Detecting if a footpod is sending data? (vivoactive)

So, I got a footpod for testing, and in an app, I do the Sensor.setEnabledSensors() for it, and it seems that is shows the footpod is set up on the device, not if it's actually communicating.

So what I did was add enableSensorEvents(), thinking there wouldn't be the callback with data, unless the footpod was transmitting (I check to see if the cadence is >0).

But, even with the footpod 100's of feet away, the callback is being called - seems like the cadence data is coming from the accelerometer on the VA, and not from the sensor

Is there anyway to see if the FP is actually connected and sending data? With the HRM, it's easy to do, as there is no alternate "source" for HR data.

jim_m_58 over 10 years ago

Been scratching my head about this all day, and it seems that there are overlaps in the "source" for many things in "sensor info", and you can't really figure out what is "active" sensor wise. While I've not tested everything here, things like HR, or temp, really only have a single source (HRM band or a Tempe) so you know the source is active.

But things like altitude, it could be the baro or it could be GPS, and for "cadence" it could be "internal", footpod, or bike sensor (3 sources)

What if "sensor info" didn't give you a value, but an array of values? With the array being "the sensor that provided the data, and the data for that sensor"?

Today, if you check "cadence" for example, you'll get back something like "198" (or a null), but what if instead it was something like
[["internal", 172],["footpod",187],["bike",396]] (with defines for the names in quotes)

I've seen others ask about things like altitude and compass, and the differences with and without a baro sensor or internal compass.

What it were something like altitude being [["gps",900],["Baro",1300]] - Stuff in CIQ could be more device independent, in that it would know that without a Baro, altitude could be off, and others like if the data for a "heading" came from GPS vs a compass sensor, "move to get an accurate direction" could be displayed. (A "toast!"? )

Nikeow over 10 years ago

https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?292878-Sensor-info-vs-Activity-getActivityInfo&highlight=activity

I made my test case and all the data are duplicated.

I'm sure there is a priority of the data to appear, but just not stated.

Eg: use GPS speed when available. Then use footpod speed. The use internal accelerometer.

Former Member over 10 years ago

At this time, ConnectIQ only provides the system's aggregated data values. It is not possible to get specific data sources from the generic API outputs like "speed".

Connecting directly to a sensor with the ANT module would allow you to get raw data from a sensor.

jim_m_58 over 10 years ago

How about as a suggestion for the future - with values per sensor?

Maybe new method that returns an array of connected sensors, much like today you can get an array of configured sensors? (or something like "isPhoneConnected" for bluetooth? "isFootpodConnected"?)

Brandon.ConnectIQ over 10 years ago

I've added this suggestion to our wish list. :)