2019 cx-5, carlink 2.0. using the same firmware that came out over 1.5 years ago. it was working, no reason to keep upgrading.
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CarPlay CarPlay adapter to convert to wireless CarPlay?
- Thread starter MrMister111
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Old thread participant checking back in...
Anyone with an OG Carlinkit/Carplay2Air (green/blue UI + attached USB cable) able to upgrade past 2021.08.30 firmware? The web/OTA interface offers me 2022.12.22 but I get "Upgrade Failed" a few seconds into the process (thankfully it doesn't brick the adapter). I also tried it via USB and it doesn't install there either. It's only ~500KB like the 2021.07.04 update.
I can get 2022.01.24 to install (via USB) and it does "work" in the sense that it displays my phone's CarPlay interface in the car, but the web UI at 192.168.50.2 is pretty much non-functional. It sports the new white tabbed interface, but there's no data on my car or adapter, none of the settings can be changed and the button to check for updates just sits on a "Loading" screen (in Chinese) forever.
I tried installing both firmware versions several times and didn't get any change from what I described above.
This is my original Carlinkit adapter from 2019 (!) and has been sitting in a drawer for over a year as I picked up a v2 adapter in late 2020 that has been working great. So if this older adapter has to stay at the 2021.08.30 firmware that's fine. Just thought I'd check and see if anyone else is still rocking an old adapter and managed to get the 2021.12 or 2022.01 firmware on it.
Anyone with an OG Carlinkit/Carplay2Air (green/blue UI + attached USB cable) able to upgrade past 2021.08.30 firmware? The web/OTA interface offers me 2022.12.22 but I get "Upgrade Failed" a few seconds into the process (thankfully it doesn't brick the adapter). I also tried it via USB and it doesn't install there either. It's only ~500KB like the 2021.07.04 update.
I can get 2022.01.24 to install (via USB) and it does "work" in the sense that it displays my phone's CarPlay interface in the car, but the web UI at 192.168.50.2 is pretty much non-functional. It sports the new white tabbed interface, but there's no data on my car or adapter, none of the settings can be changed and the button to check for updates just sits on a "Loading" screen (in Chinese) forever.
I tried installing both firmware versions several times and didn't get any change from what I described above.
This is my original Carlinkit adapter from 2019 (!) and has been sitting in a drawer for over a year as I picked up a v2 adapter in late 2020 that has been working great. So if this older adapter has to stay at the 2021.08.30 firmware that's fine. Just thought I'd check and see if anyone else is still rocking an old adapter and managed to get the 2021.12 or 2022.01 firmware on it.
I recently updated my Carklinkit adapter to the 2022.x code that changes the 192.168.50.2 web interface to the white interface, and the adapter seems to be working well now with my Mazda (still fails to connect sometimes but then eventually the unit reboots and connects). I've seen reports on the web that there is a 74.00.310A firmware release for the older infotainment system in my MX-5. Has anyone tried the carlinkit 2022 firmware with this 74.00.310A firmware or even the earlier 74.x release? I know the older carlinkit firmwares were definitely not compatible with the earlier 74.x release.
Last I read was that 74.x break 3rd party adapters because those FW versions have wireless carplay code in them. It may be outdated information now. Not sure. I asked for the link to 74.00.310A since I've only been using wired carplay lately. Haven't found a reliable wireless carplay adapter yet. 2017 Mazda 3
I have two CarPlay2Air units, one (the "Old One") purchased in Feb. 2020(glossy black) and the other (the "New One")in Nov.2020 (matte black).
I upgraded the new one without issue, searched for updates, told it to update, rebooted, done. Web interface works w/o issue.
I tried the same on the old one, and got the same as you, failed after a few seconds. Multiple tries with the same result. So I updated via USB and got your results, it runs, but the web UI is useless. I've been running it in this mode for the last few days (updated before leaving for vacation so just used it in this state for the last 4 days). It seems to work ok for the most part. We did a 9 hour drive on Saturday and I did see it reboot 3 times (all in succession), aside from that it seems to operate as expected (2020 Ford Explorer). Given that, it wouldn't seem too difficult for them to get the web UI working properly with the older equipment (however 1) I'm sure there's no incentive and 2) other things that should have been easy to fix have taken 2+ years).
Doc
Thanks for posting your results--at least I know that someone else had the exact same experience.
Does your newer CarPlay2Air have the red interface? Or is it the same blue interface as your older one?
If the former then I'm wondering if the 10MB rootfs partition on the older adapters is the problem. 2022.01.24 is quite a bit larger than previous firmware versions.
