Tracking GPS errors

[Unfoolishly]

[edit: this post was split from here: viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1060 ]

Hi All,

This is maybe an good example for in the firmware of the Unleashed to build in some sort of functionality to keep track of disturbances in GPS reception, either from the smartphone or an external GPS device (Unleashed accessory). Why? Simple: so that you can trace back with the Unleashed App which periods of time the Unleashed didn't had a valid GPS data reception. You can of course see that in the photos not having any GPS data, but while in the field, you must know over what period of time the GPS reception was missing.

Especially with Unleashed accessories is it highly recommended to have a possibility to see in the App what went wrong with that accessory, like no BT connection or no GPS fix, etc.
Now the user isn't able to track back the root cause of the error in the Unleashed and at what moment in time it started and ended. Example: you now have to go through all the photo's in the camera to trace back when the GPS fix dropped and when it was fixed again. That can be 1 photo, or 1.000 photos!

Of course an audible warning on the smartphone could prevent the user from having a 1.000 photo's not receiving a geotag, if the smartphone is connected to the Unleashed. When it is not connected to the Unleashed you want the Unleashed to give some data to the smartphone when it is connected and reports the failures, like a modern car nowadays has a board computer telling you how fast the car drove and what the oil-level was all that time.

Maybe a good feature to implement. I don't mean logging, I mean visual feedback for the user in the App. Also a good way for the user on the forum to let the team know what went wrong for how long, to determine if it is a bug or not.

Greetings,
Unfoolishly

[Unfoolishly]

@Unfoolishly: this is a very bad example use-case of your feature wish - first thing Dave writes is that he's not using the app on the smartphone at all ;-)

No, no, no! That is NOT what I wrote. The smartphone is not used to PROVIDE GPS DATA, but the smartphone is used to PROVIDE INSIGHT into the PROCESS of delivering the GPS DATA from any source unto the Unleashed, which provides it to the camera. To my knowledge and technical experience, this IS a valid feature request because it clearly shows what is going on from the perspective of the Unleashed hardware.

The Unleashed AND Unleashed App should provide some tooling/screen to see visually when:
1. GPS data was received (GPS fix)
2. GPS data was lost (GPS no-fix)
3. BT connection between accessory and Unleashed was established (connected)
4. BT connection between accessory and Unleashed was dropped (disconnected)
5. BT connection between smartphone and Unleashed was established (connected)
6. BT connection between smartphone and Unleashed was dropped (disconnected)

That way you can VERY EASILY detect problems as a user and as a tester and as a developer!

To make myself even MORE clear (so no miscommunication occurs between you and me (= Oliver)), here is a picture of what I mean should be implemented in the App:

visual-states.png

I sometimes have a hard time "getting through" to you to making something clear to you. This is for your and your customers benefits! Maybe you should ask me: what do you mean EXACTLY to avoid confusion and misinterpreting my best intentions? It will save me a lot of typing and drawing pictures! *sigh*

Explanation of the diagram/picture:

In RED is shown the GPS reception period which the Unleashed hardware got from the smartphone.
In YELLOW is shown the GPS reception period which the Unleashed hardware got from the accessory.
In GREEN is shown the BT connection period between the Unleashed hardware and the smartphone.
In BLUE is shown the BT connection period between the Unleashed hardware and the accessory.

In the diagram/picture you see the following:
A to endless: accessory BT connection between Unleashed and accessory established (and is still established)
B to C: accessory provided GPS data to the Unleashed. GPS fix
C to D: accessory provided NO GPS data to the Unleashed. GPS no-fix. But BT connection still there!
D to E: accessory provided GPS data to the Unleashed. GPS fix.
E to F: only accessory stays connected by BT, but GPS no-fix from accessory.
F to G: smatphone BT connection between Unleashed and smarthone. And GPS fix from smartphone.

Now you see a few things straight away: which devices over a period of time connected to the Unleashed, and if data was provided or not. You can also see from this data which device took over the function of GPS provider: accessory vs smartphone. You can even do more with this data!

My question/feature request is to provide such tooling from within the App so that users quickly can discover over a period of time what has happened, because looking at log files from a smartphone doesn't make sense at all. By looking at a visual of signals connected/provider to/from the Unleashed, you see quickly as a user what has happened!

This is EXACTLY that which is needed by the Topic Started (Dewcal) to see what really happened! And he is not the only one! All users should have such tool available at there disposal!

That's my point I wanted to make, and hopefully is getting across to you as the main "overseer" of the Unleashed project.
The only thing I don't know of is how easily this is implemented on the Unleashed side, because it takes some sort of registering/logging of time-tables. The "logging" is then stored in the Unleashed itself and read out by the smartphone App!

Greetings,
Unfoolishly

[Oliver]

I see.

The Unleashed has VERY limited memory, and logging while not connected to the App is definitely not going to happen.
We are planning to do some errorlogging, where firmware sends individual error-reports to the app to log, that can then be sent to us for diagnosis, but that's not going to happen for a while.

Also: please keep in mind that your suggestions for all these numerous kinds of diagnostics to help fix bugs being reported would be great to have, but would require those to be perfectly and flawlessly implemented, despite aggregating information from all the other areas where the bugs are that we're trying to track down.
In theory: great!
In practise: If we could implement something so far-reaching so perfectly, why would we implement the bugs in the other areas in the first place 😜

[Unfoolishly]

The Unleashed has VERY limited memory, and logging while not connected to the App is definitely not going to happen.

In theory: great!
In practise: If we could implement something so far-reaching so perfectly, why would we implement the bugs in the other areas in the first place 😜

I see as well.
Logging the period of time being connected could be simplified, just by continuously updating the last connected time, until a drop out. But if the Unleashed hardware has so less memory on board, it would indeed make it harder to implement. And there is always a chance to create new bugs by implementing this. That is true.
But it sure would help a lot in beta testing and debugging.

Greetings,
Unfoolishly