- Head unit
A head unit is a component of a stereo system either in a
vehicle or home cinema system which provides a unified hardware interface for the various components of an electronic media system. An antiquated name for a head unit is a receiver; this article focuses on vehicular applications.The head unit is the centerpiece of the car's sound system. Typically located in the center of the
dashboard , modern head units are densely integrated electronic packages housed in detachable face plates. As high-end head units are not uncommon targets for theft, many head units are typically integrated into the vehicle's alarm system.Head units give the user control over the vehicle's entertainment media: AM/FM radio,
satellite radio ,CD s,cassette tape s (although these are now uncommon),MP3 ,GPS navigation,Bluetooth , etc. Many audio-only head units afford the user precise control over detailed audio functions such as volume, band, frequency, speaker balance, speaker fade, bass, treble, EQ and so on.Several
OEM s such as General Motors are integrating computer systems into vehicle's head units Fact|date=October 2007 such that they can control vehicular functions such as door chimes and even offer vehicle data such as trouble warnings and odometer information; such a head unit thus serves as a secondary instrument panel.In as much as head units are a central part of a car's decor, they vary as widely in aesthetics as they do in functionality; in this regard they are analogous to skins.
With the advent of GPS and
DVD s head units with video monitors have come on the market. Such features raise design, safety, and ergonomic issues. Fact|date=October 2007The most standard sizes in vehicles are Single DIN ISO 7736 (178x53mm) in Europe, South America and Australasia and Double DIN (178x106mm) in Japan and North America.
Typically, the 8-pin
ISO 10487 connector is used for connecting the head unit to the car's electrical system.ee also
*
Car audio External links
* [http://www.fcs.org.uk/documents/mpt1362.pdf MPT 1362 UK code of practice for the installation of mobile radio and ancillary equipment in land based vehicles] . Federation of Communications Services Industry, November 2005.
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