I opted to take out the Bose head unit from my MX-5 (Miata) and replace it with an Atoto. These are my trials and tribulations getting the Atoto unit to work... (There weren't many, to be fair, except for that rotten security bolt.)
End result
Let's start there 😎
The images below give the driver's view. In reality the screens look a bit larger. In the first two pictures I'm running Android Auto.
For size reference: the head unit is an Atoto S8 Gen2 Standard with a 7" screen, and the phone is a Galaxy A54 with a 6.5" screen.
Note that in these images there's still a RAM mount on the dash. It has gone since then 😇 Also, the surrounding frame around the Atoto head unit itself is still missing here. (I have a little project regarding that, and I'll share the results when it's done.)
Head unit
Getting the old unit out was probably the hardest part.
Once done I build a new cable harness using this schematic (printed it on 2 A3 sheets before prepping the stuff on my workbench).
I used one of the cabling sets that came with the Atoto, and wired half the stuff directly to the Mazda connector. I used two ISO connectors as I was going to use the CTAMPPASSTHROUGH board (my car has a Bose amp).
When installing the radio I also installed a backup camera, and used a Faston connector for that.
The image below is from testing. (Obviously, I tested everything before closing up the dash!)
I did wrap all the shrink sleeves in tape afterward, just in one shifts, or mechanical vibration and some sharp edge wears through the isolation.
In the image below you can see there's quite a bit of cable, so 'undeep' units like the Atoto make life a lot easier as there is way more space behind the unit for all the cabling. I had to stow away cables for the following:
- speakers with CTAMPPASSTRHOUGH board
- steering wheel controls
- FM antenna
- GPS antenna
- WIFI antenna
- microphone
- rear camera
- USB (2x)
- ...
What kind of sauce would you like with your spaghetti?
Fascia
You're probably better off with an OEM frame than a Metra one when installing an Atoto unit, but it's all that I had. I had to make a few modifications to get everything in properly.
I needed to add some holes to the internal side brackets to mount the radio. I also had to cut three sections away - both left and right - so I could mount the brackets flush with the radio. See the images below.
USB
The Atoto has two USB leads coming from the radio. Though one's marked for usage with a phone it doesn't really seem to matter which one you use.
In practice I found the one cable failing the most to be the USB-A to USB-C cord that connects my phone. If I would run a cable directly from my phone mount to the USB connector somewhere inside the dash, then that would be the first cable to replace -- at the most inconvenient time, probably 😏
I found a short USB-A to USB-A extension lead in the attic, and modified the little piece housing the Aux connector. I pried it open, removed the small PCB, then used the dremel to enlarge the opening at the front (to match the USB-A female connector) and at the rear. The USB-A female connector would just squeeze into the black bit, and by careful adjusting of the white bit of plastic it was complete contained and wouldn't move at all. To be sure I added two drops of superglue, though I doubt it was even necessary.
(I accidentally scratched the plastic, so I'll replace it some day with a better looking one.)
In other words:
Atoto head unit -> one Atoto USB lead -> USB extension cord -> Former Aux bit -> USB-A to USB-C cable -> phone
See also the images below using the IL Motorsport phone mount.
I placed the leftover cable in the glove compartment for now. There's a 64 GB USB stick currently plugged in (with lots and lots of music).
Maybe one day I'll try DAB+, but my early experiments were not that successful.
FM Antenna
The original cable wouldn't come out far enough, so I used a short extension cable. You can buy those at any decent car parts shop.
GPS antenna
I removed the front window bezels of the car, stuck the GPS antenna against the glass, behind the rear view mirror, and then ran the cable behind the plastic covers, around the window, and down to the head unit. Reception is as good as it gets. An external antenna would be better, but that's about it.
I haven't found a decent place for that, so I left it in the glove compartment for now.
Microphone
Atoto should include a better microphone -- the one included is pretty bad. For now I placed it near the instrument cluster, but it isn't perfect, and other parties describe the audio it picks up from the car as 'if being underwater'. I can hear the other side well though .
It's not that important as I doubt I'm going to make that many calls when driving (and I can just as easily grab the phone and hold it whilst standing still), but still... A little bit better microphone wouldn't break Atoto's bank, now would it?
Rear view camera
Running the cable back to front is a bit of a challenge, but use something stiff yet flexible to push / pull a cable through on the right side of the car, next to the cabling already in place. It can be done on the left side as well, but I found that to be a little harder.
Soft tops have an advantage here... it's way easier to get the cable through in a soft top.
Once you've entered the cabin you can run the new cable underneath the plastic door sills, all the way to the front.
As for the camera itself, I currently have a (very) cheap 'license plate with integrated camera'. It works, but the quality isn't great, and the screws already failed after adjusting the angle once. I'll have to redo that with a better quality camera (as soon as this one completely fails, which without a doubt it will), and will include some pictures when it's time.
I did use Faston connectors in several places, as I expect the possible need to modify the setup further down the line... 😒
I'll add a post on rear view cameras some other day.
Phone Mount
An Android head unit works best if you also have a phone link, either through tethering (the Atoto + Galaxy combo can tether on Blutooth, Wifi, and over USB).
