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#370556 - 22/02/2018 21:08 BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
I'll be shipping final BlueGigaEmpeg units soon.

I have final boards which I'll be soldering up over the next couple of days, and I expect to get the shipment of final plastic enclosures from Shapeways, hopefully tomorrow.

Project description and owner's manual:
https://github.com/tfabris/BlueGigaEmpeg/blob/master/README.md

Demo video:


Note: Pictured in the demo video, but not included in the BlueGigaEmpeg kit:
- Eutronix.com display extender for trunk mounting.
- Custom 3D printed fascia for custom mounting location.

I will be privately contacting the people from the project thread, who initially requested units, first. Over the next several days, I'll obtain payment from them and work out their shipping details. I'll try to do everyone in the order that the requests were made in the project thread. If you asked for a unit in the project thread and you don't get a message from me in the next few days, then contact me by email or DM here on the board.

I'll have enough boards and enclosures to satisfy the orders from the project thread, plus just a few extras. Price is $259.00 plus shipping. If the response to this is large and people request a bunch more units, I can make another batch of them, but it would take a few weeks to source the parts and do the assembly work.

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Tony Fabris

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#370557 - 22/02/2018 21:15 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Currently I have orders for the following people from the project thread, in this order of priority (order requested in the thread):

1. JBjorgen - (1)
2. Jarob10 (1) possibly (2)
3. Daria
4. CaseySE (3)

Did I miss anyone?
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Tony Fabris

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#370559 - 23/02/2018 00:50 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
Shonky
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
That's pretty neat. Nicely integrated.
_________________________
Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)

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#370560 - 23/02/2018 00:58 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: Shonky]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Thanks so much! Couldn't have done it without your help.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#370604 - 03/03/2018 19:18 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
jets
enthusiast

Registered: 08/07/2002
Posts: 237
Loc: Toronto, Canada
Holy crap. I haven't logged into the board in forever and first thing I see is this! You guys are amazing. I love the license plate Tony... amazing work I am blown away.
_________________________
It seemed like a good idea at the time.

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#370608 - 04/03/2018 04:49 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: jets]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Thank you so much!

I had a ton of help from folks, including MLord and Shonky and others.
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#370610 - 04/03/2018 17:11 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5680
Loc: London, UK
Originally Posted By: tfabris
I'll be shipping final BlueGigaEmpeg units soon.


This is epic. I'm still using the empeg in my Focus, using the adapter that (checks) SE_Sport_Driver let me have about 14 years ago -- but if I ever get a new car, fitting the empeg is going to be a challenge. Hopefully you'll still have the plans/parts available.
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-- roger

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#370612 - 04/03/2018 21:58 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: Roger]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Thanks! Means a lot coming from you! smile smile smile

Quote:
Hopefully you'll still have the plans/parts available.


You remind me that I need to put the PCB schematic and the enclosure design file up on the GitHub project page so that even those parts are open source. I'll see if I can do that today (edit: Done).
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Tony Fabris

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#370655 - 13/03/2018 18:37 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
As of this morning, I've shipped seven units. Some of those went to people who were future-proofing and haven't needed to try them out yet.

I'm really interested and excited to find out if anyone has been able to install one yet, and if it's working well for them. smile
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#370985 - 01/06/2018 13:34 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Funny enough, what I need is exactly the opposite - a BT input on the empeg (to get the phone navigation software to talk to the amp/speakers through the empeg). Yes, I can use a simple BT adaptor, and feed the output to the aux in, but then I can't listen to music when using navigation.

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#370986 - 01/06/2018 17:46 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: julf]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
I see that we already discussed the idea in this thread:
http://empegbbs.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/367442/1

... Including the idea of simply resistance-mixing your bluetooth with the empeg's line-level outputs to the amplifier. You correctly stated in that thread that you'd want the satnav to be able to interrupt the music playback in order to tell you to turn left. Even resistance-mixing the outputs together, so that both the satnav and the empeg made sound at the same time, you'd need the volume of the satnav to be loud enough to be heard over the empeg when it's blasting, and soft enough to be non-startling when the empeg is quiet.

So yeah, the "satnav interrupter" is what you need.

The problem is, I don't know if the Bluetooth specification even has anything in there about the satnav voice instructions interrupting the audio. I don't know if that's even possible to do in Bluetooth. I don't recall seeing it in the spec while I was working on the BGE, but maybe I missed it.
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Tony Fabris

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#370987 - 02/06/2018 13:16 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Ideally the empeg code would detect a signal on the aux input and override the music.

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#371281 - 05/10/2018 18:04 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Ah, an XKCD after my own heart.

https://xkcd.com/2055/

The hover-text is my favorite part.
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Tony Fabris

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#371413 - 01/12/2018 15:54 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
Daria
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
Finally replaced my 17 year old free car with a 10 year old Prius, literally yesterday, on the last day the Jeep was legal.

So in the coming weeks I should hopefully get this in place!

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#371414 - 02/12/2018 21:20 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: Daria]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Congrats on the Prius!

Let me know how things go with the BGE module! I'm curious to know how it holds up against a 10-year-old bluetooth car stereo. smile

Check to make sure the BGE firmware is the latest version, since I was still making fixes to the firmware as I was sending out the batch of modules, so yours might not have the absolute latest. All the instructions are here of course:
https://github.com/tfabris/BlueGigaEmpeg/blob/master/README.md
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#371415 - 03/12/2018 14:45 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
Daria
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
The factory head unit in an 08 Prius doesn't do A2DP or AVRCP; so basically I need to sort whether to do something that plugs into the CD changer and emulates in order to get the buttons working, or swap out the head unit.

