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2006 Prius MFD GVIF Video Input

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by TheForce, Dec 12, 2006.

  1. GeekEV

    GeekEV Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Dec 18 2006, 10:10 PM) [snapback]364043[/snapback]</div>
    Here are some DIY instructions I found. Looks like a relatively simple circuit to merge the h/v sync together.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Dec 18 2006, 12:36 PM) [snapback]363879[/snapback]</div>
    If you do wind up giving up your NAV for this, can I buy it from you? :)
     
  2. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Zorg @ Dec 19 2006, 12:41 AM) [snapback]364051[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks. I was looking at the site earlier but I dont have to parts on hand to build one quick. I did find out that some video cards support RGB and composite VH on the H wire. Thats the good news. The bad news is that my laptop wont support it because it has an nvidia chipset. My PC will support composite out because its an ATI :D but its a big PITA to move around. I went with BIG and roomy so I could easily work on my computer when needed. I should have gone small and portable. I'll think about lugging this PC out there tomorrow if I feel like it.

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mr. Zorg @ Dec 19 2006, 12:41 AM) [snapback]364051[/snapback]</div>
    I think I would hang on to it so when I sell the car the NAV can go with it.
     
  3. kdmorse

    kdmorse Member

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    I just realized my last post was exactly backwards. That if you're outputting 800 pixels wide and the MFD is doubling up the right side like that, and the tearing is caused by a resolution mismatch, then it means it's native resolution would be greater than 800, not less than 800. I also have this odd, nagging recollection that someone did find out the native res of the MFD several months ago, and it was some odd number like 864 by something. Perhaps in one of the really long CanView threads? Or - I could have imagined the entire thing.

    What you've accomplished so far is damn impressive. I'm just tossing out my stray thoughts in case one might actually lead somewhere.

    -Ken
     
  4. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    Well if the Prius has a higher res than 800 then that would explain the problem that I'm having. Thats if this converter box has a fixed output of 800. Or if this converter box only outputs at 7XX and the Prius requires 800 we would see the same issue. What we really need is some technical information on this converter box and the Prius MFD. We really need the technical documents for the MFD so we know what we are working with. I dont think Toyota or Denso would be willing to give up that information freely.

    Dominic if you read this before I call you do you have any technical information on your product like the output resolution?
     
  5. kdmorse

    kdmorse Member

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    Ahhh. I found the comments I was thinking of, it was in the other GVIF thread. The MFD was suggested as being either 848x480, or 840x480.

    So get out your magnifying glass, and see if you can count the duplicate pixels. :)

    I'm kidding.. I'm kidding... ... ... mostly :)

    -Ken
     
  6. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    Well when I take a picture of the MFD into photoshop and try to crop the viewable area with a ratio of 800x480 the crop matches perfectly with the viewable screen. Any other variation of the the 8XXx480 makes the ratio way off. In fact a crop of 720x480 cuts off at the exact point at witch the line appears in my pictures. What I'm guessing is that the converter box is outputting a fixed resolution of 720x480 and the Prius is trying to stretch it out or something else is happening. When I searched for 2005 Land Rover Discovery ( Thats what this converter box was built for ) and found the pictures for the navigation they were all 800x480 screens unless I just did not find the right model Rover.

    Just some more input before I go to bed.
     
  7. GeekEV

    GeekEV Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Dec 19 2006, 12:54 AM) [snapback]364075[/snapback]</div>
    Don't forget that it is possible the pixels are not square... Thus the ratio on your PC may be different.
     
  8. GeekEV

    GeekEV Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kdmorse @ Dec 18 2006, 11:48 PM) [snapback]364064[/snapback]</div>
    Actually, I took you literally... ... ... mostly. What I did was calculate that the mouse cursor in that closeup screen shot is 27 pixels across and that the distance between the duplicated cursors is 71 pixels. Knowing that a standard Windows mouse cursor is 16x16 pixels, we can divide (71 / 27) * 16 to find out how big that glitch is. Using this inaccurate method, I come up with a distance of 42 *actual* pixels. Which is, probably not coincidentally, right in the range of the 840 - 848 you were quoting. It does make sense that the component video conversion would be using a fixed resolution. And since theforce's research indicates the land rovers use 800x480 screens, that is also consistent with the doubling of the last 40-something pixels. All of which is my long winded way of saying I think you're right. :)

    I wonder if using a RGBS is passed through unmolested, allowing us (you) to test this theory...
     
