With the introduction of CentrafuseConnect, the Centrafuse Market, and many more applications from the Centrafuse Market becoming available that connect with the cloud, there has never been more reason to have your CarPC connected to the internet.
Luckily, there are several ways to have your CarPC connected to the internet, with minimal amounts of work.
1) Tethering with your cell phone:
Tethering means sharing the Internet connection of an Internet-capable mobile phone with other devices. This sharing can be offered over a wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), or over Bluetooth, or by physical connection using a cable (Usually USB connection).
(In the case of tethering over wireless LAN, the feature may be branded as a mobile hotspot. The Internet-connected mobile phone acts as a portable router when providing tethering services to others.)
NOTE: Depending on the mobile phone's carrier, tethering may be provided at no extra cost. However, some carriers impose a one time charge to enable tethering, while others forbid tethering or impose added data charges, examples include T-Mobile in the UK. Often phone contracts that advertise unlimited or "all you can eat" Internet and data usage will bury these hidden charges in their terms of use.
Tethering with the Android OS: The Android Market has several applications available at your disposal that will help you with tethering. Two of the most popular apps are PDANet and EasyTether. Please follow the instructions on their respective pages for further instructions on setting these applications up on your CarPC and Android device.
NOTE: Please contact your carrier before using a tethering application to verify whether or not it abides by their terms of service.
Tethering with Apple iOS: Unfortunately, due to the restrictions Apple has set on its devices, there are no applications available to assist in tethering (Unless your device is jail broken). However, through additional fees, your mobile carrier may tack on this feature to your existing plan to enable tethering.
2) Purchase an adapter from your Wireless carrier:
More and more wireless carriers are realizing that users want a secure and constant connection on their devices, and are introducing USB modems that can connect to your CarPC and provide an internet connection. More often than not, these USB devices come tied to a wireless plan, just like your cell phone. Check you local carrier's inventory for a list of compatible USB modem devices.
Mobile Hotspots are devices that can provide WiFi ad-hoc internet connections that multiple devices may connect through. Mobile Hotspots can either be produced from your Mobile Device, or through a dedicated device from your mobile provider.
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We offer a free 30-day trial version for you to evaluate Centrafuse Auto on your Windows PC. To download the trial installer, visit the Downloads page OR if you have a licensed copy already, visit your My Account page and click the GET INSTALLER FILES link under My Product Licenses section. The download is approximately 150MB so please be patient and wait for it to download. If your download fails after a few tries, please wait for a while and try again.
Here is a video showing how to download and install the trial version of Centrafuse Auto:
The video above shows how to download and install the Centrafuse Auto trial.
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In order to unlock the trial version, you must first purchase a license. Once you have a license, log in to your My Account page and click Create License File to generate your license unlock file.
You will be prompted for your Hardware ID which is found on the Centrafuse trial start up screen below the "days remaining" message. Enter this value into the create license form along with a short name for your PC, click the Create License File button. Check your email for the atttached cflic and follow the directions to apply your license file and unlock Centrafuse.
This video demonstrates the process of creating and applying a license file to unlock Centrafuse:
See how to create and apply a license file in the video above. |
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Your Hardware ID is a 24 digit alpha-numeric value that uniquely represents your PC for licensing purposes. After purchasing Centrafuse, you will need to locate your Hardware ID to create a license file to unlock your copy.
Example Hardware ID: (eg. F1C9-AB7E-90CD-862A-33BA)
The Hardware ID is displayed on the trial screen that is shown when Centrafuse first loads. It is the screen that shows the number of days remaining in your trial period. (image coming)
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Centrafuse relies on an important Windows Service to be running called "Windows Management Instrumentation" service or WMI. Without this service Started and set to Automatic, Centrafuse will not be able to create a Hardware ID, and will close.
To re-enable this service, click Start, Run and type "services.msc" and hit Enter. Locate the Windows Management Instrumentation service and make sure it is both Started and set to Automatic. |
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There are three Bluetooth profiles currently used in Centrafuse:
- HFP - Handsfree Profiles
- PBAP - Phonebook Access Profile
- A2DP - Advanced Audio Distribution Profile
HFP or Handsfree is the Bluetooth profile required for handsfree phone call operation. Most modern phones support this profile, while some older handsets do not. This is what allows you to pair your phone to Centrafuse and make and receive calls with the voice coming through your car speakers and the system microphone handling your voice. Think of it as your CarPC acting as a Bluetooth headset.
