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Now i love my desire... Its fantastic but it isnt without some issues...
One ive noticed that could be a problem esp when your working with reality overlay apps...
The compass doesn’t seem to work that well...
Its slow to respond to movement and even when it does move its horridly inaccurate. north seems to have a room for error of 60-90 degrees.
Has anyone else noticed this? Is it the same for most digital compasses? or do i have a faulty module?
Hi Nutsy,
I've also noticed these issues with the compass in the Desire. I've worked with magnetic compass chips before and I think it's all to blame on the way these compasses work:
To sense the earth's magnetic field they use a two- or three axis magnetometer. Although it's a very accurate way to sense the earth's weak magnetic field, it's also very sensitive to any other magnetic field. That means that the presence of ferromagnetic materials (like iron) or electrical currents in the vicinity might really screw up your compass reading.
So electrical wires, iron piping, laundry machines (almost anything that you would find indoors that runs on electricity or contains iron), will interfere with your compass.
a good alternative would be to use a gyroscopic compass like they do on submarines, but I don't think these fairly expensive devices aren't used in mobile equipment yet. So the only thing to do is to stay away from anything that might interfere.
The slow response to movement might be caused by internal filtering. These analog sensors produce quite an amount of measurement noise. In order to cancel this, they probably use some sort of filtering algorithm like this one:
step 1 -> Take a new sensor reading.
step 2 -> Add it to a buffer that contains the last 25 readings.
step 3 -> Calculate the mean value of all measurements in this buffer. This will be the compass heading that is sent to Android OS or your application.
step 4 -> Repeat this cycle every 25 milliseconds.
Hope this answers your questions. Of course if you compass readings never make any sense under any circumstances, the thing might just be broken...
Friendly regards,
Joost
Ps.
There's an App in the market called "Metal detector" that actually uses the interference "problem" with the compass to detect ferromagnetic metals.
Wow Thanks for the really detailed reply...
Im glad its not just me then... Didnt really want to RMA it over a dodgy compass unit.
And thanks for letting me know about that app... sounds usful... I guess it could be used to detect wireing in plaster as well?
You're welcome.
In theory you could use it to detect metal or wires in a plaster wall. I've just tried it, and it works quite well. On the other hand, I really don't want to risk electrocution by trusting a telephone to find electrical wires...
My compass is shocking. Actually points closer to South whenever I open Compass or a programme which uses the compass like G-sky. I have to calibrate it every single time.
Thing that annoys me, is if I calibrate, then exit the programme and immediately re-open the programme, it doesn't remember the calibration, it reverts to pointing in a ridiculous direction.
I want to hit it with my fist.
Addtitionally, think it's broken?
jimmymagix said:
My compass is shocking. Actually points closer to South whenever I open Compass or a programme which uses the compass like G-sky. I have to calibrate it every single time.
Thing that annoys me, is if I calibrate, then exit the programme and immediately re-open the programme, it doesn't remember the calibration, it reverts to pointing in a ridiculous direction.
I want to hit it with my fist.
Addtitionally, think it's broken?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yesterday I found out the same thing... Sometimes I cant even get it working after calibration. I was beginning to think that this happened because I dropped it once pretty hard. What should we do next? Can this be solved by replacement with warranty or something?
Smauglys said:
Yesterday I found out the same thing... Sometimes I cant even get it working after calibration. I was beginning to think that this happened because I dropped it once pretty hard. What should we do next? Can this be solved by replacement with warranty or something?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Make sure your phone isn't in a case which uses magnets to keep it closed, as they affect the compass. If you're affected, take your phone out of the case and try again. Also, try out in the open, away from structures which may contain a lot of ferrous metal.
In my case the problem is due to powered-on wi-fi module. Turning off wifi, compass works fine. Could Anyone elserepeat my experience?
poldie said:
Make sure your phone isn't in a case which uses magnets to keep it closed, as they affect the compass. If you're affected, take your phone out of the case and try again. Also, try out in the open, away from structures which may contain a lot of ferrous metal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I know that. Tried out doors, and wheres no metal... When I had the G1, the compass worked normally.
In my case the problem is due to powered-on wi-fi module. Turning off wifi, compass works fine. Could Anyone elserepeat my experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just tried what you said. It did not help for me. I turned it of completely.
Smauglys said:
Yes I know that. Tried out doors, and wheres no metal... When I had the G1, the compass worked normally.
