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 

  • Thanks again for your contribution

    It would be nice if the Edge remote could bring the smart bike lights back to "S" mode

    Although the Edge remote can turn on the ant+ light, it can't turn the smart bike lights back to "S" mode. When I enter a tunnel, I usually use the Edge remote to turn on the light immediately (S mode uses gps intensity detection and it takes 10 seconds to turn on the light ), the Edge 1040 must be touched to return to "S" mode

  • Is the ambient ligt sensor on edge devices available to the CIQ API? That may be a more reliable trigger for smart mode when you enter the tunnel if it was.

  • I see, that's pretty  sad. But, the remote is so useless. that perhaps it's better to let it control lights only. And as tjj1664 said, switch to Smart mode could be more useful and frequent. It's sad that you can't exit your own screen tho, that is the only action I would miss.

    i'd use:

    Top button  - Smart mode

    Top button hold - ??

    Left button - Cycle front light

    Left button hold - Strongest front light (with no ambient sensor API yet, allowing to cross a dark passage)

    Right button - Cycle rear light

    Right button hold - Weakest rear light (with no ambient sensor API yet, allowing to cross a dark passage without blinding other drivers)

  • Although the Edge remote can turn on the ant+ light

    I was unaware that turning on the lights with Garmin Remote is possible. I will get one and will test whether there is an alternative way to be able to use both the remote native functionality along with custom actions (e.g., enable Smart mode).

  • Unfortunately, it is not available. Garmin said in the feature request that they might add it somewhere in the future, but they explicitly said that for Edge 530, the API would not be added. I am assuming that the same applies to Edge 1030/830. So, if they add it, it will be available only for newer devices (Edge 540, 840, 1040).

    Currently, the only filter you can use to detect the amount of light is the "Solar intensity" filter. But it can be used only for devices with solar capability (Edge 540/840/1040 Solar, Fenix 6/7 Solar).

  • It's sad that you can't exit your own screen tho, that is the only action I would miss.

    I agree with you. The only action that I can add along the current ones is the ability to enable/disable the backlight, which is available also on the remote based on the documentation. I will do some testing once I get the remote to see whether there is something that can be done to still be able to use the native functionality.

  • Thanks I spotted the feature request & up voted but as I have a 1030 like you I feel it would the chance of it being implemented on that model is slim 

  • I think you're right, it's not possible. To be precise the standard actions are:

    Left button: Lap

    Left button hold: -

    Right button: Cycle screen

    Right button hold: Cycle screen continuous

    Top button or Top button hold: [Start and Stop Timer; Start Timer; Stop Timer; Turn Backlight On; Show Map; Show Compass; Show Elevation Profile; Show Lap Summary; Show Virtual Partner;]

  • Hi, 

    is it possible to disable the automatic flash pattern when a vehicle is approaching? I tried in the setting to have permanent night pulse instead of the standard flash pattern. Is this even possible? 
    Config: ###0,73535488::5570645#3,3!AUTO:1:6:1:0I]-1]0!Dunkel:1:5:0:0Es-1800,r1800!:1:0:0:0D=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::#0:1#123!:123!#0#0#B3843##3#0#0