Difference between revisions of "Garmin Foot Pod Calibration"

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(Created page with 'This is a small Windows utility that analyzes a run and calculates the appropriate recalibration for your Garmin Foot Pod. This software was tested with a Garmin 310XT and is rel…')
 
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This is a small Windows utility that analyzes a run and calculates the appropriate recalibration for your Garmin Foot Pod. This software was tested with a Garmin 310XT and is released under [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL] ‘as is’.  
 
This is a small Windows utility that analyzes a run and calculates the appropriate recalibration for your Garmin Foot Pod. This software was tested with a Garmin 310XT and is released under [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html GPL] ‘as is’.  
  
To use this utility on Windows XP:
+
==Installation==
 
* Download the executable from http://fellrnr.com//Utilities/CalibrateFootPod/ParseTCX.exe
 
* Download the executable from http://fellrnr.com//Utilities/CalibrateFootPod/ParseTCX.exe
 
* Check the executable for viruses (trust no one!)
 
* Check the executable for viruses (trust no one!)
* Run with your Garmin 310XT and Foot Pod enabled. I ran with 'speed source' set to 'Foot Pod' rather than 'GPS'.
+
 
 +
There is no further installation ;}
 +
 
 +
== Gathering the data==
 +
This utility does not require a special calibration run to gather data. Any run with your Garmin 310XT and Foot Pod enabled will provide the data needed. Running at a steady pace will provide good data. If you take walking breaks, this will tend to produce a lot of variability.  
 +
 
 +
==Garmin Training Center==
 
* Transfer the record of the run to Garmin Training Center.  
 
* Transfer the record of the run to Garmin Training Center.  
 
* Export the record of the run from Garmin Training Center as a 'TCX' file.
 
* Export the record of the run from Garmin Training Center as a 'TCX' file.
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** I would recommend checking the box “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" so that you can just double click on the TCX file in the future.  
 
** I would recommend checking the box “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" so that you can just double click on the TCX file in the future.  
 
** Click OK
 
** Click OK
* A command window should open and print out a lot of data. At the end you should have a line that says "average scale N" where N is the scaling factor.  
+
* A command window should open and print out a lot of data. At the end you should have a line that says "Multiply your current calibration factor by N" where N is the scaling factor.  
* On your Garmin, multiply your current calibration factor by this new scale. So if your scale is currently 990 and the average 0.94255403, the new scale will be 993.
+
* On your Garmin, multiply your current calibration factor by this new scale. So if your scale is currently 990 and the calibration factor is 0.94255403, the new scale will be 993.
 +
==Garmin Ant Agent==
 +
* Transfer the record of the run using the Ant Agent.
 +
* Run the executable ParseTCX.exe with no parameters. The utility will try to find the store of TCX files that the Ant Agent uses.
 +
** On XP this is under C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\GARMIN\Devices\<device number>\History".
 +
** I have not tested this on Windows 7 - let me know if it works okay ;}
 +
* A command window should open and print out a scaling factor for each file it finds. 
 +
* On your Garmin, multiply your current calibration factor by one of the new scaling factors. So if your scale is currently 990 and the calibration factor is 0.94255403, the new scale will be 993.
 +
==Consistency==
 +
The utility looks at how consist the footpod and the GPS are (standard deviation). This is to give you a sense of how useful the scaling factor change would be. This consistency rating is provisional, and is based on the following scale.
 +
* stddev < 0.02 = "very good"
 +
* stddev < 0.05 = "good"
 +
* stddev < 0.075 = "okay"
 +
* stddev < 0.1 = "poor"
 +
* stddev < 0.2 = "very poor"
 +
* stddev >= 0.2 = "appalling"
 +
Let me know if you have a better suggestion for the scale.
 +
==Example Output==
 +
===All Ant Agent Files===
 +
<pre>
 +
2011-01-13-083545.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9998, Consistency is appalling (stddev 0.2378)
 +
2011-01-14-085610.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9909, Consistency is very poor (stddev 0.1322)
 +
2011-01-15-090651.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.7886, Consistency is appalling (stddev 0.2636)
 +
2011-01-16-072027.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9816, Consistency is okay (stddev 0.0671)
 +
2011-01-17-083519.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9642, Consistency is poor (stddev 0.0992)
 +
2011-01-18-080330.TCX No usable data was found in
 +
2011-01-19-075748.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.8927, Consistency is appalling (stddev 0.2764)
 +
2011-01-20-083432.TCX No usable data was found in
 +
Press return to contine
 +
</pre>
 +
===Single File===
 +
<pre>
 +
Per Lap Scaling
 +
===============
 +
lap average scale 0.9977
 +
lap average scale 0.9954
 +
lap average scale 0.9853
 +
lap average scale 0.9836
 +
lap average scale 0.9892
 +
 
 +
Details
 +
=======
 +
Average scale              0.9909, 99.0857%
 +
Consistency                very poor
 +
  Standard Deviation scale 0.1322, 13.2209%
 +
  Scale+stddev            1.1231, 112.31%
 +
  Scale-stddev            0.8587, 85.87%
 +
Average scale (per lap)  0.9902, 99.0234%
 +
 
 +
Calibration Instructions
 +
========================
 +
 
 +
Multiply your current calibration factor by 0.9909
 +
 
 +
Press return to contine
 +
</pre>
 +
==Support==
 
As always [[Contact me]] if you have a problem and I will try to help, but this is provided ‘as is’.  
 
