You guys know about the digital compass, right?

[Guest dwallersv]

Haven't seen anything about it here, so I'm thinking it hasn't been discussed, but I just couldn't believe it if so!

Anyway, check out this: http://new.coolsmartphone.com/news4989.html

Then, give your O2 digital compass a spin by running \Windows\LCDTest.exe and clicking the compass button.

There's nothing on the phone right now that uses it other than this test app, and Samsung hasn't made a peep about it, so I suspect most O2 owners have no idea they have this sensor too.

[Guest rodrigofd]

Haven't seen anything about it here, so I'm thinking it hasn't been discussed, but I just couldn't believe it if so!

Anyway, check out this: http://new.coolsmartphone.com/news4989.html

Then, give your O2 digital compass a spin by running \Windows\LCDTest.exe and clicking the compass button.

There's nothing on the phone right now that uses it other than this test app, and Samsung hasn't made a peep about it, so I suspect most O2 owners have no idea they have this sensor too.

Yes, it is already well known.. In fact, last Samsung SDK includes APIs for using the hardware incorporated digital-compass.

[Guest Omnia II User]

Yes, it is already well known.. In fact, last Samsung SDK includes APIs for using the hardware incorporated digital-compass.

I heard about it, heard it was not on the verizon i920 but it is...you just have to show all files...

also for those who don't know 0 degrees or 360 degrees is NORTH... 180 degrees is south... etc

so as long as you keep your phone level and red at about 360 or 0 you know where the directions are!

[Guest JohnJayJrV]

I heard about it, heard it was not on the verizon i920 but it is...you just have to show all files...

also for those who don't know 0 degrees or 360 degrees is NORTH... 180 degrees is south... etc

so as long as you keep your phone level and red at about 360 or 0 you know where the directions are!

Wonder if the new version of Google Maps uses the compass. According to news on this site it uses the HD2 compass.....

jv

[Guest redzone321]

Wonder if the new version of Google Maps uses the compass. According to news on this site it uses the HD2 compass.....

jv

I have the new google maps but it doesnt show a direction facing by default.

[Guest drexfl]

Then, give your O2 digital compass a spin by running \Windows\LCDTest.exe and clicking the compass button.

I wanted to have quick access to the compass, so I found the actual compass program that the LCDTest program launches and created a shortcut to it in the programs folder.

The compass program is Windows\CompassTestMode.exe. You must have Show All Files checked to see it using MS File Explorer.

I created a shortcut by highlighting the program and selecting Menu->Edit->Copy, then going to Windows/Start Menu/Programs folder and selecting Menu->Edit->Paste Shortcut. I then selected the shortcut and used Menu->Rename to change the name of the shortcut to Compass.

This process made the compass available to include as an icon (ugly) on a Main Menu panel. I've seen forum references to other ways of creating a shortcuts and referencing a specific icon, but I haven't messed with that yet.

[Guest akirita]

and there is a shortcut for the flashlight??

[Guest JasonMa]

just press *#0*#, the fastest way ;)

[Guest rudegirl559]

Dumb question about flashlight: from where do you dial the code? Patience please and thank you!

[Guest awarner (MVP)]

You dial it as if you were making a phone call.

There are no dumb questions, only time they are dumb is when they are not asked ;)

And almost a year from joining you make your first post, so a belated welcome to the site ;)

[Guest dwallersv]

just press *#0*#, the fastest way ;)

Since these GSM phone dial codes never work for us Verizon guys, does anyone know precisely what hidden app is being invoked, and any command-line parameters? That would make it easy to turn this into a shortcut.

[Guest yshaikh01]

Since these GSM phone dial codes never work for us Verizon guys, does anyone know precisely what hidden app is being invoked, and any command-line parameters? That would make it easy to turn this into a shortcut.

\Windows\LCDTest.exe is the program which launches for us GSM users.

[Guest akirita]

know if any windows mobile application for the compass as the metal detector for android?

and another thing you know if the new google maps supports the compass of omnia 2, as it has for the htc hd2?

greetings and thank you very much

Edited December 13, 2009 by akirita

[Guest silvos3189]

found this on youtube

[Guest akirita]

found this on youtube

Where can download that software?

Thanks for your input

[Guest surgex]

Where can download that software?

Thanks for your input

Wow, Awesome App!

/me Wants!!

[Guest hameedx]

As per the developer, this app should be available in a month or so.

http://www.hyongasoft.com/?document_srl=1851

[Guest yshaikh01]

As per the developer, this app should be available in a month or so.

http://www.hyongasoft.com/?document_srl=1851

WOW, That's looks good, can't wait to try the app.

[Guest dwallersv]

Figured out what was up with this accuracy value, and the whole shaking thing to get the compas to work. Found it in the Samsung SDK (2.0).

Short answer: electronic (fluxgate) compasses need to be calibrated. Most devices that use a digital compas have a calibration procedure that involves holding the device level, and rotating it a full 360 degrees (usually two turns) to calibrate the magnetic sensors. The Omnia apparently can calibrate itself imply with some random movement about all three axes, certainly because it has accelerometers and can combine this data with the flux gate data to determine magnetic field orientation. The accuracy value simply indicates whether the digital compass has been calibrated, 100 indicating full calibration (and therefore high accuracy).

There's no need to shake your Omnia -- all you need to do is just gently rotate it around all three spatial axes a bit -- like when you're "loosening up" your wrist. When the device has moved through the magnetic field enough in different orientations to it, the software can figure out the field orientation.

Stop here if you don't care about the technical details ;)

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Long answer: Fluxgate devices, which detect magentic fields and field orientation, depend upon knowing the physical orientation of the device in the field to interpret the field strength sensed. In the case of a digital compass, magnetic field lines are approximately parallel to the earth's surface on the vast majority of inhabited locales; the field lines only attain a significant pitch error, relative to the surface tangent, close to the poles. In these locales simple two-axis digital compasses, like we have in our phones (and basically all consumer-grade digital compasses), will not give accurate results.

A two-axis compass basically has two detectors at right angles to each other that need to be oriented in the tangent plane relative to the earth's surface to produce sense data that can be used to determine rotational orientation relative to that plane. This is why most digital compass devices warn that you need to hold it level to get the best results.

In order to calibrate the relative strength of the sensor returns, most devices have a calibration procedure that requires holding the device as level as posible, then turning it two full 360deg turns. This results in the sensors returning field strength values that rise and fall in a typical sinus way pattern as it's turned, with each sensor output offset 90deg from the other. It is from these two values that the device can calculate orientation, and during the calibration period determines the min and max values from the sensors for the particular locational magnetic field strength (weakest at the equator, strongest near the poles -- know as "magnetic flux").

Since the Omnia has sensitive accelerometers, it can measure perpendicular field strength values and 3D spatial orientation together, which is sufficient information to completely determine both the absolute magnetic field vector orientation as well as its magnitude. Once you've got this, instantaneous device orientation data and two-orthogonal field strength data is enough to determine compass direction relatvie to where the device is "pointing" (i.e. relative to the top of the phone when held in an ordinary manner).

[Guest redzone321]

Wow great explanation!

so if i turn off GPS in Google Maps and give the phone a full 360 spin will it show direction facing like on the HTC HD2?

EDIT - Didnt Work. hopefully google can add it in on the next update!

Edited December 14, 2009 by redzone321

[Guest Rapid81]

I was made a ShortCut with a nice icon (from IPhone) to the Compass. Just copy the Compass.lnk to \Windows\Start Menu\Programs and the Compass.ico to \Windows

Compass.zip