Implementing FE-C device profile?

[cleeland]

I am interested in doing something similar--emulating a device--but rather than a powermeter I am interested in emulating an FE-C device asa bridge to a computrainer. It appears you implemented a pared-down Power Meter profile?

[dhague]

Hi Chris - yes, exactly.

[cleeland]

I have some questions regarding your use of python-ant that might be answered by python-ant documentation...but I don't find much in the way of documentation in that repo. Did you use some python-ant documentation, or did you just use the code?

If you're open to answering questions, what's the best way to that? In here? Or as comments on lines of code?

[dhague]

Probably best to discuss here, and you can include references to code using links such as this:
https://github.com/dhague/vpower/blob/acab2ec78e15851ba5a3a9176ff2177f02ed36fc/vpower.cfg#L22 which shows up as:

vpower/vpower.cfg

Line 22 in acab2ec

air_density_update_secs = 10

[cleeland]

In

vpower/vpower.py

Line 22 in acab2ec

key = node.NetworkKey('N:ANT+', NETKEY)

how did you choose the string 'N:ANT+'? Is that a required constant? Or just anything? I see that you used 'C:' as a name elsewhere and am trying to understand significance.

[cleeland]

I think I see where you got 'N:ANT+'...from the examples in python-ant.

Curious which USB stick you had. I have one of the USB-m garmin sticks, and its product ID is different from the hardcoded in python-ant.

So far I've hacked up your PowerMeterTx to look like an FE-C Trainer on the ant network, and my wahoo elemnt recognizes it as such. No data pages yet.

[dhague]

Yeah, exactly - I pretty much copied the example code then changed it to make it work for my case. I've used a range of USB sticks (Anself small & large, Suunto), but all with the same product ID.

[cleeland]

Also, did you run into any issues where python-ant just seems to hang? I've run into this both on startup and on shutdown. I've sent an email to the author, but considering how long it's been since there's been an update on the project, I'm not expecting a reply.

[dhague]

Yes, on repeated restarts that can happen. That said, on a Pi Zero I have deployed for a virtual power meter it works every time, which suggests it's fine after a reboot, but repeated restarts can otherwise lead to trouble.

[MattW2]

Hi, just wanted to say thank you for the excellent project and join in on the conversation. I've implemented a similar bike trainer to ANT+ power for Arduino and a Cycleops Indoor Bike, CycleOpsPro300PTtoANTPlus. I was also trying to implement FE-C on my existing hardware but was running into problems getting the module to both receive and send on separate channels. A USB ANT+ stick in a Raspberry Pi doesn't seem to have any of these issues. In my case I have a indoor bike with a power meter but am adding in a motor to provide resistance as commanded over the FE-C protocol.

[spatcho]

Hi guys, First thanks for the project. I am tryring to fe-c enable my treadmill, it's a bh dual with pafers bluetooth dongle but this doesn't work well. Beside the ant+ communication, I need to understand what signals the treadmill console send to the motors (speed & incline), and then implement the protocol on my pi, I found no documentation on this. I also have a elite drivo bike trainer, it's already fe-c enabled. I want to control / read both devices with GoldenCheetah. Hope this project stay alive, there is so few places discussing this. Cheers.

[MattW2]

@spatcho , I made some really good progress on my implementation of FE-C for a stationary bike trainer (It's working). The project is written in C for Arduino or any other similar microprocessor. The hardware this is designed for is documented here Cycleops Pro300pt to ANT+

The example with FE-C implemented can be found here ANTPlus_Bike_Fitness_Master. Should be very easy to implement the treadmill pages. Let me know if you need any pointers on where to go?

[spatcho]

@MattW2 thanks for the tip, I have some arduinos, I had a look on your project, and I just ordered the zigbee/ant dongle. I let you know.

[spatcho]

@MattW2 got the dongle, ran successfully the test here so the module is well wired and functional, compiled and ran ANTPlus_Bike_Fitness_Master, but I can't make it work. I m using a genuino zero and hw serial, this part work, I changed the dongle pins correctly in the code. I m excited but stalled, I guess I m not far from it. Maybe we should talk about this in pm.

[Landixus]

The Arduino zero have another chip then the pro mini.
I suggest to check this first with a pro mini what has a ATMega 328 on top, the zero have a SAMD21 MCU, i run in the past in this trouble, code looks fine, but wrong chip :) pins can have different names/numbers

[spatcho]

@Landixus thanks. Ok, I m trying now with a linkit smart duo, it's like a yun, ATMega 32u4, it should be similar enough (?) It behave the same but I try to understand more precisely where.