[vsrivatsa]

Operation Jeep Compass - Foxfire Android Head Unit with a 360° Camera

A few years ago, I wrote an article here on Team-BHP about a Morimoto Headlight Upgrade on my Uncle's Jeep Compass.


The Jeep Compass - One of the most good looking vehicles on Road!


Jeep Compass Limited 4 x 2 - Finesse Uncompromised!

Here I would like to cover yet another upgrade made on the same SUV, this time a Head Unit Upgrade which also includes a 360° Camera Support.
For people interested in the Morimoto Headlight Upgrade article - that can be accessed here > (Jeep Compass: Morimoto HID Headlights + FE Retrofit Projector Foglamps Upgrade).

For the impatient here is a teaser view of the Jeep Compass Post Upgrade:

Jeep Compass 4 x 2 Limited Wearing a Foxfire Android HU with 360° Camera Support

There are two detailed articles that I have already covered on the 2GB/32 GB Model @ and the more recent 4GB/64GB Model @ (Unbranded - Journey from Blaupunkt to an Android Head-Unit in a Ciaz) of the Android HUs here on Team-BHP, so I will focus more on the 360 Degree Camera as part of this thread.

Foxfire Contact Details:
Sunny Gupta | Mobile/WhatsApp: 95550 11134 | Website: http://www.foxfire.co.in/

With this introduction - let us now move on to story of upgrading the HU on the Jeep Compass!

Chapters:

1. Chapter 01: The Backstory behind the Upgrade
2. Chapter 02: Unmounting the OEM Stereo Unit
3. Chapter 03: Setting up the Foxfire Head Unit
4. Chapter 04: 360° Camera Setup - Front and Rear Cameras
5. Chapter 05: 360° Camera Setup - Outside Rear View Mirrors (ORVMs)
6. Chapter 06: 360° Camera - Demonstration & Car Settings
7. Chapter 07: Video Walkthrough, Overall Comments & Conclusion

[vsrivatsa]

Chapter 01: The Backstory behind the Upgrade

My Uncle had been debating about an Audio System upgrade for quite some time. He had seen my upgrade to the 10.1 inch Android HU and had jokingly called it a "TV in the Car".
This year, we had some discussions around it and the main concern was that the Head Unit in the Jeep Compass was multi functional and had lot of integrations with car features such as the Headlights, Door Open and Close being displayed and also had Adaptive gridlines for the Reverse Camera.

I passed on Sunny's number to my Uncle and he got the clarifications that most of these features would continue to work with the Foxfire system as well. Finally he made the decision to proceed with the Foxfire upgrade and since he was anyway going with the HU upgrade he decided to opt for the 360° Camera setup as well. As called out in my thread on the Foxfire Upgrade for my cousin's Ciaz, both these Units were negotiated for together and they were shipped as one package to Bangalore. There were several delays as Sunny claimed it was a new software based on Android 9 and the package was received after a long wait of almost 2+ months.

Now, the delay did not end there. My Uncle then had to fix up an appointment with RedSoul in Bangalore for installation. While the Ciaz installation of Foxfire happened quickly as it was just a one hour effort, Red Soul requested for time to arrange for the Jeep Compass installation as it involved the 360° camera setup as well. After a few calls, my Uncle visited Red Soul and spoke to them to arrange for a slot. As Jeep Compass has many integrated features with the Head Unit, Red Soul folks were slightly on the defensive and wanted this installation to be done by one of their Senior Engineers with lot of experience. They also called out upfront that the Jeep Compass install inclusive of the 360° camera was a detailed one and would take half a day. As result it some time to arrange for an installation timeslot. Finally it was fixed and one of the most Senior Technicians at Red Soul by name Raju was blocked to help with the install. The Head at Red Soul, Siddu also was very supportive and provided his valuable inputs as well during the installation process.