They were identical. Funny thing too, the newer one wouldn't work right in the Explorer initially (crashed when using Hey Siri), but the older one worked fine, even though both had the same firmware version.
I haven't read the entire thread, but the 10MB rootfs, is it easily expanded or is it due to reduced flash storage in this model?
Unfortunately, no. According to @VLud one of the earlier firmware versions attempted to repartition the file system to expand rootfs to 12.5MB (which is what it is on the newer adapters) but it bricked a bunch of adapters. So I think that's when they split the firmware releases into two different versions--one for older adapters with the 10MB rootfs and another for the newer adapters that were configured with the 12.5MB rootfs partition from the factory. The additional space on the partition was at least in part to accommodate the new red UI which has higher quality graphics.
@VLud figured a lot of stuff out, but I don't think he ever came up with a way to repartition the older adapters.
I used to care more about the UI, but honestly ever since Carlinkit added the background mode option I rarely even see the UI in my car. Wanting the newer firmware for me is more about getting the expanded web UI as well as further fixes and optimizations for the CarPlay code itself.
EDIT: Just realized I didn't answer the other part of your question. Per @VLud, all of these autokit adapters have a 16MB flash chip, so I think the only impediment is the partitioning.
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Got it, thanks for explaining.
I really don't care about the UI, I'm here for wireless CarPlay. If they could get consistent, reliable operation and reduce the lag (phone calls through the unit are painful with a full second delay), I'd be a happy camper, otherwise, it just looks like I paid $120/ea to be part of a larger beta test program.
I'd love to know the answer to that too, unfortunately I don't know anyone with it.
With mine though, I have tested with my wife on the other end, when I say the word "1" she repeats it as soon as she hears it. I get her response a full second after I say it, so figuring 1/2 second each way, which makes for very awkward conversations, when the other person thinks you keep interrupting them.
In other news, I recently bought one of the ANKEWAY AW1006 adapters from amazon to play with (out of my own pocket. I was not compensated by anyone). Decided against the AW1008 (which is identical to the Podofo adapter that seems to be no longer available) because it was $20 more expensive and I've read reports that the detachable cable doesn't have a very solid connection (causing disconnects). The AW1006 and 1008 adapters both use the same Cheerdriving (aka ConnectBoxBt) firmware.
The AW1006 uses the identical case design as the original carlinkit, with the exception of an embossed diamond pattern which is decent-looking IMHO. Not that it matters in my car since the USB ports are out of sight inside the center console. But at least it's not the same boring matte or glossy plastic as every other CarPlay adapter out there.
However, it wasn't thought out very well. The original carlinkit had tiny cutouts in the case for the status LEDs. Those cutouts are present in the AW1006's case too but there are no LEDs behind them. The status LED is elsewhere on the circuit board and you can only really see it through the gap at the side of the USB jack.
Speaking of the USB situation, hooooo boy. You might guess that the full size USB-A jack is used for plugging in a USB flash drive with a firmware file on it, just like it is on the carlinkit adapter.
But no... That female USB-A jack is actually used for powering the adapter when performing a firmware update. The firmware file gets loaded from the captive male USB-A plug on the other side!
You might be wondering how you're supposed to power the adapter from a female USB-A jack. You might also be wondering how you connect a USB flash drive to a male USB-A plug.
Well... in the box are two bizarre (and totally against-spec) USB gender changers--a male USB-A to male USB-A cable, and a female USB-A to female USB-A adapter. You plug the cable into the jack on the dongle and a USB power source; you plug the female adapter onto the attached male plug of the dongle and your USB flash drive. Wowza!
As if that weren't convoluted enough, you have to use a paperclip or other such implement to press & hold a reset button on the underside while powering on the adapter for it to initiate the firmware flashing process. Rube Goldberg would be proud.
If you want to see this sequence in action, check out this video (FYI: site is entirely in Chinese): https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDk1MTUxNDQwOA==.html
Thankfully, that rigmarole shouldn't be necessary most of the time, as the adapter does have a web page at 192.168.0.1 from which you can initiate an OTA update. The most recent firmware is from January 2022.
The CarPlay aspect worked fine in the limited testing I did. It connects in about the same amount of time as both my old and newer carlinkit adapters (about 35 seconds from when I first turn the car on). As someone else already reported, one nice improvement it has over the carlinkit is that holding down the track back/forward buttons on your head unit/steering wheel will seek within the current track, just like with wired CarPlay. I don't need that ability very often, but it's useful in some situations (like audiobooks).
