General user guide
DAB+U
1. Introduction
The Dension DAB+U device is an easy to install solution for receiving
Digital Audio Broadcast in cars or other media devices where USB
connection is available with mp3 playback capability.
Technical details
• Supports DAB, DAB+ and DMB-R (DMB-A)
• Compatible with Band III frequency range
• Service
following
• SMB
Antenna
connector
Package contents
• DAB+U
device
• USB ‘A-A’ cable (Male to Male)
• Power wire for active antenna
• 2x 3M adhesive tape
• 2x cable tie
• Cable
grommet
• User
guide
Optional accessories
• DAB passive (non-amplifi ed) antenna
• DAB active (amplifi ed) antenna with external power source
(DAB1ANT)
2. ‘ABSA’
The Dension DAB+U device is equipped with an ‘Automatic Buffer
Size Assessment’ (ABSA) function. Since the buffer size may be
different in each playback device (head unit) the Dension DAB+U
detects the buffering time. This is necesery for the device to function
correctly. Upon fi rst operation the assessment process is run
automatically which takes about 5 minutes. During this period please
do not switch station otherwise the process will start again.
After this process the proper amount of buffer is used through future
operations. Depending on the playback device the buffer time may
vary between 15-40 seconds, so it is not possible to have ‘radio
like’ station changing, but we designed the product to be the most
versatile possible.
3. Device installation
Plug the DAB antenna (passive or active with external power source)
to the Dension DAB+U receiver. Connect the power cable (12V) to the
antenna (only if you are using an active aerial). Use the USB ‘A-A’
(Male to Male) cable to connect the bottom USB connector of the DAB
device to the Radio. Please turn the ignition ON and check the status
indicator LED on the DAB+U hardware. The steady light means that
the DAB+U receives electric power. If the LED does not light up when
the device is connected please check the power connection.
4. Positioning the DAB antenna
The DAB reception and performance depends on many factors, both in
the vehicle and other external conditions. Before you start the antenna
installation and/or the product testing, please make sure that you
have a good DAB coverage and reception.
Important notes:
• If your vehicle comes with metalized windscreen (e.g.
windscreen heating) an external antenna is required
• The DAB module supports both amplifi ed and non-amplifi ed
aerials. For amplifi ed antennas 12V power is provided by the
DAB+U receiver via the 2 pin molex connector
Read the manual of the antenna used carefully and follow the
instructions in order to fi nd the right place for installation. Always test
(read next chapter) the DAB functions before fi nalizing the installation.
5. Confi guration
In case of some specifi c head unit, it is necessary to use radio specifi c
confi guration fi les which you can download from www.dension.com.
To confi gure please follow the steps below.
1. Plug the DAB+U device to your PC
2. Wait until it is recognized
3. Unzip and copy the confi guration fi le to the root folder of the device
4. The update procedure will start automatically. When it is fi nished
the device will be disconnected and reconnected automatically
5. Select the DAB device from the File explorer and run ‘About.mp3’
from the ‘_Settings’ folder
6. Check the ID3 tag information on the player’s screen. If it displays
the same version what you uploaded, that means the update
procedure was successful
6. Operation
Switch your car radio ON; select the DAB+U module as a USB source
from your radio. If in doubt how to select the USB source, please
check the user guide of your radio.
First you need to perform DAB scan to fi nd all available stations in
your area therefore please go to the ‘Settings’ fi le folder and select /
play scan.mp3.
The scanning procedure usually takes 40-60 seconds (within this time
the system displays “Scanning” announcement). When it is fi nished
the DAB device will reboot and the fi rst DAB channel from the list of
available stations will be selected and played automatically once the
buffering is fi nished. Please note: all available stations will be listed as
mp3 fi les in the root folder after scanning.
Buffering (the device loads the data ahead of the player) is required to
compensate internal (USB playback function of the radio) or external
(signal loss) factors in order to keep the playback from stuttering.
The total buffering time usually takes 15-40 seconds (within this
time the status indicator LED is fl ashing) while the device announces
“Please Wait”. Please note: This is playback device dependent. For
more information please refer to chapter #2: ‘ABSA’”.
During playback the station name will be displayed on the radio
screen or on the cluster display (radio dependent). You may need to
press additional button(s) e.g. ‘Disp’ / ‘Info’ to change the type of
information displayed.
You can select a different channel by pressing the next / previous
track button on your radio or steering wheel.
Alternatively you can browse and select the desired station from the
list of mp3 fi les (available DAB stations) in the root folder of your USB
source menu on your radio.
Important notes:
The ‘Scan’ function available on most of the mp3 playback devices
plays certain amount of time from all available fi les on the drive,
therefore it CANNOT be used to rescan the DAB stations. Please do not
use this function because it might result in malfunction. To rescan the
DAB stations always use the scan.mp3 fi le in the ‘Settings’ fi le folder
• When travelling frequently between different locations it is
recommended to rescan all stations since the items in the
previously saved list might not be available anymore
• This device has ‘Service following’ support, so the currently
played station might be available even when moving from the
area of the fi rst transmitter, because the DAB+U automatically
switches to the next available transmitter if the station is
available on that one also. However please note that a rescan
might still be needed to fi nd the local transmissions.
7. About the ‘SETTINGS’ menu options
• If you are listening to a station while switching off the device,
the last played station name will be duplicated when turning
the device back ON and the station’s name will be marked with
‘!’. This is part of the normal operation and will not cause any
malfunction
The following items are available in the DAB settings Folder:
• About: provides information about the DAB device (e.g. software
version)
• Scanning: use this option to scan all available stations in your
area
8. Connector port
The connector port is an optional accessory allowing you to change
the playback source from DAB radio to a USB-drive without unplugging
your DAB+U.
The connector port has to be connected to the Round 9-pin connector
of the DAB+U and the upper USB connector on the device. If the
switch is set to DAB mode, the DAB+U is in active mode and you
can listen to the DAB radio. When the switch is in USB position the
DAB+U will be in bypass mode (DAB off) and you are able to access
the content of the fl ash drive connected to the USB connector on the
connector port.
9. Firmware update
We recommend to visit our website on a regular basis to get software
updates for your product to enjoy the best performance and more
features. Please follow steps explained thereof to perform the update
process.
10. Troubleshooting
Symptom
Possible cause
Solution
No DAB
channels
available
after
scanning
1. Antenna position
is not correct / not
connected properly
/ compatible / or faulty
2. Poor DAB coverage
1. Check the installation
and the specifi cations of
the antenna
2. Test DAB reception
with a different device
or run scan at a different
location
Playback is
intermitten
Bad DAB coverage or
antenna position
Try to change the
antenna position
Missing
channel
DAB signal strength
is weak
Repeat scanning later
Station is
selected
but not
played
Station is not available
at the given territory
Apply scanning to see
the stations currently
available
DBU-9203-3
RADIO
DAB+U
USB ‘A-A’ cable
DAB antenna
DAB+U installation diagram
USB connector
DAB
USB