Installation was done by Red Soul, Bangalore - Full details in below picture:


Specifications Overview:

• Foxfire Android Head Unit with 4G SIM Support
• Screen Type: Capacitive
• Resolution: 1024 x 600
• CPU: 2.62 Ghz x 8 Cores (Octacore)
• RAM: 4 GB, Storage: 64 GB (53.82 GB Formatted)
• GPU: PowerVR Rogue GE8300
• Android 9.1
• 360° Camera Support

Specifications from the Head Unit

And for those who go by CPU-Z for Processor and Memory Specifications below are screenshots from CPU-Z:


CPU Specifications


RAM & Storage Specifications

[vsrivatsa]

Chapter 02: Unmounting the OEM Stereo Unit

The first step in the process is to unmount the OEM Head Unit. The OEM Head Unit in Jeep Compass Limited 4x2 is a 5 inch Touch Screen. The frame of the HU includes the two center AC vents as well and these need to be removed as well for the purpose of clearing the Head Unit Bay and preparing it for installation of the New Head Unit.


Unmount of the Existing Head Unit Starts


The AC Vents are also Part of the Frame


Unmounting the AC Vents


Vents Removed - Head Unit Pending


Unmounting the OEM Head Unit


OEM Head Unit Dislodged from the Bay


OEM HU Removed with Wires showing


Front View of the OEM HU


Rear View of the OEM HU


Side View showing Fan


Opposite Side View

Kudos! A special call out to Red Soul and its Engineers for following the Covid-19 Safety protocols also at the time of installation - as can be seen in the pictures the Technician wore the Mask throughout the Installation process.

Now that the OEM HU has been unmounted, the next step is to begin the installation of the new Foxfire 4GB/64GB 10.1 inch Head Unit.

[vsrivatsa]

Chapter 03: Setting up the Foxfire Head Unit

Next Step is the installation of the Foxfire Head Unit. The Foxfire Head Unit comes with its own frame and the OEM Frame can be discarded. However this has to be done carefully by retaining the AC Vents and required screws that fasten the AC Vents to the Frame. Also, another complexity that the Red Soul Engineer called out was that the Jeep Compass is also a Canbus enabled Car in terms of the Electricals. Hence the wiring and connections need to be handled with utmost precision to ensure that things work properly. With that context, let us now take a walk down the installation process of the Foxfire Head Unit in the form of a photologue that follows:


Addition of the Antenna for 4G Connectivity


GPS Antenna placed on the far end of the Dashboard


Additional External Microphone placed near the Speedo


Initial Wiring in Progress


Wiring Harness


More Wiring Work in Progress


The Removed AC Vents Provide lot more space to manage the wiring/installation


Routing of the 4G Antenna wiring through the Glovebox


Additional wiring placed on the Seat


Canbus with Warranty Seal


Backside View of the OEM Frame


Foxfire Head Unit with Frame (Replaces the OEM Frame)


AC Vent Side View


AC Vent - Existing Vents are ReUsed in new Frame


The Screws are harvested from the OEM Frame


OEM Frame - After Screws were harvested


OEM Frame - Time to say Good Bye!


Fitment of the Vents onto the Foxfire Frame Begins


Fitment of the Vents - Fully Plug and Play - No Holes were drilled


More Wiring Work


Readying the wiring


Connecting the Power to the Foxfire Unit


Foxfire Unit is Powered On


Default Car Logo (Jeep Logo is available but needs to be purchased)


Initial Testing of the Foxfire Unit Starts


360 degree Camera App


Configuration Settings


Mapping the Steering Mounted Controls


Testing the Radio


Foxfire Installation Completed

[vsrivatsa]

Chapter 04: 360 degree Camera Setup - Front and Rear Cameras

The Jeep Compass Limited 4x2 comes with a Reverse Camera as standard but given the Large screen of the Android Head Unit, it is recommended to replace the OEM Reverse camera as well along with the addition of other cameras to achieve the 360 degree view. Let us first look at the fixing of the Front and the Reverse Cameras - these are relatively straight forward installations as compared to the Cameras that get mounted onto the Wing Mirrors. The Reverse Camera will not fit onto the OEM slot and so this camera gets fixed beside the OEM Camera as a separate Camera.

