[DIY] "Car Dock" Cable - USB audio out + charging - UPDATED! (11-9-11)

[rcjten]

Has anyone had issues with the Deal Extreme micro usb to usb & aux cable on the Galaxy S4? I would post a link to it but I am new to the forum. Or any issues with homemade versions of the cable?

I just received it today, and cannot get it to work. First I had to shave the plastic down on the micro usb connector so it would insert fully into the phone. Got charging to work, but it would never go into dock mode / output sound. I decided to take the cable apart to see if there is a resistor installed. There is a 620k 5% resistor connected to the correct pins. Could it be that the tolerance is too low on the resistor? I am concerned that maybe Samsung changed the resistor value the phone looks for to hold onto the exclusivity of dock related accessories.

I'm going to try and source a 619k 1% resistor tomorrow locally, but I may need to order the linked one in the DIY...more waiting to get this going

 

[LEENO]

This cable will work with galaxy s4 i9505?

 

[KyleK29]

This cable will work with galaxy s4 i9505?

Curious to know too. I did find ready made one's on Ebay. They're $6 from China or $15 from USA based. Looks like decent quality (iPod design). They say they support Samsung.

 

[jtschanz]

Curious to know too. I did find ready made one's on Ebay. They're $6 from China or $15 from USA based. Looks like decent quality (iPod design). They say they support Samsung.

Can you post the ebay link? Thanks!

 

[m.ark]

Can you post the ebay link? Thanks!

DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Micro-B-USB...Phone_PDA_Cables_Adapters&hash=item5d3fc1f5df - DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM

That might be the one he was talking about. It's actually about $6.66 after shipping. It comes from China, but it comes from a reputable seller. I purchased it, and will update this thread when I get it to tell everyone how it works. Fingers crossed!

EDIT: Just received my package today (the 19th, so like 16 days after ordering it, which is good considering it came from China). First impressions: I had to buy an adapter for the 3.5mm plug, as I don't have an auxiliary port in my car, so I have to use an FM transmitter. That said, when I hook up my transmitter, the adapter, and the cable, it doesn't do audio. At least it charges. Even when I try with desktop speakers, the cable/adapter duo won't work. That isn't to say that the cable is bad, or doesn't work: it may be the adapter that is wrong or bad. I have more testing to do, but will report back here when I can get everything working. Until then, be skeptical about this cable above, but you can try it if you want to.

EDIT #2: Don't bother buying that cord. Not only does it not work, but it fell apart within a 24 hours of me getting it. The build quality alone should tell you not to buy it, let alone the fact that it doesn't work as advertised.

 

[cbb77]

If anyone is still looking for one of these please PM me. I have one that was made up by the thread owner (I believe) and is fully functional. Have upgraded to the SG4 (which is not compatible with this) thus no longer have use for this. Thus will offload cheap.

 

[amiodons]

Car Dock audio output noise

If alternator noise is creeping in, then whatever your power source is, it's not good enough. Your power source should be clean by itself.

It is not the alternator noise (sounds usually like a whine and changes with RPM) that is heard but the phone charge current superimposed on the USB ground return path. The internal phone battery circuit does not charge with a constant current but with PWM modulation. These chirps are heard when the phone is in dock mode and the audio output comes from the USB send/receive data pins. My solution was to use as audio ground not USB ground (dirty by charge currents) but USB shield.

 

[googlefreak408]

For galaxy s4 users the only way your going to get audio out is to use a 365k resistor as a home dock and just disable desk dock screen.

 

[Dusha999]

For Galaxy S3 - I have bought this cable and it works just perfect.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231019843024

Fortunately, Samsung has re-enabled Cardcock mode support on SGS3 starting from XXEMC2 firmwares

I'm happy with the quality of the cable. Solid and well made for $3.50
(I have not tried audio-out since I do not need it)

In fact these cables are sold on Ebay and Alixpress by a number of sellers, but the items they are selling are all the same - they are manufactured by ChenYang Cable Adapters: http://www.connector.cn/english/ProductView.asp?ID=918&SortID=254
They have black and white designs available

Cheapest offer I have found directly from the manufacturer starts from $3.50:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/U2-1...-music-audio-AUX-out-cable-for/818031853.html

My idea was to customize stock Brodit Holder and make car-dock mode activated automatically (I use CarHome Ultra) with TouchWiz auto rotation (unfortunately, smartdock does not enable TouchWiz rotation).
http://www.brodit.com/product.html?id=513409
Fortunately the stock cable on this holder is not hard-glued to the frame and can be easily removed (in fact it is a custom angle micro-usb cable)

I have removed the stock cable, replaced it with Cardock cable I have received. In order to make it fit I had to remove the little plastic cover of MicroUSB plug - this was enough to make it flexible enough to fit the holder in "angled" position. With a help of some tape - it was secured and fixed as tight as the original one was.

