In my previous articles, I described how CaRadio evolved from early experiments with car head units into a working CarPlay system running on a Raspberry Pi.
But getting a system running on a workbench is one thing. Turning it into a device you can use every day in your car is something else entirely.
After my unsuccessful attempt to reuse the RCD510 electronics, I had to build the head unit almost from scratch, using its housing and my own components.
Only the RCD510 Housing Remained
Originally, I planned to reuse the RCD510 mainboard, its amplifier, and its power management. But after running into continuous reboot loops, I had to abandon that idea.
The Raspberry Pi became the heart of CaRadio, while a seven-inch Waveshare touchscreen with a resolution of 1024×600 handled the display.
For audio output, I used a separate amplifier module to replace the original RCD510 electronics.
In the end, the housing was essentially all that remained of the original head unit. It allowed me to install my custom setup in the factory location in the Volkswagen Golf.
Putting Everything Together
Now I needed to fit the components inside the housing, connect the display and amplifier, and set up the power supply.
Unlike my earlier experiments, simply connecting the Raspberry Pi to a screen and confirming that CarPlay launched was no longer enough.
The head unit had to work reliably in the car, handle daily startup and shutdown cycles, and avoid causing problems with the battery.
At the same time, I was running out of time to develop every part of the system properly. I had a trip coming up, and I needed working navigation.
So some of the solutions had to be temporary.
Power Management: Working, but Not Final
After abandoning the original RCD510 mainboard, I had to handle power management myself.
Currently, CaRadio uses a push button and an electronic power switch to turn on.
When I press the button, power is supplied to a DC-DC converter, and the Raspberry Pi begins booting.
During startup, the Raspberry Pi activates a GPIO signal that keeps the electronic power switch on. Once that happens, I can release the button, and the system continues running on its own.
Shutting down turned out to be more interesting.
The Raspberry Pi receives information from the car's CAN bus. When the key is removed from the ignition, the system receives the corresponding message and starts a graceful shutdown.
So shutting down is already linked to the car, but starting the system still requires manual intervention.
It's not the most convenient solution for everyday use, but it allowed me to install CaRadio in the car without postponing the project indefinitely.
Tested on the Road
It's been more than three months since I installed CaRadio, and the car has covered around 8,000 kilometers with it.
During that time, the head unit has become more than just a Raspberry Pi experiment.
It's now something I actually use on the road, with navigation, music, and wireless CarPlay.
Of course, everyday use has also revealed some shortcomings.
For example, the Waveshare display isn't always bright enough in direct sunlight. And having to turn the power on manually is a compromise I'd like to eliminate.
But the main goal was achieved: I managed to build my own head unit, install it in the Golf, and test it not just on the workbench but on real journeys.
What's Left to Improve
Although CaRadio has been running in the car for several months, some parts of the design are still temporary.
Power management is the main one. Right now, I have to turn the head unit on manually. Although this setup works perfectly well, it's not quite how I originally imagined the process.
Ideally, CaRadio should respond to events from the car automatically: starting when needed and shutting down properly when the journey is over.
I already have a few ideas about how to achieve this. But before going into the details, I'd like to test them in practice.
Perhaps I'll return to this topic in a separate article.
Even now, though, CaRadio has already proven that a setup like this is perfectly suitable for everyday use.
The End of the First Chapter
For now, this is where I'm drawing a line under CaRadio in its current form.
Not because I've run out of ideas or there's nothing left to improve.
Quite the opposite.
While working on this project, new possibilities and solutions emerged that made me reconsider the entire design of an in-car multimedia system.
Continuing to improve the current version indefinitely no longer seems like the most interesting direction to take.
CaRadio on the Raspberry Pi has served its purpose: I got CarPlay working, learned a great deal about automotive electronics, and tested my own solutions in practice.
Most importantly, that experience became the foundation for the next stage.
So this isn't the end of the story.
It's just going to take a slightly different direction from here.