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FAQs

 

Have a question? 

On this page you will find solutions to common Cobalt Cube installation and configuration issues.

If you cannot find what you are looking for, please contact your VNC Automotive account manager, or submit a support request.

1. Connecting the Cobalt Cube to the vehicle screen

1.1 The Cobalt Cube is powered and plugged into the vehicle, but does not appear on the vehicle screen:

Has the Cobalt Cube had sufficient time to make the connection?

The first connection may take up to two minutes to succeed. If the connection is still unsuccessful after this time, try unplugging and re-plugging the USB cable from the Cobalt Cube and waiting another two minutes.

If the connection is still unsuccessful, try the other suggestions in this section.

Is there a required action on the vehicle head unit?

Some vehicles may show a notification that needs to be clicked on, or require navigating to a particular menu to start the connection.

Does the vehicle support Android Auto?

To connect a Cobalt Cube to a vehicle screen, the vehicle must support Android Auto. This can be checked by connecting an Android phone to the vehicle’s USB port and seeing if an Android Auto connection is established. Furthermore, in the vehicle’s screen menu an Android Auto logo should be present.

Have the Android Auto first run permissions been accepted?

As per the “First-time setup” section in the Getting Started Guide, there are setup prompts that need to be accepted in the Android Auto app. These should be accepted automatically, but sometimes this mechanism can fail.

If this happens, you will need an HDMI screen and a mouse to accept the terms and conditions for using Android Auto. Once complete, subsequent connections to the same car occur without any additional input.

The steps to perform this initial setup are as follows:

  1. If not already connected, the Cobalt Cube to the vehicle IVI system via the OTG port (you may need a USB-C to USB-A adapter).
  2. Connect an HDMI monitor to the Cobalt Cube’s HDMI port.
  3. Connect a mouse or touchscreen USB connector to the Cobalt Cube’s HOST port.
  4. Start Android Auto on the IVI system.
  5. You should see a series of dialogues appear on the HDMI screen (as seen in Figure 1) - accept all of them.

FAQ screenshots image

Figure 1: Some Android Auto first experience screens

Is the vehicle’s USB port a data port?

Modern vehicles may contain multiple USB ports, some of these ports are for charging only and do not send data to the vehicle. This can be checked by connecting an Android phone to the USB port and seeing if an Android Auto connection is established with the vehicle.

Does the vehicle only have a USB C port?

A USB A to USB C adaptor should be used when connecting to the vehicle. The wiring is as follows: USB C (connected to the Cobalt Cube OTG port) to USB A cable, USB A to USB C converter (connected to the vehicle’s USB C port).

VNC Automotive recommends the following USB A to USB C converter for use in vehicles with only USB C ports as it has been verified to work by our engineers:

StarTech USB-C plug to USB-A socket Adapter (6inch) (USB-IF Certified)-07-1

Is the USB C to USB A cable Google USB-IF certified?

Google recommends using cables that have been certified by themselves within the last two years for Android Auto connections.

VNC Automotive recommends the following certified cable for use in vehicles as it has been verified to work by our engineers:

Anker Powerline II USB-A to USB-C Cable (0.9m) (USB-IF Certified)

Is the USB C to USB A cable longer than 3 feet (1 meter)?

VNC Automotive advise to use the shortest cable possible and ideally install the Cobalt Cube near to the car’s Android Auto USB port.

Google’s official advice on USB cables is available through their knowledge base here: 

Google Android Auto knowledge base

For quick reference it is recommended that you use a cable that is:

  • Less than 3 feet (1 meter) long and don’t use USB hubs or cable extensions.
  • USB-IF certified within the last two years. Here is a database you can check:

USB Cable Database

 

Is a black screen displayed when an HDMI screen is connected to the Cobalt Cube?

This may occur if power was lost during an update of the device, or if the USB thumb drive became loose or was removed whilst data was being copied. You will need to return the unit to VNC Automotive to be restored by a technician.

Is a red screen stating "Android Auto encountered an error. Communication Error 14" displayed when an HDMI screen is connected to the Cobalt Cube?

The Cobalt Cube software is out of date and requires updating. The latest update would have been provided to you via your point of contact at VNC Automotive.

Is a red screen stating "Android Auto encountered an error. Communication Error 16" displayed when an HDMI screen is connected to the Cobalt Cube?

This may occur if the USB C to USB A cable is not Google USB-IF certified or the cable is longer than 3 feet (1 meter).

1.2 The Cobalt Cube is displaying on the vehicle’s screen, but touch interactions are not responding:

Is the Cobalt Cube powered correctly?

The Cobalt Cube is likely not receiving 12V of power. Please check the power supply to the Cobalt Cube.

1.3 Touch events are out of sync when the vehicle screen is pressed:

Is an HDMI screen connected to the Cobalt Cube?

Detach the HDMI screen from the Cobalt Cube and reboot the Cobalt Cube.

Has the display resolution of the Windows PC been changed whilst the connection is active?

Restart the Cobalt Link+ Windows Server on the Windows machine and restart the MDT Control application on the Cobalt Cube.

1.4 Is it possible to navigate around the Cobalt Cube without establishing a connection to a vehicle head unit?

Is it possible to navigate around the Cobalt Cube without establishing aconnection to a vehicle head unit?