I've tried some options for mounting the phone. The best spot is probably a bit higher up, to the left of the radio, to the right of the ventilation opening, where the phone is easy to see. You'd have to glue / drill to mount your phone there, and I didn't like that.
I tested a RAM mount (stuck to the dash) but found my phone still wobbling too much, so in the end I bought the expensive solution, the IL Motorsport phone bracket.
I had to make a few minor modifications to it though...
- I use a Brodit cradle, which comes with its own rotating ball mount. It's not compatible with the QFS fit that is included with the IL Motorsport bracket, so I took that one off, and drilled four holes matching the Brodit mounting plate.
- Note that my IL Motorsport bracket didn't have any pre-drilled holes, so I had to drill my own (which is perhaps good, because now the new holes are in the right place). The bracket is made of very weird, smelly material when drilled 🤷♂️
- I had to shorten the included 'hook' for about 2 millimeters, as it was too long to completely tighten it.
- I added a bit of cheap double sided tape to the top end of the bracket, as otherwise it could move horizontally (the white in the image below).
Configuring the head unit
That's fairly straight forward, but keep in mind that these Android head units typically run a (heavily modified version of) Android Q, or Android 10.
Note that you need a good and properly working Wifi connection before you start to play with the unit. I had lots of weird errors at the start.
Important! When using Android Auto over a USB cable the Atoto head unit DISABLES Wifi! Swipe down from the top of the screen if you need to re-enable it.
Account
I suggest you use a new and unique Google account for the Atoto head unit. You don't want someone to hack your (unpatched, old Android) radio and thus indirectly be able to retrieve your passwords or similar information.
Steering Wheel Controls
On the Atoto, go to Settings / System / General / Setup Steering Wheel Audio Key. On this screen you can assign a function to each button. Just press a button on your steering wheel and keep it pressed, then chose a function on this screen. It's as easy as that.
(Radio) Volume
The internal FM radio is pretty loud compared with external sources. Go to Settings. Tap the System button 4 times, then enter the code 3368. This will take you to a kind of maintenance menu. In there, look for Volume Balance Settings and reduce the volume of the FM radio.
Android Auto
Use the app Car Link 2.0 on the Atoto to use Android Auto.
If your phone is connected over USB it will disable Wifi on the head unit. (Or at least it does so on mine.) If that happens and you no longer need Android Auto, then swipe down from the top of the screen to re-enable Wifi.
Apps versus Memory
32 GB sounds like a lot, but just install a bunch of apps and the memory of your unit is full. If you can afford the 64 GB version that might be a better choice. Currently I keep my music on a stick and my audiobooks on my phone. I like to listen to audiobooks during long nightly highway drives, but I doubt I will make that many (long distance trips) in the MX-5.
In the end I only installed a few apps on the radio:
- Waze
- Google Maps
I do have Google Maps installed, but it doesn't seem to work properly, which is weird. Still testing.
I might add Sygic to have another off-line navigation app. There's space enough for that, and I do have a lifetime license for Sygic.
So, this is how my one and single page on the Atoto currently looks like:
On long distance trips I expect to run Waze on the Atoto, and Flitsmeister on the phone, both in Android mode (not Android Auto) and tethered over USB, but hey! All combinations are now possible, so who knows what I'll end up with. I can always add more stuff when I want to 😇
For now, all other car and travel related apps reside on my phone. If I need them I either access them directly on my phone, or start up Android Auto. This sits on my phone:
- Waze (again)
- Google Maps (which doesn't work well on the Atoto, very weird)
- MRA Next (aka MyRoute-app Navigator)
- Flitsmeister (they should stop increasing the price)
- Sygic (lifetime offline maps license)
- ANWB Onderweg
- Booking.com
- Trip Advisor
- ...
Waze and USB Tethering
On my phone (a Galaxy A54) there is no easy, direct way to quickly switch on USB tethering, so I used Shortcut Maker to add a shortcut to Settings / Connections / Mobile Hotspot and Tethering on my phone.
Note that the option to tether over USB might not be available on your phone, or might be in a different location.
I'm still looking for an app on the Atoto that would alert me the moment it loses its Internet connection by a popup, but I haven't found one yet. Yes, Waze does show you if you're connected or not, but it's easy to overlook.
When you're connected the Atoto shows a symbol near the top right corner, showing data transfer (disappears almost immediately when the connection is lost):
And when you're disconnected Waze shows a little warning (takes up to 60 seconds to show up):
Testing
Test and check before closing up everything! This is the moment where you can and should check your sound, rear view camera, Steering Wheel Controls (SWC)
It's also a good moment to make sure you have any and all clips in place. I had to pull and re-install the unit a second time as I forgot the white plastic clips...
- 1. Parts
- 2. Removing old head unit
- 3. Wiring diagrams
- 4. CTAMPPASSTHROUGH DIY
- 5. Installing the Atoto and accessories
- Provo Beast - shows that rotten security bolt well (around 1:30)
- HammoTech - the order in the video is a little misleading, see step by step above
- MX-5 - all MX-5 related stuff on this blog
- Car related stuff - all car related stuff on this blog
- DIY - all DIY related stuff on this blog
- Anything nerdy - all... 😏
No comments:
Post a Comment