I know this would seem wasteful, but desperate times call for desperate measures. What if we could buy the tape deck and send it with return shipping and the money for the aux in module. You could then desolder the connector and use it for the module. This would work on a customer by customer basis. I know i would be willing to pay top dollar for this aux in module.

 

Pioneer and Panasonic are both subsidiaries of Matsushita.

 

Another option is to buy a couple stock head units as cores and have people that don't want to solder send you their HU. Its more work and I would expect you to charge a reasonable fee for that service..enough to do it, or (more likely) pay someone to do it.

jds

 

OverLOAD,

What about these guys? They seem to have what you are looking for in quantities of 1000.

http://www.silma.dk/en/catalogue/ite...ategory_id=555

Hope that Helps,

Lysander

 

I need to look this up. I want to say no though. They'd directly compete... so it doesn't make sense.

Matsushita brands are Panasonic (A/V electronics) and National (household appliances in Japan)

 

I've seen them, and for some reason, I can't get any kind of response from them..

Regards,

OverLOAD

 

FMS is the joint venture (now entirely owned by Sanyo) that produces most of the Ford/Mazda double-DIN head units. You can tell an FMS unit because the 4-digit ID number starts with a "4". IDs starting with 1 are Panasonic/Matsushita, 2 are Clarion, and 3 might be Pioneer.

Pioneer, Clarion, Sanyo/FMS, and Panasonic/Matsushita are indeed separate companies all manufacturing compatable double-DIN modular car audio for Ford/Mazda. They apparently all get specs on the interconnects and protocols and independantly bid on the systems for each vehicle. So this is why the '02 MPV used a Panasonic while the '02 Miata uses all FMS. But they're all compatable. So my MPV with the Panasonic head unit has an FMS CD changer. No sweat!

Wouldn't we all kill for a copy of that head unit spec? I'm working with friends inside the other audio company that might have access to the specs... Know what I mean?

I also support a solder-in solution for the time being. Raise some cash, get the ball rolling, and let us have our sound!

Stephen

 

Oh yeah. That HU spec would be gold. I can imagine everything in that puppy. That would make clean work of this reverse engineering dirty work.

Without a doubt, it's Mazda confidential. Perhaps something has floated around a few places that can slip through the cracks?

OverLOAD

 

Well all only wish! Create a line out inaddtion to the AUX module. That'd be possibly even more popular! :D

 

You might be happy not to have it were it to be leaked to you, OverLOAD. There's a reason things are reversed engineered in a certifiable environment. If you had access to the HU specs, I'd expect you'd be sued the moment you implemented anything of any value that relied on them, particularly if Mazda or whoever owns them could trace the leak back to someone in their organization with a Confidentiality Agreement. I'm certainly no expert on it, but I think it is a business tort to knowingly use information for commercial purposes that is also known to be the subject of trade secret protection.

 

You are quite possibly very right. I'm not going to sit and wait for Mazda to join in on this effort (Yeah, as if they'd listen to their customers?!?) and supply us with all the extra bits of information that would make this easier. While I don't need any more information on the HU spec to make this work, the easy path is a great temptation. If only I knew what the OEM spec connector was, it would at least give us an alternative to these endless connector struggles.

Regards,

OverLOAD

 

Update.

I emailed and had dinner/drinks with my connection. He passed along the info onthe situation, and it looks like I'll be getting an introduction to someone in upper management at Pioneer.

Keep everyone posted on how things progress.

OverLOAD, you've got a PM.

 

This is just so infuriatingly stupid. Let's see...someone got hold of specs for our equipment, used that information to sell something we have no intention of producing ourselves but which makes our product more appealing to the buyin public....we must go and sue them!

The sad part of it all...you're probably right

jds

 

I am all for a soldering solution! A connector is nice... but frankly its just a cosmetic part. I'd order today at $75 for this with a soldering solution, been waiting for this thing for quiet some time!

I say we have a vote or someting, since the connector seems to be the only part thats holding this up... You can release another version later, but for now!

 

I am willing to solder. Compared to pulling the HU and routing wires and power for the iPod the soldering doesn't sound too intimidating. I suggest offering the unit as a user-solder solution while still sourcing the connector. This way you'd have a number of glowing user-reports from the early adopters by the time you're ready for the larger plug-in market.

 

I can't solder, I'll wait for the connector. I know, I'm a wimp.

 

I'm all for a soldering solution as well - it looks like you just need to bridge 7-8 wires, how hard can that be? It also looks like a company called DensionUSA is developing a solution specifically for the iPod, my primary reason for wanting aux. inputs.

http://densionusa.com/merchant/merch...tegory_Code=IA

It looks pretty slick for the other cars manufactures they've done it for, but pretty pricey (around $200). I'd much rather spend half that and support the Mazda community - plus they haven't even started development.

 

I'm actually the Business Development guy for Dension and we've been in dialogue with OverLOAD>

"Plus they haven't even started development"

er....? We're shipping dozens by the day!

 

*standing with a soldering iron in hand*

ship! ship! ship!

:p

 

Straying to the Dark Side is always tempting. :D

OverLOAD, did you ever get with CanZoomer on his connector source? Seems to me he went through this same thing on getting sourced for the PCM connector...

 

Not according to this page:

http://densionusa.com/merchant/merch..._Code=IA_Mazda

If you have a link to the one for the 8 then I'd like to see it..

 

Ah, now I understand your phraseology.

We're already talking with OverLOAD about the assistance we can offer on connector sourcing (in progress), production and iPod/Dension DMP3 middleware integration. We are very eager to crunch the projects together.

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting your post, but I find your tone quite nasty ("I am curious, just what does your company have to offer at this late stage of the game?"..."you need to scramble..." etc).

OK, you haven't been party to the Dension/OverLOAD dialogue, but I don't see the need for this type of tone.