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Bose/non-Bose Radios seem to have CD Changer Connection

10K views 42 replies 18 participants last post by  altima_zed 
Excellent documentation! Thank you very much!

Clearly there is an auxiliary input jack. Lets assume any line level audio signal could be plugged in there with the right plug. The next question is: Does either the Bose or the single-disk stock unit have a setting/control to access an auxiliary input source? It is possible that when a device is plugged in there it may trigger a hidden display, or even tell the base unit what it is, and what is to be displayed.

As for the extra space:

How about a hard-drive based MP3 source? Add a USB or firewire jack to the cover, and you could upload/change music from a laptop or other MP3 device so equiped. The LCD display on the base unit would need to then be able to dispay song info. Does it look like the LCD has much more information capacity?

Many people here have asked about feeding their own MP3 players to the car's sound system. This auxiliary DIN might be simply brought forward to an 1/8" stereo jack you could mount through the cover (or down next to the power jack). Label it "Aux Line In", and you could plug any audio source into it. Of course, the base unit would need to "know" something had been plugged in, and switch to playing sound from that source.

Satellite radio is another good thought. There ought to be enough room for a decoder unit, and the extra plug might contain leads for whatever antenna a satellite receiver would need.

Ultimately, it would be nice to get someone from panasonic to explain what and how the aux DIN can be used. Maybe there is a techincal document to be found somewhere.

Again, thanks for the research. Finding something to plug in there has now become my mission!

OpalBlue
 
Below are the pinouts as labelled on the small circuit board:

NC.
R.in+
R.in-
GND

NC
L.in+
L.in-
GND

AUX.in
COMB.ON

Obviously for any one channel of sound you need one input and a ground. In that case, the specific AUX lead seems to be mono, not stereo. But there are left and right inputs, obviously. In theory there are enough inputs for 5.1 channels. Aux for bass, R+ and L+ for front right and left, R- and L- for rear right and left, and COMB (combined?) for the single center channel speaker.

5.1 channels is used with DVDs, so perhaps its a DVD player/decoder. The DVD unit itself would have video feeds to a monitor. It's even possible that the stock or bose CD drive is actually a DVD/CD reader. That would then only require the decoder and a video output.

Food for thought.

OpalBlue
 
by 2002Altima Hey all. I took the dash apart again in my 2002 and found out that the Bose head unit seems to have an 8 pin DIN jack on the back for a Panasonic CD changer. This was all spured on by Mistral's Thread where he took out his non-Bose radio and found the same thing. Please click on the link below to take a look at my web site to see what I learned!http://fluxu8.nismo.org/images/carapart/photo2.html
2002Altima: What is the smaller round connector on the left of this image labelled and/or used for? Antenna?

OpalBlue
 
Re: Re: Re: Bose/non-Bose Radios seem to have CD Changer Connection

by 2002Altima I am under the assumption that the 8 pin only has left and right channels. - When connecting a car amplifier to a head unit, there is a blue lead that is a communication link from the radio that says when the radio is on, turn on the amplifier. My best guess is that is what the COMB.ON pin out is.
That still leaves the AUX input, and possibly the COMB.ON. I'm also guessing that COMB is for Communications port "B", and a signal here would act as a trigger to switch the base unit to the DIN inputs. But a single signal could be +, -, or nothing, leaving three options. The options might be: 2-channel source; AUX source; and OFF. AUX cold be for AM or Mono radio. If truly a COM port, it might be the path for song and station info to be displayed on the LCD from a satellite radio receiver.

You know how 1 speaker wire will have two leads
The L- would be the left negative or black wire
The L+ would be the left positive or red wire.
This would make up the left chanel
Agreed, but it is also possible to have stereo with two leads and a common ground. This would let + and - inputs be alternative sources.

I was told in the other post that NC means No Connection. It's not used.
Agreed. There are only 8 pins, and there are eight other labels.

Time will tell. Again, it would be nice to get factual info from Panasonic about how that DIN input should be used.

