Smart Bike Lights (Data Field) / Bike Lights Control (Widget)

I've made two open source CIQ applications to control ANT+ lights:

- Smart Bike Lights (data field): https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/0d9fd828-c932-4470-9c37-fd2828881888 

      Configurator: https://maca88.github.io/SmartBikeLights/ 

- Bike Lights Control (widget): https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/fa3c2332-76e3-4ba1-8528-32a0fd617ab1 

     Configurator: https://maca88.github.io/BikeLightsControl/ 

Smart Bike Lights features:
- Automatic light control (Smart mode) based on the configured filters (sunset, sunlight, speed, ...)
- Manual light control (only for Edge devices with a touch screen or devices with CIQ 3.2 and more than 32KB memory)
- Records lights modes that are displayed in Garmin Connect

Bike Lights Control features:
- Manual light control (available to all devices)

Both applications can be installed on the same device, which can be useful for low end devices (e.g. Edge 520) where "Bike Lights Control" can be used to change light modes manually and "Smart Bike Lights" for automatic light control.

Currently registered ANT+ lights:
- Bontrager Ion Pro RT
- Bontrager Ion 200 RT
- Bontrager Flare RT
- Garmin Varia RTL500
- Garmin Varia RTL510
- Garmin Varia RTL515
- Garmin Varia HL500
- Garmin Varia UT800

in case your ANT+ light is not on the list you can help by doing the following:

1. Install Bike Lights Control
2. Pair your bike light with your Garmin device
3. Open the widget:
- Edge with a touch screen: post which numbers are displayed on the buttons and what mode each button represents when pressed
- Other devices: Select the "Light modes" menu and post which numbers are displayed in the menu and what mode each menu item represents when selected

Example for Bontrager Ion Pro RT:


1 -> High steady beam
2 -> Medium steady beam
5 -> Low steady beam
63 -> Day flash
62 -> Night flash

There are some features that could be possible to add in the future, but would require Garmin to add them to the CIQ api. In case you are interested in any of the below features, consider upvoting their feature request thread:

1. Control lights based on the ambient light sensor available on some devices:
https://forums.garmin.com/developer/connect-iq/i/bug-reports/ambient-light-sensor-api-access 

  • I don't blame the software, it could be some random touches despite i'm unaware of any interaction. It happens every day tho, i've even waited with this feedback to believe it first. But in any case I just think it's a great idea to set Smart mode from time to time. I totally like the Smart control, no point in manual mode and using those lights & this app, and  the chance of voluntarily wanting to keep manual mode over multiple trips is zero.

    Config:

    2,2!SPEED:1C}2.77778!TIMER:1H}2#4587520,196641::1#5,4!PAUSE:1:0:0:30H{2!NIGHT:2:2:0:0B[5Es0,r0!DAY:1:63:0:0Er0,s0!:1:5:0:0D=1#6291461,1409482753::1#7,5!BRAKE:2:1:2:0C}5.55556A{-30!PAUSE:1:0:0:30H{2!NIGHT:1:63:0:0Es0,r0!DAY:2:8:0:0B[5Er0,s0!:1:5:0:0D=1#7,6:Ion Pro RT:0:16777215!2,:-1,Off:0!1,High:1!1,Medium:2!1,Low:5!1,Day Flash:63!1,Night Flash:62#7,6:Flare RT:0:16777215!2,:-1,Off:0!1,Day Steady:1!1,Night Steady:5!1,Day Flash:7!1,All-Day Flash:8!1,Night Flash:63#1:13329:50904#1:1#13!:13!#0#B3122#2#1#0#0

  • It could be that when swiping through data screens, a tap may accidentally be triggered that would switch from Smart to Manual mode. To avoid this, I suggest you modify the "Light icon tap behavior" for both lights to just "Smart":

    2,2!SPEED:1C}2.77778!TIMER:1H}2#4587520,196641::1#5,4!PAUSE:1:0:0:30H{2!NIGHT:2:2:0:0B[5Es0,r0!DAY:1:63:0:0Er0,s0!:1:5:0:0D=1#6291461,1409482753::1#7,5!BRAKE:2:1:2:0C}5.55556A{-30!PAUSE:1:0:0:30H{2!NIGHT:1:63:0:0Es0,r0!DAY:2:8:0:0B[5Er0,s0!:1:5:0:0D=1#7,6:Ion Pro RT:0:16777215!2,:-1,Off:0!1,High:1!1,Medium:2!1,Low:5!1,Day Flash:63!1,Night Flash:62#7,6:Flare RT:0:16777215!2,:-1,Off:0!1,Day Steady:1!1,Night Steady:5!1,Day Flash:7!1,All-Day Flash:8!1,Night Flash:63#1:13329:50904#1:1#1!:1!#0#B3122#2#1#0#0

    So that even if a tap is triggered on the light icon, it will set it to Smart mode only. If you never intend to use the manual mode, do not add the light panel on a data screen to prevent tapping on a button to accidentally switch the light mode and move to Manual control mode. By removing the light panel and adjusting the "Light icon tap behavior", there is no chance to switch to Manual mode anymore.

  • I did a lot of effort before desperately coming back here. Yesterday I was testing both. Swiping nonstop, with some delays and touches, trying to trigger the button but it never did. So swipe to press isn't possible. It could be pocket action, but there's big pause button over the screen usually. Lights are physically out of touch. I even tried Smart mode only, and it still changed to M later (and also in this setup, or the config you sent me, M mode works normally, and even N mode becomes available out  of nowhere). Small data field stops receiving commands tho, so maybe i need to remove the big screen or avoid it. Thanks for your help.

