The android Headunit will have a yellow RCA Phono socket marked CAM_VIN, CAMERA IN, REV_CAM, or CAM_IN.
But what are these yellow connectors for, and how do you wire them up?
Will the Android head unit still work if the CAMERA connector is not installed?
How do I connect the camera to CAM_VIN?
CAM_VIN
is the backup CAMera Video Input.
CAMERA_IN
CAMERA_IN is the reversing camera input on a universal fitting Android headunit. The CAM_VIN socket is a yellow connector that takes a male RCA-type phono plug, and these carry analog video signals.
The CAM_VIN socket is used to carry the reversing (backup) camera signal to the Android headunit screen.
Pink wire
CAMERA IN and the PINK wire are used in an Android headunit installation. You don’t use one without the other. PINK wire switches the CAMERA input on and off, and CAMERA carries the pictures from the reversing camera. Your Android headunit can show the backup camera when needed using the PINK wire and CAMERA input.
Omitting CAM_IN and PINK wire
Not installing the CAMERA_IN connection with its PINK wire counterpart is a loss of one of the main features of an Android headunit. The reverse camera feature plays a major part in justifying installing an Android head unit. The headunit will still boot up and do everything it should, and it just won’t display the backup camera when it was expected.
How to connect the CAMERA_IN cable?
CAM_IN is for the reversing camera, but not in isolation. The PINK REV wire is also required for a successful CAM_IN feature. The Connecting a reversing camera to an Android Headunit article is here. It covers the installation of CAMERA IN and PINK REV wire for a working backup camera feature of your Android head unit.
Yellow Socket
With the yellow socket being very popular on an Android headunit wiring loom, it can be difficult to know which yellow socket is which. Sometimes the labels are missing, and other times they are wrong. They are nearly always in Chinese. If you have one of the very popular 8227L-based Android headunits, your CAM IN connector is on the lead with the two short blue aerials.
If you don’t have this short lead with a CAM VIN label, your CAMERA input may be on the rear panel or a more populated loom. It won’t harm the camera or the Android headunit if you must trial and error the yellow RCA phono connectors. Try each yellow socket with the camera plug until you find the right one, then label it for future reference.
Back Video In
You may also find the ‘CAM_V_IN’ – backup camera video input labeled ‘Back Video In.’ This is a shortening of the name ‘Backup camera Video Input.’ Connect the RCA plug from the reversing camera to the BACK VIDEO IN connector on your head unit.
Don’t forget
Attach the (probably oink) REVERSE wire on the android headunit to the reversing light circuit of the vehicle to enable the Video Input of the camera. This way, the headunit can automatically switch to the backup camera when the reverse gear is selected. If you don’t connect the REVERSE wire to the correct circuit, the camera can be shown constantly or never.