  9. momanz

    momanz Junior Member

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    Hi All,

    This is awesome. I'm really looking forward to seeing this work.

    I had a similar problem years ago with an old computer connected to a new LCD panel. I think (it was a really long time ago) I fixed it by changing the refresh rate to the monitor and working with powerstrip to fine tune the settings. Try downloading powerstrip and give it a go. What I don't know is how the settings in powerstrip effect the composite output on computers.

    I have two request of those of you who are actively working on trying to make this work for us.

    Can someone take a good look at the GVIF connector on the MFD and tell us if there are any markings on it? I'd like to locate the proper connector at some point.

    Those of you who have NAV systems and are testing out this solution, can you run a simple test for us. Completely disconnect the NAV system from the Prius and let us know if the GVIF video input still works. I'm trying to figure out how to make this input work for those of us who do not have NAV systems. With that said, has anyone without a NAV unit tried this adapter yet?

    -momanz
     
  10. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(momanz @ Dec 19 2006, 08:52 AM) [snapback]364126[/snapback]</div>
    I've been working on that too. I know someone makes the connector. I plan to do some really extensive testing right after Christmas and I'll look really closely at the connector for all of us. I know we all want a plug and play system with touch screen cords. I may be wrong but I think the touch screen cords are end voltages and not digital cords, if this helps anyone.
     
  11. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    I just went outside and measured the screen and counted the pixels per inch. The Pixels looked square and not rectangular. Here are my estimates.

    The viewable screen is about 6 inches wide by about 3.625 tall.

    I was able to go to the diagnostic screen where it give you black and white stripes. These stripes were 8 pixels tall and it took 17 stripes to fill 1 inch. It could be one or two pixels more or it could be less but this was the closest round number.

    Now 8 pixels X 17 rows per inch gives us 136 pixels per inch

    136 pixels X 6 inches wide is 816

    136 pixels X 3.625 tall is 493

    This gives us a screen resolution of 816x493 and if you take into account my error in exact measurement we are well within the standard 800x480 LCD resolution. I highly doubt Toyota or Denso would deviate from the standard resolution just to get a few more pixels. It just would not be cost effective to have a custom screen made when you can get standard resolutions for cheap.

    Unless someone can prove me wrong I'm sticking with 800x480 as the official native resolution of the 2006 Prius MFD.
     
  12. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    That is good enough for me.
     
  13. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    wow if CANVIEW will work on this mod for an 06, im in. keep us posted
     
  14. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ Dec 19 2006, 02:22 PM) [snapback]364279[/snapback]</div>
    That is the first thing I thought, but now I think I would like the two screens of the V4 CAN-View because I can keep the MFD doing what it is doing such as Nav stuff and the other screen can give me data at the same time.
     
  15. DaveinOlyWA

    DaveinOlyWA 3rd Time was Solariffic!!

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    i still have CANVIEW V3 from my 04. i really dont want an extra screen unless someone can make it easy to hide. plus i dont have nav anyway...at least not built in
     
  16. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    I took a week off to Orlando, FL. I had fun at Disney and Seaworld. I found this great work and progress by theforce. I have been searching as well for a simple cable to connect directly into MFD through GVIF interface. Since I do not have Nav, I will not need to worry about switching between this Video In and Navigation System.

    I found a cable on clublexus site specifically using a connector from Mark Levison DVD system. The cable is cheap, about $25.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    More information can be found here. Maybe Ken can help us translate exactly how it works.
    http://www.rakuten.co.jp/t-plaza/710010/713290/

    This gave me idea of connecting straight (Blue connector) into non-Nav MFD. Here is how non-Nav MFD looks like (thanks Darell).

    [​IMG]

    I looked up in the repair manual and created this diagram that I hope would work. See below:

    [​IMG]

    From the back of MFD, M16 is the video connector for Navigation System. This connector only uses pin1 to transfer Video (pin2 and pin3 are not documented).

    Now, look at M13-18 and M13-19. I drew two lines where Toyota have wires connected already. They give AVC-LAN communication signals between MFD and the Radio Reciever.

