NA6 Panasonic, adding mp3 player input

[Malibu Q]

Got my mp3 player (iPhone) hooked up to my original Panasonic audio. Note the 3.5mm audio jack in the passengers side console blanking plate.


Plug in and mp3's play, remove plug and it reverts back to radio.



https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7279/13554636174_f33b583d36_o.jpg

Because I have no CD, the CD input plug is used to input the signal from the mp3 player

Here is the components disassembled.

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5160/13558273405_4c2df5bc84_o.jpg

There is a 13 pin DIN socket in the back of the headunit. In the original installation a small plug, shown lower left, loops the audio signal out and back into the headunit. If you remove the plug the headunit will make no sound.

The 13 pin plug pins out like this. This is looking at the back of the headunit

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3814/13558472753_17a8e8c32b_o.png

So you will need to make a cable like this. Note that the 3.5mm Stereo Audio Socket is switchable, so that when no device is inserted, it loops the output signal back into the headunit.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7405/13558472703_58e52d715a_o.png

Parts required:
13 pin DIN plug
5 pin Female 3.5mm Stereo Audio Socket
4 core shielded cable

The four cores of the cable are used for the signal and the cable shield is the ground.

I used a radio transmitter to play mp3's prior to this mod and have found the sound through this cable to be much improved.

Cheers

[KAL]

Nice! I would do something similar, but put the jack / usb in the ashtray.
Now, where did i put my iPod Nano…

[WASABI]

Nice work Q! Looks great! What was the cost to do this?

[iKhanh]

ahh i'd love to do this, but electronics are my enemy!

[Malibu Q]

ahh i'd love to do this, but electronics are my enemy!

Would have prefered to have bought a premade cable. Group buy?
I'd buy another if someone produced them.
My soldering skills are not great.
I poked all of the pins out of the back of the 13 pin plug.
Soldered and heat-shrinked them individually then poked only the pins required back in.



Nice work Q! Looks great! What was the cost to do this?

Not much really except time.
I'm sure you could find this stuff cheaper. I live at the far edge of the world :D
13 pin DIN male plug at approx $5
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/13579303965_60c73e403c_o.jpg

4 core shielded cable at approx $2 per metre
https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2847/13579359353_999a4a0be5_o.jpg

5 pin Female 3.5mm Stereo Audio Socket pcb mount at approx $0.50
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/13579680614_26faa492e4_o.jpg

Used the one above as I thought it looked better than the more logical 5 pin Female 3.5mm Stereo Audio Socket screw mount at approx $0.75
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3765/13579359223_36de9f867c_o.jpg

The PCB mount socket clicks into the hole I drilled in the plastic, but I will use some super glue and plastic scrap on the back of it this weekend to ensure it doesnt pop out with use.

Also:
Sometimes Panasonic radios won't turn on in the rain, or when it's humid, until the car warms up.
While building the cable, you can fix this by connecting pin 11 (yellow) to ground 5 (red).

[WASABI]

Super info! Thanks!!