But that's about the only advantage it has over carlinkit for me. There are no options whatsoever on its configuration web page. So no delay adjustment, no background mode, no management of paired phones, nada. In fact, I don't think it can juggle multiple phones at all. Won't matter to everyone, but if that's important to you you might want to stick with the autokit adapters.
I have no idea if it's using the car's or my phone's GPS. During about an hour driving with it, the GPS position was updating fine, but my phone was sitting out on the passenger seat in view of the satellites. A better test would be with the phone buried in a back pants pocket, briefcase or center console.
Phone calls have the same ~1s lag that all of these CarPlay adapters suffer from. To me it's not a big deal because I don't make or take many phone calls in a given day. I could see it being more of a problem for people who are on the phone a lot, but then again this lag seems to be inherent in the overall design of these adapters. No real way to avoid it no matter which one you buy.
The Airplay function did not work at all in my Ford because I couldn't put the adapter into AirPlay mode... tapping on the upper right corner of the car's screen did nothing, nor did tapping anywhere else on the screen (I tried all over just in case the alignment was skewed). I know it does work for others though, so it may be just a Ford Sync 3 incompatibility. Not a huge loss, as it's not a feature I would use very often.
I give Cheerdriving kudos for implementing seeking ability with the track skip buttons and the Airplay function (for the vehicles it works with anyway), but overall it's undeniable how much more advanced the Carlinkit/autokit firmware is... even more so now with the January 2022 WebUI overhaul. It stands to reason, since they've been on the market over two years now and have made a lot of refinements along the way. Maybe in a year or two Cheerdriving will be on par or even ahead. I hope so--Carlinkit needs some worthy competition.
The AW1006 uses the identical case design as the original carlinkit, with the exception of an embossed diamond pattern which is decent-looking IMHO. Not that it matters in my car since the USB ports are out of sight inside the center console. But at least it's not the same boring matte or glossy plastic as every other CarPlay adapter out there.
However, it wasn't thought out very well. The original carlinkit had tiny cutouts in the case for the status LEDs. Those cutouts are present in the AW1006's case too but there are no LEDs behind them. The status LED is elsewhere on the circuit board and you can only really see it through the gap at the side of the USB jack.
Speaking of the USB situation, hooooo boy. You might guess that the full size USB-A jack is used for plugging in a USB flash drive with a firmware file on it, just like it is on the carlinkit adapter.
But no... That female USB-A jack is actually used for powering the adapter when performing a firmware update. The firmware file gets loaded from the captive male USB-A plug on the other side!
You might be wondering how you're supposed to power the adapter from a female USB-A jack. You might also be wondering how you connect a USB flash drive to a male USB-A plug.
Well... in the box are two bizarre (and totally against-spec) USB gender changers--a male USB-A to male USB-A cable, and a female USB-A to female USB-A adapter. You plug the cable into the jack on the dongle and a USB power source; you plug the female adapter onto the attached male plug of the dongle and your USB flash drive. Wowza!
As if that weren't convoluted enough, you have to use a paperclip or other such implement to press & hold a reset button on the underside while powering on the adapter for it to initiate the firmware flashing process. Rube Goldberg would be proud.
If you want to see this sequence in action, check out this video (FYI: site is entirely in Chinese): https://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNDk1MTUxNDQwOA==.html
Thankfully, that rigmarole shouldn't be necessary most of the time, as the adapter does have a web page at 192.168.0.1 from which you can initiate an OTA update. The most recent firmware is from January 2022.
The CarPlay aspect worked fine in the limited testing I did. It connects in about the same amount of time as both my old and newer carlinkit adapters (about 35 seconds from when I first turn the car on). As someone else already reported, one nice improvement it has over the carlinkit is that holding down the track back/forward buttons on your head unit/steering wheel will seek within the current track, just like with wired CarPlay. I don't need that ability very often, but it's useful in some situations (like audiobooks).
But that's about the only advantage it has over carlinkit for me. There are no options whatsoever on its configuration web page. So no delay adjustment, no background mode, no management of paired phones, nada. In fact, I don't think it can juggle multiple phones at all. Won't matter to everyone, but if that's important to you you might want to stick with the autokit adapters.
I have no idea if it's using the car's or my phone's GPS. During about an hour driving with it, the GPS position was updating fine, but my phone was sitting out on the passenger seat in view of the satellites. A better test would be with the phone buried in a back pants pocket, briefcase or center console.
Phone calls have the same ~1s lag that all of these CarPlay adapters suffer from. To me it's not a big deal because I don't make or take many phone calls in a given day. I could see it being more of a problem for people who are on the phone a lot, but then again this lag seems to be inherent in the overall design of these adapters. No real way to avoid it no matter which one you buy.
