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CarPlay CarPlay adapter to convert to wireless CarPlay?

Can someone confirm which is the last OTA update that was released before firmware ver:2020.08.04.1602.

I need to get back on this one as the newer one broke my text message notifications.

If someone could post the U2W_update for it as well please.

Also does anyone have the OTA 2020.08.10.2151 update please.

Thanks
 
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bookemdano said:
Insert the stick before you plug in the Carplay2Air. What are you using the power it?
Click to expand...
using an apple 5w adapter plugged into wall. I tried a different usb with firmware 07-08 and it flashed now. Must be usb stick related. Thanks for the help.
 
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So I have tried to keep up and understand things but I am at a loss with one thing. I have a CarLinKit 2.0 USB-A. I recently read a post saying that you should by the CarLinkKit 2.0 USB-C. I have 2 days left to return the USB-A version and I can get the USB-C instead. What is the advantage? I am using it on a Ford Sync 3 system. Just want to make sure I have the better unit. Look forward to the input.
 
Its newer faster hardware best we can tell and usb cable is detachable to cable of choice or if damaged.
 
earthdog said:
So I have tried to keep up and understand things but I am at a loss with one thing. I have a CarLinKit 2.0 USB-A. I recently read a post saying that you should by the CarLinkKit 2.0 USB-C. I have 2 days left to return the USB-A version and I can get the USB-C instead. What is the advantage? I am using it on a Ford Sync 3 system. Just want to make sure I have the better unit. Look forward to the input.
Click to expand...

I have both and functionally I noticed no real difference. That said, if I were buying today I would pick the USB-C version since it has bigger LED indicators and a detachable cable.
 
Hello everybody,

I started a reverse engineering repo of Carplay2air / Carlinkit Wireless Carplay Dongle because I bricked 3 Carplay2air units trying to update them by USB.
I tried multiple things to recover my bricked units, all of them failed: USB-OTG, flashing a full dump from a working unit, flashing a partial dump

You can find pictures of Carplay2air and Carlinkit V2, you will see they use EXACTLY the same hardware (same Wifi Chip, same flash, and so on), the only difference is that they used a powered Wifi Antenna (probably for extended Wifi range).

So all the "brand new hardware" of the V2 is total ********

I also opened .img firmware files (which are basically obfuscated .tar.gz files) and extracted the content.

You will also note that most Shell files are pretty old, they re-used many things they did for their Android headunits dongles.
 
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Very interesting. Any chance you could do the infamous 20080827 firmware to get a look at the shell update files to see if there is a difference between the normal firmware for those Of us stuck on it?

VLud said:
Hello everybody,

I started a reverse engineering repo of Carplay2air / Carlinkit Wireless Carplay Dongle because I bricked 3 Carplay2air units trying to update them by USB.
I tried multiple things to recover my bricked units, all of them failed: USB-OTG, flashing a full dump from a working unit, flashing a partial dump

You can find pictures of Carplay2air and Carlinkit V2, you will see they use EXACTLY the same hardware (same Wifi Chip, same flash, and so on), the only difference is that they used a powered Wifi Antenna (probably for extended Wifi range).

So all the "brand new hardware" of the V2 is total ********

I also opened .img firmware files (which are basically obfuscated .tar.gz files) and extracted the content.

You will also note that most Shell files are pretty old, they re-used many things they did for their Android headunits dongles.
Click to expand...
 
VLud said:
I found the issue, rename your file "U2W_ZYD_Update.img" :)

I will upload it to the repo soon
Click to expand...
Bingo!

To anyone else on the JoyAuto version, this works. I knew it would be something simple like that.

Thanks again Vlud, I'm going to have a nose around the repo a bit more now :)
 
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fruitbat04 said:
Bingo!

To anyone else on the JoyAuto version, this works. I knew it would be something simple like that.

Thanks again Vlud, I'm going to have a nose around the repo a bit more now :)
Click to expand...

Nice find! Which firmware did you go to from the JoyAuto one?
 