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#371416 - 03/12/2018 22:51 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
JBjorgen
carpal tunnel

Registered: 19/01/2002
Posts: 3582
Loc: Columbus, OH
Daria:
Coastal Etech Lockpick.

Incidentally, I'm moving permanently back to the US on Thursday and have an old 2000 jeep cherokee waiting on me which has an aftermarket bluetooth stereo. I'll eventually be trying to get the old empeg back up and running and installed with Tony's kit. (don't hold your breath though...international move, new job, etc...)

EDIT: just noticed the unavailable message at the top of the page. Perhaps there's a secondhand one available somewhere.
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~ John

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#371417 - 05/12/2018 16:50 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
Daria
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
Originally Posted By: tfabris
I see that we already discussed the idea in this thread:
http://empegbbs.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/367442/1

... Including the idea of simply resistance-mixing your bluetooth with the empeg's line-level outputs to the amplifier. You correctly stated in that thread that you'd want the satnav to be able to interrupt the music playback in order to tell you to turn left. Even resistance-mixing the outputs together, so that both the satnav and the empeg made sound at the same time, you'd need the volume of the satnav to be loud enough to be heard over the empeg when it's blasting, and soft enough to be non-startling when the empeg is quiet.

So yeah, the "satnav interrupter" is what you need.

The problem is, I don't know if the Bluetooth specification even has anything in there about the satnav voice instructions interrupting the audio. I don't know if that's even possible to do in Bluetooth. I don't recall seeing it in the spec while I was working on the BGE, but maybe I missed it.


My car seems happy to let things paired as phones interrupt the music, and my phone seems happy to do directions (when it's doing *only* directions and not also music) as "phone calls", so i suspect the answer is there are ways depending how you want to do it, like, you can probably use HFP/HSP to interrupt

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#371418 - 05/12/2018 16:53 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: JBjorgen]
Daria
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
Originally Posted By: JBjorgen
Daria:
Coastal Etech Lockpick.

Incidentally, I'm moving permanently back to the US on Thursday and have an old 2000 jeep cherokee waiting on me which has an aftermarket bluetooth stereo. I'll eventually be trying to get the old empeg back up and running and installed with Tony's kit. (don't hold your breath though...international move, new job, etc...)

EDIT: just noticed the unavailable message at the top of the page. Perhaps there's a secondhand one available somewhere.


VAIS also did some things, but *also* discontinued all of them, but I should have one coming in a few weeks, that adds HDMI to my MFD also, that I found used a few hours after posting here.

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#371419 - 05/12/2018 18:10 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: Daria]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
_________________________
Tony Fabris

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#371420 - 05/12/2018 20:12 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
Daria
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/01/2002
Posts: 3937
Loc: Providence, RI
I wanted to get video into the MFD and (hopefully) get interaction back out, in addition to the bluetooth, so I got a discontinued VAIS product that's not on their site. For now the car has a Plugzee dangling off the AUX and i'm (when I am home) going to start sorting an install. (Edit: The VAIS product is the iVic-5i)


Edited by Daria (05/12/2018 22:03)

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#371421 - 13/12/2018 15:38 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: tfabris]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I assume no-one has made any mods to the empeg to allow the aux audio input to interrupt the player?

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#371422 - 13/12/2018 16:17 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: julf]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14472
Loc: Canada
Originally Posted By: julf
I assume no-one has made any mods to the empeg to allow the aux audio input to interrupt the player?

That rings a bell in my distant memories. There is something already that mutes the player (or pauses it) under external stimulus. Undoubtedly described in a thread here somewhere. smile

Maybe this: https://empegbbs.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/59067/Auto_Aux._switching_using_hija


Edited by mlord (13/12/2018 16:19)

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#371423 - 14/12/2018 09:09 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: mlord]
julf
veteran

Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Ah, yes - thanks! Triggered by the mute input. Now I just need to find a BT receiver that has a "signal present" output...

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#371424 - 14/12/2018 12:58 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: julf]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14472
Loc: Canada
Ah, yeah. Not exactly what you were hoping for, but there it is.

I suppose if you can find a bluetooth adapter that has a "paired LED", then maybe use the wire from the LED for the purpose?

EDIT: Or maybe just tape a photoresistor over such an LED, to detect when it is illuminated, and wire one lead of the photoresistor to the MUTE input, and the other lead to either ground(earth) or +5/+12V at the empeg?

This avoids having to attempt disassembly of the BT adapter. smile


Edited by mlord (14/12/2018 13:05)

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#371425 - 14/12/2018 18:33 Re: BlueGigaEmpeg - Bluetooth output for the empeg - Ready [Re: mlord]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Most of the Bluetooth modules I worked with have programmable in/out data lines. So no fancy tricks with LEDs or photoresistors would be needed. The complexity would lie in getting it to trigger at exactly the right moments.

Related (but not exactly the same thing), I have recently tested that, with my current setup, the following thing works:

- iPhone is connected to Honda factory stereo using its "Apple Car Play" feature.
- iPhone is running Waze with voice directions turned on.
- BlueGigaEmpeg is connected to Honda stereo as a Music Device.
- BlueGigaEmpeg is playing music.
- Waze plays a voice direction: Music turns down briefly and voice direction plays atop it.

The above only works if the phone is connected via Apple Car Play, though. It doesn't work if the phone is connected via Bluetooth. I don't think the Bluetooth spec has a command specifically for voice-direction-interruption (though I could be wrong about that).
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Tony Fabris

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