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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > E90 / E92 / E93 3-series Technical Forums > AUDIO/VIDEO + BLUETOOTH + Electronics/Alarm/Software > MOST, CIC, Bluetooth and other Questions



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      02-23-2022, 12:36 AM   #1
dr4stic
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MOST, CIC, Bluetooth and other Questions

I have an E92 LCI with Navigation... The CIC unit (the big box with the CD interface at the top)... what exactly is it responsible for and can the vehicle survive without it?

A bit of perspective to inform the question... All I want is good stable bluetooth integrated into my luxury car that has a digital media interconnect... one that doesn't traverse an aux input. Also, I'm a person with enough of a tech background that I let my ideas and needs get away from me.

I've been toying with the idea of building some sort of custom interface. I bought an AVIN unit (the SD 615 based unit w/ 4GB) and while it functions, it's clearly a subpar implementation of whatever it's trying to do. All of these android variations are, and they're mostly identical. I'm looking into the possibility of repurposing the hardware (rooting, building out a new codebase, maybe built on lineage, maybe try something based on Android Automotive). It's got lots of the hardware interfaces, but there's lots of little issues with the plan, namely that I still have no way to get digitally into the MOSTbus.

I've been looking at possibly building something PI based... there are PI hats available for the CAN interfaces, but again nothing for MOST. And there's the issue of where to put it. Also, I need to get an interface together. That aside, there are already a few projects that offer android automotive (or other linux based) solutions to what I'm looking for. But still, not enough.

MOST is probably the absolute biggest stumbling block I have and I'm wondering what it is I'd actually need it for. I don't know all the specific components of the car that use it, but the three modules I can see being connected are my CIC, the AMP and the COMBOX that provides the craptastic bluetooth that started this venture to begin with.

COMBOX doesn't seem useful anymore. The bluetooth has been terrible since day one, and the cellular functionality is being phased out as we speak. I'd love to get access to the built in microphone in the car for my project, but I'm happy to work around it if necessary.

This leaves the CIC and the AMP as being important things on the MOST bus. I'm talking about replacing the interface all together, and if my project provides an interface AND provides all the media handling, then maybe I could just upgrade the amp to something that doesn't need MOST. Maybe a more modern interface, plus I get an audio upgrade out of the project.

Am I missing something?

I don't know enough about the control systems on the car to know if I can just get rid of the CIC. Getting rid of the CIC hardware gives me quite a bit of room in the center console to play with. There are plenty of E9*'s out there that don't have navigation or some other GUI interface. I also don't know if there's a reason I want to keep the MOST bus in play.

Any help and explanations would be appreciated on this.

Thanks.
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      02-23-2022, 01:50 AM   #2
ctuna
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too my knowledge besides the Nav the CIC is an alternate way to access
the Service Recalls and get Error messages. However these are also displayed
in the Instrument Cluster.
The Aux does seem to be a bottleneck for fidelity and the stock stereo systems
are not really great either.

Devices like the Denison 500 avoid the Aux and there are cheap cloan
copys of it now like this.
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1499808

MR12 volt power makes this device.
I thing they are making something that use's wi fi now to.

I think there new Car Play android auto uses Wi Fi.

https://www.mr12volt.com/collections/bmw

Last edited by ctuna; 02-23-2022 at 02:04 AM..
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      02-24-2022, 03:55 AM   #3
dr4stic
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ctuna View Post
too my knowledge besides the Nav the CIC is an alternate way to access
the Service Recalls and get Error messages. However these are also displayed
in the Instrument Cluster.
The Aux does seem to be a bottleneck for fidelity and the stock stereo systems
are not really great either.
Does the regular radio in an e90 without Navigation have display information for these things on it's LCD? If getting rid of the CIC module just brings me back to standard e90 functionality, I'm fine with that.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctuna View Post
Devices like the Denison 500 avoid the Aux and there are cheap cloan
copys of it now like this.
https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1499808
So I actually ran into this post but I couldn't seem to get anywhere with it. The eBay links were all dead, and the posts didn't have a ton of description in it to help me find alternative alternative solutions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctuna View Post
MR12 volt power makes this device.
I thing they are making something that use's wi fi now to.

I think there new Car Play android auto uses Wi Fi.

https://www.mr12volt.com/collections/bmw
I'll reach out to the company, however I already suspect from the descriptions that this won't do what I want. No screen replacement means no touch option. Also seems to be Apple oriented with Apple lossless stuff (I'm not into Apple equipment), and I'm also wondering which version of bluetooth they support. I need more research here, but I'm still feeling this is not a good full solution.

