[Guest]

Introduction

The purpose of this modification is to enable front and rear camera display on the centre console screen as inexpensively as possible. I have acquired additional components excluding Number Plate cameras and Lindy convertor to make up additional kits if anyone is interested.

Additional inputs are possible including audio via FM but will require additional work to implement.

Caveats

Attempt this at your own risk. I will help where I can but I may not be able to solve all your problems, your mileage may vary...
The screen image is quite grainy, suitable for reversing / forward cameras
The screen resolution may not be standard PAL 576 lines and there is a discernable band across the top of the screen
Any errors and omissions are mine, feedback welcome

What it looks like in practice

Here's a sample screen:

Acknowledgements

I used these two threads as inspiration for this project and whilst the original authors may no longer be around, they deserve credit for the information provided

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f26/getting-video-input-4129.html

http://www.jaguarforum.co.uk/f26/rear-camera-hookup-help-13024.html

Parts Required

24/0.2 Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and White wire

7/0.2 Red and Black wire

Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and White RCA connectors:

Cables and Leads, Connectors items in More Than You Could Wish For store on eBay!

Single core screened video cable

Quantity 2 PAL Number Plate camera

170°Car Rear View Camera License Plate Night Vision Parking Line Camera GC02 | eBay

Converting from Composite video to RGB Sync requires a S-Video / Composite to RGB converter £69.99 inc VAT.

Composite/S-Video to Component YCbCr/RGB Converter | Converters & Scalers | Audio / Video | LINDY UK

12v to 5v Convertor for Lindy:

12V To 5V 3A 15W DC-DC Car Led Display Power Supply Converters Converter Power | eBay

12v DPDT relays can be sourced here:

BT 47W/5 type Relay by Omron G5V-2. 4.5VDC. 5 pcs | eBay

Several Molex plugs and sockets - I used redundant computer power supply extenders. Top tip - to extract Molex pins, either purchase a proper Molex pin extractor from eBay, or source a suitable brass tube from B&Q - take the Molex connector in with you to check tube size. I managed to buy a bent-up tube cheap so if you need a section, please pm.

http://i1285.photobucket.com/albums/a588/originalcaruso/IMG_0042_zps30794793.jpg

Veroboard - Ensure the hole pitch matches the relay pin-out spacing

Tools Required

• Cable cutter
• Small pliers
• Small screwdriver
• Torx screwdriver
• Soldering Iron
• Project box to house the components
• 8mm and 10mm sockets with extension bars and ratchet
• Heatshrink and hair dryer
• Cable ties

Break Into Loom

Due to time constraints I could not complete the work in one day, I therefore planned the work in two stages, firstly to break into the wiring to make the wires easily accessible, secondly to build the break-out box discussed later without needing access to the car. The first stage took approximately 3 hours from start to finish and consisted of one plug to the SatNav wires and one socket to the Screen side wires (convention: pins outbound signal, sockets inbound signal). Once complete, connect the plug and socket together to prove your system is working as expected.

Before beginning the installation work, I made up two cables each 30cm long using old Molex connectors from a PC, you will need to make four cables in all, two with plugs and two with sockets for the complete solution, With hindsight, I would make all four cables up at the same time to ensure the wiring is consistent and colours match between plug and socket - it may save you time. I chose to use wire colours matched to their function ie RGB, Sync (Yellow).

Extract pins from Molex plug and socket. Top tip - to extract the pins, use a small screwdriver to push the locking tabs in then a Stanley knife blade to open the locking tables when extracted. To separate wire from terminal, using a small screwdriver, carefully separate the tongues which clamp the wire then either cut the wire free or wiggle backwards and forwards until the wire breaks trimming off any loose ends as necessary. Prepare the pins by tinning with solder beforehand.

***The Molex case is keyed - note the pin insert order is important ***

When assembled it should look like this:

Insert pins into casing in the order shown above.

*** The Molex case is keyed - ensure the colours align when inserting sockets into casing ***

Solder the sockets onto the other end of the wires, when the connectors are joined the colours should match. Top tip - insert the empty casing into the populated plug then insert the wires to guarantee they will match:

Once you have made up the cables you are ready to proceed to the point of no return

Remove the boot interior trim, for an Estate, this consists of:

• Seat belt cover - part of C Post
• D Post cover
• Loadspace stowage compartment
• Loadspace Trim Panel - The plastic cover which runs between C and D posts and below the D Post cover
• Polystyrene in front of SatNav base

Unclip the antenna connector at top of SatNav subassembly to allow the whole unit to move without straining the connector

Undo 4 x 10mm nuts from retaining posts which secure the SatNav subassembly frame

Undo 1 x 8mm bolt from top of SatNav subassembly frame

Gently pull forward and lift the SatNav subassembly then tilt forward to expose the connectors at the back of the SatNav. I found it easier to disconnect all 3 plugs which gave enough room to move the SatNav subassembly but be careful not to strain any wiring, there's quite a lot behind the unit.