Front and Reverse Camera Setup:


Front Camera - Up Close


Front Camera - Another View


Front Camera - Bottom View


Front Camera Mounting work begins


Positioning the Front Camera


Fixing the Front Camera


Front Camera Mounted below the Grille


Close Up of the Front Camera


Reverse Camera Work Begins


Reverse Camera Fixing Work


Foxfire Camera Added and the OEM Camera shown in the Original Mounting


Close Up View of the Foxfire Rear View Camera

[vsrivatsa]

Chapter 05: 360 degree Camera Setup - Outside Rear View Mirrors

The 360 degree Camera Setup is not a straight-forward one, although what we have seen so far covered is more or less simple. The side cameras are mounted onto the ORVMs on either side and this requires drilling a small hole through the ORVMs. In order to do this and the wiring the door pads of both doors are fully removed and the ORVMs as well.



My Uncle said he almost got a Heart Attack seeing the next sequence of steps that were carried out to achieve the Side Mirror Camera Integration. It is not a nice scene to see your expensive possession being ripped apart in front of you! Let us go thru the photologue now of the Side Mirror Cameras and their setup.


Operation Starts!


Door Pad screws Removed


Door pad being removed


Door Pad Removal in Progress


Wire Connections being disconnected


Untangling the Wires


One Wire Connection to go


Door pad removed


Closer View with Door Pad removed


ORVM also unmounted


View of the ORVM


Additional View of the ORVM


Work starts on Passenger Door


Door Pads unmounted on Passenger Door


Both Door Pads Placed Away Safely


Drilling Machine is kept Ready


Drilling Machine is positioned


ORVM Drilling Starts!


ORVM Drilling - Final Touches


ORVM with the Camera fixed and wiring is seen


ORVM with the Camera fixed - View 01


ORVM with the Camera fixed - View 02


ORVM with the Camera fixed - View 03


ORVM Wiring Connections being Restored


ORVM Remounting Starts


ORVM Screws being put back


Panel is restored back


Same Steps are Repeated for Left Hand Side ORVM

[vsrivatsa]

Chapter 06: 360° Camera - Demonstration & Car Settings


Jeep Compass - In One Piece after the 360 Cam Surgery!


Right Hand Side ORVM with Camera Added


Left Hand Side ORVM with Camera Added

360° Camera at Work
Let us now look at the working of the 360° Camera starting with the Reverse Camera. All cameras provided are of higher resolution and the clarity of the camera feed is very good. The 360° Camera splits the screen into two portions with the left hand side portion showing the Birds Eye View which kind of consolidates the feeds from all the 4 cameras. The right hand portion of the screen provides the specific selected view from the four available views. The cameras also provide multiple types of gridlines/tracking lines to choose from - in all about 4 different types of tracking lines which can be chosen from the menu options. All gridlines are adaptive and turn based on how the Steering is turned. The right hand portion of the screen provides two modes, one being a 2D and other a 3D mode. The 2D mode is depicted with the pictures first:

The Reverse Camera can highlight any object/pedestrian as they come within specific distances from the vehicle.


Reverse Camera View - With No Object in Front

This is the initial feed when there is no object close to the camera.


Reverse Camera View - With Pedestrian in View at a Distance

This is the view when a Pedestrian has entered into the view


Reverse Camera View - Yellow Lines with Green Highlighting as the Pedestrian/Comes closer

This highlighting is visible in the left hand portion Bird's Eye View panel as well.


Reverse Camera View - Yellow Highlighting of the Pedestrian as he comes more close

Next as the Pedestrian moves closer, the Camera software highlights the object in Yellow indicating that the object is now even closer.


