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Bluetooth BLE / SMART sensors?

1728254
over 4 years ago

What's necessary,  that an Arduino 33 BLE is to be recognised and prepared for pairing as an external sensor for the Garmin  EDGE 830?
Pairing with an Bluetooth 4.0 Android smart phone works like a charme - not so with the EDGE 830 sadly.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 1728254

    I apologize if my response sounded a little condescending. I meant no offense.

    1728254 said:
    anyone else that knows next to nothing about that topic

    That's me exactly. I know next to nothing about the internals of bluetooth protocols, and only started my humble research after I found your questions on this forum.

    1728254 said:
    and does not know what exactly to search for.

    I just typed "Bluetooth HR profile" into google.

    1728254 said:
    I'm certainly uncertain if I'm on the right book.

    It doesn't matter, actually. The Edge 830 does not support any battery or ebike related BLE profiles.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2

    Ok

    Where did you get the information about what profiles - be it BLE, ANT or ANT+ - are supported or not supported by the EDGE 830 if I may ask?

    There seem to be NORDIC chips that can do BLE as well as ANT and they also seem to provide a SDK for those as well.

    So if there finally is some information what the 830 does accept or not accept as Sensors would really help for my project.

  • 0 over 4 years ago

    There even is a reasonable priced development KIT for the NORDIC chips:

    de.farnell.com/.../2842319


    and a ADAFRUIT feather with that same NORDIC chip that is compliant to the ARDUINO SDK:

    www.ebay.de/.../282997154339


    Have to see where this leads me to

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 1728254
    1728254 said:
    Where did you get the information about what profiles - be it BLE, ANT or ANT+ - are supported or not supported by the EDGE 830

    Here, for example:

    https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/04/garmin-edge-830-cycling-gps-in-depth-review.html

    1728254 said:
    There seem to be NORDIC chips that can do BLE as well as ANT and they also seem to provide a SDK for those as well.

    The Edge 830 does not give you any direct access to that chip, so you can't use the SDK.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2

    You refer to this part I guess?

    Cadence (ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart)
Edge Remote (ANT+)
eBike (ANT+)
Heart Rate (ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart)
Lights (ANT+)
Indoor Trainer (ANT+ FE-C, though paired in a different spot)
Radar (ANT+)
Power Meter (ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart)
Shifting (ANT+)
Shimano Di2 (ANT)
Speed/Cadence (ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart)
Speed (ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart)
Varia Vision (ANT+)
VIRB (ANT+)

    Well Rainmaker does nice reviews but he hardly is a reliable source of detailed technical in depth specs of a given manufacturers product

    But anyway, at least this sounds promising (if true ;) ):

    Also, if you’ve got special sensors like aero sensors or tire pressure sensors, then individual Connect IQ apps can take care of those as well

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2
    tmk2 said:
    The Edge 830 does not give you any direct access to that chip, so you can't use the SDK.

    Can you please explain?

    Might be there is a misunderstanding here?

    I guess one probably could set up a compliant sensor - say a heart rate sensor for simplicity - with that nordic development board or with the ADAFRUIT feather. No need for changing anything on the EDGE side.

    If that finally works, then one could try to teach the EDGE to receive other data profiles as well, like what Rainmaker told about Connect IQ posibilities

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 1728254
    1728254 said:
    I guess one probably could set up a compliant sensor - say a heart rate sensor for simplicity - with that nordic development board or with the ADAFRUIT feather.

    Oh, ok. That way around. Clearly, I misunderstood.

    1728254 said:
    one could try to teach the EDGE to receive other data profiles as well, like what Rainmaker told about Connect IQ posibilities

    I just had a brief look at the Connect IQ API, and indeed it seems that the latest version allows custom BLE sensors. Good luck on your quest, then. I'm glad I didn't manage to discourage you!

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to tmk2
    tmk2 said:
    I just had a bried look at the Connect IQ API, and indeed it seems that the latest version allows custom BLE sensors.

    Are you possibly familiar with such programming?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 1728254

    No, not really.

    Well, I mean, some time ago I learned a little about Connect IQ, and even started implementing some apps, but that BLE thing is very recent in Connect IQ (only the latest version 3.1 has it), and even the Edge 830 only got it in the most recent firmware update. Actually that's why I wasn't even aware that custom BLE communcation can be implemented on some garmin devices and that's why some of my suggestions might have been misleading.

    The API documentation for BLE says that implementing custom BLE communications is quite complex, so the only hint I can give you right now is to go to the Connect IQ forum, and ask questions there. Perhaps some users got more experience in that matter.