Video RGB can be broken into at rear of SatNav DVD box in boot.

Referring to this diagram, part of http://jaguar.bttlxe.com/xtype/Elect...Telematics.pdf

• NA24-3 Green => RGB Green
• NA24-4 White => RGB Blue
• NA24-5 Orange => RGB Red
• NA24-7 White / Black => Sync

The plug we want is the middle one:

Carefully cut these wires leaving enough wire to solder the cables from the Molex connectors, protecting the joints with heatshrink.

I also took the opportunity to splice a length of white wire into the Yellow wire from NA1-3, this was purely speculative to see whether it takes a composite signal or not and is NOT required for this project to work so please ignore

Once wiring is complete it should look something like this:

Reinstall SatNav subassembly taking care to ensure cables are not trapped between cases, brackets and chassis. Secure the co-ax removed earlier to allow access. Ensure Molex connectors are available beneath SatNav subassembly:

Auxiliary Power Connector

The Lindy RGB convertor require 5v which must be converted from 12v supplied from the Auxiliary Power Connector found in the bottom left of this image, cut through the plastic tongue securing the connector to the metalwork, it is identical to the one found tucked up behind the glovebox:

By default the connector has permanent live and ground, however, if you want switched live then Relay R2 #JC2S 48039 should be source from the dealer and inserted into the fuse panel behind the glovebox:

Obtain 3 x 6.3mm Red crimp connectors (and 2 more fully insulated 6.3mm Red Crimps if you want to install the optional cigar lighter) and make up cable as shown in this schematic:

Physically the power loom looks like this:

Top tip - Make the cables longer than you need so you have flexibility when positioning items.

For my own peace of mind and just in case the crimps did not grip the wire outer sheath tight enough should I want to extract the connectors, I also soldered the tip of the cable to the crimp connector, if you do this, make sure you tin the wire first.
Install the power loom and if required, mount the optional cigar lighter. Note the crimps must be inserted flat plate to the inside of the Auxiliary Power Connector and pushed firmly home, only 1mm or so of the crimp should be visible, use a pair of pliers to gently but firmly insert crimps, in this image Yellow is switched live, Red is permanent live, Black is earth:

If you chose to install the cigar lighter, plug the Red 12v permanent live to the centre pin and Black earth to outer casing

Switch Box

The next step is to build a switch box, in the un-powered this state passes SatNav signals directly to the screen. We use relays to break the signal lines to connect alternative sources, in our case, Rear and Front cameras.
Schematically we are building this:

Using the second pair of Molex connectors create two cables 15cm long, one with a plug and one with a socket.

• The Socket connects to the Molex Plug FROM the SatNav with the free cable end terminating on the relay contacts for the Front Parking Sensor relay in the above diagram.
• The Plug connects to the Molex Socket TO the Screen with the free cable end terminating on the relay contacts for the Reverse Engaged relay in the above diagram.

Each relay contact enables one of the RGBSync signal lines. For rear parking sensors the power is supplied from CA418-6, Green/Black wire in the top connector of the parking aid unit which sits in the spare wheel well behind the spare tyre.

As an aside, multiple break-ins can be supported according to the number of relay pairs implemented as these can be connected in series, when de-energised, the contacts make the connection from SatNav DVD through to the screen. The last pair ie closest to the screen, furthest from SatNav DVD should be connected to the reversing camera otherwise any upstream device will control the RGBSync lines. Each set of break-in relays needs its own switching mechanism to activate which may be pre-empted by the reversing camera.

Depending upon the camera output, conversion from Composite on a Yellow RCA connector may be required. This can be achieved by purchasing a Lindy Composite to RGB splitter. Assuming a Lindy is used, ensure the output is switched to RGB not YCbCr on the side of the unit. When powered up but with no signal input, the power LED flashes Green turning to solid Green when signal is applied. The LED is Orange when set to YCbCr.

The Lindy also outputs Sync on the Green line so this can be used directly and shoud be plugged into the Sync RCA connector

Audio Injection

Audio cannot be injected directly as Jaguar use fibre optics therefore simplest option is to use an FM transmitter ie one for an iPhone which may be shared across break-ins by adding a further relay per RGBSync break-in

 

[x_type_lpg]

This is a really good idea, I' looking to do something similar but would use this item (ebay 181066200527) as it provides the cable and RGB output, saves buying the converter. where did you fit the camera?

