Hi everyone,
I would like to introduce PIC, an independent infotainment project I have been developing for Android head units installed in Porsche 987 and 997 models, with the Boxster and Cayman 987 being one of the principal platforms for the project.
Some of you may already have come across the project elsewhere, where development originally started under the name
PCM
Next.
As the software moved from private testing towards wider public distribution, I decided to give the project its own independent identity.
PCM
Next has therefore become PIC, developed and distributed under the CHAPIN Software name.
This is not a new or restarted project. PIC is the direct continuation of
PCM
Next and of all the development and real-world testing carried out so far.
The idea behind PIC is quite simple: I did not want another generic Android launcher. I wanted an infotainment environment designed specifically around these cars and their interiors.
OEM first. Android second.
The current release is:
PIC 1.5.1-beta1 “Monza”
Build 1266
Public Beta
PIC currently includes Classic and Modern interfaces, a two-page Modern Home with persistent sidebar, integrated Media, Radio and Phone functions, application and provider mapping, Phone Link integration for solutions such as
Apple CarPlay
and Android Auto, trip and vehicle information, Journey and Last Drive functions, Compass,
GPS
-based speed and distance, vehicle profiles, head-unit capability discovery,
OBD
connectivity over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi,
OBD
diagnostics and diagnostic export.
One important point is that
OBD
is optional.
GPS
provides the universal baseline for speed, distance and trip functions.
OBD
can add vehicle data when a compatible adapter and configuration are available.
PIC also includes Head Unit Discovery, which examines the capabilities and services available on the Android unit and helps configure the available integrations.
Where automatic integration is not possible, the main functions can also be manually mapped to installed applications.
One of the main reasons for opening the project as a Public Beta is the enormous fragmentation of Android head units.
Different units use different Bluetooth implementations, radio applications, services, CAN interfaces and Android versions. Emulator testing is useful, but ultimately PIC needs to be tested in real cars with real head units.
There is now a dedicated website for the project:
CHAPIN Software — PIC
PIC | CHAPIN Software
This is now the central location for the project. It contains the current release, full User Guide, installation and updating instructions, compatibility information, release notes, known issues, diagnostics documentation, issue reporting and tester feedback.
PIC is currently free during the Public Beta.
There are no user accounts or passwords. Download requires only minimal registration and acceptance of the Public Beta Agreement and Privacy Notice. PIC does not automatically upload diagnostic information.
At this stage I am particularly interested in testing on different 987 Android head units, Bluetooth implementations and OBD adapters.
Reports of things that do not work are just as useful as reports of things that do, because they help identify where additional integration work is needed.
If you have a Boxster or Cayman 987 with an Android head unit, I would be very interested in having you try Monza and hearing how it behaves on your setup.
Feedback, criticism and compatibility reports are all welcome.
Thanks,
Pino
CHAPIN Software
PIC | CHAPIN Software
PIC is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, approved by, or supported by Porsche AG.
Welcome to
Planet-9, the Friendly Porsche Forum!
What an interesting first post! It seems this is might be a quite useful project for those of us who have installed the Chinese aftermarket headunits, which generally came with somewhat miserable user interfaces, but some questions before I dive right into it:
Does it handle the Bluetooth connectivity to a users phone? The default connection tool used on many of the aftermarket units is marginal - it's pretty much a guess if it will connect on first try or not, often requiring the rebooting of either the phone or headunit to make a connection.
Right now, I have my headunit open AndroidAuto on bootup, that's set in the interface. That's where the question above comes into play - it won't open correctly until the Bluetooth connection is made. Is it possible to configure your interface to automatically open AndroidAuto on startup?
Once installed, is it easy to return to whatever the configuration was before installing it? In other words - if I install it, can I easily uninstall it and go back to what I was using before installing it, without requiring all the customization I did to the current interface I'm using need to be redone?
Once it gets past beta - will the beta installations be updated to the working release? If so - will there be a cost involved? If not - will the beta installation continue to work?
Looking forward to your answers, I might be downloading it shortly..
All sounds interesting. I am in the processes replacing my PCM3.0 with an Android unit. At first use the interface isn’t great and would like to try the beta versions. Will look into downloading