PBAP or Phonebook Access Profile is used to synchronize your contacts from your mobile phone. Not all phones support this, but a lot do.
A2DP aka AADP or Advanced Audio Distribution Profile is what allows you to enable Bluetooth streaming option under Bluetooth Settings. This is useful for playing an audio stream on your phone and routing the audio to your car speakers. Common examples are Pandora or your favorite podcast or news app on your smartphone and listening to that on your CarPC. |
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Centrafuse is not a replacement software package that can run on a factory navigation system. There are other parts that will be needed in order to get Centrafuse to connect to the screen. You will need to get a video interface adapter that will allow you to connect the video output of your Centrafuse system to it and then connect the adapter in-line to the video of the factory navigation system. You will also not be able to use the touchscreen functions as they are tied to the navigation unit and can only control those functions. The best product to replace this function is called the Space Navigator.
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Some people have issues with devices being installed and connected to COM ports 11 and higher. Centrafuse's current Navigation component, Destinator likes to see devices on COM 1-10 as these are compatible with the Destinator navigation engine. Common issues with devices located on ports higher than 10 are:
- Centrafuse does not see my new device.
- I do not see the correct COM port for my device.
- I can setup the device, but it does not function properly.
- My phone can't connect properly.
- My GPS does not work.
- My GPS connection is sporadic.
Chances are that you installed BlueSoleil when you installed Centrafuse for the first time or during a re-install. Best practice is to install it after you have everything else installed and configured. If you do not plan to use bluetooth audio or hands-free phone communications, you will not need Bluesoleil.
If you are not going to need Bluetooth, you can just uninstall BlueSoleil and choose not to reinstall it. If you do plan on using it, then you will need to reinstall it after this is done.
- Uninstall BlueSoleil.
- Disconnect all USB devices.
- Reboot your car PC.
- Install any and all required drivers for touch screen, MJS gadgets, GPS and any other devices.
- Plug in one device at a time and allow the device to finish installation of drivers.
- Make note of each COM port after installation. If anything is set above COM 10, change it to something else*.
- Once everything is installed and connected, reboot Windows.
- Open Centrafuse and setup your devices and test communication. For GPS, make sure you have a clear view of the sky and are not next to a tall building or a garage.
- Reboot one more time to make sure everything stays connected and working.
- Optional: reinstall BlueSoleil.
* Steps to change the COM port number within Windows.
- Right-click on "My Computer" or "Computer" on Windows desktop or within the Start Menu.
- Select "Manage" (available on Windows XP SP3 and above)
- You will see a new window open that is called "Computer Management".
- Select "Device Manager".
- Find the section on the right called "Ports (COM & LPT)".
- Expand it by clicking the plus (+) sign or arrow to the left of the text.
- Find the port that you need to edit (anything above 10) and right-click on it and select "Properties".
- A new window will appear. Go to the "Port Settings" tab and click "Advanced".
- At the bottom you will see a selection drop-down that will allow you to select a new "COM Port Number".
- Find a port number (lower than 10) that is not in use and select it.
- Repeat this for each port until complete and then reboot the computer.
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Yes, Centrafuse 4.x will support all of the most common audio files on the web today including playback of AAC and M4A files from iTunes. It will NOT however support the playback of M4P (protected) aka iTunes DRM aka M4P.
This is not to be confused with MP4 which is a video container format also sometimes used by iTunes, but by many other video formats as well. For MP4 playback of Apple iTunes videos (non-DRM) you will need QuickTime installed. For playback of other MP4 container formats you will need to have the appropriate codec installed. eg. H.264, MKV, AVI, DivX etc.
Note: You no longer need to download "bass_aac.dll" for AAC playback. This was only true for Centrafuse 3.x.