OpalBlue
 
Wild Guess

I'm gonna take a wild guess, and bet that the 8-pin connector on the rear of our base units is a fairly standard input. And that any experienced Auto Sound installer will be familiar with that input.

Since we've deduced that there are "dealer installed" options, including an in-dash 6-disk changer to work with the non-bose single disk unit, That input jack HAS to be the connector to make such units compatible. A CD changer would only use two (stereo) channels, probably the L and R inputs. Another option available is a Cell phone. The cell phone adapter undoubtably uses the AUX input, as it is a mono input. There may be a dash mount microphone in the cell phone kit, to allow hands-free phoning. In both cases, I'm betting the dealer has a new console cover panel to replace the stock one, neatly revealing whatever controls/slots/etc., the new devices require.

Now the question is: Can we create our own input jack using this 8-pin connector, and expect the base units to "know" when somthing is connected and it is on? I'd hate to learn some sort of logic circuit is required. ;-(

This curious mind wants to know.

OpalBlue
 
Infrared!

I believe the steering wheel mounted remote controls are just infrared...
Wow, that would be great! I've got a programmable remote control that can learn other IR commands. I'll use it to learn the steering wheel IR controls for my Altima stereo, then walk about parking lots remotely screwing with other Altima's volume and track settings! What fun! ;-)

OpalBlue
 
A little help?

There are pictures here of the BOSE 6-disk head unit with the 8-pin jack on the back. Will someone please confirm for me that the non-bose single CD base unit also has an 8-pin jack on the back?

Also, would anyone with a non-bose single CD base unit be willing to photograph the label (for model,ref, and serial number), and the back showing the 8-pin jack?

Lastly, I'd like to see the inside of the single-CD unit, specifically the circuit board to the 8-pin jack, to see if it is wired the same as the one in the Bose unit.

I'd greatly appreciate this. I would do it myself, by my Altima is the car my wife relies on, and she doesn't want me to tear into the dash just because I'm curious. When I've got something to install, well, that's another story.

OpalBlue
 
I haven't been able to find out if the steering wheel controls are hardwired or not yet....I'm still looking for the info though...
If they are not hard wired, then they are either RF or IR. RF is unlikely. Too sluggish. IR requires an emitter (LEDish) somewhere on the steering wheel, and a receiver usually on the front face of the controlled device. The receiver (if there is one) might be hidden behind the LCD face of the base unit. IR would fail if the receiver or the emitter was blocked. If you could spot and cover something that looked like an emitter on the back of the steering wheel, or temporarily cover (black out)the face of the base unit, you could prove IR was used when the steering wheel controls wouldn't work. My Altima is out of town with my wife, so I can't check this myself tonight or I would.

OpalBlue
 
Re: Remote Controls

by Rico77x
Red/white wire - REM. A
Green - REM. B
Blue - REM. GND
Pink - this is actually the speed sensitive volume line

So the remote uses the first three lines. But, how it works exactly, I haven't a clue.
Well, in my car the steering wheel can:
1) volume up
2) volume down
3) change mode (CD/FM/AM)
4) track up
5) track down

And it may do more, but my wife's got the car and these are all I can remember.

Each control line could send a + or a - current down the pipe. So lets say REM A is for volume; Volume+ sends a positive current. Volume- sends a negative current. REM B then could be for track; Track+ sends a positive currect. Track- sends a negative current to the base unit.

To change mode, I'm guessing that button actually shorts both REM A and REM B at the same time. When that happens the base unit says "OK, I'll toggle the mode.".

Now I don't know if this is exactly how the 3 lines are used, but it is a way they CAN be.

OpalBlue
 
Re: Remote Controls

wild willy said:
Opal, you can change the Cd also from the wheel. Same button to change the track...just hold it down
Not on my car. Single CD player. :p

Might be interesting to know if that would work when you add a changer to the stock single CD player, though.

OpalBlue ;)
 
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