Smart vs Dumb - FMI

[Tom Mandera]

Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 18:29:58 -0400
Subject: Re: [aprssig] "Smart" vs. "dumb" trackers
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
The unique capability of the Opentracker is that it can activate the
Garmin's
built-in "FMI" (Fleet Management Interface) firmware to do two-way text
messaging on the Garmin's touch screen. (It uses the same virtual
on-screen
keyboard you normally use to look up addresses for navigation). It also
will
plot incoming posits on the Garmin's map display.
Unfortunately, all this "coolness" only works with the now-discontinued
Nuvi
350. (Garmin screwed up the waypoint handling, used to plot the posits,
in
later versions of the Nuvi.)

I don't suppose Scott has made any updates after this post:
http://www.tapr.org/pipermail/aprssig/2011-February/035235.html

From 2/8 2/9/2011?
With FMI 2.5 and above, waypoint creation is officially supported, and

so is

waypoint deletion, so the T2 and GTRANS can delete old waypoints. The
trouble is that the spec did NOT include anything about the user interface
behavior, and (at least on the nuvi 1300 and 1490) received waypoints

show up

at inconsistent zoom levels, with a narrow range - maybe 2 or 3 zoom

levels,

it seems to be variable - and they don't show labels unless you touch them.
If Garmin gets this fixed, we'll be in good shape. FMI 2.5 added not only
deletion capability, but also categories, so everything the T2 or GTRANS
creates is marked 'APRS' (again, the UI isn't working right on the nuvi

side

and this might not show up) and can be deleted separately.

http://www8.garmin.com/solutions/mobile-resource-management/supported-devices/

Suggests there is an FMI 2.6, 2.7, and even 3.x series out now.

But looking around at http://www.argentdata.com I don't see where Scott
suggests further support for the newer specs yet, or if they've achieved
what he was hoping for.

-Tom Mandera
two OT+s, 4 D710s, two with GTRANS and Nuvi350s

[Scott Miller]

Post by Tom Mandera
But looking around at http://www.argentdata.com I don't see where Scott
suggests further support for the newer specs yet, or if they've achieved
what he was hoping for.

The current versions of FMI allow for waypoint creation and deletion,
but (last I checked) the user interface side hasn't been updated to
accommodate real-time display. Things don't appear on the map
automatically until it redraws completely, and they only show up at a
few zoom levels. All of the received stations will show up in the
favorites list, though.

Scott
N1VG