mdcooper

<center><img src="http://www.martincooper.co.uk/images/concertii-install.jpg"></center><p>
Audi Drivers,

About six months back I fitted the new Concert II HU into my '98 A6 which does not have CAN-BUS. However, since the fitting I have noticed a few problems with the change:

- Power off after 1 hour;
- Illumination (fixed after a soldering session);
- Doesn't power off when key is removed;
- Front Speakers not working on power up (occasionally);
- GALA Speed Control;

According to another AW member (davebleloch) that posted this same question a couple of months back, he has experienced the same problems and has spent more time recently working on a fix to solve these problems. He has suggested that a plug-in box be used which goes between the old style harness and the new stereo? The box changes the pinout and also generates a CAN datastream from the hard-wired light/key wires to make the Concert II work as it would in a new vehicle.

I have also recently fitted the new Audi Phatbox into my A6 and that works pretty well with the new Concert II. Its just really annoying that on a long journeys it turns itself off. It would be great if someone could design something to run off the pin connectors and convert to a non CAN-BUS setup so that we can fix the power off problems. I managed to fix the illumination problem by manually opening the HU and soldering a wire to one of the internal pins and that works fine now thanks to the TechArticle on this forum.

If anyone has managed to overcome these problems by creating a plug-in box, please do email me back, or post a reply. If your design works, perhaps you would be interested in making me one too. I would of course pay a reasonable price for making one.


Cheers,
Martin

TeddyBGame

<center><img src="http://i10.ebayimg.com/03/i/02/46/76/5e_1_b.JPG"></center><p>It would plug into the 20 pin connector (which is where CAN High and CAN Low would connects (pins 7 and 12 - I think).

As you know, Ignition power, illumination and GALA are all covered in the CAN protocol..and that SymII and ConcertII radios don't even have those male pins on the back.

Here are some other links:
http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=21646&amp;item =2487587551&amp;rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=38781&amp;item =2487594906&amp;rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=21646&amp;item =2488164758&amp;rd=1

After looking at some of these pictures, I would guess that a device like this would have 5-7 wires.

1) illumination
2) ignition power
3) GALA speed sensor
4) CAN High
5) CAN Low
6) Battery power??
8) Groud??

This is the best answer that I can give you.

Good luck...and keep us posted.
-ted
(Go Red Sox!!)<ul><li><a href="http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=21646&amp;item =2487995231&amp;rd=1">http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&amp;category=21646&amp;item =2487995231&amp;rd=1</a</li></ul>

mdcooper

<center><img src="http://www.martincooper.co.uk/images/concertpins.jpg"></center><p>
Hi TeddyBGame,

Thanks for the info about the CAN-H and CAN-L on the 20pin connector. Regarding the CAN-BUS Interface... I did originally purchase one of these devices from Dietz (German manufacturer) http://www.dietz.biz/ENG/CanBus.html, but I think it only works with a CAN-BUS car and it was for the navigation units only.

I did however investigate the wiring behind my radio and found that the green connector (middle one) on the 20pin harness did not have the CAN-H and CAN-L wires connected. So my next question is, how can I find a way around this? Perhaps there is still a way to fix it by finding other wires that might use the same data.

If someone has made a converter plug-in box I would be interested to see how its been done.<ul><li><a href="http://www.dietz.biz/ENG/CanBus.html">http://www.dietz.biz/ENG/CanBus.html</a</li></ul>

techseeker

I know this might be a long shot, but on the Audi Navigation Plus site, the guy talks about taking
the CAN bus signals from the back of the instrument cluster. I know it mentions 2001+ but it may still apply.

From the site
"Audi either did not connect the CAN wires on the back of the radio, or if they did, they don't go anywhere. It's worth trying first. If you have orange CAN wires, you are probably OK. If they are grey, you will likely have to remove your cluster to run wires."<ul><li><a href="http://www.tvwiz.net/navigation/installb5.html">Check the bottom of this page.</a></li></ul>

mdcooper

I have just found out there may be an answer to all these CAN-BUS problems. I have just been in contact with davebleloch (another AW member) who posted the same question about two months back. The link to his post: https://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/398757.phtml. He has developed a prototype plug-in box that converts all the necessary CAN-BUS information. He writes:

"just to keep you informed, I have a unit working fine at the moment but it is a prototype and I wouldn't be happy to sell any without getting printed circuit boards made up and housing the unit properly. However, I haven't really had enough interest to make the pcb costs reasonable. I'll put you on the mailing list and as soon as I get 20 or so, I'll email you with the details."


I personally believe that there will be alot of interest in getting these mass produced. If you agree and would like Dave to go ahead and produce a fully working model and distribute, please email him: davidbleloch@hotmail.com.<ul><li><a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/398757.phtml">https://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/398757.phtml</a</li></ul>

davebleloch

Hi Martin, thanks for the email. On the subject of Dietz products, they do make some nifty CAN adapters and I spoke to one of the guys there about 6 months ago to see whether they do the kind of thing we're looking for. Their product range lifts CAN signals from the bus and converts them back to analogue for non-OEM applications. They don't do anything that does the conversion the other way, which is what you would need to fit a CAN spec head unit in a non-CAN vehicle.
As you mention, I've got a box working (generating a CAN datastream from impulses from the lights/ignition etc.) on the bench and tried it with a Symph II. But it is still built onto a mixture of veroboard and a microprocessor evaluation kit. It will make it to the PCB stage in a nice case with connectors, but I've got a fair few projects on the boil and honestly I haven't had much interest shown in the box so it has slipped down the queue. I have a list of everyone who has emailed me showing interest and I'll let you know when it's available.
The cost depends on how I offer the box. Obviously the clever stuff is in the software but the time is taken with designing housings etc. Hence I'll probably sell just the PCB &amp; components either in kit form or assembled to keep prices low and make it available a.s.a.p.

cheers
Dave