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Got a smartphone or a small-screen tablet? check out the Uploader for Garmin!

Tweaking file options: Why and How

8/27/2013

41 Comments

 
Some Garmin devices are actually flash drives in disguise. That includes the Edge 605, 705, 500, 800, 510, 810, the Forerunner 10, 110, 210 and the Garmin Fenix. In theory, a flash drive should simplify the process of getting your activities into your phone / tablet, but given the Android fragmentation when it comes to the USB, the practice is quite different.

Over time, I've added a few options to my apps to deal with common issues related to flash drive devices. Since they've been added over time, they're not necessarily minimal or easy to understand in combination. So here is a short tutorial explaining common issues you may have with the devices above (or when you have no device at all, see case 4 below) and how to set the options in different cases.

In all cases, it helps having a file explorer app. I normally use Astro. It also helps to know how to look for a Garmin device. As a first cut, you can simply ask Astro to look everywhere for a folder called Garmin. Please leave 20-40 seconds to the device to actually mount as a drive (some models are slow).
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Case 1) You have one of the Garmin models above, it is mounted properly as a flash drive (you can see the files with a file explorer) but the app says "no device found"
My apps look for a USB Garmin device or for an ANT+ dongle by scanning USB devices. Some Android devices (that's more common with old ROMs) will recognize the Garmin as a flash drive, mount it as such, but hide it as a USB device. In that case, the app will just say "device not found" and won't get any further. To fix this, you simply have to check "Force flash drive scan". The app will look around for a Garmin device filesystem, and use it.

Case 2) The app finds the "wrong" place when scanning the file system. This may happen with or without the setting of Case 1.
In this case, if you enable diagnostics, you'll see something like:
T trying xml device file 
T trying fit device file 
Mounting path not found 
error reading device file 
Now, there are actually two possible reasons for this error. The first is that your Garmin has actually lost the device file. It has been reported several times in the Garmin forums over time (well before my apps existed :-), and happened to a few people using my apps as well. A Garmin device is identified by a couple of files (GarminDevice.XML and Device.FIT for some models). Sometimes those files get erased, but it's enough to turn off / on the Garmin, connect it to your PC, and the Garmin will re-create those files, as they're just a copy of data stored in its ROM. So this is actually the first thing you may want to try.
The second possible reason is that you have an sd card in your Garmin (Edge), and the sd card is being found before the real device, and (at this time) my app gets confused. If this is the case, use the file manager to find the place where your Garmin is actually mounted. For example, say that your tablet is mounting the Garmin sd card at  /storage/UsbDriveB/Garmin, and the real device as  /storage/UsbDriveA/Garmin, but the app gets confused as is looking only in the sd card (where you don't have a device file). In this case, you can click "force flash drive path" and set it to /storage/UsbDriveA (of course, this is just an example, and might be different in your case). Note that the path is case sensitive (as usual in Android) and that you have to leave the Garmin part out.
Now the app will look in the "right" place, find the device files, and read the activities from the internal memory.

Case 3) You actually keep your activities in the sd card, not in the internal memory.
That's different from the above. If you use the technique of Case 2, the app will find the device files, but will also try to read from the internal memory. That's a bit of a catch-22, because the app is looking for the device file to understand which device is connected, the folder structure (some Edge models keep the activities in a History folder, some in the Activities folder), etc. However, if you save to sd card, the device file is in the wrong place, so to speak. Enter the last setting :-). Say that your sd card is mounted under /storage/UsbDriveB/Garmin, and that your activities are in the Activities subfolder. Click "force files path" and set it to /storage/UsbDriveB/Garmin/Activities (again, it's just an example, it's case sensitive, and you have to provide the entire path down to Activities or History this time ).

Case 4) You just have a bunch of files you want to import
This is relatively rare, but I've got a few requests in this sense, from people who get their TCX through some app, and want to use the ability of my apps to upload to many web applications with a few clicks. This is rather simple: again, click "force files path" and set it to the folder where you keep your files. The app will load all the new TCX and FIT files, where "new" means it has now loaded a file with the same name before. GPX is not handled at this time, but it will be at some point.

Case 5) You have a Nexus 7 or 10, or another Android device which won't mount flash drives unless rooted, and you don't want to root your tablet
This is not particularly straightforward, but a workaround is to use the Nexus Media Importer to copy your FIT or TCX files from the Garmin to any place of your choice in your tablet. After that, it's just like Case 4.