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Centrafuse Connect is a new tool that is available for users of 4.0 and above. It allows you to create playlists, find destinations, create a list of places you want to travel to and track your driving history. Centrafuse connect relys on two parts to work, a website ( www.centrafuseconnect.com) and an app ( http://goo.gl/9Okzd). Once you have logged in to the website and activated your account, you can install the app to your vehicle machine and begin syncing your songs and data. |
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If you have access to the internet at home via WiFi, that is all you need to get started with Centrafuse Connect. Once you have synced with the server, you do not need to have internet access at all times to access your playlists or destinations. Some parts of Connect will require internet connectivity after the sync process, but it is not required. If you have a smartphone that has a tethering option, you can use that to connect to your Centrafuse machine and get the data transferred. There are other apps for smartphones that also support tethering and will work just as well. We have tested the initial sync with 6000+ songs and it only takes a few seconds to get the data to the server over tethering.
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The Connect+ feature is only available to users within North America. This section will allow users to find hotels and fast food locations, as well as Zagat ratings and local events happening in their area. Users can get the information they need to make informed decisions on where they would like to go and then create a syncable route to that location. |
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With the latest version of Centrafuse (4.0) and above, you can connect your newer iPods/iTouch/iPhone devices to your Centrafuse machine and access your music, movies, videos, podcasts and playlists. You will need to install the programs below in order to have the full experience with the latest release of Centrafuse and your iPod/iPhone.
- Quicktime - 26 MB ( DOWNLOAD )
- Apple Application Support - 17 MB ( DOWNLOAD )
- Apple Mobile Device Support - 10 MB ( DOWNLOAD )
- MP4 Video Codecs - Required for iPod/iPhone video playback ( VISIT SITE )
- MKV Video Codecs - Required for iPod/iPhone video playback ( VISIT SITE )
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Whether you are a new or existing customer, you will need to know a few things about our software. Our earlier versions had everything in one package and created a big download and some were having issues downloading it. We have now created a much smaller stand-alone installer that will allow for easier and faster downloads.
First-Time users:
You will need to download the prerequisite software packages that are located on your account page after you click "GET INSTALLER FILES". You can see what is needed from the list below:
Windows XP Users- Only required for Windows XP users.
- .NET Framework 3.5 - Required for all XP users
- Microsoft SQL Compact Edition (SQLCE) - Required for library tag support
- Windows Media Player 11 - Required for video & DVD playback
- Microsoft Speech API 5.1 - Required for Voice control - Optional
- Microsoft Data Access Components 2.8 - Required for library tag support (pre XP SP2)
Returning Users:
If you are a returning user, you can keep you existing maps if there is no update for your area. These maps can be found in the "C:\Program Files\Centrafuse\Centrafuse Auto" folder. You will need to completely uninstall any existing version of Centrafuse using the windows uninstaller and remove the "C:\Program Files\Centrafuse" folder and the "C:\ProgramData\Centrafuse" (Windows Vista/7) folder or the "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Centrafuse" (Windows XP) folder.
You should already have the required files needed for 4.0 to install and work correctly and all you need to download is the Centrafuse 4.0 installer. If your area has new maps, please download those as well.
Whether you are a new user or a returning user, you should now have Centrafuse 4.0 working on your system.
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In order to save or backup your playlists, you need to have access to the "C:\ProgramData" folder (Win 7) or the "C:\Documents and Settings" (Win XP) folder. In order to get access to this folder, you need to open Computer (Win 7) or My Computer (Win XP). Press Alt + T and choose "Folder Options". Select the View tab and find "Show hidden files, folders and drives". Click this option to turn it on and press Apply and then OK.
Now you need to find C:\ProgramData\Centrafuse\Centrafuse Auto\<user>\Playlists (Win 7) or C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Centrafuse\Centrafuse Auto\Playlists(Win XP) and copy the entire folder to a thumb drive for safe keeping.
You now have all your playlists backed up. Keep in mind that if you are using an external drive for your music, you will need to make sure that the correct music folder is being used in Centrafuse and that the drive letter stays the same within Windows. |
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I know that a lot of users are still rockin' 2.0 like nobody's business. We have made a small modification to the http://www.centrafuse.com/account page, you can no longer access your 2.0 license information from a link within that page. You must access it from a direct link: http://www.fluxmedia.net/myaccount. Please bookmark this page to get access to the older account page as we will no longer link to it within the existing account page. |
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We have minimized the installer file to make for a faster download and to allow you to only download what you need. We are no longer offering a download of "Navigation Version". You can download the main installer and your maps from your account page, then you can download the latest version of Destinator from the market. We have also included SQL Compact Edition 3.5 with our installer and it is automatically installed at the time Centrafuse is. This is needed for the playlist and library import options to work.
