Barometric Altitude or GPS Altitude, how to determine?

Former Member over 7 years ago

Is it possible to display the barometric altitude and GPS altitude separately?
I want to create a widget using Connect IQ SDK.

When I use the Toybox POSITION instance ALTITUDE, it is written: Elevation is derived from the most accurate source: Barometer or GPS in order of descending accuracy.
If I use the Toybox SENSOR also the instance ALTITUDE, is also written: Elevation is derived from the most accurate source: Barometer or GPS in order of descending accuracy.

So I never know what altitude is displayed. Is there a way to determine the choice?

jim_m_58 over 7 years ago

It's actually based on the specific device. If it has a baro altimeter, you'll see that, and if it doesn't, it's GPS based. On many devices, the baro can get calibrated when you first get a GPS fix. On some (the edge520 for example), it can calibrate based on a saved location. Some allow a manual calibration.

Former Member over 7 years ago

I am using the Fenix 5X. When I configure an APP, I can select Barometric ALTITUDE and/or GPS ALTITUDE. That means, both values are separately available inside the watch. It should be possible to access to both ALTITUDE values by using a Widget.

jim_m_58 over 7 years ago

The data isn't available in Connect IQ.

a1234.garmin over 7 years ago

The same was with the pressure values, but changed a bit with 2.4. Let's hope tomorrow will be better than today)

Brandon.ConnectIQ over 7 years ago

I am using the Fenix 5X. When I configure an APP, I can select Barometric ALTITUDE and/or GPS ALTITUDE. That means, both values are separately available inside the watch. It should be possible to access to both ALTITUDE values by usind a Widget.

Garmin typically tries to provide the best data available to the customer, and since GPS altitude is generally considered less accurate than a barometric altitude, we'll provide baro first and fall back to GPS if baro is unavailable. That's the rationale, anyhow.

Even though there are places on the device and in native apps you can select a source, this capability hasn't been made to Connect IQ yet--we just ask the system for an altitude, and it gives us a value. We've had lots of discussion about making separate sources available individually, though, since there are some use cases (aviation in particular) where the GPS altitude is preferred, so it's a possible future improvement.

Former Member over 7 years ago

...... Even though there are places on the device and in native apps you can select a source, this capability hasn't been made to Connect IQ yet--we just ask the system for an altitude, and it gives us a value. We've had lots of discussion about making separate sources available individually, though, since there are some use cases (aviation in particular) where the GPS altitude is preferred, so it's a possible future improvement.....

Not only in Aviation GPS-Altitude is prefered! But having the possiblity to access both values would be great. Let's start with the future.