Reverse Camera View - Red Highlighting of the Pedestrian as he comes even more close

Next as the Pedestrian moves even closer, the Camera software highlights the object in Red indicating that there is danger of collision
In a regular scenario, if the car was reversing and if a tree or a Pedestrian was stationary, the mechanism would work in the same way and show the red color when the object gets too close and the beeping sound is also activated to warn the driver about it.


View from the Left Hand Side Camera


View from the Right Hand Side Camera


View from the Front View

The 3D Radar mode when enabled shows the views as shown below:


3D Left View


3D Right View


3D Left + Right in One Screen

In this mode, one can use the Touchscreen to hold the car shown in the picture and rotate it full circle and see the inputs from all the cameras. It is also possible to touch a specific portion of the screen in the Bird's Eye View shown on the left portion of the screen and the appropriate view gets activated. When I say the view gets activated it is not just 4 views as in Left, Right, Front and Rear. In case, I touch the left hand corner of the screen in the Bird's Eye View, it provides a Front View which is more focused towards the left hand side of the car. So, from that perspective it does try to provide a true 360 degree view.

Overall, I think the reverse cameras are a great assist to have and will serve as a Safety Device which can prevent accidents. It enables a better view from around the car and helps in eliminating various blind spots. Often one of the issues we face is when parking a car the front is not visible and we have to second guess the distance of the object in front - this eliminates the need for the guesswork and enables the driver to make an informed decision.

Car Settings
Next important aspect to cover is how do the Car Settings work with the new System. In the Jeep Compass the OEM Head Unit was doing things beyond just audio such as showing when a Door Opens or Closes, Settings for Headlights and Settings for AC as well. This makes it complicated to provide a Aftermarket system since all these features would also need to be supported by the Android Head Unit as well.


Car Settings Menu


AC Settings Menu


Language and Units Setup


Headlight Settings


DRL Settings


Lock/Unlock Settings


Engine On/Off Settings


Steering Learn Function - Enables Mapping of Steering Mounted Controls


Software Issues:
Most of the settings work as expected however the AC Settings have one glitch. The Jeep Compass has a Dual Zone AC with independent controls for Driver Side and the Passenger Side. It appears that the software was tuned for Left Hand Driven Models and hence these are interchanged.


AC Settings Menu - Interchanged

While it works correctly, what it means is that when the Driver Side Control knobs are operated the display is shown reversed in the screen. Increasing the AC on Driver Side, shows the number incrementing on the Passenger side. Yet another glitch in the same AC Software is with the display numbers for the AC Temperature - these now start from 32 degrees after "Lo" instead of the regular 15. Hopefully these are software issues and will be resolved in due course of time - as on date they have not been able to fix these two issues and these are open.

A key observation to note here is that the Adaptive Gridlines also appeared in a reverse way at first as well but the Red Soul engineer tried a few settings and managed to fix this issue. As they learn more and gain knowledge about this new system, we trust that they would be able to resolve the AC display issues as well. (Fingers Crossed!)

[vsrivatsa]

Chapter 07: Video Review, Overall Comments & Conclusion

Here is a Video Walkthrough of the 4GB/64GB 360 Camera Enabled Foxfire Unit for Jeep Compass:

Foxfire 4GB-64GB with 360° Camera for Jeep Compass Walkthrough

Overall Comments:

• Price: 3.5/5 - Price including the 4 Cameras seems about OK - but should come down in future as 4GB/64 GB Models become more common
  
• Installation: 4.5/5 - Installation Support from Red Soul was good as usual but as this is a new model and hence there is a dependency still on specific engineers to be able to do this install. But overall they are extremely helpful and customer friendly.
  
• Fit & Finish: 4/5 - Fit and Finish is excellent and the Unit blends like OEM fitment on the Jeep Compass.
  
