BlueBus: A fully integrated A2DP Bluetooth solution

[cobra]

Thanks Ted!

Got it working. Couple questions:

1. Every so often, it will get stuck showing the below screen instead of Bluetooth or the metadata. Is that normal? If I press '2' it will go back to showing the correct thing.
2. The volume setting on my phone doesn't affect the music volume, is that right? I am fine with it because it's perfectly matched to the radio and CD volume.
3. Will I get a call ringer if I get a call while listening to music? And can I then answer a phone call using a button on my steering wheel, or only with button '3'?

The audio sounds great and is nice and fast!

[t3ddftw]

So... which 3 pin connector goes into the bluebus?
Do I leave the jumper on the blue 26 pin connector?
Does anything plug into the coax connector on the bluebus?
Does anything plug into the 3.5mm on the bluebus?

Was I correct in removing the factory TCU completely or does it need to stay installed for some functionality?

1. The 3-pin that's bundled with the six-pin. The other 3-pin won't power the BlueBus, so there's also that
2. Yes, please.
3. No, the coax cables are antenna inputs on the E46, so they're unused on the BlueBus.
4. Nope. This is for an aftermarket microphone
5. Yes, the TCU should be removed -- keeping it would cause contention as two "Telephone modules" would be on the bus.

Thanks!
-Ted

[cobra]

Maybe I am dumb but I am confused about installing my bluebus.

05 M3 with factory bluetooth TCU thing. It had the black 54 pin and 3 coax cables connected to it. I removed it and started searching for the connectors that would fit the Bluebus.

On the upper part of the harness underneath a foam/velcro cover I found some connectors:
-Blue 26 pin with jumper block attached.
-Purple coax
-3 Pin that fits the bluebus
-I connected the telephone connector from Ted to the 54 pin connector that was plugged into the TCU


Below the 2 cubbies, I found another bundle of wires wrapped in foam that contain
-another 3-pin connector that also fits the bluebus
-The 6 pin that fits


So... which 3 pin connector goes into the bluebus?
Do I leave the jumper on the blue 26 pin connector?
Does anything plug into the coax connector on the bluebus?
Does anything plug into the 3.5mm on the bluebus?

Was I correct in removing the factory TCU completely or does it need to stay installed for some functionality?

[Orphee]

Does this car have an automatic or manual transmission?

M5 E39 ! Manual
Once PDC is enabled, it will stay ON until you move forward like >20km/h ...
I don't know if the same applies for cars that only have rear PDC... Mine has rear AND front PDC. It let warn you for obstacles in front of the car while maneuvering.

I tested with cold temp (7°C outside) bluetooth KO... phone was not connecting to the car...
I will have to send it back to you... But I would like it to be repaired, I prefer to keep caller ID and automatic volume management...

[0-60motorsports]

Ah! I didn't know that it remained active for some time. I have never had a car with PDC.

Does this car have an automatic or manual transmission?




I think I sent you a 2.x BlueBus, right? With the blue LED? If yes, the CVC tool does not apply to you. I still don't get it, man -- no one else has had this much issue with echo. I think I've already had you test lowering the volume while you're on a call, right?

-Ted

Ted

Don't know bud. Nothing changed on the car. Maybe just my luck. We will keep trying.

[t3ddftw]

I have a little bug with volume management with rear gear.

I have Front and Back PDC genuine on the car.

The PDC automaticaly enables itself when you engage the rear gear, and it keeps ON even if you remove the rear gear until you speed up forward like 20 or 30 km/h.

When I engage rear gear, it works as expected, the sound lower 50%.

But when I remove the rear gear, the bug appears, and sound raise up to 100% and lower again to 50% every 0,5 secs... until I manually disable PDC with the decicated button on the dashboard.
Is it a known issue ?

Thanks.

Ah! I didn't know that it remained active for some time. I have never had a car with PDC.

Does this car have an automatic or manual transmission?

How did you fix the issue of your friends hearing their own echo?

I think I sent you a 2.x BlueBus, right? With the blue LED? If yes, the CVC tool does not apply to you. I still don't get it, man -- no one else has had this much issue with echo. I think I've already had you test lowering the volume while you're on a call, right?

-Ted

[0-60motorsports]

Let's test !


Edit : : Fixed ! Many thanks
I'll see if glass wool does work.. if not, i'll consider sending it back to you

How did you fix the issue of your friends hearing their own echo?

[Orphee]

t3ddftw I sent you an email with the logs from the Bluebus when the issue occurs.
Thanks

Edit :
WARNING: TRANS OUT OF REV - RAISE VOLUME -- Currently 63
WARNING: PDC START - LOWER VOLUME -- Currently 127

I guess something could be done if PDC is detected, ignore "TRANS OUT OF REV"
Or totally ignore "PDC START"...