Did I forget any reasonable case? Let me know : )

By the way: there is also the opposite case, where the Garmin is recognized as a USB device but not mounted as a flash drive; that's a different issue [did I mention Android fragmentation? :-)] and I'll deal with that in a different tutorial.
41 Comments
Albert
10/22/2013 05:03:53

I been trying your apps using my android phone and tablet with my garmin fenix. But it all has the same error saying "path not found". I have even downloaded the ANT+ USB and radio but i just cant seem to get uploader or sportablet to link up with my fenix. What did i miss out ?

Reply
carlo pescio
10/23/2013 09:48:28

There is no way to help you without knowing your android devices. I would suggest that you click on the "answers" page, see how to send a log, and do that (no screenshots please, they won't help).

Generally speaking:
- you need an OTG adapter; test that with a usb keyboard or mouse.
- you need a phone/tablet which won't block flash drives (the nexus, for instance, will block flash drives unless rooted)
- the fenix will try to charge from the usb; some phones/tablets won't like that. In that case, you'll need to provide external power.

the ANT+ service is of no use, as you're not connecting over ANT+, which is a wireless protocol. You need a usb cable.

Reply
Albert
10/23/2013 20:21:02

I am using a Samsung S3 and also a Samsung Note 8 tablet both running on android 4.1.2. I have purchased a samsung USB cable that connects to my phone and to my fenix charger cable. If that is what you meant by OTG adapter.I have tried using that on my pendrive and it works instantly. But it doesnt seem to work on my fenix. Not able to browse thru fenix files. When the cable plugged, the uploader and sportablet apps will pop up by itself which also means the phone actually detected fenix therefore pop up these apps. The fenix will show the USB connection icon but i think its also charging from the phone source at the same time. OK, i will remove the ANT+ services then since i dont use the wireless protocol.

I hope the information above is sufficient for you to troubleshoot now.
Appreciate your time and advise. Thank you !

carlo pescio
10/24/2013 03:13:40

Albert: yes, you got an OTG adapter (in case you're curious: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_On-The-Go)

I don't have enough experience with the Note8, but for the S3, I can tell you for sure that it won't mount Garmin flash-drive devices (recent Edge models, FR201/10, Fenix) unless you root your phone and launch stickmount. In fact, if you look here: http://www.sportablet.com/mobile-garmin-uploader.html
every instance of S3 + edge requires stickmount + rooting.

Reply
Albert
10/25/2013 02:27:12

Thank you very much for the valuable info. That will be a lot of work to be done just to get the phone working with fenix. Will think about it.

Reply
OtroCoke
1/28/2014 07:55:55

Hi,

won't the Fenix be accessed via ANT+ ? Only via USB?

Thanks!

Reply
carlo pescio
1/28/2014 09:20:37

Yes, you need to use the usb cable. The fenix has limited ant+ support; in fact, garmin does not sell those units with an ant+ dongle: fenix-to-computer connection is only supported through a usb cable, and your tablet / phone is just like a computer in this scenario.

To be a little more specific: the fenix can exchange some data with similar units, just like some etrex and edge models. They don't use a known protocol while doing so: they use ant+ as a transport layer and a proprietary garmin protocol on top of that. It's theoretically possible to reverse engineer those protocols and try to [ab]use them in various ways. Unfortunately, looking at the economics of the app, I have to say that I'm not going to pursue that venue.

Bottom line: you need a cable : )

Reply
OtroCoke
1/28/2014 09:24:01

Thanks a lot for the detailed info Carlo, it is a pitty they are not following standards :(

Cheers!

OtroCoke
1/28/2014 09:24:08

Thanks a lot for the detailed info Carlo, it is a pitty they are not following standards :(

Cheers!

OtroCoke
1/28/2014 09:24:18

Thanks a lot for the detailed info Carlo, it is a pitty they are not following standards :(

Cheers!

paddy
4/25/2015 13:39:27

I've got a galaxy s5 and a garmin 500 edge. Connected with a otg cable but it's saying file transfer failed please help

Reply
carlo pescio
4/27/2015 09:16:01

follow the tutorial here:

http://www.sportablet.com/file-based-garmin-devices.html

*step by step*. If it a step fails, contact me from the contact form, I need to know the exact step etc. Reading the entire tutorial won't hurt :-)

Reply
paddy
9/10/2015 22:12:07

Hi was originally using this app on my galaxy s5 but my phone has broken so trying to use it on s3 with otg adapter but its saying path not found. Can u help

Reply
Carlo Pescio
9/10/2015 22:19:08

I need to see a log. I don't even know the garmin model you're trying to connect... The s3, depending on the android version, will block mass storage devices unless rooted. Also: are you providing power?

