I've had this project simmering for a while. I've collected what I think is sufficient hardware:
Arduino Uno 3
SparkFun MP3 shield
SparkFun Musical Shield
SparkFun micro SD Shield
AUX connector for Honda stock audio system
Ideally 1+2 should suffice. However, another option might be 1+3+4.
The goal is to come up with a system that connects to the AUXiliary input of my car (Honda Odyssey) and enables me to use the stock audio controls directly (like skipping songs, etc).
Any help/pointers would be appreciated.
Currently, was able to play MP3 files from 1+3 with some generic/demo code (FilePlayer) that came with the MP3 shield.
The alternative is to buy a $200+ system and the Arduino route is more challenging/rewarding .. and customisable too.
The goal is to come up with a system that connects to the AUXiliary input of my car (Honda Odyssey) and enables me to use the stock audio controls directly (like skipping songs, etc).
The aux input is an analog audio input. There's no digital communication that could tell the player what you're doing with the radio controls. As far as I know, an iPod docking interface is the only way to do that. A lot of car stereos have an iPod dock/interface... It's standardized and it works...
I'm not sure about the shields you've found, and maybe you've found something better than what I've seen, but everything I've seen requires a particular file-naming format so you can't just load your MP3 onto an SD Card and play them.
I have a 2004 Honda Accord, and I went to a car stereo shop and they installed an iPod adapter. Skip-forward, skip-backward, and pause controls work, and playback pauses when I switch to radio, but the stereo I have doesn't have a text display to show what song is playing.
My other vehicle has an aftermarket Sony car stereo with an iPod dock, and it's fully interactive with the stereo showing the artist/title/album information, etc.
Thank you for the reply. I think you and I are talking about 'different' AUX inputs. I agree that on most cars, AUX refers to the 2.5 mm jack where you can plug in a sound source, for example, the output of an MP3 player. In my specific case, it is a Honda Odyssey 2006, and there is an AUX button on the dash, where you can select an alternate audio source. The car comes equipped with both radio+CD player, but can have either an MP3 (disc) player or a 6CD changer. As such, on the back of the head unit, there is an AUX connector with many wires, where either the MP3 or CD changer player can connect. Some of those wires are for audio, others are for controlling the various functions of the optional source (change disc, skip track, ... etc).
In fact, Amazon+eBay sell interface units for the ipod/iphone, but I'm after something a bit more 'sophisticated' than this., if at all possible of course.
As for the UNO MP3 shield, I have the one made by SparkFun. Got it real cheap, plus an Inland UNO R3, total comes to less than $10.00. Yes, it's cheap, but what's drawing me to this is the challenge and potential for learning. I may end up going with a Raspberry PI as I'm quickly 'realizing' an Arduino might not be the best/robust solution.