@VLud - How are you decompiling these out of interest? I'm a .Net developer by trade, and only know how to do it in that.

I'm thinking that perhaps the other firmware that bricked peoples devices (I think it was 2009-09-18) could also be reversible by extracting the product code from /etc/box_product_type. I can see from the upgrade script that hardcoding the name of the update file to U2W_Update.img isn't necessarily going to work if the firmware has been allocated to a different product.
 
Awesome work @VLud. Thanks for sharing your findings.

I'm going to stay on 09.27 since it's working very well for me. But it's great to know I can get back to the Carlinkit branch whenever the time comes.

I lack the specialized knowledge to assist in this aspect but I hope others who do will join you in diving under the hood of these adapters. It would be great if a solution could be found to unbrick them (since Carlinkit itself seems unwilling or unable to figure that out, and it's not like these are dirt cheap to replace).
 
fruitbat04 said:
2020-09-17
Click to expand...

Thank you, for some reason my usb c version stuck on the Joyauto firmware wouldn’t read the usb if I powered it up with usb stick in but inserting the usb stick after it booted enabled it to update and am back on the old interface now.

I’m not a programmer by any means but the fact it’s possible to reverse engineer the software for these now I wonder if it’s possible to change things like the start up splash screen to a more apple OEM look? Not that it’s a huge deal!
 
simps100 said:
Thank you, for some reason my usb c version stuck on the Joyauto firmware wouldn’t read the usb if I powered it up with usb stick in but inserting the usb stick after it booted enabled it to update and am back on the old interface now.
Click to expand...

Yes same here. Sorry should have mentioned that.
 
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fruitbat04 said:
@VLud - How are you decompiling these out of interest? I'm a .Net developer by trade, and only know how to do it in that.

I'm thinking that perhaps the other firmware that bricked peoples devices (I think it was 2009-09-18) could also be reversible by extracting the product code from /etc/box_product_type. I can see from the upgrade script that hardcoding the name of the update file to U2W_Update.img isn't necessarily going to work if the firmware has been allocated to a different product.
Click to expand...

Since I extracted the binary that is converting .img to .tar.gz I use it directly (using qemu), didn't start looking too much to decompile it (the file is read by 512KB block and /tmp/update.tar.gz is written with modified blocks - must be something really basic though -)
 
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Can anyone tell me if any of these updates will allow your text message notifications to be heard and notified if you are not on the actual carplay screen? as it does if phone is plugged in.
 
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LarryJoe33 said:
Not me, I am sticking to OTA "official" releases unless 8.28 solves for world hunger.

On the topic of bricking,

I have bricked one of the MANY dongles I have owned, lost count. That was via USB. I have updated OTA probably 10 times now counting the first out of box update and I have never bricked via OTA. It does seem less temperamental with far less variables.

But on the variable of USB updates, what worked for me was a 256MB cheapo stick and a good power brick. What did not work and resulted in a brick was using a 32GB stick and using power from a USB charging station.
Click to expand...

Have you tracked the official OTA releases? I'm trying to narrow down my issue and need a list of only the OTA updates since June? so I can try those to try and fix this.

Cheers
 
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josojoso said:
hello, I’m using the Carplay2air unit with my Alpine iLX-207 head unit and yesterday I accidentally rolled back my firmware to 2020.08.04. I now have problems with my messages coming in they are silent and the notification banner disappears immediately. Is there a way to go back to the previous firmware version before this rollback ? thank you.
Click to expand...
Hello, I have the exact same issue as yourself. It started working and I foolishly updated and now my notifications don't work again. Do you remember which firmware you were on before the upgrade disabled them? Have you fixed this?

Thanks
 
Zombie Woof said:
Hello, I have the exact same issue as yourself. It started working and I foolishly updated and now my notifications don't work again. Do you remember which firmware you were on before the upgrade disabled them? Have you fixed this?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I don’t remember the last firmware that was working correctly. I’m at 09-17 and it is not working correctly still. I wish I never updated:(
 
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