relay board ($8), and high-quality NATIKA camera ($40) sourced from Amazon. Also sourced from Amazon, I will use an "Add-a-Circuit / Fuse" ($7) and pull 12VDC, not from the harness, but from a convenient Fuse assembly inside the cabin.

This solution will cost approximately ($100 - 110). I feel reasonable, have the functionality I want, and be constructed in a manner I understand, and I can document.

Appreciate the help provided by @bigssa and @mutely and plan to pay it forward.

 

@stftaco, that’s awesome and I’m glad this post was helpful. Looking forward to seeing your implementation.

 

@stftaco, since you were asking about pin removal tools and if you have not bought one yet, there are plenty of them on AliExpress for pretty cheap and I’m sure they are exactly the same as what is sold on Amazon.

 

Thanks for that comment. Sure stuff like this on Amazon originates overseas...
I went on Alibaba (?) and noticed one manufacturer making the 30pin cable harnesses for like $5/piece.
I'm going to have to be patent waiting for the harnesses from AliExpress. Hopefully "good things come to those who wait".
FWIW, I purchased a very inexpensive set of pin removal tools from Amazon. I can actually use them for other things I work on.
I was going to draw-up my proposed solution last night, but am having trouble with Visio.
I suppose I could use PP or Excel... Visio would be better with its shape library.
What did you use?

 

Alibaba is the bulk version of AliExpress. It would be cool if one of them would sell you a single one to "sample" at $5. If you ever end up building and selling kits then it would be a great source for the harnesses.

I use https://www.circuit-diagram.org/ to create basic circuits. It has a library of different components that make life easier and it is free. You don't even need to create an account to start using it.

 

Someone else has productized it, and I have no interest in infringing on their business. I think what they offer is a good product of great value to many Toyota and potentially other customers. I'm doing this for the same reasons you did it as have others.

Figured a GitHub effort. Outstanding, thanks. So how did you implement colored lines, and also the "RCA connector" in your diagram?

 

After you add every component, it shows up on the bottom right "Layers" window. You can change the color of each component there.

I wish I had a good answer for that. I made most of the diagram, then copied it to paint and added the images of the RCA connectors and drew the lines to them. I wish I had a better solution than that. If you have the time and desire, there is a way to contribute new components.

 

I will give that a wurl. For the RCA connectors, I plan to "draw something" and copy/paste the grouping.
Yeah, I'd love to contribute. We shall see. Right now, time is king.

 

Here is the diagram I intend to follow when implementing a Fwd Camera Modification to the truck.
Not everything is shown here, but hopefully will illustrate the main concepts, arranged logically for ease of understanding.
Constructive comments, criticisms, suggestions and questions welcome.

The killjoy in all of this is the shipping wait on the 28 and 30pin harnesses from AliExpress.
I suppose I can attach the camera to the grille while I await the last pieces.

I should mention, that if you really need to be able to see the rear camera image while the vehicle is in park or fwd, changing the type of switch used would allow the relays to be de-energized, but a +12V signal applied to the trigger...

In addition, this circuit should illustrate how easy it should be to substitute all of this for a commercial multiple camera switcher if implementing something to view other areas of the truck (say underneath, to the side of the truck, or to the rear of a trailer or camper) and integrate the view(s) onto the head-unit for a single-point display on the dash.

 

If anyone is following along: I have all the parts with the exception of the RCA connectors to prototype it and test it. I'm also getting a project box to put the dual relay board in, and plan to come out of it with wire connections for the switch, 12V, chassis ground, triggers, and RCA connectors. Here is the project box I'm purchasing. I will use the "mount tabs" to zip-tie the box in some convenient place, probably behind the head unit:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/322336056482

I've received the harnesses from AliExpress. Only 9 days for fulfillment. That's very quick!
The two harnesses I purchased were from here:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...2WA7c2q&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

Now I have to figure out how to use the pin tools to "harvest" an unused conductor and it's pins from the harness, and locate a connection for the original trigger for reverse, pin 28 on the 28pin harness(male connector).

This would have been so much simpler if the harnesses were 28 and 30pin pass-through instead of 27oo28, and 29oo30.

 

That’s awesome man. Glad to hear that you are doing your own hybrid implementation. Can’t wait to see the pics.

 

Sure thing. The pressure is on now to make it clean and neat.
Wish my close-up vision was a bit better. Maybe I need a set of jeweler's glasses.

I'm curious, do you remember what pin release tool you used? Looks like the connector pins might be double barbed. I've never used one before. Probably should look on YouTube.
I find it sort of crazy, that in case of the 28pin "trigger harness", and the 30pin "video harness", the shop fabricating the harnesses didn't "finish the job" and provide a pigtail wire for the "in reverse" pin on the male connector side of the trigger harness, that one could tape off if they didn't want to use it, and an RCA male on the male connector side of the video-source harness... I'm simply left thinking why? Expense? I'm so confused.