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 

  • Really dig what you are doing here and expanding the light capabilities. Came across this thread and read through everything as I recently expanded the use of lights with my edge 830. Seems like you are doing some neat stuff with all the feedback here. Good timing with adding functionality for 2+ lights.

    I think my use case is pretty simple and I've spent same time trying to get it set up, but can't quite nail it down. Have been running an Ion 200 front and Flare RT for a while. Recently added an Ion Pro and another Flare RT, so I now have 2 headlights and 2 taillights. What I've been trying to figure out us if it's possible to control these independently on the fly. Ie, set one taillight to steady, one to flash; control just the Ion Pro for varying degrees of darkness throughout a ride without changing the Ion 200 setting. Is this even a possibility? I've got the two data fields installed and recognize the correct lights, but the changing settings in one field seems to override the settings in the other. It's the opposite of the recent update which let's all head/tail lights be controlled in the same manner. 

  • Is this even a possibility?

    Yes it is, I think the only thing that you are missing is to set the serial number for each light in the Lights Configurator. Without setting the serial number both headlights or taillights will be controlled at once. If you still have issues after setting the serial number, please post your configurations for both data fields and I will check them.

  • There is no possibility to configure "Smart mode"? What is your experience with Recon? I've just broken my Bontrager ION Pro RT and Giant Recon HL 1800 is one option I'm considering now. Beside the Smart mode I'm little confuse, there is no stronger Day Flash and Night flash as I have with ION Pro. Thanks.

  • There is no possibility to configure "Smart mode"?

    If you mean the "Smart mode" from Recon HL1800 then the answer is no, you can't. From one of the reviews it says:

    There are five modes with the HL 1800 – low (450lm), medium (900lm) and high (1800lm) static settings, a 100-lumen flash mode, and a simplified version of Giant's smart mode. Before, it could adapt to the speed you travelled at if it was paired to an ANT+ speed sensor – Giant called this 'RideSense' – but now it just uses an integrated ambient light sensor to decide whether it selects the 900-lumen medium mode for darker conditions or, during the day, a 450-lumen constant or 100-lumen flash.

    Based on the light modes that Giant provides with the ANT+ profile, you cannot switch to "Smart mode" by using a Garmin device.

    What is your experience with Recon?

    I don't own a Recon light, the light modes were provided in this post: forums.garmin.com/.../1313510

    Beside the Smart mode I'm little confuse, there is no stronger Day Flash and Night flash as I have with ION Pro

    It seems that it has only one flash mode.

  • Many thanks for the clarification. Despite of microUSB issues I'm going to buy ION Pro RT again - smaller, more modes, little shorter lasting at little lower brightness. And I will re-test the setting with repaired configuration file.

  • Hi Mac. For some reason the settings won't load in the latest version of the app with Connect IQ android so I can't update the config string do I have to reinstall ir? 

  • Hi,

    there is a regression bug that was introduced with the latest version of Connect IQ app and in order to fix the issue you can either:

    1. Downgrade Connect IQ Store app to previous version 2.11

    Optional steps to again upgrade to 2.12

    1.a Copy the existing configuration from the app settings, paste it in the Lights Configurator input "Existing configuration" and click parse.

    1.b After the configuration is parsed, just copy the new generated configuration (character | will be replaced with ! to be compatible with the latest Connect IQ app) and update the app settings in the Connect IQ app

    1.c Upgrade Connect IQ Store to the latest version

    or:

    2. Reinstall Smart Bike Lights/Bike Lights Control and create the configuration again with Lights Configurator

  • Hi Mac. Thanks for the quick reply.
    I had originally performed 1a of your instructions but because I already had the latest version of the store installed & couldn't open the app settings I uninstalled the app from my Edge & reinstalled it so that it wiped the settings then I was able to open the app settings & copy the updated config string with the new format into it. This seems to have updated ok & will test it on my ride tomorrow

  • Hello, are those apps working on Garmin Edge 1000?
    I have iPhone(Garmin connect), Edge 1000, Varia RTL515.

    I have installed both Bike Lights Control and Smart Bike Lights in Garmin connect(iPhone) and have configured the settings.

    Edge 1000 -> Activities & App Management -> Widgets -> INSTALLED "Bike Lights Control"

    Edge 1000 -> Activities & App Management -> Data Fileds-> INSTALLED "Smart Bike Lights"

    But when I tried to set one of them on the Edge 1000 I have got Error 3:

    Edge 1000 -> Settings -> Activity Profiles -> Train -> Data Screens -> Screen 1 -> Select a category -> Connect IQ - 4/10 ->

    Smart Bike Lights

    When I chose "Smart Bike Lights"

    I've got Error 3.

    In the "Connect IQ - 4/10" there's no way to choose widget (Bike Lights Control).

    How can I set the widget(Bike Lights Control) in the Edge 1000?

    Any help would be appreciated.

  • are those apps working on Garmin Edge 1000?

    Yes, they do.

    If you got error 3, this means that either the light is not correctly paired (shown as "Other") or the light configuration is not valid.

    1. Check whether the light is correctly paired by going to Menu -> Sensors -> Lights. You should see "Radar" on the list:


    in case you see "Other", then re-pair your light: https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/variaut/EN-US/GUID-C4BB544A-78FA-4B3E-9061-2371B7B3C558.html

    2. The configuration for Bike Lights Control should be:

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

    and the minimal configuration for Smart Bike Lights is:

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