    Now, look at M15-3 and M15-6. I envision using these two wires to "tell" MFD" to switch to Navigation video screen. Since I am not an EE graduate, maybe someone can help out here (ScottY? Darell?). Would it work by simply gounding M15-3 or M15-6? For example, I want to simulate the action of pressing the Power button. Hmm I am not sure if turning on Radio would switch MFD into "Audio" screen. I know the "Audio" button on MFD do this but my MFD does not have Navigation button on it.

    So two questions are:
    1) Will modifying and connecting this cable into M16 work?
    2) Even if 1) works, how do we switch to it? Can we do it by using M15-3 and M15-6?

    Dennis
     
  17. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(usbseawolf2000 @ Dec 20 2006, 05:54 PM) [snapback]364829[/snapback]</div>

    Thats some good research but I got some bad news or "some more info".

    To answer question number one the simple answer is NO. :( The GVIF connection is 100% high speed digital. The GVIF signal is a serial protocol along 2 wires that are twisted and shielded. Pin 1 and 2 are used for the high speed data. Pin 3 is basically the shield which also acts as the "ground wire". The device you listed is for analog audio and video and would not convert the analog signal into the digital GVIF we need. The connector also looks like a close match from the outside but a closer look at it looks like it has around 6-8 pins and would not work in our GVIF connector. :(

    Question 2. I really dont know how you would trigger the GVIF connector on your non NAV Prius. If you can take the MFD apart you might find a hidden button along the side that the NAV button should be. Or since the steering wheel has a MAP button it send the code to switch to the NAV over the AVC-LAN communication line. Maybe if you could find and replicate the signal you could inject it into the AVC-LAN and get your screen to switch. Thats if Toyota/Denso included the needed hardware chips on the circuit board.
     
  18. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    From what I am starting to understand you have to tell the system a new part or signal is there like adding new hardware to your computer. You have to tell it that it is there and then you can start using it. Sort of like adding the Satlite radio. You have to tell the system it is there and then the three sat screens start to work. How do you tell the system or fake the system into thinking a nav unit is there? I don't know yet, but I think that is how costal is adding an additional channel for the lock pick units. The extra channel is already there we just have to figure out what part of network to tell.

    Force, did you notice that is a 6 pin wire and the plug to the right of the GVIF port on the back of the MDF is also a 6 pin plug? Any ideas? I wish we had a full pin out map for the MFD.
     
  19. domoftvandnav2go

    domoftvandnav2go New Member

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    Hi Theforce
    Hope all is well.
    On the MB cars that have No nav you can do the following trick. If you hook up a nav unit and then unplug it the network thinks the nav unit is still there and you can open the video port. If you can please try this on the Prius. If you can I can program a micro controller to send out the same data that the nav unit sends to the car so that the car thinks that there is nav in the car even when there isn't.
    Thanks Dominic www.TVandNav2Go.com


    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Dec 20 2006, 07:06 PM) [snapback]364849[/snapback]</div>
     
  20. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(domoftvandnav2go @ Dec 20 2006, 09:21 PM) [snapback]364890[/snapback]</div>
    Just did a test and here is my results.

    I fully disconnected the the NAV from the car. I powered up. When I pressed the Menu, Dest, or MAP buttons on the MFD I get an error on the screen that the external system is not connected. When pressing the map button on the steering wheel I get nothing. Not even the error or a beep. I tried the process again by powering up while connected then disconnected. The car just thought it disappeared and would not switch to the NAV screen. I did not get an error on the screen when pressing the buttons on the MFD and no beep or error with the button on the wheel.

    I'm thinking non NAV owners can get access to their GVIF video by injecting a code to the AVC-LAN ( or whatever tells the car you have a NAV ) to tell the car you have a NAV and those with the button on the wheel would be able to access the screen with that button. Going a step farther for those that dont have the button on the wheel you would have to inject the code to the AVC-LAN to be the button press to switch the screen.

    I've been reading about the can-view a little and I think this is how it was accessing the 04-05 screen on the nonNAV/NAV. I havnt done that much reading on the can-view because i'm just trying to find a way to get RGBS to the 06-07 prius screen. I'll worry about the can-view when I can get RGBS to the screen so maybe eflier might want to step in on this part.

    One thing I would still like to know is how Costal is accessing the 06-07 screen for their lockpick 3. Could it be that the analog RGBS is still there? or are they going through the composite connection? If its the composite connection is the "check surrounding for safety" still at the bottom of the screen? and if they removed it how did they remove it?

    Well thats is for tonight.