Please read the updated "4771 Compatibility Issues". This page is kind of a "dump" for ALL the information we have so far.

==========================================================

August 4, 2005

DaveR writes:

I was/am 'daver' on Roadfly. Back then, I had a 2000 Z3 Roadster (Alpine White), but now I have a 2001 Z3 Coupe (also Alpine White).
Some time ago, I upgraded the headunit from the stock Business CD to an H/K TrafficPro (not the BMW version). I recently bought a couple Phatboxes that were intended for VW's (you can get these for about $140). I've got all the instructions needed to get this thing to work for a genuine BMW radio, but only bits-n-pieces regarding the TrafficPro.
I've read through a few pages on WayCoolInc regarding getting the Phatbox to work with the 4771 version, and there's occasional reference to the 4773 version. What's not clear is what exactly is being used to interface to the 4773? Is this a standard Blitzsafe adapter (e.g. Alpine <--> Porsche adapter), or something entirely different?
The guys at Phatnoise are reluctant to sell just the adapters unless you can prove (somehow) that you bought it for one car, but are now moving it to a different car. If the adapter is just something I can buy off-the-shelf, then great… all I have to do is build a cable.

I have the 4773.

Here's a dump of what I know regarding interfacing a Phatbox with a BMW headunit:
This pdf has the cabling pin-outs to go between the Phatbox and the 'special' Blitzsafe adapter. The cable-ends are available from sources like Digi-Key or Mouser.
The 'special' Blitzsafe adapter is the Alpine-->BMW unit with one important change: there's a jumper inside to set the signal-level to the appropriate voltage (5v rather than 12v). Failure to make this change can damage the Phatbox.
You can buy an off-the-shelf Alpine->BMW unit, open it, flip the jumper, and it should work.
Another source of information: http://www.phathack.com/pinouts.html
Yet another: http://www.phathack.com/BMW/info.html
This info will help me get one of my Phatbox's working on my 325iT ... it still has the stock head-unit.

This info doesn't help much with regards to the TrafficPro in my Coupe... I still don't know for sure if Phatnoise will sell me the appropriate adapter, and if not, what it'd take to get one. I have an inside source (of sorts) at Blitzsafe, so I may have to call on that person. He'd helped me out with a XM-Direct adapter... perhaps he can help out here, too. Maybe it's a standard adapter they already sell, but with the jumper change as with the BMW adapter.

I hope this helps somewhat...
Dave

December 2004-

George wrote about using his Blitzsafe adapter:
My system worked fine, sound, controls, etc. EXCEPT it shuts down
in 15 seconds.