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With Centrafuse 4.0, we tried to include the software needed for the library to function, but some are having issues with this. For the time being, you can download the installer for SQL Server Compact Edition 3.5 SP1 from Microsoft located here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=5821. We plan to have this fixed soon. Please keep in mind that there are still some 3rd party apps that do require this software to be installed in the default location anyways. |
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There are two ways of doing this. The first is to use Centrafuse to do so, the second is to use a 3rd party app called " AppLoader". This write-up will discuss the option to do so within Centrafuse. This option is used to have access to a program that is installed on your machine within Centrafuse.
- With Centrafuse running, go to System > Settings and turn on "Advanced".
- Then press the "Apps" button to get to the options needed to continue.
- Find the "+" button at the top of the screen and press it.
- The next window will ask you if you wish to add an application or a web link; you need to choose application.
- First, it will ask you for the application name. For this example, we will be using "Notepad". It will then take you to the "External Application" setup screen.
- You will need to point to the location of the application you wish to include next. The location for notepad is C:\Windows\ and you would then choose "notepad.exe".
- The next option to set, if needed, is any application parameters. This will allow you to send commands to the program directly for internal commands. If none are needed, you do not need to fill in this line with anything.
- Next, you will need to input the "Window Name" which is the title of the window when the program opens. While on this page, you can set the option to pause music or make the program open in full screen.
- On page 2, you will need to fill in a title for this new "app" that will show up in the top-left of the Centrafuse interface. This name can be anything you want.
- If you have a program that plays audio, you can choose another audio output device to have it use.
- The last option is only used if you have more than one display connected to your machine. This will allow you to choose which screen this program will show up on.
- After this, the last thing you need to do is add a custom icon. This is done by adding an image file in PNG format that is 90px X 90px and is placed in the icons folder located in C:\Program Files\
Centrafuse\Centrafuse Auto\Skins\Clean\Icons and is given the same name as the title that you used above.
After you have everything setup, you will need to assign it to a button by going to the main window and finding a blank button and holding it down until a list of apps appears. Scroll down until you find the program you just setup and select it. It will then take you back to the main menu and you will see your new app. You are now ready to enjoy your new program within Centrafuse.
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If you're using Centrafuse 3.x and you are having trouble finding your favorite apps through the Market app within Centrafuse, this is because only the latest version of compatible apps will appear for download, depending on your Centrafuse version. This means that if, for example, you want to download the Email app and you are running Centrafuse 3.6, it will not appear because Email was updated to require 4.x.
To access these older app versions all you need to is visit the online Market and drill down until you see the "Click here to download previous versions" link. This will show you a list of previous version of any app. This is also very useful if you want to "rollback" to a previous version after updating an app that's not working well any more. To do this, just remove the new app from your Market app browser and then install the previous app package downloaded from the online Market. |
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You will need to download a trial copy of BlueSoleil that can be found here: Download BlueSoleil 8.0.376. We will supply you with an activation key on your account page after you purchase a licensed copy of Centrafuse.
This program needs to be installed in order for you to connect your phone to Centrafuse. The version that we have linked to above is the version that we have wrote our software to work with. We do not suggest upgrading to a newer version as others have reported issues with connectivity. You will also need to use an approved bluetooth device. That list can be found here: http://www.centrafuse.com/hardware. |
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All license files are delivered via email from the email account no-reply (at) centrafuse.com. Please be sure to add this to your email address book, whitelist, safelist or whatever means necessary to ensure the email doesn't get filtered by your spam/junk mail filter.
Also, because we are serving users in several countries throughout the world, license file emails (and all email responses) may take up to a few hours to arrive. Mostly email arrive within minutes, but please allow a few hours for the email to arrive.
If, after several hours, you still do not have your license email, you may use the same Hardware ID in your create license page to generate another license unlock file. If you use the same Hardware ID, it will not count against your hardware activation maximum; it will simply re-send the email and license.
