Tech FAQ

Valid network keys are generated and allocated by Garmin Canada Inc., to ensure network integrity as well as interoperability, in the case of managed networks. If an invalid network key is configured on a device, no changes will be applied to the network key already configured in the device for that number. Usually, this is the default public key, which makes it appear that devices with different invalid network keys are able to communicate.

Not all ANT modules support continuous scanning mode, refer to section 9.4 of the ANT Message Protocol and Usage document to determine device capabilities. See the “Continuous Scanning Mode” application note for details on implementing this mode.

Ensure that the devices are within range of each other. Next verify that the Channel Periods are correct. If the master’s message rate is lower than that of the slave, Rx Fails are to be expected. The most reliable performance is experienced when the Channel Periods of the master and slave match.

The Channel Search Timeout (length of time that the slave will search for transmissions from the master before timing out) can be set by the user. See section 9.5.2.5 of the ANT Message Protocol and Usage document.

Ensure that the devices are within range of each other (varies by device and device settings), that both are on/awake, and that neither device is in a location that is known to attenuate radio signals significantly (i.e. in a metal enclosure or surrounded by water).

Next check the channel configuration of each device. Network Key, RF Frequency, Channel ID, and Channel Period should match and the Channel Types should be complementary (i.e. one master and one slave). Also ensure that you configure the channel in the order defined the ANT Message Protocol and Usage document, so that you don't accidentally set any values back to their defaults (i.e. assign channel before configuring it).

If using exclusion/inclusion lists, make sure that they are not causing the slave to ignore the master.

If using a wild card search for pairing, make sure that the pairing bit configuration matches in both devices (i.e., if the pairing bit is set on the master, it should also be set on the slave).

ANTware II and SimulANT+ are useful for ensuring that devices are capable of transmitting/receiving messages. See Chapter 5 of the ANT Message Protocol and Usage document for a full explanation of ANT Channels.

Usually the "Ant Initialization failed" means that the connection to ANT failed. Check that the ANT USB stick is recognized by your computer. For more information on this and the USB driver required, please refer to the USB Drivers section of the FAQ.

There are a couple steps which may be under taken to determine why an ANT USB stick is not working with your phone:

1. Your Android device must be running Android Version 3.1 or higher
2. You must be using an ANT USB2 or USBm stick along with your host cable
3. Install the ANT Radio Service
4. Install the ANT USB Service, you may not be able to if your device does not support the USB Host API
5. Use the USB Host Diagnostics App to determine if you have Android USB Host API support
   1. You have support if the app reports under Android API:
      1. Claims support: Yes
      2. Classes found: Yes
      3. Device detected: Yes
   2. If the device is not detected by the Kernel, you may not have USB Host Hardware support, please check with your manufacturer
   3. If the device is not detected by the API but is detected by the Kernel, your device may not support 3rd party apps, please check with your manufacturer
   4. If the classes are not found, that particular firmware does not support the USB Host API and needs to be updated by the manufacturer (or by an intrepid custom ROM programmer)
   5. If the classes are found, but the device is not claiming support, you may be able to enable support yourself
      1. Add /system/etc/permissions/android.hardware.usb.host.xml with the following contents:
         <permissions>
         <feature name="android.hardware.usb.host"/>
         </permissions>
      2. If you have a tablet, edit /system/etc/permissions/tablet_core_hardware.xml, adding the following content with the other permissions:
         <feature name="android.hardware.usb.host"/>
      3. Please read this thread for more information