RNS-E Reversing Cam
 

Well, actually, this is largely relevant for RNS-C and RNS-D too up to a point....

A number of people have installed reversing / rear view cameras in their D2's, and usually by removing the boot lock button and putting the camera there instead.

I dont like this approach for a few personal reasons:

1) it removes original Audi functionality of being able to push the button to open to boot
2) If you get a flat battery, its a sod to sort out
3) Everyone else already did it +++

So, I decided instead to put mine at the other side in the unused space where the boot lock doesnt go on the nearside. I would have put it in the bumper if it wernt for the simple reason that I'm sure it will get covered in cack faster than I can say 'british weather' and then I wont be able to see a dam thing....

So, heres the camera. A £12 fleabay special from some country that speak poor english, but nontheless they knew how to post it to me and for that I'm grateful. It has 2 connections, one for power (+12) and one for composite video. So no rocket science there then....

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269294636

It comes with a variety of washers, some of which are angled so instead of poining it square out which is of limited use for parking, it can be angled down with ease.... Sadly, this one didnt come with a drill bit, so I had to buy one. I note now thought that quite a few on Ebay come with them... :hammer:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269294636

Anyway, with drill bit one will drill so though the front layer of plastic we go after carefullyish measuring sortof where the middleish may be...

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269294636

Then we need to break out a reciprical hole at the back for the camera to point out of....

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269294636

.... and the screw it in place... sorry bout the photo, turns out its the best one I have of this point in time, and its next to useless... :rolleyes:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269294636

and pop it in the bootlid, 4 screws hold the light lens in, so quick and easy job...

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269294648


Not so easy is feeding the wires down the boot lid and through the arms safely and neatly. In fact, its positively tedious. So much so, I have even poorer photography of that stage.... er, nothing. But its worth it when you've done.... +++

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269294648

Upto now, this is all standard stuff for the RNS-C, D & E....

But, with the RNS-E, it gets far more interesting.... :D

One of the biggest let downs with the whole reversing camera thing is that you have to then actually select the camera to see whats going on, which when your busy reversing, pulling gear levers, straining at mirrors and looking out for kids, cats, cattle and dustbins all gets a bit much.

Thankfully, the RNS-E can auto switch for you. Hurrah. As of software version 550 I beleive, which I'm not going to pretend I fully understand, but mine it new enough so I'm alright Jack.

Here is a screenshot of the vagcom setting:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269295444

Now, you can ignore the Lambo only thing as maybe my VCDS os out of date, or they havnt updated yet, but it will work on any EU unit with S/W greater than 550 providing you set adaption channel 4 to 1.

When you do this, then applying +12 to the RFSL pin on the back of the RNS-E (Pin C2) will switch the unit automatically into TV mode, which will then show you your camera...

This however, is not as straight forward as it seems (and for those of who are already thinking it doesnt sound straight forward, give up now +++)

Here are the problems:

1) To get an RNS-E in a D2, you must buy some sort of adapter cable, or home brew one. The latter is rare, so lets assume you buy a cable, in which case pin C2 wont be populated, nor do you have a spare pin to 'steal' in order to populate it. A trip to Audi parts coming up, or order an adapter cable with too much stuff eg phone when you dont have it, so you can steal those pins when it arrives....

2) By default, the RNS-E switches to TV mode. Full stop. It doesnt switch to TV mode. and then to AV2 or anything useful. If you were last watching ITV on terrestrial, then when you select reverse, thats what you get. Not so good. If however you just have a striaight forward single AV adapter (not an Audi tuner) then presumably you're home and dry in this department. There must be a way to get it to change to the input on the TV tuner for the camera - Apparently the lambo can be ordered with both TV tuner and camera, so it *must* switch..... Hmmm... More work needed

3) When I let the unit 'auto switch' the pictures goes all weird, lines across the top and the picture shifts down by an inch - This goes for the whole input to the RNS-E from the tuner, TV, menus, AV inputs, the camera everything until I turn the ignition on and off again. If i manually select AV2 in the TV, the picture is crystal clear.... AArrrrgh... From reading around at the moment I think that the auto switching camera input thing dictates an NTSC input, not a PAL and I think the wonderfully efficient non-english speaking folks abroad were annoyingly clever enough to realise that PAL is the default colour signal over here, and hence sent me that....

