Installation of Discover Media MIB STD2 PQ unit

Installation of Discover Media MIB STD2 PQ unit

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

Before you buy a navigation unit, connect it to the power source and make sure it doesn’t display a ‘component protection‘ warning. Make sure all the 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 the GeKo database. Ask the seller to provide an invoice for it with the serial number and model listed and all stickers with serial numbers on the unit match the 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 the timer component protection case, we designed the patch board, which restores the timer value each time the navigation unit is restarted. This prevents the unit from locking by time. But it’s very important to have a unit with high timer values. If your unit has only X minutes left, every time after X minutes of operation, the unit locks and must be reset by holding the power button for several seconds. But you never know how much time is left until you test it with the patch board installed.

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

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

MIB STD2 PQ patch board

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

Installation steps:

1. Disassemble the unit and remove the main board
2. locate EEPROM on the bottom side of PCB, note pinout and desolder it using hot air
   
3. Read and save EEPROM contents just in case something goes wrong
4. Solder EEPROM chip to the patch board in U3 position; 1st pin marked with a dot.
5. Remove the double-sided tape protection layer and stick the patch board on the mainboard
6. Prepare 6 thin wires and solder from the patch board to the mainboard eeprom pads
7. Stick a protective sticker on the chassis or the patch board, protecting the patch PCB from touching the chassis
8. assemble the unit and power it up to make sure everything works as expected

Patch board diagnostic functions:

The 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 the patch board if you want to reuse it in another radio unit:

1. Desolder eeprom from the patch board
2. Connect the 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. The patch board is ready for reuse

 

 

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