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Nexus 7 Tablet Install for Dummies (Guide)


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Wow, thanks for the help solidxsnake! Truth be told I haven't researched the optimal rom to run for this, but was leaning toward CyanogenMod 13 or AOKP MM (6.0.1) just from past experience. Unfortunately ElementalX and SlimLP arent supported on my devices (Galaxy S5, kltespr) so the modified USB host will need to be transplanted into a different rom series.

 

Shouldn't be too hard. There are other kernels with USB + OTG as well for other devices (Kangaroo kernel on the 2012 N7, from memory), so check for one on your target device. That said, I'd assume the modification is very similar on any kernel, since I'd imagine the USB driver is written according to the OTG specification, meaning that they should all have the same base state-machine to deal with the USB handshake. At that point you just need to make similar changes in the other kernel.

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  • 4 weeks later...
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I've been looking ahead toward what I'll need when I eventually get around to doing the Nexus mod and was wondering...

 

Would a bulkhead connector like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WWNZ18N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T1_wfIqzbG9D3GN8 work if plugged into a powered hub to let me plug a flash drive in for music/video/etc without having to tear into the dash whenever I'm wanting to add media?

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I've been looking ahead toward what I'll need when I eventually get around to doing the Nexus mod and was wondering...

 

Would a bulkhead connector like this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WWNZ18N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T1_wfIqzbG9D3GN8 work if plugged into a powered hub to let me plug a flash drive in for music/video/etc without having to tear into the dash whenever I'm wanting to add media?

 

I don't see why not. It's just an extension cable, essentially.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Do you lose the access port with vag-com?

 

Sent from my SM-N920T using Tapatalk

 

You can't use the AP at the same time as the VAGCOM, but you don't need the AP to run an AP tune. Once the car is flashed, you can unplug the AP and use the VAGCOM cable + BtSsm to log.

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Dear, I need to do the same job. Have instructions yet? I bought a subaru legacy outback 2004, it has the same radio as the legacy sedan, in a single module with the climate control. I would like to add a tablet in the top panel as in the video that shows, besides buying the list of things I added, can you give me the instructions please? Or some contact where you can talk to you. I'm from Chile, help me, please.
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  • 2 weeks later...

This past weekend, I was able to take apart my dash, run cables and finally install my NAV replacement. 2 big problems though -

1) It seems the spare face plate i purchased is JDM, and leans to the right side. you can see it popping out on the left, and pushed in on the right. My OCD won't stand for it, so that means more dremeling for me on the OEM part, and i can't save it for a fully stock spare.

2) the GPS antenna is really weak. I could only get a GPS signal when driving right past a cell tower on the highway.

 

Problem 1 - easy. Problem 2... thoughts? recomendations or suggestions on improving the strength? can i somehow tap into the car's antenna?

 

35614301730_bf439e6337_b.jpg

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Problem 1 - easy. Problem 2... thoughts? recomendations or suggestions on improving the strength? can i somehow tap into the car's antenna?

 

If you're using a phone to tether to, there are apps that allow you to use your phone's GPS signal to forward to the tablet. I used the app "Bluetooth GPS" and it worked great. You will need to do some setup (and I don't remember if you need a rooted device for it to work correctly), but once that's done, it should work seamlessly once your phone and tablet are connected via bluetooth.

 

What ROM are you using? I really like that you have a ton of buttons in the taskbar. The ROM I'm using doesn't allow for that many, which is annoying given that an earlier version of that ROM did :spin:.

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If you're using a phone to tether to, there are apps that allow you to use your phone's GPS signal to forward to the tablet. I used the app "Bluetooth GPS" and it worked great. You will need to do some setup (and I don't remember if you need a rooted device for it to work correctly), but once that's done, it should work seamlessly once your phone and tablet are connected via bluetooth.

 

What ROM are you using? I really like that you have a ton of buttons in the taskbar. The ROM I'm using doesn't allow for that many, which is annoying given that an earlier version of that ROM did :spin:.

 

Thanks! I'll look into the Bluetooth GPS app (from GG MobLab?) stupid question - do i install this on my tablet (to pull the info), or on my phone (to push the info)?

 

I've also found this DIY antenna booster :

- I might try that, since i have to pull the thing out and replace the faceplate anyway, AND it's likely that the contacts aren't fully engaged. We'll see, I'll report back. I may go this route so that if my phone is dead, or out of 4G, at least i can use locally saved maps on the tablet.

 

I'm running Timurs' Rom, and I had to hack it to add the buttons (I'll look for the android thread i used to get the extra buttons), and resize the screen to squish and fit. first day use, i wish the buttons were bigger. maybe gestures are the way to go.

 

*Edit* Found the thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/nexus-7-2013/themes-apps/mod-media-volume-buttons-navbar-car-t3180274

 

It was recommended to me to flash the SuperSU after installing this. I did that and it seemed to work.

 

See my notes earlier in this thread for resizing the screen.

Edited by FunkyDragon
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I really like that you have a ton of buttons in the taskbar.

 

You do? IMHO, it would be kind of a pain to try to touch a specific button while driving, especially if there are many of them next to each other. You'd have to take your eyes off the road and interact with the tablet...

I'd rather use gestures to do things, or the buttons on the steering wheel.

 

But yeah, these are nice to have for a tablet that you own at home or something.

 

Having said that, good job on your setup FunkyDragon.

