iOS mobile sdk: strange bug on initialization due to edge/oregon devices

Some months ago, I wrote this post:

https://forums.garmin.com/forum/developers/connect-iq/connect-iq-bug-reports/1375120-ios-mobile-sdk-strange-bug-on-initialization-due-to-edge-devices

The topic was closed because the problem could not be reproduced (by Garmin).

Meanwhile I received many other reports from users, similar to the ones I posted before. So I would like to reopen the discussion.

I don't know how hard it is to reproduce the bug in a controlled environment. I don't own the mentioned devices. If necessary, I could ask my users to cooperate.

- Would you (Garmin), consider to test it more extensively?
- To the community: would some Edge/Oregon users volunteer to try?

Thank you all

r.485 over 7 years ago

____
JUST REPRODUCING THE TEXT FROM THE ORIGINAL POST:

Hi folks

I have developed an iOS companion app using the mobile SDK. It has been in the store for quite a while, and it works mostly fine. It can be downloaded for free here:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/r-485/id1232150645?mt=8

Since very long, however, I receive emails from a few users saying that the app opens on their phones, but remains "loading" forever (I implemented a splash screen which is shown while the communication with the Garmin Connect app initializes). I use basically the same communication strategy of the sample app provided and documented with the SDK.

This is how it works normally:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgG0kArKsYw

And this is the app not working on an user's iPhone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ubWqTivWpU

I could never reproduce the problem myself, but with the help of some users, I think I'm close to understand the problem. It seems that it happens when the users have Edge devices linked to their accounts.

I'm aware that Edge devices can't communicate with the mobile app, but it looks like their simple existence on the user's account creates problems with the initialization of the communication channels. So these users can't use my app to communicate with their other devices.

Nevertheless, the bug doesn't seem to be very straightforward or easy to reproduce:
- The app does work for some users who have Edge devices.
- For some users who experienced the problem, disconnecting the Edge devices fixed it. And, surprisingly, the app kept working even when they reconnected the Edge devices!
- I think that the problem has also happened to users who do not have Edge devices

It is pretty hard for me to investigate the problem further, especially because I don't have an Edge. I'd appreciate it very much if the iOS users in the community could help testing. And, of course, I'd be very grateful if Garmin could acknowledge and hopefully solve the problem.

I guess that a simple solution could be to modify the GCM in order to avoid that the Edge/Rino/Oregon devices are listed to the companion apps.

Kind regards.

r.485 over 7 years ago

_____
(Sorry for not following the forum rules/recommendations. I couldn't do it better in this case)
_____
PS: here are some of the reports I could get from the users:
________
Thanks for your mail.
Disconnecting the Edge 1000 indeed solves the problem.
And when you leave the r.485 app open in the background it also seems to work after reconnecting the Edge 1000.
However when I clear all apps and then restart the r.485 app the problem appears again.
Ik tried this 2 times, and two times the same result unfortunately.

Maybe this will help you?

Greetings,
__________________________________
Hi!

I am doing well, and hope you do as well. I am delighted to hear from you, and am sensing that you got the solution to this problem – I do have Edge 1000 and Edge 810 devices on my Garmin account!
I will need to do some installing and reinstalling – as I couldn’t get r.485 apps to start on my iPhone, I uninstalled them a couple of weeks ago. I am going to remove both Edge devices from my account, install your apps again, confirm that they are working, reinstall Edge devices, verify your theory, and, hopefully, report my successful resolution to the puzzle. I am not going to be able to get to it today, but I promise to let you know the results!

Best wishes, happy Fourth of July, and many thanks!
__________________________________
Hi

Happy to help.

I unlinked all 3 Edge devices from my Garmin Connect app and also from the iPhone Bluetooth device list. I then tried running the r.485 app and it worked (hurrah!)

Now the surprising (to me) part: I added back the "Edge 820 (2)" and "Edge 1030" devices to Garmin Connect and it still works, even if the Edge devices are switched on and connected to the phone. I no longer own the other Edge 820 (the one labelled "Edge 820" in my screen recording) so I couldn't try that. For good measure, I rebooted the iPhone and ran r.485, again successfully.

So, I don't know whether that tells you anything useful, but that's what happened.
__________________________________
I can confirm removing the edge did get it to work. I’ll try re-adding it again tonight.

Thanks