SDK for Instinct ? The watch is rugged.. would like to create some Widgets! The watch is more rugged than many of your expensive watches!

I would like to create some widgets for the Instinct, and share them for free. I write code in C, C++, Java, PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby, and Go. The Instinct is a rugged watch, the GPS is fast to get a lock. I would like to write some custom widgets and apps. I would like to write a Tidal widget, News widget, A widget that displays iNAV telemetry data from my model aircraft (I am halfway there because I can display it on a smartphone.. I just need to open a connection to the Garmin Instinct and stream the data from my phone.) I also would like to stream data from devices that I have built.

An SDK would be useful. Much easier than downloading a firmware update, loading it up in QEMU and the proper processor virtualization, and reverse engineering it.

I fully realize the Instinct is currently not compatible with Connect IQ. It doesn't need to be. I won't mind creating a new image with my additional widgets and apps and just flashing my watch with the new image.

Top Replies

7979820 over 4 years ago in reply to 7294096 +9

I'll post it when I have a "Hello World" app ready. Right now I'm still in the reverse engineering stage. This weekend it's going to be perfect for flying model aircraft, I won't…
trux over 4 years ago +1

All available SDKs are listed at https://developer.garmin.com/, though for the access to most of them you'd need to become a corporate partner of Garmin and pay license fees, and none of them would allow…
7979820 over 4 years ago in reply to trux +1

I was going to return the watch because of the lack of an Open SDK. I wore the Instinct when I went flying r/c aircraft at my club's airfield. The field is located ona dairy farm, next to a river inlet…

All Replies

0 7294096 over 4 years ago in reply to 7979820

So the widget setup made of the garmin device setup. I though it was a firmware thing.

0 4241327 over 4 years ago in reply to 7979820

I applaud you, best of luck! Garmin will for sure not release an SDK. The easiest way, I guess, is to push messages via bluetooth when you reverse engineer that protocoll. Or, of course, finding the key to signing your own firmware updates. Then you could create a custom firmware that for example enables the installation of the Surf or Tactical firmware on the normal edition. Though that maybe only needs the editing of one of those Garmin files in the directory, and write protecting it. If so, I can see a blocking firmware update coming for this.

Now all we need is a hardware hack where someone finds an easy way to open the unreliable altimeter hole to the side.

0 Fedde over 3 years ago

Any luck?

0 4520720 over 3 years ago in reply to 7979820

really interested to hear whether this works out! any progress ur comfortable sharing so far? if you've got your current discoveries in a repo somewhere I'd potentially be willing to contribute

0 mehi over 3 years ago

I just figured out that there's no SDK for Instinct. Why there wouldn't be one? I just wanted to create a simple app for myself.

0 mehi over 3 years ago

any luck reverse engineer this? Maybe it's too difficult than originally thought.

0 7979820 over 3 years ago

I haven't had a chance to look at it. My latest firmware projects has been adding functionality to iNAV running on the Sparky 2.0 controller.

And I've been flying my new airplanes out at my club's airfield. It would be cool to relay the GPS position of my aircraft in the event of a crash. My club's airfield is hosted on a dairy farm and when the corn is high it can be challenging to locate an airplane. I use rssi telemetry, but the corn is thick and sometimes not enough room to move my transmitter around. I don't crash much but when I do I like to find the wreck and rebuild it if I can.

0 mehi over 3 years ago in reply to 7979820

Fascinating. So how does one goes about doing what you said? You said:

> downloading a firmware update, loading it up in QEMU and the proper processor virtualization, and reverse engineering it.

Two questions pop right away:

1. Where can the firmware be downloaded?

2. How can we find the proper virtualization?

0 9386600 over 3 years ago in reply to 7979820

I am also interested in developing for this watch. Can I talk to you somewhere outside this forum?

0 mehi over 3 years ago in reply to 9386600

I joined "ConnectIQ-Unofficial" Discord channel https://discord.gg/5sUABRbe if you want to talk. I also have some coding experience under my belt.