  • Will someone please drop the settings under garmin edge 1000 and Varia RTL 515 and how it should be set on the screen?

  • Hi, can someone tell me how tf i have to set filters so the lights will work as i want ?? 
    I got E1040 with Varia 515 and Ion Pro RT. I set up my filters but it doesnt work as it should. What options should be on in garmin light network ?
    Here is my string for configurator :  

    #4587520,196641::5635840#3,3!Day:1:63:0:0Er600,s600!Night:1:62:1:0Es600,r600!:1:0:0:0D=1#0,73535488::5635840#4,3!Day:2:7:1:0I}140}1Er600,s600!Night:1:6:0:0Es600,r600!:1:0:0:0D=1#7,6:Ion Pro RT:5635840:0!2,:-1,Off:0!1,Hi:1!1,Med:2!1,Lo:5!1,Dzień:63!1,Noc:62#6,5:Varia 515:16711680:0!2,:-1,Off:0!1,Stałe:4!1,Peleton:5!1,Dzień:7!1,Noc:6#0::#0:0#123!:123!#0#B3843#1#3#0#0

    I want to use both lights in Day Flash mode  form sunrise to sunset and switch to Night Flash form sunset to sunrise. Any help will be appreciated.

  • The is the basic configuration for Edge 1000 and Varia RTL515:

    ###0,73535488::1###6,5:Varia 515:0:16777215!2,:-1,Off:0!1,Solid:4!1,Peloton:5!1,Day Flash:7!1,Night Flash:6#0::#0:0#123!:123!#0#B1836##3#0#0

    For the full screen display (light panel with buttons), you need to create a data screen with 1 field layout and select the data field from the menu "Connect IQ -> Smart Bike Lights"
    If you want to place it on a smaller field, press and hold the field you want it to be displayed and select "Connect IQ -> Smart Bike Lights" from the menu.

  • Hi,

    For Varia, you need to remove the radar filter as you set the Range to be greater or equal 140 meters, which will not work as the radar works up to 140 meters. I would suggest to add a global filter so that the lights will turn off once the activity is finished. Here is the updated configuration:

    1,1!:1H]0#4587520,196641::5635840#3,3!Day:1:63:0:0Er600,s600!Night:1:62:0:0Es600,r600!:1:0:0:0D=1#0,73535488::5635840#3,3!Day:1:7:0:0Er600,s600!Night:1:6:0:0Es600,r600!:1:0:0:0D=1#7,6:Ion Pro RT:5635840:0!2,:-1,Off:0!1,Hi:1!1,Med:2!1,Lo:5!1,Dzień:63!1,Noc:62#6,5:Varia 515:16711680:0!2,:-1,Off:0!1,Stałe:4!1,Peleton:5!1,Dzień:7!1,Noc:6#0::#0:0#123!:123!#0#B3843#1#3#0#0

    I also enabled "Force Smart mode" in order to prevent it from going into Manual mode.
    Make sure that you set both lights into Smart mode, you need to have the S character displayed in the light icon or on the top left button if you are using the light panel.

    Do note that until the GPS fix is acquired, the lights will be off as "Timespan" filter requires the location in order to calculate the sunrise/sunset time. If you want to turn them on also before the GPS fix is acquired, set the "Default mode" for each light.

  • Smart Bike Lights now supports (version 0.26.0) Bontrager Transmitr remote controllers for devices with CIQ 3.2+ and more than 32KB memory. If you have one, you can configure the remote controller buttons to perform the following actions:
    - Cycle light modes
    - Change light mode
    - Change configuration
    - Play tone

    Do note that this is an experimental feature so it may not work on all devices. I tested it only with Edge 1040. As the setup is not that simple, I created a video for both Bontrager controllers on how to configure and pair them:
    - Bontrager TransmitR Remote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX2CbmVO_LQ 
    - Bontrager TransmitR MicroRemote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_vTVkWjrjI 

    Also, be aware that an ANT channel is opened for every configured button so you need to check how many free ANT channel you have before making a configuration:
    - Outdoor watches: https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=pb7Bxcm3x48cQpGy2LfR4A 
    - Edge devices: https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=RpX8SeCLBd2K8sggJk4L56 

    In the next releases I will add the remaining requested features:
    - Add an option to see the group name in the top left button
    - An option to remove group name and center the light icons
    - Add support for Instinct 2X
    - Add battery icon for charging

  • Wow, that's coolClap. I jumped out of seat, grabbed 830 and Remote.. oh, that's not the Garmin remote supported:) Now imagine the remote included with the Edge device was supported:

    1. just like Bontrager lights, it doesn't connect to the main device. (Yeah, literally nothing connects to 830 automatically) Could be fixed with device number exactly like Bontrager lights. BoomBoom

    2. it has useless functions (like "Lap"??) and tiny fraction of actions possible on just one programmable button. Could switch lights possibly with this change! BoomBoom

    Maybe the support will come, or not, but anyway congrats to the Bontrager remote owners. Very good software, very much appreciated Thumbsup

  • Support for Garmin Remote could be added in the future, but with the following limitation:
    - None of the standard Garmin Remote functionality could be used (lap, moving up and down the data screens, start/stop the timer) as it can be used either by Edge or Smart Bike Lights. Unfortunately, with a CIQ data field, it is not possible to replicate Garmin Remote actions.

    So, the Garmin Remote could be used either to control the lights or to control Edge. It is not possible to control both the lights and Edge with the same controller. To me, this is a significant limitation, so I didn't plan to support it. If you think supporting it would still make sense despite the limitation, let me know, and I will add it to my to-do list.