This was the same problem encountered by a lot of Phatnoise users. Why would Casey's 4771 work with the Phatnoise and Rob's 4771 work with the Dension when Becker was saying it couldn't possibly work and so many other users were finding it impossible to get working without shutting off 15 seconds later? Andy in California went to Phatnoise and found the tech who worked with Casey. No one can find Casey, his mail box is full. Remember, the 4771 was never really sold anyone who has one is holding an unofficial demonstration model.
Andy wrote:
From my meetings w/ the Phatnoise people, they gave the impression that the 4773 and Porsche units work perfectly w/ the Phatbox. In fact, they hooked up Casey's 4771 like they would a 4773 and it worked. I don't know how, but they insist that this is the way they got it working. No data about the Euro Traffic Pros as far as I know.When I was at Phatnoise, they tried hooking up a Becker cd changer to my unit and it did not power up.
The folks at Becker told me that their test of the Dension also did not work. Of course, BMW owners with a new toy for their car that matches their interiors and plays nice with the BMW electronics are like a dog with a bone- they don't give up easily.
George approached the folks at Blitzsafe. George writes:
My trip up to North Joisey may just pay off. First thing first, Blitzsafe is on a couple absolute deadlines this month and will not be able to do some custom programming right away. Second is I am not an engineer, and do not profess to know about what I am talking about. YMMV. Summary of the symptoms; when using the 4771 and I-bus adapters, BTW phatnoises adapter is licensed from blitzsafe, the item shuts down after 15 seconds or so and sometimes reboots the head unit. Eventually it just plain disconects the Aux/CD changer/adapter and won't recognize it. Now I felt from day one that it was a sleeping issue, and as it turns out I was kinda correct. Background, IKE computers for BMWs can monitor several different items on the car (sometimes linked into the "comfort" system). It appears the K-bus monitors the I-bus for traffic (and opposite also). So when you pull your keys out, and walk away it listens for any items still active and also tells the system when it should start turning items off. I-bus is one of these items. The k-bus usually pings the i-bus to tell it that it is active. Somewhere around 97 there appears to be some tom foolery on audio systems in BMW land, typically there is a seperate computer in the k-bus that would pig out, OR the head unit would know enough to ping out if there wasn't a k-bus computer in the car. In my '97 318ti there isn't a seperate computer to ping out, I have read about this in other contexts before and think I can verify this on paper. The problem lies in the 4771, the radio doesn't know enough to ping out like the orignal head unit for my 318ti did with the lack of the k-bus computer (they prolly tested it with BMWs with the side computer system). Now the alipine CD changer doesn't really use this ping out, but blitzsafe counts on it to shut it's adapter down to conserve battery. So no ping out in 12 seconds and the blitzsafe adapter shuts down. Which is what blitzsafe thinks is happening to the phatbox people and my self, after all phatboxes uses blitzsafe technology in their adapters. [This theory works if the people having problems do not have that second computer.] So whats the solution. For my car, with no k-bus computer, they are going to try to program custom software for my blitzsafe adapter that will NOT listen for the ping. Instead it will just shut down when the bus goes dead (i.e. car turned off). This way the adapter should stay up, and I will be able to use it. The blitzsafe adapter I have has a push in atmel type chip in it that they will mail me once they find time to program it. Ira at blitzsafe (great great guy) estimates maybe after new years. They are hard pressed on some deadlines (XM/delphi/sony/etc), and have some incredible products on the horizon. If this chip nails the problem, they said they would look into the phat box adapter and try to help out there also. OK, so how did someone get it to work. Well, if you car has a k-bus computer (unlike my '97 318ti and Rachel's '97 Z3) it would do your ping and most likely will not require any modifications beyond a blitzsafe box. So it is possible that Casey's car was like this and that is why the blitzsafe box worked for him. We did confirm that Casey and Blitzsafe worked together a while ago on an issue. How about the different firmware (old 4771 vs. new 4771)? Well we hooked into Rachel's older unit (mine is newer) and the same thing happened.

PDRM0906	PDRM0908
PDRM0907	PDRM0909
Ira, Demetri and George working in the freezing cold	PDRM0912
PDRM0915	PDRM0917
PDRM0918	PDRM0920

There was no ping registering on the I-bus via Blitzsafes monitoring software, and sure enough the radio would reboot after no activity. Dimitri the engineer, confirmed that the cd-changer commands were practically identical, and everything else looked good, except the lack of the 12 second I-bus ping.
So I am in a holding pattern until they can free up Dimitri to make me up a chip. I really do appreciate them taking the time to see us, I have to say Blitzsafe appears to be good old fashioned business.

George Remove's Rachel's Traffic Pro to Test it	George's Soundgate switch
PDRM0914	PDRM0916
workin on a chip like this	Ira @ Blitzsafe

(Blonde version)
For all the 4771 folks using accessories that have a Blitzsafe adapter
(Phatnoise, XM...) who are having the problem where TP 4771 shuts down the
accessory a few seconds after it turns on:
The fine folks at Blitzsafe think they might have the answer and they are
willing to make a fix for us. They are terribly busy but are hoping to have
the fix by January.
Very short explanation:
The Blitzsafe adapter "pings" to work with BMW's electronics. That's needed
for some (probably newer) BMWs. If the ping isn't answered, the Blitzsafe
hangs up on it. Our cars don’t answer, so that's why it shuts off after a
few seconds. Blitzsafe will make a replacement chip to be inserted in their
unit to stop it from pinging. No ping, no shut off, no problem.
It's very nice of the fine folks at Blitzsafe to do this for us. VERY nice.
There's only a handful of 4771s that would even need this and remember the
4771 doesn't officially even exist.
So George is the guinea pig, once they make up a chip for his unit, he'll
try it. If it works it should solve the issues for the Phatbox and all
similar issues. No more shutting off.
Note that George and I have 97s, Casey and Rob, whose accesories work have 2001's.
Bottom line: Your 4771 may not work with an accessory that is "Traffic Pro compatible". Your alternatives are to buy a 4773 and switch the faces and/or wait until Blitzsafe gets back to us and we try their fix.

Thank you Blitzsafe!