XC90 Front Camera

[SwissXC90]

So I have just purchased my very first Volvo: a 2008 R-Design in gorgeous condition.

It was a special demostrator version in 2008, and has navigation, phone, rear-seat entertainment, BLIS, alarm, sunroof, electric heated memory seats, rear parking sensors, factory rear parking camera BUT no front parking sensors

Looking at the retrofit kit for front parking sensors and it is a bit of a mission to mount them, and the cable has to be run to the control unit in the boot.

So I thought I might fit a front parking CAMERA, in the grill, and connect it via a PAL-video to RGB interface that you can get for the hard drive RTI MMI+ nav system so that the pitcure shows on the popup screen. And maybe hook up the rear DVD also to the popup screen... maybe...

So my questions to all XC90 lovers: has anyone ever fitted a front parking camera to their XC90 wth RTI nav before?

Love to hear from your experiences.

SwissXC90.

[bokabil]

Have a look at www.volvotech.eu or better give them a call (from several forums, the chaps there are very helpful). You might be able to source all items (camera, adapters) needed from them.

[GenericVolvoDriver]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

So I have just purchased my very first Volvo: a 2008 R-Design in gorgeous condition.

It was a special demostrator version in 2008, and has navigation, phone, rear-seat entertainment, BLIS, alarm, sunroof, electric heated memory seats, rear parking sensors, factory rear parking camera BUT no front parking sensors

Looking at the retrofit kit for front parking sensors and it is a bit of a mission to mount them, and the cable has to be run to the control unit in the boot.

So I thought I might fit a front parking CAMERA, in the grill, and connect it via a PAL-video to RGB interface that you can get for the hard drive RTI MMI+ nav system so that the pitcure shows on the popup screen. And maybe hook up the rear DVD also to the popup screen... maybe...

So my questions to all XC90 lovers: has anyone ever fitted a front parking camera to their XC90 wth RTI nav before?

Love to hear from your experiences.

SwissXC90.

After a tough parking job yesterday I thought to search if anyone had considered this - of course you had

Did you ever investigate this further? I was on eBay today and came across this: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Car-Front-Vi...MAAOSwhOxZ-I6a

We could then use this 75 Ohm antenna switch: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-NOS-REV-...sAAOSwR7lav5nV

Using your CANBUS work to look for vehicle gear status:
"if car is in reverse, energize relay, allowing back camera (connected to the N.O.) to be connected"
"if car is in drive, de-energize relay, turning on front camera"
As we spend more time in drive, it makes sense to have front camera connected to the N.C. contact and reverse to the N.O. contact.

[SwissXC90]

I did any I bought a video switcher and I thought long and hard about it and then life got in the way, and the video switcher is still sitting on my desk

[GenericVolvoDriver]

Originally Posted by SwissXC90

I did any I bought a video switcher and I thought long and hard about it and then life got in the way, and the video switcher is still sitting on my desk

Some day you will finish it! What video switcher did you purchase?

It seems from this product that the impedance isn't super critical: https://www.volvotech.eu/vir-1
You can see the coax is terminated to a non-coaxial automotive connector with about 1 cm of the centre conductor exposed.

This product would also solve our problem if we ever find one on sale - wire the switched video input for the front camera to the drive LED on the gear selector.

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by GenericVolvoDriver

It seems from this product that the impedance isn't super critical: https://www.volvotech.eu/vir-1
You can see the coax is terminated to a non-coaxial automotive connector with about 1 cm of the centre conductor exposed.

This product would also solve our problem if we ever find one on sale - wire the switched video input for the front camera to the drive LED on the gear selector.

I worked in TV broadcast for a number of years back when video was all Composite PAL.

Impedance matters, BUT on such a small screen and with such cameras the average human will never see the impact.... it can be measured, and won't be broadcast quality. But then nothing in the car is broadcast quality anyway

[GenericVolvoDriver]

Found this tonight:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/360-View-Car...0AAOSwonBZ6ab8

This would work perfect!
It can be used to let the reverse signal through in reverse, then switch to the forward camera in that short period while the RTI screen stays up displaying the rear camera yet the car is in gear.


If I read correctly in VIDA, the reverse camera's signal is NSTC while the VNS uses RGB.
I know the RTI monitor uses serial commands to switch between RGB, NSTC or PAL - but it appears PAL is not used on our XC90.

I'll order one of these cameras in NSTC: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/520TV-Line-C...QAAOSwFwRbTHZ8

[SwissXC90]

Originally Posted by GenericVolvoDriver

Found this tonight:
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/360-View-Car...0AAOSwonBZ6ab8

This would work perfect!
It can be used to let the reverse signal through in reverse, then switch to the forward camera in that short period while the RTI screen stays up displaying the rear camera yet the car is in gear.

Yeah that's the idea I had. But tapping into the video line from the rear camera means cutting the cable