If you still cannot receive the email, we recommend you log in to your My Account page, click Edit Profile button to update your email address to a different one such as Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail. If you're from Brazil and using a .com.br address, you need to use a non-Brazil email address. We have had many reports of email servers using the .com.br suffix blocking our license emails at the server. |
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When purchasing one of the navigation regions, you are provided access through your account page with download installers for the maps. These are large files and must be downloaded separately. To access, log in to your My Account page and locate your purchased product under My Product Licenses section.
Download Map Files
Then click on the GET INSTALLER FILES link to view the specific downloads and software pre-requisites for that version. Please read this page as there is important information in addition to the map downloads, such as the Nav app installer. The map downloads are located near the bottom and are provided as either a EXE installer or a EXE installer with supporting archive files (.RAR) depending on your region. If you're in Australia, there is only one file (EXE), but if you're in North America or Europe, you will have several to download.
Install Map Files
Once you have the map installers downloaded, copy them to your Centrafuse PC, close Centrafuse and then run the map installers by double clicking the main EXE. You won't need to do anything with the other RAR files, the main EXE uses them as necessary without your interaction. Just make sure they are located adjacent to each other, i.e. in the same sub-folder.
Ensure Navigation application is installed
After installing the maps, start Centrafuse and click the Nav button. If you don't see Nav, go to System/Settings and enabled Advanced to see if Navigation is installed. If you don't see Navigation in the Settings list, then you don't have Nav application installed. You can get this from the above Installers page, or from the online Market, or directly from within Centrafuse using the Market app browser. The download is about 40MB so keep that in mind when using a 3G tethered connection. It might make sense to download the CFAPP package inside and take it to your vehicle with a thumb drive.
Loading your local map
To load your local map, you will need to open the Nav app where you may see a map of Berlin or New York City. These are the sample maps. To load your map, select the Nav menu button, choose New Address and then click the "back" button on the bottom left. This will take you to a screen where you will see a button on the left for Change Map. Select this and you should see a list of available regions for your Nav version. Choose the region where you are located and choose LOAD. Then cancel out of the New Address menu and you should see your local map. |
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Assuming you have your maps installed (see this KB item) you now need to set up your GPS receiver in Centrafuse Navigation settings.
To do this, ensure your GPS receiver is both supported (should be NMEA based and/or listed on our Supported Hardware page). If you have drivers such as USB-Serial included with your GPS receiver make sure to install those first. If you have a USB GPS receiver then you will need these, otherwise a virtual COM port cannot be created. Centrafuse Navigation must have a COM port in which to connect. After you are sure the drivers are installed, read on.
Configuring Navigation Settings
Open Centrafuse Settings (System/Settings) and locate Navigation. Make sure you have enabled the Advanced option, otherwise you won't be able to change COM ports and other settings. Select the Navigation item and click SETUP. From here you will see an option to select your COM port value. The key thing here (besides choosing the right port) is making sure the port used is below COM10. Only COM ports 1-9 will work with the Destinator navigation solution. If your GPS receiver is on another port, you will need to change it using Device Manager before returning to these instructions.
Next, after choosing your COM port, you will need to selet the GPS protocol and Baud rate. We highly recommend you use the NMEA setting as we have observed most GPS devices don't respond to the SiRF setting unless they are specifically flashed to switch to this mode. For baud rates, the most common settings are 4800 and 9600 although some receivers support higher/different baud rates. Try them all if you have to, eventually you'll find yours. Hit the Save button, close Settings and go to Nav to see if you have a connection. If it is working properly, you will see a green or orange arrow where your vehicle is located against your local map. If you see a red X then your COM port is not connected to the Navigation app. You can try to use the Navigation menu's Reconnect GPS option to force it to reconnect.
These are the 3 main Setting options to get your GPS receiver working. If you're still having trouble please review these common troubleshooting steps:
- Ensure you are outdoors. It's easy to be sitting in your garage or under a carport and forget the GPS receiver needs a clear view of the sky to work.
- Make sure your COM port value is below COM10 - COM 1 and 2 are the best options.