As always [[Contact me]] if you have a problem and I will try to help, but this is provided ‘as is’.  
 
You can also download the source code from http://fellrnr.com//Utilities/CalibrateFootPod/ParseTCX.zip
 
You can also download the source code from http://fellrnr.com//Utilities/CalibrateFootPod/ParseTCX.zip
 +
==Change log==
 +
* V1.1
 +
** Fix bug in XML parsing (Use of XML node name rather than local name)
 +
** Add better error handling
 +
** Correct behavior of number parsing in other culture settings
 +
** Look for files in Ant Agent cache
 +
** Add consistency rating
 +
** Many thanks to Tibor Karaszi who provided some of the code changes for this release!
 +
* V1.0
 +
** Initial release
 +
** Available as http://fellrnr.com//Utilities/CalibrateFootPod/ParseTCX_1.0.exe and http://fellrnr.com//Utilities/CalibrateFootPod/ParseTCX_1.0.zip

Revision as of 11:36, 20 January 2011

This is a small Windows utility that analyzes a run and calculates the appropriate recalibration for your Garmin Foot Pod. This software was tested with a Garmin 310XT and is released under GPL ‘as is’.

1 Installation

There is no further installation ;}

2 Gathering the data

This utility does not require a special calibration run to gather data. Any run with your Garmin 310XT and Foot Pod enabled will provide the data needed. Running at a steady pace will provide good data. If you take walking breaks, this will tend to produce a lot of variability.

3 Garmin Training Center

  • Transfer the record of the run to Garmin Training Center.
  • Export the record of the run from Garmin Training Center as a 'TCX' file.
  • Run the executable ParseTCX.exe passing the full path to the TCX file as a parameter.
    • Open a windows explorer window and navigate to the folder with the TCX file.
    • Right click on the TCX file and select "Open With…" then "Choose Program…"
    • Click on "Browse…" and navigate to where you downloaded ParseTCX.exe from.
    • I would recommend checking the box “Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" so that you can just double click on the TCX file in the future.
    • Click OK
  • A command window should open and print out a lot of data. At the end you should have a line that says "Multiply your current calibration factor by N" where N is the scaling factor.
  • On your Garmin, multiply your current calibration factor by this new scale. So if your scale is currently 990 and the calibration factor is 0.94255403, the new scale will be 993.

4 Garmin Ant Agent

  • Transfer the record of the run using the Ant Agent.
  • Run the executable ParseTCX.exe with no parameters. The utility will try to find the store of TCX files that the Ant Agent uses.
    • On XP this is under C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\GARMIN\Devices\<device number>\History".
    • I have not tested this on Windows 7 - let me know if it works okay ;}
  • A command window should open and print out a scaling factor for each file it finds.
  • On your Garmin, multiply your current calibration factor by one of the new scaling factors. So if your scale is currently 990 and the calibration factor is 0.94255403, the new scale will be 993.

5 Consistency

The utility looks at how consist the footpod and the GPS are (standard deviation). This is to give you a sense of how useful the scaling factor change would be. This consistency rating is provisional, and is based on the following scale.

  • stddev < 0.02 = "very good"
  • stddev < 0.05 = "good"
  • stddev < 0.075 = "okay"
  • stddev < 0.1 = "poor"
  • stddev < 0.2 = "very poor"
  • stddev >= 0.2 = "appalling"

Let me know if you have a better suggestion for the scale.

6 Example Output

6.1 All Ant Agent Files

2011-01-13-083545.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9998, Consistency is appalling (stddev 0.2378)
2011-01-14-085610.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9909, Consistency is very poor (stddev 0.1322)
2011-01-15-090651.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.7886, Consistency is appalling (stddev 0.2636)
2011-01-16-072027.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9816, Consistency is okay (stddev 0.0671)
2011-01-17-083519.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.9642, Consistency is poor (stddev 0.0992)
2011-01-18-080330.TCX No usable data was found in
2011-01-19-075748.TCX calibration factor adjustment 0.8927, Consistency is appalling (stddev 0.2764)
2011-01-20-083432.TCX No usable data was found in
Press return to contine

6.2 Single File

Per Lap Scaling
===============
lap average scale 0.9977
lap average scale 0.9954
lap average scale 0.9853
lap average scale 0.9836
lap average scale 0.9892

Details
=======
Average scale              0.9909, 99.0857%
Consistency                very poor
  Standard Deviation scale 0.1322, 13.2209%
  Scale+stddev             1.1231, 112.31%
  Scale-stddev             0.8587, 85.87%
Average scale (per lap)  0.9902, 99.0234%

Calibration Instructions
========================

Multiply your current calibration factor by 0.9909

Press return to contine

7 Support

As always Contact me if you have a problem and I will try to help, but this is provided ‘as is’. You can also download the source code from http://fellrnr.com//Utilities/CalibrateFootPod/ParseTCX.zip

8 Change log