ConnectIQ Support For ANT+FE or FIT Access

Can someone from Garmin comment on if ConnectIQ enabled watches (920XT, fenix, etc) will support ANT+FE natively again? This was a supported option on the 910XT and FR70 which were used previously to interact with ANT+ Fitness Equipment (FE) to record activities into Garmin Connect. If it isn't, are there plans to allow application developers to inject data into a ActivityRecording Session assuming the code can be written to interact with the ANT+FE device?

If there is a way to currently connect to ANT+FE it isn't readily apparent how to do so, guidance on how to do that if available would be great.

Thanks.

Former Member over 10 years ago

.....If there is a way to currently connect to ANT+FE it isn't readily apparent how to do so, guidance on how to do that if available would be great.

I have not tried it specifically, but I would think you would just use the CIQ ANT Channel. The information you require on how to communicate with the equipment can be found here. You will need to create a developer account to access the document in the link.

travis.vitek over 10 years ago

Yeah, you should be able to use the Ant module to do it. The problem is that even if you manage to connect to the fitness equipment, you will only be able to display the data on the screen. There are currently no facilities for saving that data to the fit file.

Travis

lcj2 over 10 years ago

Thanks for the feedback, I probably wasn't the most clear in my request since my understanding is the same as yours. I was looking for information on if I would be wasting my time starting on something like this because: (A) they are going to bring back ANT+FE support in a Garmin provided app or (B) they will not eventually expose a method for committing data to an activity recording session. It would seem to be a huge oversight to provide a method to communicate with ANT devices but not provide a method to do something with the data other than show it. It isn't feasible to assume that everyone wants to carry their phone with them to record activity data through a bluetooth interface while they exercise, kinda defeats the purpose of a watch like this in my opinion when it comes to non-Garmin gear.

hanssonrickard over 9 years ago

Thanks for the feedback, I probably wasn't the most clear in my request since my understanding is the same as yours. I was looking for information on if I would be wasting my time starting on something like this because: (A) they are going to bring back ANT+FE support in a Garmin provided app or (B) they will not eventually expose a method for committing data to an activity recording session. It would seem to be a huge oversight to provide a method to communicate with ANT devices but not provide a method to do something with the data other than show it. It isn't feasible to assume that everyone wants to carry their phone with them to record activity data through a bluetooth interface while they exercise, kinda defeats the purpose of a watch like this in my opinion when it comes to non-Garmin gear.

I would like to see the same, i have an Fenix 3 and have just ordered an Concept2 rowing machine with PM5 device. It supports conncting to several ForeRunner devices that have Ant+FE, but i cannot find any info that it works with Fenix 3. I find it strange that newer models such as 920, F3 and similar does not have the possibility to do the same "basic" stuff that older models can do (such as 910). A new mode lshould always be superior to the model it replaces, at least in my eyes.