- Ensure you are using NMEA and the correct baud rate
- Make sure your local map is installed and loaded. (see this KB item)
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To unlock the trial limitation of BlueSoleil you must purchase Centrafuse from our online store. Once purchased, you will see a BlueSoleil serial on your account page. If you do not see it, click the link for GET BLUETOOTH KEY. You will see a serial unlock key for BlueSoleil. Copy this serial key and enter it into the Activate BlueSoleil option in Bluetooth Places as shown here: http://www.bluesoleil.com/support/knowledgebase-16.html
If your system does not have available internet access, you will need to use the manual activation method described here:
NOTE: You no longer unlock BlueSoleil from within Centrafuse. You must use the Bluetooth Places icon on your Desktop.
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To try out the Bluetooth functions, you will need to download the Bluetooth software, BlueSoleil 8. There is a built-in limitation in the trial verison of BlueSoleil, however the limit is actually only a data transfer limit, which allows you to test out pairing your phone and making a phone call or two before the stack stops working. Rebooting resets the trial limit. When you purchase Centrafuse, it comes with a serial key to unlock BlueSoleil.
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The short answer is yes, the long answer is not that well. There are currently some significant issues with 64bit issues for some users as of this writing (4.0). We strongly recommend you use a 32bit OS as Centrafuse was not designed for a 64bit OS. If you wish to use a 64bit OS with Centrafuse, we highly recommend you download the trial version and try it out first. We will try to look into fixing some of these issues, but please realize they are not a priority at this time and may not make it into future builds. |
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This has been reported in some of the versions of BlueSoleil by various users of Centrafuse 3.6 and 4.0. There is a problem with the BlueSoleil internal activation system for some systems, especially those using BlueSoleil version 8.0.338.
If this doesn't resolve the issue, please open a support ticket with BlueSoleil.com as we are unable to assist with their activation system. |
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You can use the following startup parameters with Centrafuse.exe:
- -advsettings Enable advanced settings
- -nolimit Disable limits while the vehicle is in motion*
- -nowarning Disable the warning message at startup
* Be sure to follow all local traffic laws and ordinances at all times.
Usage:
Locate the shortcut used to launch Centrafuse. Right click the shortcut and choose Properties. On the Shortcut tab, find the Target field and use the parameters as shown below:
...\centrafuse.exe" -advsettings
OR you can combine them
...\centrafuse.exe" -advsettings -nowarning -nolimit
Note: Make sure to put the startup parameters OUTSIDE the quotes or else it will not work. Make sure to only have a single space in between multiple parameters and avoid using copy/paste for these. The character before the parameter is a hyphen, aka a minus sign. Certain PC applications commonly replace hyphens with dashes and this may cause a problem if you copy/paste the values. |
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Why did my Hardware ID change? - Your hardware ID can change for a lot of reasons. Think of your hardware ID as a unique fingerprint of your system. This includes things like BIOS version, mainboard, OS, and various system components. Driver updates and Windows Update can also cause the hardware ID to change. Some people have more problems than others. You mileage may vary depending on your luck and how often you change your system.
Will I be penalized for creating a new license if my hardware ID changes? - No. We understand that hobbyist type systems are constantly undergoing hardware upgrades. We try to accomodate this as best we can. As long as you're not asking for license reset too often we will gladly reset your license, if necessary. Just log in to your My Account page, click Create License File and use the Request Reset link to submit a request to our support staff and we'll reply back via email when it is ready.
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The free Email app found in the Market provided by Centrafuse is capable of IMAP. However, because Gmail uses special email security you will need to configure settings in: 1) your Gmail account and 2) the Email app in Centrafuse Settings before you'll be able to check mail. See the instructions below:
- Enable IMAP in your Gmail account. It's under 'Mail Settings'.
- Open Settings section of the Centrafuse Email app and use these values:
- Email Name: Your Name
- Email address: youraccounthere@gmail.com
- User name: youraccounthere@gmail.com
- Password: yourpasswordhere
- Incoming server: imap.gmail.com
- Outgoing server: smtp.gmail.com
- Incoming port: 993
- Outgoing port: 587
- Server type: imap
- IMAP folder: Inbox
- Incoming security: TLS/SSL Implicit
- Outgoing security: TLS/SSL Explicit
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