I don't know if I prefer to have reduced volume even forward until PDC disable itself, or if I prefer to only have it reduce with rear gear engaged...
Probably the 2nd option... not sure until I really use it.

[Orphee]

I have a little bug with volume management with rear gear.

I have Front and Back PDC genuine on the car.

The PDC automaticaly enables itself when you engage the rear gear, and it keeps ON even if you remove the rear gear until you speed up forward like 20 or 30 km/h.

When I engage rear gear, it works as expected, the sound lower 50%.

But when I remove the rear gear, the bug appears, and sound raise up to 100% and lower again to 50% every 0,5 secs... until I manually disable PDC with the decicated button on the dashboard.
Is it a known issue ?

Thanks.

[Orphee]

Let's test !


Edit : : Fixed ! Many thanks
I'll see if glass wool does work.. if not, i'll consider sending it back to you

[t3ddftw]

Hello,

t3ddftw after month of not using it.
I replugged it to the car this morning (even with the bug because of low temps... never found the time to send it back to you, so I will forget this.. I added glass wool inside it, maybe it will workaround the issue).

I can't remember if the firwmare was already 1.3 or not, but I flashed it this morning before installing it back in the car.

Everything work as before, except call audio...
My friend hear himself when he talks...
No matter the settings I try with mic offset, if I lower it too much, he can't here me (something good seems to be near -17 / -15 db)

And I must lower sound volume, but then it is hard for me to hear him talk...

I don't recall having this issue before this morning...

I'm using OEM mic in the car (DSP digital enabled for sound)
Hardware is 1.x

(M5 E39 2002 with DSP & 16/9 NAV)

I can swap it out for a 2.x version too, but you'll have to wait until next month.

For your call audio issue, please follow this guide: https://github.com/tedsalmon/BlueBus...-Voice-Capture

Thanks!
-Ted

[Orphee]

Hello,

t3ddftw after month of not using it.
I replugged it to the car this morning (even with the bug because of low temps... never found the time to send it back to you, so I will forget this.. I added glass wool inside it, maybe it will workaround the issue).

I can't remember if the firwmare was already 1.3 or not, but I flashed it this morning before installing it back in the car.

Everything work as before, except call audio...
My friend hear himself when he talks...
No matter the settings I try with mic offset, if I lower it too much, he can't here me (something good seems to be near -17 / -15 db)

And I must lower sound volume, but then it is hard for me to hear him talk...

I don't recall having this issue before this morning...

I'm using OEM mic in the car (DSP digital enabled for sound)
Hardware is 1.x

(M5 E39 2002 with DSP & 16/9 NAV)

[Der_Spanier]

Besides the screen not being an upgrade, I am curious, what else makes the CD54 a downgrade?

I was tempted by a CD54 a few times, even before getting a Bluebus.

I never pulled the plug because of reliability concerns. It’s supposed to sound better than the CD53, but you see a lot of reports of faulty sound (sound missing from some speakers, weird cracking) and dead pixels on the display. The vast majority of units for sale have those issues.

That and the high prices have put me off. I’ll stick with my trusty CD53. It might not sound the best, but at least it’s reliable and, thanks to Ted and the Bluebus, has 21st century functionality.

[sev]

Don't do it -- it's a downgrade. Even though there is more screen real estate, there are no additional """APIs""" for writing to the other portions of the screen. Instead, for consistency, they only allow 11 characters to be written to the screen at a time, just like the CD53.



Have you tried toggling R/T on the steering wheel to see if things improve? I think you'll find that they will.



The BlueBus works well with factory Nav cars



Still in the planning phase!





The plan is to wrap a Raspberry Pi (Probably a compute module Lite) around a bespoke PCB with many of the same components as the BlueBus (for audio and I/O), with the addition of video ICs and a generic input for a backup camera. The CarLinkit dongle will push carplay to the RPi, which will then be output to an HDMI to TTL IC, then an RGB DAC.

The unit will then switch video inputs from the factory Nav to the RPI output whenever you decide to go into CarPlay/Android Auto.

It will also implement the same factory menus and features as the BlueBus.

-Ted

TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[t3ddftw]

Besides the screen not being an upgrade, I am curious, what else makes the CD54 a downgrade?

It's less straight forward to use because it adheres more closely to the "R/T" (Radio / Telephone) principle. It makes the UI more difficult to use sometimes.

can you link a DIY on how to install this unit for cars with nav option?

It's exactly the same as the non-Nav as the pre-wiring is in the same location

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORZKQXAu5EY&t=378s

Thanks!
-Ted