VW Area view compatibility between different headunits

I thought about this and I think I am gonna pass. too many unknown variables, plus I don't really want to pull down door panels again, tamper with door connectors, all that stuff.

what I am truly interested in is actually just a front camera, I have scratched the bumper while parking sometimes because of a high curb. so now my mind has started thinking about two possible scenarios:

- installing just the front and rear cameras with the Area View control module, but for sure it would complain about the missing side cameras and refuse to calibrate.

- as soon as I go home I need to replace the rear parking camera with the HIGH version (dynamic guidelines). so, what if I mount the old LOW camera on the front bumper and build a passive switch for the video signal into the MIB? like even a stupid DPDT switch, but I wonder if the 5F would throw an error because the camera gets disconnected in that instant while the switch is... well switching from one side to another. maybe there is a cleaner version to do this, like a solid state relay or even a Arduino board...

I would think there will be problems with that. With low camera back and front it might work but HIGH camera it has the intelligence inside the camera module. There's power, ground, video + and - and can high & low connected to camera module. So just switching the video signal with a switch most likely results in an error.

You would need to combine the video signals somehow from both sources. That is what the area view module does.

I don't mind pulling of the door panels. They're actually quite easy to take off in Tiguan. Now when I have to remove the bass speakers, I will use the opportunity to put some STP silver mat to the outer door panel. So win win

Unfortunately after looking at the wiring diagrams it looks like I need to pull the wiring to rear camera as well as the wiring is completely different so I cannot use it. Well no biggie but more work involved.

I just realised that the camera is shown only when I put the shift in reverse, and I would like to see the front camera when driving forward. I guess the passive switch is out of the game.

I found this:

https://naviks.com/i-24075423-2013-...facewith-dynamic-parking-guide-lines-dpgl.htm

which seems to be exactly what I want. I asked the seller for more information, since the picture is obviously another product.

darkchina811 said:

I just realised that the camera is shown only when I put the shift in reverse, and I would like to see the front camera when driving forward. I guess the passive switch is out of the game.
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darkchina: interesting project - I look forward to reading your progress.
Here's the crucial part of the MQB platform WD for the camera that explains your (no-surprising) observation:



I've greatly simplified the original version of the WD to just include the pertinent bits. Notice the circled section which shows a single BCM pin. The other piece of information that accompanies the WD is the Leuchte-set, Leuchte29RFL RA64, which controls the left-side reverse light. As you already know, the "A64" in the Leuchte-set name refers to BCM pin 64 on socket A. This is the same pin as circled on my cut-down WD.

So, your observation is confirmed by the above WD - in fact, the switch-on signal comes from BCM T73a /64. However, whilst I haven't actually measured the signal form that the camera requires to switch-on, I suspect that the camera looks for a positive rising edge (i.e. zero-to-+ve voltage), rather than an actual DC voltage. I suspect that this is so because the camera switch-off requirement (as distinct from the switch-on requirement) is the forward speed of the car. As you are aware, this is set by IDE03782-Switch-off speed for parking assist in the hex10 module.

I suspect that this all means that the easy part of your project will be switching-on the camera (i.e.add a blocking diode in the left-side reverse lamp circuit and send a signal with a +ve rising edge to T4bt /4 on the camera). The more difficult task will be to keep the camera switched-on after the car achieves the threshold switch-off speed - I think.

Don

Don, thanks for the suggestion but your theory doesn't stand. let me explain.

BCM pin A64 is indeed connected to the rear camera, but it just makes the VW badge on the trunk swiwel out. pin A64 is not connected to the 5F so if I "forced" that command manually I would pop the camera out but I would not see it on the infotainment screen. after checking the 5F wiring, there is no discrete wiring for the camera, and it means that it's all over CAN-BUS.

now, I am nowhere near to be able to design an interface to insert into the CAN-BUS to tell the 5F "show me the damn camera". I could build it and wire it, with instructions, but I can't design it.

I'll wait for info about the box I linked above.