Reply
paddy
9/10/2015 22:42:14

Using garmin 500 with otg adapter but saying path not found

Carlo Pescio
9/11/2015 13:42:44

paddy: still the same as above. I need to see a log, I need to know if you're providing power, would also be nice to know if by plugging in a usb thumb drive you can browse the file...

Reply
paddy
9/14/2015 09:08:08

I'm not providing power. How can I do this. And what do I need to do to show u log

Reply
carlo pescio
9/18/2015 10:58:01

the tutorial for the 500 is here:

www.sportablet.com/file-based-garmin-devices.htm

and it explains about power etc. To send a log, see the "answers" page on top.

Manuel
9/29/2015 16:53:44

Hi... In my case, using a Moto G 2014 with the trial app I noticed it works perfectly the first time I connect the Garmin 210. But the second time I connect the Garmin it will detect the USB device but it won't read data. To make it work again I have to restart the phone, So I have to restart the phone after every connection. Even knowing about that issue I bought the app... But do you have an idea of why this behaviour? maybe I have to kill some app or service in the phone instead of rebooting.

Reply
carlo pescio
10/2/2015 18:57:17

that looks suspiciously like a loss of device file, being recreated on the next upload. Are you providing power as explained in the tutorial? Send me a log when the app is not working (see answers page for instructions).

Reply
Steven
12/5/2015 13:57:16

Hi i have a edge 800 and tablet acer a3-a30.
When i connect the edge through the otg cable, its screen switches to "charging" and the internal memory mounts as USB drive. Unfortunately i cannot copy paste a GPX file to it. When i connect it through an external hub, the same story. The hub is an old one for PC i do not know if it is supposed to work with any external powered hub. I do not have an integrated "output" USB cable connected to it.
Will your app change any of this to finally get a fxxxxxx file on this fxxxxxx garmin device.
Thanks for the help.

Reply
carlo pescio
12/5/2015 14:34:29

"When i connect the edge through the otg cable, its screen switches to "charging" and the internal memory mounts as USB drive. Unfortunately i cannot copy paste a GPX file to it."
----
why not? what happens exactly?

at this time my app will read from the garmin but won't write back, so no, it won't help you.

Reply
Steven
12/8/2015 21:26:24

Hi thanks for the reply. I just tried again with the otg cable and now I could copy a GPX to my garmin drive... ☺

Reply
Raju Anantharaman
1/24/2016 10:50:43

Posted this earlier in the link related to + Devices. Later, realized there is one for Garmin Edge 500 also. Hence, posting again, post edit.

Been using the ST Uploader for about 3 weeks, installed in Motorola X Play, earlier with Android Lollipop, now with Marshmallow. Use it for uploading data from Garmin Edge 500 to Garmin Connect.

After the last couple of bike rides, the Uploader is not getting the data ("Get Activities") from Edge 500. Error message is first "Path not found", and then "File transfer aborted".

In the log, I find that the path searched by the App. relates to the add on 32GB SD Card and Garmin Edge. While the App. finds the device, it does not find the file. In the phone, the file is available in: GARMIN/Garmin/Actvities. Have tried setting the Folder Path and File Path, using Options.

Have mailed the log. Pl. help resolve the issue.

Reply
carlo pescio
1/24/2016 11:15:26

-- In the log, I find that the path searched by the App. relates to the add on 32GB SD Card and Garmin Edge --
No, if you look better, you'll see that the app is scanning the entire file system. Due to the variability on how vendors support external storages, the app has no way to know where it would be mounted. It scans everything, /mnt, /storage, etc, any folder that it can find and where it has reading permissions.

From your log, a path was forced as /storage/6234-3166 but there was nothing there.

Couple of notes:

- the garmin takes a while to mount as a drive, even though it might be immediately visible as a raw usb device. Give it time to mount, let the app autostart, don't click on get activities immediately. If it has not mounted yet, the app can't find it.

-- In the phone, the file is available in: GARMIN/Garmin/Actvities
I understand your file manager might be showing that path, but that's not the real path. Paths in android always start with a / and the first portion can't be GARMIN, it's always something like /mnt or /storage or /usb_storage etc, as the root is mounted read only and new folders can't be created there. If you want to force a path, you need to check for the real path. Please also see the difference between a flash drive path and files path above.
Anyway: forcing paths is rarely necessary. If you can see the unit with a file manager, the app will find it, if you give the unit time to mount.
If you keep having troubles, please send me a screenshot of your file manager app showing the activities folder and its contents, we'll work from there.