Now, having this woderfull app installed, I have Cardock app and TouchWiz rotation enabled automatically upon installation of my SGS3 into the holder.
I have also configured BT auto on/off when docked/undocked which makes mt life just perfect - no more need to think about enabling/disabling BT on the phone manually (I have stock BT handsfree in the car)

Sorry, no photos were made during the process. But it was really easy and straightforward with the mentioned above cable and stock holder.

P.S. This cable use 619kohm resisitor which activates Cardock mode. This is unfortunately not (yet?) supported on SGS4 (which supports only smartdock - 365k).

Even when I try with desktop speakers, the cable/adapter duo won't work.

You have to enable audio output option properly in the Settings - Dock mode to make AUX audio output working. Have you tried this?

 

[lava2]

For Galaxy S3 - I have bought this cable and it works just perfect.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/231019843024

Fortunately, Samsung has re-enabled Cardcock mode support on SGS3 starting from XXEMC2 firmwares

I'm happy with the quality of the cable. Solid and well made for $3.50
(I have not tried audio-out since I do not need it)
-for/818031853.html[/url]

Hello Dusha999,

would it be possible you try the audio out? It would be interresting to know the output quality compared if you use a normal 3.5mm connector cable to an audio system or active speaker.

I bought a similar cable some months ago, but with an iPod connector, as that time I did not find anything with micro USB.Before removing the ipod dock connector and soldering a micor USB connector I noted that the audio out through the 3in1 cable was lower in volume. Maybe this is only related to the iPod, but would be good to know if it is not realted to a low quality of the cable build or something.

Would be great if you would find some time to check this. If not, I might get one of these to try myself anyway.

Thanks and best regards

 

[Dusha999]

would it be possible you try the audio out? It would be interresting to know the output quality compared if you use a normal 3.5mm connector cable to an audio system or active speaker.

I have just received the second one from here:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/U2-1...-music-audio-AUX-out-cable-for/818031853.html

Works like a charm.
I have also tried the aux audio out and it works just fine.
At least with my home hi-fi system.

But you have to enable Audio Output mode (external speakers) in the Dock settings to make it working

 

[googlefreak408]

Hey everyone, I have some dock connectors with all the materials that was used in this design however I am using a 365k resistor that will work on most phones. I have tested it on the Galaxy Nexus as well as the Galaxy s4. I will be selling some cables these cables soon please pm me if interested.

 

[arseni250]

changing the BMW Y-cable

Hey I got a Mini Cooper and I would like to be able to connect my Galaxy S3 and my mother's Galaxy S2 to it via USB in order to listen to the music saved on my Phone. But as it was confirmed more than once that it is impossible to do so through a standard USB cable.
I used to be able to connect my old IPhone 3GS (using this cable provided by BMW (http ://f20.1addicts .com/forums/showthread.php?t=699811)(since I'm new I couldn't post a real link so you have to delete a couple of spaces)) and use my steering wheel controls to switch between songs, charge my phone etc.
So now since I switched to a GS3 I'd like to do the same. So do you think I would be able to replace the apple 30pin connector with a male micro USB port and keep all the functionally?

Is solvable just using hardware or would I have to add software support as well?

 

[tc3sean]

I just followed this tutorial, and dock mode works flawlessly with my sg3 running cm10.1. No extra apps, just enable daydream mode to initiate dock mode. I hardwired my charger and audio to the car, so it is truly just one cable visible. I didn't have a long enough USB cable so I just used some stranded cat5 cable! Works great, and is at least the same awg or slightly more strands than USB.

Also I accidentally switched pins 1 and 5... which was ground and 5v on the first try and my phone still works great!

 

[sunbaj]

I need to do this just for activation of the car dock and am not interested in the audio .... do I still need to use the Audio cable as mentioned in the thread ?

 

[Dusha999]

no. only resistor between ping 4 and 5. no need to connect audio.
Or you xcan buy one and cut/do not use audio aux if you don't want.

 

[sunbaj]

So basically a 619K Resistor between Pin 4 and 5 makes the Phone identify as if it has been docked !!! but why and how ??? What if the value of the resistor is lower than 619K

 

[masonsj]

Thank you & one suggestion.

Thank you for your post & I made my own cable with your instruction.

And, I modified your soldering as follows.

Now with the usb cable:

• Solder red wire wire to pin 1
• Solder white wire to pin 2
• Solder green wire to pin 3
• Do NOT solder the ground (black wire) yet

For Rapid Charging data+ & data- should be shorted and they are shorted in Rapid chargers.

With your instruction Normal charging is possible, but Rapid charging is not.

So I would like to suggest connect data cables like above or short 2 & 3 pin together.

If pin 2 & 3 are shorted, your phone will think he is connected to Rapid charger (i.e. > 500mA).

Thank you.

 

[HippoDan]

Not in this case. Pins 2 & 3 are the left and right audio, and it would not be good to short them together.

I believe it's been verified that in dock mode, rapid charging is automatically enabled. It certainly seems to be the case with the car charger/aux setup that I made.

Dan

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Dusha999]

anyone, does cardock mode still work on stock 4.3 Firmwares released recently for SGS3?
I9300XXUGMJ9 - SWC or VDI