Thanks, I like it because if there's an EOS CANbus interface problem, it's a small part to get replaced if it has to come from China. That leads me to think they can make the radios all the same for any vehicle and just supply customised CANbus interfaces? That would be straight forward for simple ignition switch on/off control, but add in steering wheel buttons and they must have some remote control protocol between the head unit connector and the external V.W compatible CANbus box? I found some steering wheel controls decoder boxes on Fleabay.
I think I know what they do: The radio connectors on the back are ISO spec. with some remote control pins and a CANbus pair. The radio CANbus pair can use a Chinese or generic vehicle protocol, basic on/off function from the ignition switch would probably work for most vehicles, although shutdown or go to sleep may not (Battery drain!). Other control features like steering wheel buttons and speed controlled volume protocols are probably vehicle brand/model specific, different to the generic protocol used on the radio connector.
A Canbus decoder box would therefore be vehicle brand specific to translates V.W CANbus signals either to outputs for the radio ISO connector directly (switching on and off) or sends the correct commands to the radio local CANbus pins on their rear connector? If I am right, then in future I would only look at Chinese head units sold as V.W compatible for steering wheel controls, with an external CANbus decoder/adaptor box in the kit. That should mean the ignition key function should work. One question however is does the external CANbus box itself go to sleep like all the other modules?
My Chinese clone is several years old now. It's rear connector Canbus pair is on the same pins as the OE unit I took out (so called Plug & Play!) and VCDS always throws a radio module 56 Gateway error. I now suspect the radio local Canbus protocol is something generic and not V.W compatible? With a decoder box fitted, the scanner would only see the adapter box connected to the car and not the local bus in the radio. This is why I think yours works no errors and mine (without a V.W decoder box) throws errors. I'll look for an Android replacement with external V.W CANbus decoder if it has the features I want.
It would be useful to know from a radio installer if one CAnbus adaptor box works with several Chinese clones from different sources? This would confirm my suspicion the radios themselves all use the same generic vehicle CANbus protocol? As clones they can get around V.W copyright (using V.W OE head unit IDs) by saying their built in CANbus is generic and not V.W specific.
