I have a Tata Nexon car, and a few days back, I wrote an article explaining how painful it is to connect to Android Auto through a wired connection, which frequently disconnects. I mentioned that I was going to purchase a Raspberry Pi Zero W for wireless Android Auto. I'm glad to share that I was able to successfully complete the setup. For those who would like to give it a try, the information is available in the link below.
Wireless Android Auto on your car
Some options are available in the market where I can purchase a direct dongle and use it. But it is very costly. Instead, it is fun to build our wireless option using Raspberry Pi. I bought a new Raspberry Pi Zero W for my needs. I already had a 3 B+ version but it was incompatible for this setup. So I had to buy a lower version of Raspberry Pi which was also comparitively cheaper too.
I followed all the instruction provided in that article and on the very first instance I couldn't get it working. I thought maybe I was making some mistakes again. Earlier when I tried with version 3 B+, I had the same thought but this time everything was correct and I couldn't make it work. Then after trying it several times, I realized maybe the issue was with the cable and thought of trying it with a different cable. To my surprise, the issue was with the cable that I had.
If I have to connect my mobile directly to Android Auto, I need a C-type cable but to connect Raspberry Pi to the car, I need a micro USB cable. The one that I had was used only for charging. For data transfers the quality of the cable should be better. I then started looking for a cable and I found one of my old phone's charging cable. That cable was perfect and suitable. Though it had some damages, it made the Android Auto work wirelessly.
I was glad that I found out about the issue. Now I have to order a good cable for this and get this task done. In this process, I would have spent close to 25 dollars to complete this setup which is very good compared to the other dedicated device available in the market that cost more than 70 dollars. Now I don't have to worry about keeping my phone connected to the car. It was a headache because people from the back seat did not have access to the phone to choose their desired song.
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