FTMS Datafields

Absolute Bollocks Creations proudly offers a suite of Garmin datafields that connect to FTMS-compatible exercise equipment over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). These fields track metrics from devices like bikes, ellipticals, rowers, and more — right on your Garmin watch.

Indoor Biking Elliptical Rower Stair Climber Stair Stepper Treadmill

Smart Fitness Machine Protocol (FTMS)

Using these datafield applications your Garmin device can connect to FTMS-compatible spin bikes, elliptical trainers, rowing machines, stair climber and stepper machines, and treadmills, collecting real-time power, cadence, speed, incline, and other data directly from the smart trainer and storing in to Garmin Connect during workouts.

Pricing

FTMS datafields are currently in open Beta and full unlocked for all users. Once the beta period has ended, these data fields will move to a subscription model.

Upcomming Pricing Changes

Open beta will be comming to an end soon. The following changes will be implemeted

Unregistered operation will be limited to 10 minutes per session
Registration will fully unlock the app
Annual or Monthly subsciptions will be available
Subscription is handled as a Bundle: One license will allow unlocking ALL 6 FTMS datafield applications
Annual Subscription: $4.99 / year
Monthly Subscription: $0.99 / month

Setup Instructions

Each of these applications is a Garmin Datafield. Unlike other types of Garmin applications, Datafields do not show up directly in your list of apps and activities. Instead they must be configured to be displayed within the context of one of the native Garmin activities, like Bike Indoors or Treadmill, etc.

Install the datafield from the Garmin Connect IQ Store
Launch one of the native Garmin activities, like Bike Indoors
Press 'Menu' (varies based on your device)
Select to Edit the activity settings
Select Data Screens
Scroll up or down until you get to the Add New (+) option and select it to add a new page
Select Custom Data
On the Choose Layout page, leave the default, full page data field view and press Select
Press Select to Choose Fields
Select ConnectIQ Fields and pick the FTMS datafield for your device type
Press up or down to move the field layout to the top of the list (If you forget to do this you can return later and edit the data screen layout)

Using The Application

When launching the native Garmin activity, like Bike Indoor, Elliptical, Treadmill, etc., the datafield application will begin scanning for compatible Bluetooth FTMS devices nearby.

Once the datafield detects a compatible smart trainer it will display the Name, along with a rough estimate of the distance to the device (to help distinguish between multiple devices in a crowded environment, like a gym for instance.) If more than one device is detected, a 5 second countdown will be displayed and the next device in the list will be rotated to be displayed.

At this point the Activity has been launched, the not yet Started. Once a Smart Trainer is found, press Start to begin the activity.
A Bluetooth connection will now be made to the currently listed device, and metrics will be captured from the smart trainer.

While the activity is running the datafield will display 6 configurable fields of data metrics from smart trainer. Not all FTMS trainers (and types of trainers) support all possible metrics. (For example only Elliptical and Treadmill devices support Inclination, etc.) These applications support all types of metrics defined by the Bluetooth SIIG specification, but not all machines support all possible metrics.
To configure the data being displayed, use Connect IQ or Garmin Express to configure the settings of the datafield. Each of 6 fields can display any of the available metrics availble, based on the Smart Trainer type.

Common Questions

Why doesn't the application record to native Distance, Power, and Speed metrics?

Garmin severely limits what 3rd party developers are able to do with Connect IQ applications. Only Garmin can write to native data fields. ALL 3rd party applications are only able to write to their own bucket of custom fields in the Fit Activity data.

This data is available in the Fit data file uploaded to Garmin Connect and can be tagged with markers to identify it as specific standard data types
Third party integrations (like Strava) can potentially identify and correctly process Connect IQ data fields as standard fields (if they choose to)
Connect IQ applications cannot read or write data fields belonging to other applications (even from the same developer)

How do I record speed and distance metrics in Garmin Connect?

To apply the captured speed and distance metrics to the native Garmin fields, simply edit the activity from Connect. Enter the Distance captured via Bluetooth into the native Distance field. Average speed and pace values will be calculated using this distance.

Manually entered distance does not count towards other metrics, like Vo2Max or Endurance scores
There is no way to enter dynamic metrics, like average moving speed or individual lap speeds or distances, etc.
It is possible to enter manual values for average and peak Power during the activity, but
Connect doesn't use these metrics for anything, so just recording them as custom Connect IQ fields with the app provides just as good of a record for reference

My Bike / Elliptical / Rower / Stepper / Treadmill is not detected

Unfortunately, the Bluetooth stack available to developers on the Garmin devices is VERY limited. The physical hardware itself also seems to be somewhat weak, as numerous devices that work find with Kinomap or Zwift on your phone or tablet appear to be completely invisible to Garmin. If you launch the Activity and the datafield displays only 'Scanning...' it most likely means either:

Your Smart Trainer does not actually support standard FTMS protocol (many commercial devices have proprietary protocols)
or your Garmin device is unable to communicate with your trainer (even though it works find with phone or tablet apps like Kinomap)

The easiest way to test your device compatibility with your smart trainer is to use a Bluetooth Scanner application.
BleScan is a great option as it just looks for and lists any and all Bluetooth devices nearby that your Garmin device can discover. It also provides information about the device Name and Service Id advertised.
If BleScan cannot detect your device, then your Garmin device is unable see or communicate with your trainer in any fashion (over Bluetooth anyway)
If BleScan does detect your device, but the device does not advertise a Service Id of '00001826-0000-1000' then your device is not advertising standard FTMS protocol and will not be found by these applications.

I found a bug!

If you are experiencing behavior that you think might be a bug, please use the Contact Developer option in the Connect IQ Store.