• 360 Camera: 4/5 - This in itself is a good add-on and helps in vehicles that are in the 4m + Category. The quality of the Cameras are good
  
• Audio Quality: 4/5 - This is as expected and I would call it above average without drawing specific comparisons to any brands.
  
• Shipping & Delivery: 2/5 - Took way longer than promised
  

Open Issues:

• AC Settings Issue 01: First issue is that the Jeep Compass has a dual zone setting control for AC. However, the Foxfire Unit appears to be configured for the Left Hand Drive countries so the display and physical button inputs are reversed. When we click the physical buttons to control the Driver Side (Right Side) AC Temperature, the Screen displays these on the Passenger Side Display (left hand side). The Soft Touch Buttons on the screen work in reverse as well, If the Passenger side soft buttons are pressed, it changes temperature for the Driver Side.
• AC Settings Issue 02: Second issue also is again with the AC itself, the temperature numbers has got reset and starts from 32 degrees instead of the earlier which was 15 I think. It works fine but the display shows a minimum temperature reading of 32 after the "Lo" setting.
• Lastly, one more issue I would like to call out is with the Cameras, as this is not a Factory fitment, the gridlines shown are not accurate and we have to get a measure of which line/marker of the gridline to go by. It is better to stop beforehand and not wait for the last marker of the gridline as the car will hit the object before the final marker on the gridline.

Conclusion:
In summary, when we talk of a Car Infotainment System, should the comparison be based only on sound quality or should we consider an above average sound quality with a combination of the other aspects which makes it an attractive offering as a sum of all parts is an open question and this is a judgement call that the individual buyers need to make - there is no one size fits all approach. For people who want a combination of good audio quality coupled with benefits of an Android System such as the ability to install apps and a 360° Cam as a bonus, this is a great buy!

Credits: I would like to thank my Uncle and my cousin who assisted me in compiling this thread with time spent on testing out the features as well as in proof reading the content on this thread prior to publishing. Also this review thread served as a feedback process for my Uncle to get to know the features better and explore all aspects of the new upgrade and we all had a good time going on several drives testing and exploring the new features!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[s4ch]

Fantastic thread, thanks for sharing.

Just a thought, the cameras on the ORVM showing the side view, are they not too close to the body? As in the feed on the display for the sides of the car, all that can be seen is the blue side of the door - I believe more of the ground should be seen to give a better "360" view, else the point may be lost. This can also be seen in the virtual 360 view of the entire car.

Ps. Can the virtual car view be changed to a car of your choice or only what is there by default in the app?

[Mahven]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Attachment 2089862
AC Settings Menu

Is that Ventilated Seats settings I'm seeing here? Man! How I wish all the cars in this price range offered them as standard In India.

[NPV]

Excellent review with a great eye for detail, thanks for sharing
I think this is a very nice accessory for the Jeep Compass to replace the rather bland OEM unit.

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

AC Settings Issue 02: Second issue also is again with the AC itself, the temperature numbers has got reset and starts from 32 degrees instead of the earlier which was 15 I think. It works fine but the display shows a minimum temperature reading of 32 after the "Lo" setting.

Is it displaying 32 degree in Fahrenheit instead of Celcius ? Had this doubt because the software seemed to be for a left hand drive car, so possible that temperature is in Fahrenheit.

One more question I had was regarding the rear camera. From the picture you posted, the new Foxfire camera did not replace the OEM camera but got its own fitment location on the left side, so what's the role of the OEM camera now ? Maybe I missed this part in your review ?

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by s4ch

Fantastic thread, thanks for sharing.
Just a thought, the cameras on the ORVM showing the side view, are they not too close to the body? This can also be seen in the virtual 360 view of the entire car.

Selecting specific points on the Touchscreen the feed can be optimized to one's liking. Also we did get the camera angle fine tuned post the video was captured and this improved things a bit but agree to your point that in the footage captured it provides just a close up view.

Originally Posted by s4ch

Ps. Can the virtual car view be changed to a car of your choice or only what is there by default in the app?