The project I'm considering is some hardware replacement that would ideally be upgradeable. If I can incorporate the canbus(es) properly, I should be able to grab stuff like the knobby controller and it's buttons, various car metrics, etc.

I don't know what I'm doing yet, many of my ideas are pie-in-the-sky... Just trying to wrap my head around my options.

I appreciate the pointers, though. Thank you :-)
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      02-24-2022, 04:24 AM   #4
ctuna
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The mr12volt stuff would be and add on to the idrive .
I have the simple one for my pro radio that just goes through
the Most bus and uses the cd controls and gives usb and bluetooth phone
and streaming music.
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      03-03-2022, 09:04 PM   #5
MilesPNZ
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ctuna View Post
The mr12volt stuff would be and add on to the idrive .
I have the simple one for my pro radio that just goes through
the Most bus and uses the cd controls and gives usb and bluetooth phone
and streaming music.
How do you find it? I have only just stumbled on their products from what you posted in another thread.
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      03-04-2022, 05:18 PM   #6
ctuna
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https://www.mr12volt.com/collections/bmw
Didn't you see this link in the previous posts.
Its there website.
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      03-04-2022, 07:10 PM   #7
MilesPNZ
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S

Quote:
Originally Posted by ctuna View Post
https://www.mr12volt.com/collections/bmw
Didn't you see this link in the previous posts.
Its there website.
No I meant what is your experience with it? What are your thoughts on it having installed one in your own car?

I reached out to them and they said the current ones have bass issues so if bass is something that is important I should wait until they release the new version jn Q2/Q3 this year.
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      03-04-2022, 11:40 PM   #8
ctuna
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I installed it myself
the sound through the USB/SD Card is as good at the
CD player. The bluetooth streaming has a little less quality
but sounds OK when I stream Ytube music.
The controls are kind of wonky . My biggest complaint is
the way you switch sources using the on/off button on the
pro radio . Instructions for operation are not clear.
I am talking about the lower cost model that was around 150
when I bought it and is now 18x something .
The phone works OK but I don't use it that much.

There are numerous reviews in the installation thread.
And that thread was listed in one of the other entry's to.

I don't see how this can have any bass or treble problems since everything is digital till it
goes into the BMW Head Unit.

https://www.mr12volt.com/collections...ve-e90-e60-f01

I have the Pro Radio not Idrive but I don't see how this would make a difference as long
as the cd changer interface can be enabled.
There new device uses Wi Fi so it should be better at wireless.

Last edited by ctuna; 03-04-2022 at 11:49 PM..
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      05-25-2022, 06:45 PM   #9
e90_enjoyer
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ctuna View Post
I installed it myself
the sound through the USB/SD Card is as good at the
CD player. The bluetooth streaming has a little less quality
but sounds OK when I stream Ytube music.
The controls are kind of wonky . My biggest complaint is
the way you switch sources using the on/off button on the
pro radio . Instructions for operation are not clear.
I am talking about the lower cost model that was around 150
when I bought it and is now 18x something .
The phone works OK but I don't use it that much.

There are numerous reviews in the installation thread.
And that thread was listed in one of the other entry's to.

I don't see how this can have any bass or treble problems since everything is digital till it
goes into the BMW Head Unit.

https://www.mr12volt.com/collections...ve-e90-e60-f01

I have the Pro Radio not Idrive but I don't see how this would make a difference as long
as the cd changer interface can be enabled.
There new device uses Wi Fi so it should be better at wireless.
Hi, considering getting this device as well. The new device seems to use the CDC menu to change modes and settings, so I think your controls complaint has been addressed.

How has it been for phone calls and such? I also have just the professional radio, tel prep but no Bluetooth/handsfree at all. I'd love to be able to press the phone button to answer/hang up calls and also the voice button to call up Siri etc - does yours do that? And lastly, does it show the current song playing on the Pro radio display?

Thanks in advance
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      05-25-2022, 08:34 PM   #10
ctuna
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Phone quality is fine but as with the source switching no instructions were
provided. I seldom do anything on the phone and since I have pro radio
what it displays is limited. I don't use digital assistants for anything I find
them irratating so I can't comment on that.
The buttons on the steering wheel still work .
Songs are displayed as on the cd for usb and sd card to you can scroll
through the index.

I mostly stream ytube music if I am on significant journey as I am kind
of burnt out on my own library.

I think they have a unit that uses wi fi now and has android auto and apple play more than
twice the price though. It's designed for Idrive and more sophisticated so I can't comment.

Old price used to be 125 to 150.

The new one looks pretty good and it it one of the few devices that use the most bus.

If you are looking for real sound quality amplifiers and better speakers are usually required.

Last edited by ctuna; 05-25-2022 at 08:52 PM..
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