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Can 3rd party apps use the full multiband GPS?

KrapfenKringel
over 3 years ago

Do app developers have full access to multiband for best accuracy for their 3rd party apps? 

Or would it be best to use native Garmin apps and change the activity type afterwards to get the best accuracy? 

  • over 3 years ago

    The apps use whatever the device is set to use.

  • over 2 years ago

    On reading about the FR955 it sounds like multiband is selected independently for each activity. Apparently this is different than in the fenix 7 model which i think has a global setting.

    On searching the CIQ documentation i can see nothing in the API that would all an app to select the GPS mode and multiband in particular.

    So a bit puzzled if the 3rd party app would be able to use multiband?

    Also is there a way to do as you mentioned in the question, to change the activity type?

    Is 'activity' different from the sport/sub-sport selected in ActivityRecording.createSession?

    For example if sport is set to SPORT_RUNNING, is there an way to set the corresponding 'activity' to use multiband thus take advantage of it in the 3rd party app.

    Alas i do not have a device which supports multiband, but would like it to be available to customers using an app i develop.

  • over 2 years ago in reply to OttawaDeveloper
    OttawaDeveloper said:

    Also is there a way to do as you mentioned in the question, to change the activity type?

    Is 'activity' different from the sport/sub-sport selected in ActivityRecording.createSession?

    For example if sport is set to SPORT_RUNNING, is there an way to set the corresponding 'activity' to use multiband thus take advantage of it in the 3rd party app.

    Yes, the activity type is the sport/sub-sport. The OP was suggesting using a native Garmin app and changing the activity type in Garmin Connect (presumably to something not supported by a native app), instead of using a 3rd-party CIQ app.

    The problem with what you're suggesting is that each native activity profile maps to a unique sport/sub-sport, but not vice versa. I can make multiple copies of my Run activity, each with its own settings, so I doubt a CIQ app would work the way you described.

    Just speculating, but I'd guess that a CIQ app would use the last GPS/multiband mode that was selected by the user in a native activity. Either that or it uses some default which can't be changed (in the case where there's no global setting.)

  • over 2 years ago in reply to OttawaDeveloper

    For devices starting with CIQ 3.2.x, a CIQ app could specify the GPS Constellations used

    "Since CIQ 3.3.6" there are other (new) options for new devices.

    See https://developer.garmin.com/connect-iq/api-docs/Toybox/Position.html

  • over 2 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

    Cool. Strangely the 4.1.5 SDK documentation when you download the SDK does not mention this. However the online documentation does. So does this mean we do not use the docs in the \doc folder of the SDK when installed?

  • over 2 years ago in reply to OttawaDeveloper

    The GDVC is Oct 12th, so pretty close, and 4.1.5 came out in early Aug.  The GDVC/Summit has been when new stuff is announced and often a new SDK is released.  Could be they've started to update the online doc already.  I hadn't noticed this until I looked for the 3.2 Constellation stuff.

  • over 2 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

    Hmm now i am more confused. Maybe it comes from only working on this occasionally.

    The online docs say the functions came in ciq 3.3.6 which i expect came out last year, the FR955 device file says it supports CIQ 4.1.2. 

    So it seems to me this is old news. 

    Not sure why the SDK docs provided for all the SDK 4.x are not up to date if those functions are in the SDK now?

    Can i use these functions now on devices like the FR955 with current firmware - or is there something that must be waited for?

    CONFIGURATION_SAT_IQ AutoGNSS (SatIQTm) - not sure what this does - perhaps that means use best available?

  • over 2 years ago in reply to OttawaDeveloper

    3.3.x and 4.1.x are what's called system 5. (two different SDK tracks). I've seen SatIQ mentioned in the device forums and I think by DCR.

  • over 2 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

    Yeah, good luck finding any official documentation/statement on this, but to be explicitly clear, if the docs say something is supported since CIQ 3.3.x, that probably means that it's a System 5 feature and what they *really* mean is:

    - Supported since CIQ 3.3.x, for CIQ 3 devices

    - Supported since CIQ 4.1.x, for CIQ 4 devices

    In other words, 4.0.0 does not have all the new features that came with 3.3.0, and 4.1.2 does not have the new features that will come with 3.3.6, for example.

    Why they can't just come out and say that is beyond me. It's almost as if their own SDK versioning scheme is too complicated to explain clearly. Also, not to state the obvious, but it also means that it's impossible to use the minApiLevel property in manifest.xml to select only devices/firmware which support System 5. (If you specify minApiLevel = 3.3.0, you'll incorrectly include 4.0.x devices, and if you minApiLevel = 4.1.0, you'll incorrectly exclude 3.3.x devices.) If CIQ 5 ever comes out, this situation will only get worse. (Assuming there's some future System N which applies to CIQ 3, 4 and 5.)

    In this case, my educated guess would be that you either need firmware >= 3.3.6 (for CIQ 3 devices) or firmware >= 4.1.6 (for CIQ 4 devices.) I just loaded the latest beta firmware onto my 945 LTE, and it's on CIQ 3.3.3.

    OttawaDeveloper said:
    CONFIGURATION_SAT_IQ AutoGNSS

    SatIQ dynamically chooses the best available GPS configuration.

    www.dcrainmaker.com/.../garmin-starts-beta-rollout-of-forerunner-955-edge-1040-features-to-fenix-7-epix.html

    On the flip side, there’s the SatIQ support, which dynamically switches between satellite types (multiband vs all-systems) based on satellite reception

    https://support.garmin.com/en-CA/?faq=wgKpMjTlpV29AQB5PVvTL9

    Garmin SatIQTm is a GPS technology that determines the optimal GPS mode based on your environment. SatIQTm can determine when Multiband GNSS is needed, like near tall buildings or in a dense forest, or when a low power GPS mode can achieve the same accuracy, like in more open areas. By choosing AutoSelect in the satellite setting on your device, SatIQTm can automatically toggle between GPS modes in order to maximize battery life without compromising positional accuracy.

  • over 2 years ago in reply to flowstate

    Also it looks like System 6 is coming eventually (although it hasn't been announced yet):

    developer.garmin.com/.../Position.html

    I would've guessed that System 6 is probably >= 3.3.6 / 4.1.6, except it's only mentioned in two of the entries of this table, so maybe not. Maybe System 6 will be 3.4.x / 4.2.x, to match the existing pattern.