I have an Audi Q7 with the Audi Music Interface that allows iPods/iPhones to be controlled through the cars indash interface.

The AMI makes complete sense with an iPod where the hardware can only output audio from the iPod itself, but when it comes to connecting an iPhone, the AMI locks the audio-out from the phone from the iPod part of the phone only.

There is no way to have the phone push audio from the Pandora App or Sirus/XM app.

I took a look at the pinout of the dock connector (http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod_pinout.shtml) and it seems that the answers lie with Pin 21. If that pin is connected and active, the iPod/iPhone goes into "Accessory Indicator/Serial enable" mode which locks the ipod to "accessory only" status and only the ipod interface can output the audio from the device.

Does anyone know of a small adapter that can be placed between the female iPod/iPhone dock and the male plug attached to the car that makes pin 21 inactive so you can allow other apps to output their audio thru the cars system.

I would think it would be a fairly simple device.

 

I found your post through some extensive google searching. I'm trying to find (or if necessary build) a car dock that will let ALL of the audio out of my iPhone go through the 30 pin dock connector. I also want the mic input to go there. So far I've had no luck. I agree with you that the key is probably what happens on pin 21.

I've written Apple but I doubt I'll get a response so we are probably on our own here.

Looks like there may be some good info here: http://www.modmyi.com/forums/os-apps...connector.html

They mention some companies that sell custom connectors.

Please let me know if you find anything and I'll do the same for you.

Keith

 

Keith -- so funny , i actually found that site you spoke of just last night. The have a lot or raw components, but no adapter to do what we're looking for......

I also just realized that the new iphone 3GS has a newer bluetooth spec that allows wireless playing of audio to bluetooth devices. Some people claim that they can play Non-ipod audio to the Audi MMI, but some say it doesn't work due to the Audi Bluetooth version in the cars.

I plan to get a 3GS soon and will continue to try....i'll let you know.

 

I'm beginning to believe that what I want is not possible with the iPhone. There are numerous iPhone docks out there for playing the iPod portion, but none of them have a speaker-phone mode. Apple may have simply not designed this capability into the circuitry.

It is possible to get all the audio from the headphone jack, but, for whatever reason, in my car the fidelity is much better from the audio-outs on the docking connector. I figured this out while playing with the iPhone A/V cable from Apple.

Here's another oddity: With the phone plugged into the A/V connector, the audio out gets switched to the headphone jack output as soon as the headphone jack is plugged in. This happens even if I plug in a completely blank plug (meaning no electrical connection). There must be a physical switch in the phone for detecting the presence of a headset.

I'm told that everything works fine if I add a bluetooth speaker for the phone calls but I don't want to bother. I'd like to add a decent external mic and use my stereo for the incoming audio.

Good luck to us both.

Thanks for responding.

Keith

 

I'm looking to do pretty much the same things. I want to be able to listen to Pandora or other streaming applications while my phone is connected to the AMI. I believe the problem is not pin 21. I know I can hear a couple sends on Pandora each time I hit the play button on Pandora. Then, the MMI resends a play command (I assume), automatically pausing Pandora. I think the answer to this is to have Audi allow us to pause ipod playback. I'm doing some more testing here. If I find anything useful, I'll post.

 

I did some quick testing with a Homedock music remote. I docked my iPhone 3G. Unless I hit play on the remote, to play ipod content, I'm allowed to play Pandora just fine. When I hit the play button on the remote, emulating, what I think is happening on the MMI, Pandora is automatically paused, and iPod content plays fine.

I think we have two possible solutions.. that I can think of..

first.. someone would need to write an iPhone app, that could toggle a "ignore play command" on and off.

second, Audi could release an MMI update that would either prevent auto-play of ipod content when it's plugged in, and/or allow us to pause ipod playback, disabling their continual re-playing function..

in looking through the pin outs, I didn't see a resistance value for pin 21, that "I" think will likely change this auto-play behavior. If you guys come up with some additional ideas, or progress on this, I'd love to hear it.

Adam

 

Another thing I just noticed is that when you hit the mute button on the audi, it mutes and pauses at the same time. While it is paused like this, pandora will play, although you can't hear it, because it's muted. During this time, the MMI isn't sending the play command like it normally would. When I unpause the car, it unmutes, and I hear pandora for a second or two and then the play command comes and overrides pandora.

I've seen some other posts, that talk about a potential for a springboard setting that would do this, although I haven't found any such app yet.

I've also seen Audi's new bluetooth A2DP interface. I'm not sure how this works. I've read a few posts, that indicate that you can't use both that, and the integrated telephone BT at the same time, which is a bummer. This thing supposedly gives you steering wheel controls for multiple audio app including ipod and pandora, which is great. It doesn't support track information though. That fact prevents me from wanting to use it as a ipod input, but it would be fine for pandora. If it kills my telephone BT, that I can't use it at all. It's also nice to have the AMI interface extended to the center console, so I can charge and have easy access to the phone while driving to access other applications...

I'll look an app that will do the toggle, and do some more reading on the A2DP interface. Both could help me out.

 

I found a functional software based solution. For those who are running jailbroken iPhones only. The Cydia app SBSettings has all sorts of toggles. You need to install that app, and another app called iPod Widget. iPod Widget is an add on for SBSettings that lets you toggle Play/Pause.

In my experience, it doesn't work from SBSettings handy two finger quick launch pad, but it does work when triggered from within the full SBSettings app. Springboard will restart, and you can then see that the AMI input is paused. Then, you can fire up Pandora, and let it play without fear that the iPod will kick back in. After a minute or so, the MMI display will appear to have lost access to the iPod content. As soon as iPod Widget is toggled back, everything comes back, and it works fine again.

It takes a little longer that is desirable to get this a working Pandora fired up, but this does work, and it would be fine for long drives. Additionally, if the A2DP interface added steering wheel control and worked while the phone was paired, it might be a pretty good overall solution.

 

Getting the iphone to play pandora while docked in the MMI?

I aggree that the mmi dock should not be in the glove box, the center screen doesnt scroll the names form right to left so you don't know which number your dialing for a given entry.

 

I installed the iPod widget for SBSettings and I cannot get it to work properly. The car keeps overriding it and the iPod starts playing again. WHat did you mean when you said it wouldn't work from the two finger quick launch pad? I am using Activator and I launch SBSettings using a short hold of the Home button. I don't know any other way to launch it.