OK was inspired by Ian Culls MINI Circuit. So I have an idea for MINI Circuit 2.0.

Does anyone know how USB connectors are setup? PLEASE E-mail me / Private message me ASAP if you do.

DrDiff952@msn.com

Another question: Does anyone know the source for the plug that connects the Aux input / iPod adapter to the factory radio?

Can anyone else halucinate where I am going with this?

 

Are you trying to dial up and down your windows with your ipod?

You should be able to find USB specs searching online, and you would need a USB controller chip.

 

Trying to take advantage of the radio on 2005+. They can play MP3 files so I am trying to get MP3's into the radio without a CD and with out a iPod/mp3 player. Might have to go through the CD changer input.

 

I don't think you will be able to do that, at least not without heavily modifying the CD player's own circuit board.

 

God you just like doing things the hard way don't you?

When you can spend $40 on the Aux input that accepts audio from a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, why would you want to try and hack something more complicated together?

 

The great thing is that DrDiffs MINI still hasn't even come in yet!

 

I am cheep. Why spend $40 if don't have to.

I guess I could burn the files onto a CD-R. But that is more like taking the interstate instead of a twisty, two lane back road.

Technically it is not even alive yet. Not scheduled for production untill week 45!

 

My PMed reply to the question sent to me ...

 

I fully understand the sentiment.

Although sometimes you also need to factor your time, patience, and tolerance for frustration into the equation. Remember your labor has value too.

$40 seems like a small price to pay for something that will accept audio input from anything that can output to a standard 3.5mm plug as opposed to trying to design and engineer something from scratch that would function off USB. Especially when with any player that has a USB output also has a standard 3.5mm plug...

 

Right, but when he can build them for $10 in 1 hour and sell them for $50, sounds like a good idea to me!! If someone is working at a start up job making $10/hour and can make these for $40/hour, sounds like a good idea to me!!

Even if you could build a replica for Ian's circuit, i'd buy one!!

 

Again though, the MINI Aux input is $40 and works with anything that has a 3.5mm headphone jack... This concept at $50 is still more expensive than the OEM solution and doesn't add any new capabilities, so what's the point?

 

http://ctp.di.fct.unl.pt/~fpb/BimmerBox/

This might be up your alley.

I also remember seeing some kind of adapter that takes a USB thumbdrive and transmits the audio via FM. Maybe you could cannibalize the guts from that.

 

It adds auto up windows, track mode for the stability control, and the ability to hook into my garage door opener. I don't even own a MP3 player, so that isn't what i am looking for!!!

 

Except that this discussion has been about taking digital audio output via USB and somehow trying to input that into the MINI stereo, and not about the functions of Ian's Circuit.

That's what the discussion about cost has been centered on, not on reproducing Ian's work...

 

Wow, sorry (crawls back into hole). From reading the thread, I was under the impression he was looking to take Ian's circuit and add some other features to it. My bad, i'll keep quiet from now on since I obviously have no idea what I am talking about..

 

Don't worry ... the confusion was the initial posters "MINI circuit 2.0" title; he was confused into thinking that the MINI circuit was in some way related to the stereo.

 

Well if that's the way you want to take it....

 

why not? if it weren't for people of this creative level of thinking, the aftermarket would not exist.. if people always just stayed thinking about the easy way, then there would not be much fun in it.. plus, he wants to expand his fun abilities.

 

I wanted a way to have the factory radio read mp3 files off of say a compact flash card or a USB chip, without the i-pod or mp3 player.

Someday aftermarket and factory radios will have this function!

Thought of the "MINI Circuit 2.0" name to honor Ian and his original idea. Had to give up the idea.


Lets let this thread die out!

MODERATOR: PLEASE CLOSE THIS THREAD!

 

try asking the same question on this mail group: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/HackTheIBus/Lot's of info on the BMW I-Bus structure etc.

Rockymt98

 

Closed at the request of the person who started the thread....