Reply
Victor
1/29/2016 12:09:18

Hello Carlos, is the garmin montana also support by sportablet? thanks Victor

Reply
carlo pescio
2/2/2016 15:58:34

yes, all recent handhelds are (see http://www.sportablet.com/connecting-handheld-models.html) but as explained in the tutorial your android device can really make a difference...

Reply
Colm o Maonaigh
2/15/2016 16:04:41

Hello Carlo, nice to see you are still taking queries/problem-solving. Used your app for touring for 3 months last summer and it worked a dream using a Chinese smartphone but at Christmas I upgraded (?) to a Samsung S5 neo and cannot get app to work. I did buy both an otg cable and power cable before writing to you but still no use. I'm using a Garmin 200 and the following is the log:
usb device found
permission to access device granted
Path not found, scanning
Mounting path not found
error reading device file
file transfer aborted

Any help much appreciated (I'm not a geek btw)
Best wishes, Colm

Reply
carlo pescio
2/16/2016 11:51:59

from your log the garmin was not mounted as a mass storage. Unfortunately it's quite common for samsung phones to be picky.
If you were indeed providing power when you took that log, at this stage there isn't much else to try except rooting + stickmount (which is for geeks, I suppose :-)).
Can you browse a regular usb thumb drive using a file manager app?

Reply
Colm o Maonaigh
2/16/2016 14:45:57

Hi Carlo and thank you so much for taking the time to read that log and reply to me. I did try plugging in a usb memory stick and all files came up immediately on the phone.

Paddy
3/6/2016 15:38:58

Will this work on galaxy s7?

Reply
carlo pescio
3/11/2016 16:11:01

hard to say. Samsung has a long history of messing up otg / host mode. You'll have to try.
Generally speaking, with android marshmellow (6.0) some manufacturers prevent third party apps from reading external media. I'm working on a workaround, but it's never going to be as straightforward as with earlier versions. I've no idea what samsung will do.

Reply
Tristram Wilson
8/9/2016 16:32:30

Hi Carlo,
All working fine I think except the App is not picking up my latest activity. Garmin 500 to Samsung tab S (lollipop). Am I missing something?

Thanks Tristram

Reply
Carlo Pescio
8/16/2016 14:49:19

I would need to see a log because "not picking up" is not specific enough to understand the problem. Are you providing power and waiting for the edge to mount as recommended? Because a common case of "not picking up" is the app reporting a corrupted file due to not providing power...

Reply
Paddy
2/12/2017 18:23:26

Recently won't export to garmin connect from my galaxy s7 but will export directly to Strava

Reply
Carlo Pescio
2/12/2017 18:33:30

solved months ago, you need to update your garmin connect password to comply with their new standards: http://www.sportablet.com/blog/garmin-connect-issues-solved

Reply
Corri
7/31/2017 06:25:35

Something went wrong capturing activities from my Garmin 500 using this method. Every activity on the device is now 0 Kb and can't be manually uploaded or synced through Garmin Express now. Is there any way to recover my lost data?

Thanks,
Corri

Reply
Carlo Pescio
7/31/2017 08:40:13

did you follow the tutorial:

www.sportablet.com/file-based-garmin-devices.html

and did you provide external power as recommended? because that seems exactly like the type of file corruption that may happen when you don't.

Reply
Corri
7/31/2017 17:41:51

You're absolutely right. I skipped the external power step and tried to use just the OTG cable. I've learned the hard way now why that's a bad idea.. I was throwing out a Hail Mary hoping I might still be able to recover something from the device somehow.

Marco
2/3/2018 20:31:27

Ciao, ho collegato su Asus zenfone 4 Max ma mi da errore file transfer aborted, di cosa si tratta? Come posso procedere grazie

Reply
Henrik
7/20/2018 12:40:04

Hi. I used the app for the first time today and it seemed to work well but my four last activities wasnt downloded to the pad. I use a Galaxy s2 and a Forerunner 10.
Lots of overy old activities were downloded but not the latest. Why?
Regards,

Reply



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    About me

    I'm a decent runner, ex mountain biker, and a good swimmer. I created Sportablet to squeeze a little more fun out of my Forerunner.

    In my everyday life,  I design software-intensive systems at different scales, using a number of paradigms, languages and technologies. ​
    You can read some of my thoughts at carlopescio.com

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