Brain twister challenge for electronic engineers

 

Silver Member
Username: Carguy

Post Number: 901
Registered: Nov-04
Clarion makes dts/dolby digital/prologicII surround processor for the car.
Here's the challenge. They advertise everywhere stating that if you purchase their DVC920 kit, you can use the processor with any HU. That is a total lie cause their digital optical cable is not standard. Only Clarion HU will accept it.
Does anyone know how to convert Clarion's optical cable to standard optical cable? I've opened up the unit and found out the actual cable is optical. It might be thinner than normal but still it has the fiber inside. The tricky part is where the cable ends. It seem to go into a small converter that changes it into 3 prongs. Clarion somehow is doing this so that no other HU will work with their product. Got any ideas?
If I ever find Clarion's email address, I'll give them a piece of my mind for false advertising!
And yes I checked with their tech support. They do not have any converter for it nor tell me how the cable works.
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6652
Registered: Dec-03
well, firstly you'd need to get the opposite gender connector of that optical cable they use.
after that it's just a matter of converting the connector to a standard TOSlink plug, and reading the pulse modulation they're using for their signal output.
you need to find out if their optical signal is standard or if that's proprietary as well.
 

Silver Member
Username: Carguy

Post Number: 902
Registered: Nov-04
Hey Glass, they made sure nothing will work unless it's Clarion HU. Even the cable connectors are not standard. Although the cable itself is optical, the ends are not. No light comes out what so ever. Something tells me they're converting optical into coaxial digital.
Like I said before, the optical becomes 3 prongs, ground, din1, and digital in. The Din1 part puzzles me, since it has 2 digital inputs, the other connector has same thing but with Din2.
Clarion is not releasing any info/much help. They just told me to use their HU.
Does anyone know Clarion's email address? I need to have a little chat with them for their false advertising.
 

Gold Member
Username: Glasswolf

NorthWest, Michigan USA

Post Number: 6662
Registered: Dec-03
they're support sucks.
I had to contact them about their ungo alarm systems.
they're totally tightassed about releasing any data at all, even to authorized installers.
 

Silver Member
Username: Oleg

Santa Monica, CA USA

Post Number: 203
Registered: Nov-04
I got the corporate info on the site, not sure if you saw it:

661 West Redondo Beach Blvd. Gardena, California 90247-4201
Customer Service: 800-347-8667
New & Existing Dealers: 310-327-9100
Phone: 800-GO-CLARION (462-5274)
Phone: 310-327-9100 (MAIN)
Fax : 310-327-1999

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