Yes. A USB mouse can be connected to the HOST port of the Cobalt Cube. Alongside an HDMI screen, this allows navigation around the Cobalt Cube. To go back to the previous screen the navigation bar can be used, or the “back” button in the mouse, if available.

2. Updating the Cobalt Cube

2.1 The USB thumb drive with the update package is plugged into the Cobalt Cube but no "System Update" message is displayed:

Is the update package file named correctly?

The update package on the USB thumb drive must be named "update.zip" (including file extension) otherwise the Cobalt Cube will not recognise the file.

Is the update.zip file copied to the root directory of the USB thumb drive?

The update.zip file must be placed in the root directory of the USB thumb drive. The update package must not be placed in any sub-folders, otherwise the Cobalt Cube will not recognise the file.

Is the USB thumb drive plugged into the correct port of the Cobalt Cube?

The USB thumb drive containing the update package must be plugged into the HOST port of the Cobalt Cube.

Did the update package file get corrupted during downloading/copying to the USB thumb drive?

Check the SHA256 checksum by running "certUtil -hashfile <location of update.zip> SHA256" on a PC's command line and comparing the output to the update email received from VNC Automotive. If they do not match, please download/copy the file again.

2.2 The "System Update" pop-up shows on every boot after an update

The “System Update” pop-up shows on every boot after an update

This is due to an update file remaining on the SD Card after an update. The file can be removed by going into the My Settings app and clicking “Remove left-over update files”. After this, the pop-up will no longer appear.

2.3 The display of the Cobalt Cube turned off during an update, and now it won’t power back on.

The display of the Cobalt Cube turned off during an update, and now it won’t power back on.

This may occur if power was lost during an update of the device, or if the USB thumb drive became loose whilst data was being copied. You will need to return the unit to be restored by a technician.

3. Phone call and media audio

3.1 Can two devices be connected to the Cobalt Cube for media audio simultaneously?

Can two devices be connected to the Cobalt Cube for media audio simultaneously?

No, they cannot. To use a device as an audio source, it must be enabled for media audio in the Cobalt Cube’s Android settings. Only one device can be enabled at a time.

Note: phone call audio in addition to media audio is supported (from either the same, or different, source devices). To set up phone call support, please refer to the phone call audio section in the getting started guide.

3.2 My phone will not connect to the vehicle for phone call support.

My phone will not connect to the vehicle for phone call support.

Check that the Cobalt Cube is not paired over Bluetooth to the vehicle. If it is, unpair it and try again.

4. Connecting a Windows machine to the Cobalt Cube

4.1 MDT Control displays “Scanning for server…” and does not show the Windows PC screen:

Are the Cobalt Cube and Windows PC on the same network?

In a wired connection, ensure the Ethernet cables from the Cobalt Cube to the Windows PC are plugged in.

In a wireless connection, ensure both the Cobalt Cube and Windows PC are connected to the same wireless network.

Is the Windows Server actively running on the Windows PC?

On the Windows PC, open Task Manager via the Windows start menu.

There should be a process called CobaltLink+ServerEmbedded_x64.exe or CobaltLink+ServerEmbedded_x86.exe running.

If it is not, the Windows Server is not running. Please see refer to the Windows Server Getting Started Guide to setup the start-up configuration

4.2 In a peer-to-peer wired connection, has a static IP address been set for both the Cobalt Cube and Windows PC?

In a peer-to-peer wired connection, has a static IP address been set for both the Cobalt Cube and Windows PC?

Please see the Cobalt Cube Getting Started Guide and Windows Server Getting Started Guide on how to configure the corresponding device’s static IP address.

5. Connecting a smartphone to the Cobalt Cube

5.1 The phone’s display is very compressed in Smartphone Control.

The phone’s display is very compressed in Smartphone Control.

This can be the result of using a head unit with a low resolution and a phone with a high resolution. Generally, the higher resolution the head unit is, the better phone screens will look on them.

Putting the phone in portrait mode for a portrait head unit or landscape mode for a landscape head unit will also help maximise the usable space and picture quality.

5.2 The Smartphone Control hotspot remains pending indefinitely after being turned on.

The Smartphone Control hotspot remains pending indefinitely after being turned on.

For the Local Wi-Fi hotspot to turn on, Smartphone Control needs to be opened. If this still does not turn on the hotspot, please ensure that the Local Wi-Fi hotspot password is at least 8 characters long. Using a password of less than 8 characters will result in the hotspot not turning on.

6. Connecting the Cobalt Cube to a Light and Siren controller

6.1 Is the “Serial Port Error” message being displayed?

The light and siren controller is not wired to the Cobalt Cube correctly.

Please refer to the corresponding light and siren controller section in Cobalt Cube Getting Started Guide to troubleshoot this issue.

7. Miscellaneous

7.1 Is it possible to factory-reset the Cobalt Cube?

Yes. The option can be found in:

Settings > System > Advanced > Reset Options > Erase all data (factory reset) > Reset Tablet

Have a question?

The best place to start is the Cobalt Cube getting started guide or our video tutorials. If you can't find what you're looking for, you can request support from the VNC Automotive team below.