The Airplay function did not work at all in my Ford because I couldn't put the adapter into AirPlay mode... tapping on the upper right corner of the car's screen did nothing, nor did tapping anywhere else on the screen (I tried all over just in case the alignment was skewed). I know it does work for others though, so it may be just a Ford Sync 3 incompatibility. Not a huge loss, as it's not a feature I would use very often.
I give Cheerdriving kudos for implementing seeking ability with the track skip buttons and the Airplay function (for the vehicles it works with anyway), but overall it's undeniable how much more advanced the Carlinkit/autokit firmware is... even more so now with the January 2022 WebUI overhaul. It stands to reason, since they've been on the market over two years now and have made a lot of refinements along the way. Maybe in a year or two Cheerdriving will be on par or even ahead. I hope so--Carlinkit needs some worthy competition.
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I did not notice any lag in the Porsche 911 Turbo S '21. There might be some, but too short to notice. The dongle has very noticable lag.
Yea, I've been trying to talk the wife into letting me upgrade to a 911 for years, maybe this is the extra push I need
;-)
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Brand new carlink 3 since I bricked my last one with their ota update. It shipped with the January update but…. Every time I receive send or read an sms this screen comes up and have to press it to get things back to normal. Anyone experienced this ? Tried resetting but no joy. Thinking ? maybe to roll back to august 21 firmware as that’s the only option provided to see if it works without that annoying glitch.
Attachments
Do you have your phone paired with the car itself via bluetooth? If so, you might try deleting that pairing and see if that changes anything as it pertains to the crash you're seeing with SMS messages. Just a shot in the dark, but worth a try.
Aside from that, then yeah it's probably worth trying a firmware downgrade to the August 2021 firmware.
Hi Mazda user,
This is summary for MX-5 with CheerDriving
I have tried my MX-5 with CheerDriving with following conditions.
Results , CheerDriving doesn't support MX-5 at this moment.
CheerDriving FW
FW1) 43.0.11.0.0.0.3.0-2.10.2
FW2) 43.0.10.1.0.1.0.0-2.10.3
MX-5 Mazda : 70.00.351 JP M
I have communicated to CheerDriving support. They are supporting e-mail , phone , and WhatsApp.
and their responds were so fast. I have communicated several times via WhatsApp. During this communication. I sent my environment and movie to recreate unsupported situation. then they concluded current FW is not supported for my environment. I think their supports were so good.
CheerDriving for support list are listed CX-5, CX-30/Alela/CX-8/Atenza/CX-4. It is not listed my MX-5.
so I'm OK even though it is not working at this moment.
As I see support list, It seems Wide Screen models are supported, and 4x3 screen models are not supported.
This is my result at this moment.
This one also seems to work well with ford:
LEROAADZ Wireless CarPlay Adapter for Factory Wired CarPlay Cars, CarPlay Wireless Adapter, Wireless CarPlay Dongle, Convert Wired to Wireless CarPlay(for iPhone Only)
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What car model are you driving? I have that issue before as well with my VW 2017 MK7.5 Golf GTI, what I did to solve this issue was to delete both bluetooth, Wifi and CarPlay on my iPhone setting, and reboot the car infortaiment system and reset it to the factory mode. and then repaire it again, that should be fine. Let me know if that helps. Good luck!
2017 Golf GTI.
Ugh I hesitate to reset the info system, reinputting all my radio stations etc. But sounds like it worked for you with similar vehicle. Thanks for the input.
Are you on the January Firmware for the carlink as well ? want to make sure as I think issue is from that update perhaps.
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I have a 2019 Golf GTI; you almost certainly don't need to reset the entire infotainment, just start with AppConnect (CarPlay) and Bluetooth. You can reset them individually in the Settings menu towards the bottom. I'm on the January firmware with the Carlinkit 3.0 and it works flawlessly for me.
Yes, i have the January updated firmware as well, it works fine with me so far. Try it out first with Kurt871's approach and if its still doens't work, try my approach(it's a bit annoying indeed to have all the settings redo again,lol)
And it might be also worth trying with redo the firmware update on the dongle to see if it's properly done.
same with mine as well, it works just ok. The biggest prb for me now is that i need to wire another cable to charge my iPhone, we intended to eliminate wires by using the dongle but somehow it makes the situation a bit more complicated as we need to wire another cable from another USB port to charge the phone, lol
If you're feeling adventurous, it's not impossible to retrofit the wireless charging cubby in there
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/oem-wireless-charger.378650/