For those less aufait with TV signals, black and white it all the same, luminence is luminence, however for some reason when we all went colour suddenly lots of people had different ideas on how it should be done.... NTSC was overlayed over the black and white over in USA, Japan etc and we got variations of PAL (phase alternating line) over here in Europe... Technically ours is superior as it filters out interference better, but again I digress.....

The real problem usually stems from the NTSC 60hz and the PAL 50hz, and this refresh rate change usually causes the shift in horizontal allignment along with colour loss/distortion, which is exactly what I get when I 'auto switch'

So, I have ordered another camera, from a UK supplier as I need someone to understand 'please send me NTSC'.... +++

I'll keep you posted...

New, NTSC camera has arrived today..... Full write up tonight if I have a chance... :D

Right, so new camera is in and working. The solution was as simple as making sure the camera that you use is NTSC and not PAL......

Heres a couple of shots of the cabling up through the boot lid, as I ommited these before.

I took the cables up the existing cable run on the left hand side along with the central locking pipe, drilling the grommit out to allow two extra feeds, one for power to the camera, and one for the video feed. I did toy with the idea of stealing the +12 off the reversing light, thus saving me a cable run, but then it would only work in reverse and who knows what the future might bring, plus I'd rather it was on all the time time and ready rather than going in reverse and then waiting for it to wake up and get a good image:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269464615

and another shot showing the route of the cables up the arm, and into the other grommet, also drilled to allow the cables through. Then I run them up the boot lid and to the back of the rear light where the camera is....

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1269464615

When done its very hard to notice the extra wires in place, and only a die hard A8 geek would spot them.... :D

Visually, this camera looks identical to the previous one, although this one also has built in low light UV bulbs so it may work better in the dark, but I've not tried it yet....

And, here we have a quick video of the RNS-E auto switching to camera and back again.... I had it on the bluetooth phone screen, but it will switch no matter what you are on, CD, MP3, NAV etc....

How cool is that for a 10 year old car huh ? :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvaDqmY4EGI

Hi Ian,

You're a brave man showing off your hanson music collection in the background!

Mmmm, BOP! Dapa doooo uup

;)

haha, its one of the few things thats old enough to be on MP3 that will actually play on the RNS-E without converting....

All my better stuff is on variable bitrate wma which the RNS-E wont play... :rolleyes:

That's so cool!
 

Another neat job Ian, and I've just gotta do it... ;)

I think he was trying to baffle you with science Oli to save answering the orginal charge of being a hanson fan . . . . ahem :D

Seriously though Ian great work and write up yet again, im getting more and more tempted by RNS E lol :rolleyes:

Cool indeed...:cool:

Quick question though...a few posts back it states;

2) By default, the RNS-E switches to TV mode. Full stop. It doesnt switch to TV mode. and then to AV2 or anything useful. If you were last watching ITV on terrestrial, then when you select reverse, thats what you get. Not so good. If however you just have a striaight forward single AV adapter (not an Audi tuner) then presumably you're home and dry in this department. There must be a way to get it to change to the input on the TV tuner for the camera - Apparently the lambo can be ordered with both TV tuner and camera, so it *must* switch..... Hmmm... More work needed


But this post (and the YouTube video) seems to indicate that it will indeed autoswitch? :Confused:

As my RNS-E has the Audi TV Tuner I was wondering if/how you managed to solve the auto-switching issue?

Unless I have missed something fundamental here of course...I am still feeling more than a little sleepy on a Sunday morning...:rolleyes:

Thanks & kind regards,
-=Glyn=-