Just tried what you said. It did not help for me. I turned it of completely.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just went outside to test it again. And I think I found how to get it working. If i launch the compass application, and try to turn the phone in the flat position (on its back), then the arrow moves in random directions. But if i lift the phone that it is facing straight to my face, and then turn left and right a few times, like a steering wheel, the compass "calibrates" as I can see. And then when I lay it down again flat, it starts to work normally. Can anyone try this, if you understood my instructions?
A more accurate way of calibrating the compass is by rotating the phone twice around each axis, ideally you should do this away from anything metallic or any interfering magnetic fields preferably outside.
Er......
Where is the compass?
I dont seem to have a compass! In my list of apps there just isnt one called compass...
The Analogue Compass app is very buggy for me so I use the Compass app -> http://www.androlib.com/android.application.com-apksoftware-compass-qAC.aspx
When taking readings, I;
Always have to recalibrate on startup as far too many objects cause large interferences within the sensor making it go astray, even the charging cable causes it to go berzerk. The known working routine is to calibrate by fast twisting and turning the phone [I do it after running the built-in figure 8 calibration routine]
Keep it mid-upper body height with no metals nearby (jewellery/belt/metallic objects minimum >5ft away), holding still and level across the x-axis
Point the upper-end of the phone in the direction I want the bearing of (this depends on the type you use though, I use the digital type)
I spin the phone around and then retake 2 more readings for a total of 3 readings - averaging them out for a final mean reading
I only have 2 directions calibrated through professional consultation when this room extension was built a few years back and know the rough directions all sides this property faces, but in particular, I'm 100% sure of the exact degree reading one wall faces. This app using the built-in compass sensor reads that bearing spot on everytime after calibration (fluctuation is 1-2 degree max).
Some friends in a Lithuanian Android forum, suggested to do this, like it is shown in the video. Works perfectly every time. And I thought that something was wrong, because I never had to do anything like this on my G1.
Youtube video ID, because I cant add link because of spam protection http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP3d00Hr14o
The compass is about 10' to 15' out on my phone - i normally wouldn't care that much except the built in locations app uses the facing direction instead of the travel direction... so it looks like you are driving down a road diagonally.
Any ideas of how i can re-calibrate the compass - or make locations use the direction of travel instead of the compass?
Thanks
Kris
Maybe it is a magnetic compass, and hence points to the magnetic north?
BTW I have the same with mine. Mine is about -15' out.
The GPS Status app has something to 'calibrate' with, but the results stayed the same IMO.
Well I think that really su* ... y can't it just use the direction of travel like other software - or have the option
I know man, have the same issue. I have proper compass 'analog' and a digital one and the one on hd is a joke. Tried everything, it's still off. Most likely it's software issue here. Not sure though, but looks like it. Mine is -20 and less or more useless.
Mines off about that too.
When using the one in my Hero, I could wave my hand in a infinity symbol shape (or figure 8 on it's side) out in front of me for a few seconds, that would get it fairly accurate for a little while. Haven't tried it on the DHD, but it might work?
I have exactly the same issue. Annoyingly it is also 10 to 50 meters off on my location......
HTC Hub also shows me 20 meters off of my location.......
Anyone have a solution let me know!!
Good i managed to calibrate it to be fairly accurate.
There is still a minor distortion which i assume is caused by battery but it's an improvement never the less.
Basically go to maps. Then hold your phone by pointing your screen towards the sky and start making infinity symbol in the air. In such way like if you were trying to paint it on the wall in front of you. Do it for about 30 sec, then it should show you a fairly accurate readings.
Hope it helps, worked for me.
Thanks Madeinru........ it helps a bit but hasn't completely fixed it.
Probably will go back to the shops and exchange it - its still annoying the hell out if me
MadeIRu, could you describe your method in a lilttle more detail. I thought you had to hace your device towards the sky and make a movement like drawing an 8 horizontally al the time the device facing the sky. Thanks
Hello there
What i did is:
Switch on any compass app or maps.
Point your device with your screen towards the sky, same way when it basically lies on the table.
Then start making 'infinity' like sign in the air while your screen points at the sky all the time.
Just like you wanting to paint an 'infinity' sign on the wall.
Just like the guy in this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOkErjFKiD8&feature=related
But i was pointing my screen upwards all the time, so my phone stayed in the same position at all times.
Do it for about 30 sec or so.
Regards.
download compass from market, it has a calibration feature builtin
not sure if it will help you're situation though, i guess it's supposed to.
