Installation of Discover Media MIB STD2 PQ unit

Installation of Discover Media MIB STD2 PQ unit

If you want to install MIB STD2 PQ unit designed for some PQ family models after face-lifting in older car, you must keep in mind that all units are protected with “component protection”. It allows to use unit in car where it was installed initially only. Unit is assigned to the vehicle VIN number by the dealer and can’t be installed in other car any more by the end user.

Before you buy navigation unit, connect it to the power source and make sure it doesn’t display ‘component protection’ warning. Make sure all features you need are activated. So if you found the navigation unit that is not locked by component protection with all features you need activated you must be sure its not stolen and not blacklisted in GeKo database. Ask the seller to provide invoice for it with serial number and model listed and all stickers with serial numbers on unit matches invoice.

What is component protection?

CP is a protection feature enabling to use unit only in one car where it was initially installed. Unit is assigned to the vehicle VIN number by the dealer with online tools. Used unit installed in different car can be locked by CP in two different ways:

1. If car is equipped dashboard have a CP feature, then navigation unit will be locked immediately after power on
2. If you will install it in older car where dashboard doesn’t have a CP feature, or you will power it outside the car, unit will not lock immediately, but on each power cycle it starts internal timer. Timer counts power-on time and stores in internal EEPROM. The max time is about 8 hours and this time is cumulative and not reset when power disconnected. So after timer elapses, your unit will be locked with component protection.

When you buy used radio you never know how long it was powered outside the car and how much time left until locking. If you are lucky, time will be close to 8 hours, if not it might be just a minutes left.

If you have bought already locked unit, you must visit the dealer to unlock it and activate the features you want. Unit must not be ‘black listed’ in order to unlock it.

Solution to override component protection

To solve timer component protection case  we designed the patch board which restores timer value each time the navi unit is restarted. This prevents unit from locking by time. But its very important to have unit with high timer values. If your unit have only X minutes left, every time after X mins of operation, unit locks and must be reset by holding power button for several seconds. But you never know how much time left until you test it with patch board installed.

If car equipped dashboard contains CP feature, navi unit will show ‘component protection’ message. Patched unit will be protected from permanent locking and CP will be removed after power cycle. But if you want it to use in such car, CAN filter must be installed. It filters CP messages between dashboard and navigation unit preventing it from locking.

As now we found out basics of component protection mechanism, and have a working unit. Let’s patch it!

MIB STD2 PQ patch board

Patch board contains small microcontroller and some logics, as well place for soldering original M95512 EEPROM chip.

Installation steps:

1. disassemble unit and remove main board
2. locate EEPROM on the bottom side of PCB note pinout and de-solder it using hot air
   
3. read and save EEPROM contents just in case if something will go wrong
4. solder EEPROM chip to the patch board in U3 position; 1st pin marked with dot.
5. remove double sided tape protection layer and stick patch board on mainboard
6. prepare 6 thin wires and solder from patch board to the mainboard eeprom pads
7. stick protective sticker on chassis or patch board protecting patch pcb from touching chassis
8. assemble unit and power it up to make sure everything works as supposed to

Patch board diagnostic functions:

Patch board is equipped with diagnostic functions and indicates troubles via LED diode. Possible LED signals:

1. 1. Slow blinking (~1 sec on/off) – new, not learned device
   2. Led Off – device learned (blinks only on eep access by radio unit)
   3. Fast blinking (~0.1 sec on/off) – eeprom learning error
   4. Constant On – eeprom restore error (for learned device)

 

Learning:

Patch board “learns” first soldered eeprom, when first time power applied to the PCB. Patch board learning is done automatically when connected to the radio unit. Also its possible to do learning outside radio, by soldering eeprom and applying power to the PCB. Pin4 – GND, Pin 8 – 3.3 V. When power applied and eeprom soldered to the PCB, LED turns on for a 2.5 sec. and turns off, if successfully learned.

Learning reset:

Reset patch board if you want to reuse it in other radio unit:

1. de-solder eeprom from patch board
2. connect jumper wire on J1 points
3. connect power to PCB 4 – GND, 8 – +3.3V
4. LED will turn on for ~2.5 sec. and will start slow blinking (1 sec on/off)
5. remove jumper from J1
6. patch board ready for reuse

 

 

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