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You do? IMHO, it would be kind of a pain to try to touch a specific button while driving, especially if there are many of them next to each other. You'd have to take your eyes off the road and interact with the tablet...

I'd rather use gestures to do things, or the buttons on the steering wheel.

 

But yeah, these are nice to have for a tablet that you own at home or something.

 

Having said that, good job on your setup FunkyDragon.

Thanks!

 

Yeah, the buttons are small. the ones i interacted with most were volume up, and the back/main menu button. The full plan is to integrate the DEST MENU & MAP buttons to hotkeys (via a Joycon CarPC) that will drop to the desktop or open the task manager so i can change apps, and the MAP button will open my maps of choice, while DEST will open the other map applications.

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Thanks!

 

The full plan is to integrate the DEST MENU & MAP buttons to hotkeys (via a Joycon CarPC) that will drop to the desktop or open the task manager so i can change apps, and the MAP button will open my maps of choice, while DEST will open the other map applications.

 

that is almost exactly what I went through last week! I finally put the joycon exr in there and successfully got the steering wheel buttons to communicate with the tablet. I love it! I now have a button to

open Google map

one for btssm

open backup camera app

one for music player

volume up/down

previous/next track

play/pause

 

still have a few without any assignments.

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that is almost exactly what I went through last week! I finally put the joycon exr in there and successfully got the steering wheel buttons to communicate with the tablet. I love it!

still have a few without any assignments.

 

any chance you have any wiring advice? (diagrams, where did you actually connect?) I also found it difficult to "save" the joycon config.

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What are you trying to achieve? Are you planning to get the steering wheel buttons to communicate with the tablet, and no longer with the head unit?

 

If yes, then you just need to locate the two steering wheel button wires either from underneath the steering column or behind your head unit.

-->If you have access to the service manual, go to page WI-161 or search for the string 'SATELLITE SWITCH'.

-->Look for connector B68 (that's the one close to the steering column) and look at wires 6 and 7.

-->OR look for connector i1 on the head unit side. It should be wires 5/6. Note that I did not use that connector because my car did not come with these steering wheel switches. So I had to use connector B68.

 

These wires should be VW (violet white) or OrW (Orange White).

 

To confirm that you have selected the right wires, you can hook up an ohm meter to both wires and see if the resistance varies as you press the various buttons.

 

Once you have selected the correct wires, just hook them up to your joycon and begin the setup!

Edited by xt2005bonbon
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What are you trying to achieve? Are you planning to get the steering wheel buttons to communicate with the tablet, and no longer with the head unit?

 

I want it ALL!!!!

 

yeah, i hard mapped 3 of the buttons from the head unit, but i plan on using the A channel to connect the steering wheel to the Joycon.

 

thanks for your help!

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  • 5 weeks later...

My install is nearly complete now. After the first dry run of installation, I took the car on a long drive out of the city. At first I didn't notice that the Nexus 7 wasn’t locking on to GPS and updating my position, as I park in an underground garage. I thought that I might be able to catch a signal as I got further from urban congestion, but no dice. The only time I was able to actually get any signal was when I was driving by a cell tower, and only for about a mile. I thought that tethering my tablet to my phone would deliver the GPS position, but I was wrong.

 

So I looked to the internet and Amazon.com to find an “android compatible” USB GPS dongle, and found this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008200LHW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

GlobalSat BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver

 

Android logo on the box and all, BUT! It doesn’t work out of the box. If you download the “official” GlobalSat driver from the Play Store, you have to enable that software (USB_GPS) in the Mock Locations option under the Developer’s option setting. Android 6.0.1 wouldn’t take this setting, or would claim that the setting wasn’t enabled at all.

 

Going to the service section of GlobalSat’s website, they advise using a custom driver from the xda forums, rather than an officially sanctioned driver: UsbGPS4Honeycomb_MR1_alpha

 

The UsbGPS4Honeycomb_MR1_alpha driver SORT OF worked, but it wouldn’t auto-start the driver on boot up, and would crash about 5 minutes later.

I had to hunt and peck for another driver built by another custom developer, this one here:

https://github.com/freshollie/UsbGps4Droid/tree/master/app/build/outputs/apk

 

Once you have the mock locations set up, there are some minor configurations within the software USB GPS software. There’s a setting to change how many times it retries to communicate with the dongle, it’s set to 5 by default. I had to bump this up to 20, so that when I turn off the car, and turn it back on, the service doesn’t time out waiting for the dongle to power back up.

 

Since then, this thing has been solid. I get a signal immediately, and it’s super accurate. The one thing I can’t figure out is how to permanently assign the driver loading to the custom USB_GPS software, because on boot Torque tries to take over control of the device and auto-launch Torque. I keep hitting cancel, because it was such a laborious task to get it working in the first place, and I just don’t want to mess with it anymore.

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  • 5 months later...
Hey guys/gals tried installing Timur's rom with no luck is there anyone local from the tri-state that would be willing to help a brother out with this? I'm, not very good with this kind of thing

 

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

Where exactly are you getting stuck? I'm sure I could write up a set of step-by-step directions that work, but without knowing your level of technical prowess, it's hard to know if that's a 10-step list or a 20-step list.

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Yeah. Where did you get stuck in Timur's step by step process? I thought it was pretty simple to follow. I did get stuck though when I was trying to install TWRP. It kept boot looping. I just had to run an adb command to swipe the cache IIRC. Then all was good.
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