After trying a few programs Catch's Compass, Google SkyMap, GPS Status etc, Bubble, etc, etc. I am finding some reproducable strangeness between the Gyro and Magnetometer(Compass). Compass
Example: Try Catch's Compass (I Prefer Catch's Compass because you can use the dial to align former north's).
I Put the Phone on a Non mettalic flat surface. (I algned it with the corner of an all wooden table).
I let it wander awhile until it settled on north...
I turn the outside Dial to align the Red lines with where north is pointing.
Rotate the phone 180 degrees and aligned with the corner of the table again.
I Look where North is pointing Now...Mine is consistently off by 20-30 degrees from the original North(original red lines helped measure)
Strangely i try the two 90 degrees in between and one Matches the first orientations North the other 90 matches the other North from earlier.
I also Noticed that when I plug the phone in that North Suddenly points towards my Micro USB port..That didn't surprise me too much.
I returned My first phone because of this...My second one does it too...I tried google sky maps and A full moon wouldn't even stay on screen when aimed...This one puts it on the fringes now.
I tried all these things outdoors as well as indoors.
I tried several different methods of calibration 1 axis figure 8s, 3 axis figure 8s, 3 axis flips, etc...the results improved from stock but after dozens of attempts the strangness prevails.
Am I on a second clunker or do the rest of you get this Anomoly...ie sensor issue?
I don't know what to make of your compas test because it seemed relatively fine to me, but Skymap has never been 100% accurate for me on any device and this one is no exception, but its accurate enough for me to get an idea as to what I am looking at.
adrynalyne said:
I don't know what to make of your compas test because it seemed relatively fine to me, but Skymap has never been 100% accurate for me on any device and this one is no exception, but its accurate enough for me to get an idea as to what I am looking at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Getting North to match up when you rotate the phone 180 degrees its a simple test and let me know your answer.
The magnetometer on mobile phones tend to point to the nearest electrical source.. so if you're testing it test outside (and not in a city, if you can), since inside a house there's too much interference. Even a laptop within a few feet will throw it off.
Also, they're *very* noisy - having tried to write compass apps I've got a lot of respect for someone who can make the raw data behave like a compass convincingly.. If they showed you what was really happening the jittering pointer would make you seasick!
So as long as it's pointing to more-or-less north, that's pretty good really.
btw. The best results I've seen have been from google maps, which seems to maintain a pretty good compass direction outdoors.
I've noticed that the compass works best only when the 900 is held in a vertical orientation, either portrait or landscape. When held flat, it can sense movement but doesn't lock the actual direction much at all.
Vertically it's pretty good, which is great for navigation. But it's counterintuitive that it's so vague when held like a map. Anyone else have the same experience?
Ok, this is even stranger. Today when using the compass outdoors, it reads accurately in vertical portrait orientation, AND when held flat (which it did not previously). However, when held in vertical landscape, it's 90 degrees off - reads west when pointing north.
I'm beginning to suspect a defective unit.
If you use any case that has a magnetic case lock or your phone is near any mangets, you will always have to perform a calibration before using the compass. I have never seen any phone's compass go bad. Nor has I ever seen any phone's compass accurate or even useful without doing a calibration first.
Calibration involves waving your phone in a figure 8 pattern repeatedly.
I've done that, and did it outside with nothing around. Maybe I should try holding the phone in various orientations and repeating the process. Will do that later.
Your phone's orientation has to trace the 8 figure. Basically, it is rotating around but flip in the middle.
Yes, I know. I repeated the process and things are a bit better, still flaky though. I'll try it in some new locations over the next couple of days.
Just to close on this - after a couple of days usage, and maybe also using Nokia Drive (awesome app), the compass has settled down to work pretty much perfectly. I did some manual figure-8-wave calibrations with some success, but time and motion seem to have been the real fix.
I tried many different apps to calibrate the compass on 5x. They calibrate the phone for a moment but then when I open maps I start to move with the phone the pointer keeps on slowly rotating clockwise showing wrong direction I'm facing. Can this be fixed by some software somehow or is this a hardware issue? What should I do to fix this?
Thanks
Same issue for me. Had this with almost every android phone though. Kind of annoying when wondering around by foot.
Check if you are using a case/belt case with magnetic clap as such cases affect magnetic sensor and thus manual calibration is a must every time after you have phone in such case for some time.
Good advice, I only have a rubber case and I tried it without it without any luck.