Good Question! Yes, we can select Jeep Compass or any specific car but only the default is free and there is a charge to purchase a specific model - the pricing was shown in Yuans and so I don't remember the cost.

Originally Posted by Mahven

Is that Ventilated Seats settings I'm seeing here? Man! How I wish all the cars in this price range offered them as standard In India.

No - this model of Jeep Compass from 2018 does not come with Ventilated Seats. In fact it does not have much connectivity features and no TPMS also.

Originally Posted by NPV

I think this is a very nice accessory for the Jeep Compass to replace the rather bland OEM unit.

Thanks! and

Originally Posted by NPV

Is it displaying 32 degree in Fahrenheit instead of Celcius ? Had this doubt because the software seemed to be for a left hand drive car, so possible that temperature is in Fahrenheit.

I thought of that - but we are searching for specific settings yet - it should be there hidden somewhere to fix it. 32° F maps to 0° C - so kind of gives a clue there!

The AC works fine and its only the display that seems to be the issue. The Left Hand Drive/Right Hand Drive Mode should be another setting hidden somewhere which should fix the other issue as well.

Since this model is based on new software, even the technicians are not fully proficient with the software as yet. They have agreed to let us know if they find a fix for these issues as they do more installations.

Originally Posted by NPV

One more question I had was regarding the rear camera. From the picture you posted, the new Foxfire camera did not replace the OEM camera but got its own fitment location on the left side, so what's the role of the OEM camera now ? Maybe I missed this part in your review ?

There are two reasons to change the Rear Camera - one being that the resolution is too low but the system will work with the OEM Camera if one does not go for the option of 360° Camera.

In my car (Honda City) when I went for the 2GB/32GB model I decided to keep the stock Rear View Camera as the stock camera had 3 views and it works fine - only issue being the view is more grainy now due to the larger screen and the camera having a lower resolution more suitable for a smaller screen.

The second reason - which makes it mandatory to change is the 360° Camera as that would work with its own set of cameras and we cannot mix and match.

The OEM Camera is just left there as is with wires disconnected and is of just cosmetic value - the technician said that the Foxfire Camera wont fit in the slot of the OEM Camera.

[TrackDay]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

Chapter 05: 360 degree Camera Setup - Outside Rear View Mirrors

Attachment 2089432

My Uncle said he almost got a Heart Attack seeing the next sequence of steps that were carried out to achieve the Side Mirror Camera Integration. It is not a nice scene to see your expensive possession being ripped apart in front of you! Let us go thru the photologue now of the Side Mirror Cameras and their setup.

Even I got a slight scare seeing such a new vehicle being ripped apart. I guess if the technicians know what they are doing it is fine.

Are these Head units compatible with connected cars ? I am talking about the Sonet, 5th gen city etc. which are all connected via Apps and mobile phone.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Even I got a slight scare seeing such a new vehicle being ripped apart. I guess if the technicians know what they are doing it is fine.

Yes - in the gap between the end result and what happens before that - during that wait, things can get a little jittery

But we have had good past experience with Red Soul and they have been in this accessory fitment market for years. Another thing reassuring for us was that they acknowledged upfront that this is a complex install and reserved their most experienced technician for us. Also Sunny, although based out of New Delhi is reachable over phone during the install and ensures that he also helps in case of any issues remotely.

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Are these Head units compatible with connected cars ? I am talking about the Sonet, 5th gen city etc. which are all connected via Apps and mobile phone.

I am sure the they will work. If not immediately - in due course of time these will appear. We were also worried as Jeep Compass had several controls in Head Unit such as AC, Door Open-Close and Head Light and DRL control as well. Except for the minor bug in AC rest of the functions work seamlessly.

I would recommend you WhatsApp Sunny Gupta (Contact details provided in the introductory part of the thread itself) and check with him on availability of a Head Unit for Sonet.