Scheisse, the door connectors are different when car is fitted with area view

Luckily my current door connectors have enough spare slots as I WON’T start to swap the door connectors.

But this was unexpected difference.

interesting. well what do you need, 5 pins only, right?

did you receive the Ali wiring loom yet?

downtime said:

Scheisse, the door connectors are different when car is fitted with area view

Luckily my current door connectors have enough spare slots as I WON’T start to swap the door connectors.

But this was unexpected difference.

Click to expand...

But Yout current door connector doesn't have the signal pin for Camera.
It is similar to fakra.

Yes I noticed that. But, as I have a chinese cable set coming to which I need to do the door breaks myself, I can utilize the existing blank positions. The connector pins that are coming with aliexpress set seem to be suitable for the normal door connector.

Pins 24,25,26 and 27 are free on the connector. The fakra type connector pins are 26,27,28 and 29 so no that much off

if you remove as little jacket as possible from the video cable, and know your shit while wiring, it will work just fine even if the door connector doesn't have a fakra-shaped carrier inside

Yep, that is my plan. Wiring and crimping new connectors is no issue

Well, ordered the new door connectors to doors and to car frame. Were only 9€ per connector so not that expensive.

At least it will be fully oem.

Now just waiting for the wiring from China. Got the calibration mats today. I now have calibration mats for area view, rear camera and blind spot and front assist camera.
These are funny, the patterns are printed on a plastic mat

downtime said:

Well, ordered the new door connectors to doors and to car frame. Were only 9€ per connector so not that expensive.

At least it will be fully oem.

Now just waiting for the wiring from China. Got the calibration mats today. I now have calibration mats for area view, rear camera and blind spot and front assist camera.
These are funny, the patterns are printed on a plastic mat

Click to expand...

How much did you pay for the wiring?

Here is a complete Passat B8 wiring with Area View: (looks like it also have side assist)
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-VW...572077?hash=item3d914a522d:g:rI0AAOSw0TxdU81B

When I've did Area View, Blind Spot, Trailer, GSM antenna for MIB2.5, DAB, Tire Pressure I've got it from a complete harness.. I've also have Dynaudio cabels for the interior just waiting to be installed in the car.

Of cource, you'll need the wirings for the door and engine compartment.

130€ for the area view wiring.

I already have blind spot (aka side assist) and Dynaudio in the car so I just need wiring for the area view.

Only real concern is the front camera wiring. I do not want to remove the front bumper. I already got the camera in place without removing anything, so I'm hoping I can somehow pull the wire as well. I just need to remove the wheel arch from driver side.

downtime said:

Well, ordered the new door connectors to doors and to car frame. Were only 9€ per connector so not that expensive.

At least it will be fully oem.

Now just waiting for the wiring from China. Got the calibration mats today. I now have calibration mats for area view, rear camera and blind spot and front assist camera.
These are funny, the patterns are printed on a plastic mat

Click to expand...

can you put links to the calibration boards please?

Of course. These are the ones I bought : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000921370644.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.585e4c4dIDWDyw

I will pimp them a little bit and add metal rods at the ends to the keep them in place.

the variety of stuff on Ali is impressive, I just find it difficult to search for things at times, as the descriptions can be spell out in funny ways due to translations.

I agree even when you use part number directly, it finds nothing. Then you search for a connector as an example, it suddenly shows you the parts you were looking for.

Ok new door connectors fitted to passenger side. However, not much use if the aliexpress wiring set needs crimping the pins and using standard VAG connectors.

The OEM door connector housings have a slot for the video signal. You put the complete connector to the slot and not individual pins. Aliexpress seems to have more proper kits that have these so you don't need to do any crimping.
I should've done my homework better. Shit!

I will be getting the wiring set on monday but it seems that I changed the door connectors for nothing. Oh and guess what, of course VW has changed the pin sizes on the new area view connector housing and I had to cut and solder. 4 wires per door.
And to make things even more fun, the pin positions are different with area view and without area view.

WHY they have to make things so difficult, why........????

'cause it's interesting knowing all those little details and bragging about it