2012-09-20

Hacking QNX CAR-based Toyota Touch&Go

While I'm waiting for my new Yaris HSD to arrive, I've gathered some info on its infotainment system, the Touch&Go audio and navigation system.



It's based on the QNX CAR platform, and it allows downloading of apps from the Toyota website.
It's a system that just begs to be hacked.

There's a nice quickstart guide on the QNX website: it guides you to install a fully functional develpment environment.

http://www.qnx.com/download/feature.html?programid=20982

It's even available a VMware VM with a full QNX environment where you can test the SDK.

650SP1-VM.tar

The SDK itself is available as an evaluation at http://www.qnx.com/products/evaluation/ (windows and linux flavours).

Here is a little hello world to try:

#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdio.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
    printf("Welcome to the QNX Momentics IDE\n");
    system("sleep 60");
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

After the build, the executable is available in

C:\ide-4.7-workspace\my_first_project\x86\o

I shared that directory and mounted it from inside the QNX VM:

mkdir /mnt
fs-cifs //hostname:192.168.237.1:/qnx /mnt user password

Note the redundancy of specifying both the host name and the ip address.
From the /mnt directory it's possible to run the sample on the VM.

Recompiling with arm target should produce an executable suitable for the real platform.
I will continue my experiments when I'll have the real car at hand.

UPDATE:
I've finally got my car.
It seems that the Touch system comes in two flavors:
  1. Touch: which performs audio and trip information (energy management and mileage history)
  2. Touch&Go: which add navigation and apps to the above.

There's indeed an additional hardware component (the GPS module), but the base system is the same.
I only have the base Touch system, and I'm not going to buy the additional module, because it's simply not worth the price for me.
I don't understand why apps should run only when the GPS module is present and maybe there's a chance to run them even without it.

Is there any volunteer, with a Touch&Go system, that has already downloaded some sample apps like Glass of Water, willing to send me a dump of his USB media?
A simple

dd if=/dev/sdc | bzip2 >usb.dump.bz2

would do (make sure your USB key is /dev/sdc).

11 comments:

  1. Hi, did you received you new yaris ?
    I'm just curious about the map and sw version that is shipping right now. If toyota is honest, you should get sw version 1.7.9L and maps updated to june 2012. If you received version 1.7.7L and maps of february 2012, you have been rip off by Toyota who gave you map of early 2011 ...

    ciao
    Enrico

    ReplyDelete
  2. Delivery is scheduled in the next two weeks.
    It seems that the new yaris has long waiting queues.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bought mine in march 2012 and the dealer offered me a significant discount on a vehicle they had in stock. Anyway, even on customised vehicle (to be ordered from Toyota), discounts were rather high (much higher than e.g. the Verso) and I assumed they actually had problems selling the new yaris ...

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    2. Actually I was talking about the hybrid version: some people that ordered it, got an estimate delivery date of May 2013.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous24/9/12 09:17

    FYI. There s a forum on this topic http://www.vleeuwen.net/forum/index.php

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi,

    I have a Hybrid Yaris with (basic) Toyota Touch.

    Toyota released Toyota Touch 2 that has MirrorLink technology. It enables to display your smart phone on the Touch Display. For example, Google Map.
    The 1M$ question is if it is possible to upgrade Toyota Touch to Toyota Touch 2, and if so, how.

    There is a video about it (for new Toyota Corolla in Hebrew). It explains that you have to download Drive Link App from Samsung App Store, then how to connect it to the car via the USB car and Bluetooth, and how to use it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fgL9xMJkKo
    It seems that there are more solutions such as SMART link for Apple & Android which seems cool. http://www.autolab.com.my/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=SMART+link&product_id=859

    I am wondering if you have tried/heard MirrorLink technology and have some insight on it.

    Thanks,
    Maoz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that's interesting: I'll check about it

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    2. Hi Ales.

      I'm waiting for my new Auris, that comes with Toyota Touch (not 2). And maybe i didn't whall use mirrorlink becuase i think that only supports touch 2. Had you made test about your?

      Thanks

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    3. No luck for older versions of Touch

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  5. Ciao Alessandro, ho da poco preso la Yaris hybrid con sistema touch2 senza go. Hai qualche suggerimento per poter connettere un iphone 5s con una funzione di mirroring o simile? Il mio obiettivo è quello di utilizzare il navigatore dell'iphone senza dovermi imbattere in costi folli per aggiungere il modulo gps sulla macchina.
    Grazie in anticipo
    Ciao

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fai un giro su www.hybrid-synergy.eu
      C'è gente che sta sperimentando sull'argomento.

      Delete