 

[Guest]

I use a numberplate holder with camera fitted into the top of the frame

I've looked at eBay 181066200527 - if you go that route make sure the connector has either a separate Sync output or Sync on Green and good luck with fitting it as apart from obscuring a numberplate lamp I can't see how it will fit unobtrusively.

One other observation, the viewing angle is 105 degrees, many reversing cameras are 170 degrees

 

[gwj]

Good work OC.Looking forward to having a look at this at the Doncaster meet

 

[x_type_lpg]

looks like I can cut off most of the plastic and still leave the camera and a mounting bolt., just wondering where you fitted yours.

 

[Guest]

The link to the camera is in the HowTo:

170°Car Rear View Camera License Plate Night Vision Parking Line Camera GC02 | eBay

 

[Andy5112405]

Excellent.

I can't see why you've got the band across the screen though. Looks like it could be intereference from something ?

 

[Guest]

I suspect the screen resolution is non-standard therefore being over-driven by the camera output, it's the best I can get - but I have an oscilloscope arriving shortly so may be able to *do something* with counting the horizontal sync pulses and cutting off after n lines, just a thought...

I'm quite happy to have progressed this far tho

 

[Andy5112405]

I've got a circuit at home that may be of assistance if you want to reduce the number of lines. It was originally intended to strip the first few lines of a video signal to remove the anti-copying protection on VHS but you might be able to adapt it.

 

[astromorg]

Many thanks for all that OriginalCaruso. That comprehensive thread has answered a number of points that I've been mulling over for some time before fitting a reversing camera to my XK8. I hope you get to the bottom of the unwanted 'band' across the screen idc.

 

[Guest]

I am building one for Ryan and simplifying the power loom to use LM317 instead of external 12v to 5v converter.

Using the prototype to build a second relay box is so much easier than doing it from scratch, let me know if you are interested

 

[Andy5112405]

OriginalCaruso I have just e-mailed you the details of the macroKiller for reducing the number of lines being sent to the screen.

 

[Guest]

Andy,

Thanks for the circuit, it needs more time than I had last night to digest the content, I will try to look at it this weekend.

I have been giving some thought to what is causing the band on the screen and *think* it relates to the vertical sync - if you look carefully at the screen shot there is a black strip at the top of the screen where the overlaid band should fit...

I suspect the Yellow wire I spliced into carries vertical sync. If I am right, I need to reinstate the LM1881 to generate it from Composite signal which brings other complications...

Ho hum! It's a good job I have plenty of time on my hands to solve this - NOT!

 

[Winco]

Just a point to note for others to avoid.
I have a dash cam in mine, that also features a rear camera. (The screen is too small to be any use during reversing!). I have the rear camera mounted top central on the rear opening glass (estate). When first installed the excess camera cable was stuffed under the roof lining, right by the roof mounted aerial. My radio reception suffered badly. The rear camera composite signal was causing the interference. The cabling is now routed clear of the aerial and the radio reception is back to normal.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Winco, you make a good point - I have no intention of having excess cable, I have bought good quality cable and will be making up a bespoke cable

BTW - I've just discovered a rust bubble above and left of centre of the numberplate - yours is a similar age and as the rust is well hidden is worth a look...

 

[rallysteve]

Hi OC,
Did you get to the bottom of the interference/lines problem?

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

Yes, this is resolved - the screen is NTSC, I am in the process of commissioning my 6 way camera box but jagryan85 has one of my 2 way boxes working - do you want a box?

 

[rallysteve]

Thanks I might be interested in one, does it do everything required inc. power supply? If so let me know a price

Cheers
Steve

 

[Guest]

You will need a relay to enable aux power connector as it uses switched live for camera and unit, also the Lindy (£70) to split the signal

The relay box is £35 and camera is ~£20, it will take several hours to fit as you need to remove the plinth and fettle the camera casing

PM if interested - there's quite a bit of work involved

 

[pingers]

Reason for dark band

Many thanks for all that OriginalCaruso. That comprehensive thread has answered a number of points that I've been mulling over for some time before fitting a reversing camera to my XK8. I hope you get to the bottom of the unwanted 'band' across the screen idc.

This dark band is caused by the PAL cameras try an NTSC source and it should be ok. I had the same issue and i ended up using a PAL to NTSC converter.

Pete