CarTFT.com
CarTFT FM (Automotive USB FM/RDS tuner)
PRODUCT IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE !
- Centrafuse !
- Radiator !
- InCar Terminal !
- RDS !
This FM/RDS-tuner especially was developed for mobile usage. It is connected to the PC by USB and 3.55mm Line-In/Mic-In. An antenna is included in scope of supply. The receiption quality can further be improved by connecting the device to an amplified antenna respectively by connecting it to a car antenna with help of an adapter (DIN ISO, FAKRA).
The receiver is shipped with software interfaces for Centrafuse (version 2.x,3.x and 4.x) and Radiator (thereby also adds support fo
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This FM/RDS-tuner especially was developed for mobile usage. It is connected to the PC by USB and 3.55mm Line-In/Mic-In. An antenna is included in scope of supply. The receiption quality can further be improved by connecting the device to an amplified antenna respectively by connecting it to a car antenna with help of an adapter (DIN ISO, FAKRA).
The receiver is shipped with software interfaces for Centrafuse (version 2.x,3.x and 4.x) and Radiator (thereby also adds support for InCar Terminal) which allows a very flexible usage.
Note for developers: There is a SDK available for interfacing the radio module. Please contact us if you have interested to add support in your software project.
There is a Delphi interface available already (Many thanks to Albert Steiner !) [Download]
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Customer ratings:
 Average rating, based on 66 ratings |
from kevin.kga am 19.01.2010
| 
Excellent radio reception. As described, automotive grade. I'd venture saying that it's better than my previous Alpine Headunit FM tuner. Tested in London from Wimbledon to Heathrow via the A3->M25 (which has some of the worst FM reception because of range and traffic interference on the M25).
This device uses a USB interface to the PC and is detected as a serial port: "CP210x USB to UART Bridge" (manufactured by SiLabs - Silicon Labs).
I suspect that the device uses a SiLabs tuner chip (Si4706 and Si4749) since the latter also provides RDS functionality (TMC too maybe?). http://www.silabs.com/products/audiovideo/rdsreceivers/Pages/Si4749.aspx
The downside is that everything is interfaced by the CP210x chip. So, under linux, the only visible device is the com port. Apparently, RDS and tuner data transit through the serial device. So, no access to the actual tuner chips at all. If my previous assumptions are true, this would be such a shame since such hardware is already supported in linux. Linux has had built-in kernel support for the Si470x family for ages.
Sound output also seems to be processed within the unit and outputted via 3.5mm audio jack. I'm thinking that this might be such a shame because that means that you can't use the built-in RDS receiver to get traffic information onto the PC and into my satnav application (IGO8 PC running on linux under wine)? :(
Conclusion:
Pros:
- Good FM reception.
- RDS in Centrafuse and Radiator
- No need to splice your car antenna cabling, just get one of the adaptors.
- Tiny! Can easily fit in space constrained casings such as the m350 with a bit of imagination.
Cons:
- No TMC, although this is RDS capable (TMC data is nested in RDS)
- No Linux support
- No access to the actual chips
- No documentation of the serial protocol used to talk to the tuner or send commands to the device. The only things provided are plugins for Centrafuse and Radiator only.
All-in-all, this is the best FM solution for a carpc although it could have been perfect if the design wasn't so closed and cryptic. hey CarTFT, what's all the hush-hush about??
from macreanu am 19.12.2009
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| See all my comments
Exactly I what I needed. Now i can play radio on my BMW :)
from joey76 am 15.12.2009
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Positiv ist, dass der Empfänger schön klein ist. Leider ist die Installation nicht gerade Benutzerfreundlich und nur ungenügend dokumentiert. Mit ein paar Handgriffen liese sich der Installationsprozess für den Benutzer deutlich einfacher gestalten. Die Integration in Centrafuse ist 1A gelöst, unter Radiator hab ich's aber leider nicht zum laufen bekommen. Der Empfang mit der mitgelieferten Wurfantenne ist leider miserabel, im Freien (in einem Sendegebiet, in dem andere UKW-Empfänger Vollauschlag zeigen) ist nur ein verrauschter Empfang ohne RDS-Daten möglich. Ein Test mit vernünftiger Antenne ist leider mangels Adapter (30? für nen Adapter ist mir definitiv zu viel!) derzeit nicht möglich, da muß ich erst den Lötkolben rausholen.
from Berndp1973 am 30.11.2009
| See all my comments
das wüßte ich auch gerne,aber Centrafuse wird ja schon immer billiger und scheint auch noch besser zu sein als CES,überlege ob ich umsteige
Sehr schlechter Empfang! Aber wie ich gehört habe ist es Fahrzeug abhängig! Bis jetzt getestet BMW Z4 Roadster und Audi 80 Cabrio