ANT Forum

Hi,

I am trying to develope an ANT+ client on a PC (for moment in Windows environment but in the future I will port it in Linux).
I want to use Processing (http://www.processing.org/) for my project. Processing is a simil-java compatible development environment.

My question is: there is an ANT+ Library to use for my project (also third-part library - or java compatible hardware indipendent library - os something like that)?
Could someone help me?
Many thanks.
     

Hi Mikeardy,

The libraries we provide are here: http://www.thisisant.com/developer/resources/downloads/

There is a Windows Library (C++), which you may be able to import. We don't provide Java libraries or support porting libraries to Java, but you may be able to do it yourself - or someone in the community may have done it before and be willing to share.

Hope that helps,

Kat      

Many thanks for your answer.
I am not a genius in c++ or java and I need help to implement ANT+ Library in Processing environment. After that I could develope my personal application in fitness group telemetry and database system...
I need your help.
Thanks      

The "Developer : Downloads : Documents" section of thisisant.com should contain all necessary specifications how to talk to an ANT stick (of course you need the drivers to access the stick and processing must be able to use them) and to interpret the payloads of ANT+ messages (the so-called device profiles).
It's all there, you just have to read and follow the documentation.

Just out of curiosity: why are you asking for help to create ANT+ libraries in a very special environment (Processing) which seems to be quite far away from the mainstream of the ANT+ world?
     

Thank for your help.



For your curiosity: I want Processing because nobody seems to tryed it in ANT+ world... because I am studing it and because it seems to be simplest than other similar environment and... because I want to try to integrate my ANT+ Client written in Processing with some other devices like Arduino boards and other automation industrial systems.

I will give you information about my project evolution...
thanks.
     

mikeardy - 23 May 2013 04:03 AM

Thank for your help.



For your curiosity: I want Processing because nobody seems to tryed it in ANT+ world... because I am studing it and because it seems to be simplest than other similar environment and... because I want to try to integrate my ANT+ Client written in Processing with some other devices like Arduino boards and other automation industrial systems.

I will give you information about my project evolution...
thanks.

Any status updates that would interest us?      

No, there isn't any news..... my project is freeze at moment!
I need help.
I was not able to write a driver library in Processing to "speak" with ANT+ USB Stick and with ANT+ devices...
so... HELP!!!
     

I found this Java library:
https://github.com/cowboy-coders/JFormica

could someone give me help on how to implement it in Processing environment?
Please...
     

I'm guessing I was the first to incorporate Ant into the Arduino world ... and I'd like to help you depending on your level of autonomy.

Processing offers really interesting possibilities. A few years ago we built a custom Arduino board with an AP2 module on the board itself. The board took analog signals and converted them to digital and sent the result out via the AP2 module.

All the code to do this has been tested and works on the Arduino. I found it very awkward to work with the AP2 chip as a hobbyist. There is nothing easy when it comes to trying to solder this chip to a board by hand. In the end we had a few dozen boards made by a local supplier.

Back to Processing. I'm at ease with Linux and OSX. The ANT dongles are not easy to work with on OSX. And when I say not easy, they do not appear in /dev when you plug them in. On Linux, with some clever modprobe'ing they show up in /dev. Then they work really well. I use the "Suunto" mini dongles. Regardless of the supplier, they are all the same.

So if you are on Linux, we have half the battle won. Next, communicating with the ANT dongle is fairly simple once you know what bits to send. All of this is documented. If you've built your own sensor, then you know how to decode the payload. If you are trying to figure out what an HRM is sending or a Power Meter, then you are left with the ANT+ documentation.

I am a "full patch" member of the Ant Consortium. So I get all the documentation I need. I'm not sure what you get when you are an "adopter". Unfortunately I cannot share this information without proof of your standing. The ANT+ key was once a closely guarded secret. It may still be. I don't know. Without it, ANT+ will not be available to you.

I can imagine some really nice looking "dashboard" or "head unit" running in Processing. If you are entitled to the ANT+ documentation, etc., I can show you how to proceed.

Best regards,

Allan

     

Hi,

And, of course, there is a hardware solution you could always use that would work really well for you. Check out,
North Pole Engineering's WASP, http://www.npe-inc.com/products/products-wasp.html.

This will take ANT+ and present it to you in and encapsulated ANT format that you can process using UDP or TCP. You only need to focus on the payload and not on ANT+ specifics.

I have first hand experience with these as I worked with the manufacturer for the past three years tailoring it to our specific needs.

You can then focus on the Processing component to make some truly outstanding visuals.

Allan