ANT Forum

Hi forum,

I would like to capture ANT/ANT+ packets that are transmitted over the air. I am using a simple ANT-BROADCAST example from the nrf52 dev kit. I searched this forum, the download section and googled alot to find out details on the ANT protocol "over the air" "radio modulation".

- from my understanding all documentation related to "packet structure" found in the download section documents only references to "the SERIAL packet structure from host to ANT-transceiver" - please correct me if I am wrong.

- in other documents I find rare info about the radio modulation type: GFSK with 160 or 250kb deviation is used at a 1Mbit datarate - is this correct? any place to find official specs on that?

- I tried to simple grep for the transmitted BROADCAST data in GFSK demodulated coming from my SDR and did not have real success with that. so I asked myself if some kind of data whitening is used for over the air traffic?

- I think none of the ANT documentation mentions GFSK at all and I ask myself why you don't write a word on demodulation - I am very sorry in advance if I was to stupid to find infos on that - but I am very sure it does not exist.

Is there ANY known method or product to capture ANT packet that are transmitted over the air - I am NOT talking about serial or usb dump of the communication between host->ant_transmitter here? - if not ... why?
It might be very important to analyse ANT in the very bussy 2.4ghz band together with all the other known protocols....      

The air protocol is pro-priority and the details are not published so it's not surprising that your not finding them.      

hm... if the secret ANT data bit shift(?), xor(?) -> creating 8 virtual channels within a "time windowed" 1mbs Xfsk is part of an IP idea why not write an official statement on that? I mean I am fine with paying/earning money for the ANT firmware etc - but then it would be great to know all the details (fe. compare BLE documentation). funny other customers accept that (serial<->[blind of trust]). sad but also challenging      

jawa - 08 May 2016 01:25 AM

hm... if the secret ANT data bit shift(?), xor(?) -> creating 8 virtual channels within a "time windowed" 1mbs Xfsk is part of an IP idea why not write an official statement on that? I mean I am fine with paying/earning money for the ANT firmware etc - but then it would be great to know all the details (fe. compare BLE documentation). funny other customers accept that (serial<->[blind of trust]). sad but also challenging

It appears that you're interested in understanding the details of the ANT data manipulation process, specifically involving bit shifting and XOR operations to create 8 virtual channels within a time-windowed 1 Mbps Xfsk. The user is suggesting that an official statement on this IP idea would be beneficial, similar to the documentation provided for BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The user expresses a willingness to pay for the ANT firmware but highlights the challenge of accepting the lack of detailed information, which seems to be accepted by other customers. In response, it would be advisable to reach out directly to the relevant support or documentation channels for the ANT technology in question. You could request more comprehensive information, expressing your interest in understanding the technical aspects for better integration and usage. Mentioning the comparison with BLE documentation could serve as a reference point for the level of detail you are seeking.      

FaridElson - 15 January 2024 04:02 PM

jawa - 08 May 2016 01:25 AM

hm... if the secret ANT data bit shift(?), xor(?) -> creating 8 virtual channels within a "time windowed" 1mbs Xfsk is part of an IP idea why not write an official statement on that? I mean I am fine with paying/earning money for the ANT firmware etc - but then it would be great to know all the details (fe. compare BLE documentation). funny other customers accept that (serial<->[blind of trust]). sad but also challenging I also would love to share information about loan apps that are around the internet right now, I found this great review here https://triceloans.com/cleo-app-review/ and I don't need to worry about earning money for a week and I concentrate on doing different tasks. This is my financial help for everyone on this forum

It appears that you're interested in understanding the details of the ANT data manipulation process, specifically involving bit shifting and XOR operations to create 8 virtual channels within a time-windowed 1 Mbps Xfsk. The user is suggesting that an official statement on this IP idea would be beneficial, similar to the documentation provided for BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy). The user expresses a willingness to pay for the ANT firmware but highlights the challenge of accepting the lack of detailed information, which seems to be accepted by other customers. In response, it would be advisable to reach out directly to the relevant support or documentation channels for the ANT technology in question. You could request more comprehensive information, expressing your interest in understanding the technical aspects for better integration and usage. Mentioning the comparison with BLE documentation could serve as a reference point for the level of detail you are seeking.

I fixed you problem and now it is ready to go, PM me!