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I just got Captivate and I really enjoy the phone, but I'm having an issues with all applications that use digital compass (Compass, Google Sky Map, Layar, etc.). All of them are very jumpy. If I open up Google Sky Map, stand still and slowly turn, the map is jumping every few seconds, it doesn't smoothly rotate with me. I just compared it to my broser's Evo and it's like night and day. His phone is rotating the map very smoothly with no visible jumps, and on mine you can clearly notice jumps all the time. Is this happening to everyone, or my phone just have defective digital compass? Or is this an accelerometer issue all together?
Am I the only one having this issue? Should I go exchange my phone then?
I think the compass is wonky on all Captivates, and maybe all Galaxy S phones. We're hoping for a software update to fix it.
Ya I am also having this problem. I have tryed out some racing games and some other games that are not playable. I have downloaded some of the sensor test apps and they jump all over the place. Sky maps is also the same. It seems to be the magnetic sensor and the 6 axis. I don't see them using a cheap sensor and then hyping it in the ads and on the box. I am thinking it probibly a software issue as none of the other phones had this type of sensor.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Am I the only one not having problems then? Well at least on the compass I am not, have tried any accelerometer games
Edit: My accelerometer is fine also, it seems to me a good way to check is a game like Labyrinth Lite that is solely the accelerometer for control, and that game is very playable which it wouldn't be with the problems you guys are having...
My Compass works perfectly, any gyro or accelerometer based game works perfectly, it's only Google Sky that seems to be a bit jumpy. And it doesn't jump "all over the place," rather it just is jittery while it is being moved about. However I noticed the same jitteriness on my friend's Droid, so it may just be a problem with Google Sky in general.
asrrin29 said:
My Compass works perfectly, any gyro or accelerometer based game works perfectly, it's only Google Sky that seems to be a bit jumpy. And it doesn't jump "all over the place," rather it just is jittery while it is being moved about. However I noticed the same jitteriness on my friend's Droid, so it may just be a problem with Google Sky in general.
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Click to collapse
I just tried google sky on my captivate and it also is jerky like yours. Is your friend's droid the first moto droid? About a month ago, I was looking at my sister's moto droid (1st gen) and google sky worked perfectly.
asrrin29 said:
My Compass works perfectly, any gyro or accelerometer based game works perfectly, it's only Google Sky that seems to be a bit jumpy. And it doesn't jump "all over the place," rather it just is jittery while it is being moved about. However I noticed the same jitteriness on my friend's Droid, so it may just be a problem with Google Sky in general.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google Sky Map doesn't jump all over the place for me, it also just jittery (when you move slowly), but Layar does. So does the Compass app... It becomes a bit better if you run any of the accelerometer test apps in the background, but even then it's a bit jumpy... Hoping for a software fix for this some time in the future.
Similar issues
I own a Captivate, and I am a serious astronomy buff and was very excited to try out google sky. but when I tried it out I discovered it was very jumpy when I used it casually indoors during the day. But I was far more disappointed at night. When I tried it then, I started up the program and noticed it was jumpy like before but figured I would just have to live with it. But when I pointed it up at a constellation, I noticed the stars didn't match, and a nice circle labeled "sun" that clearly wasn't there. It wasn't reading the correct position apparently. This problem makes Google Sky almost entirely useless, which is incredibly disappointing.
What makes it worse is my roommate who showed me a similar program on his iPhone 4 that was completely smooth and accurate. Boy did that make me feel like I had the inferior product.
I have also had issues with the jerky compass, and seemingly anything else that deals with the physical position of the phone. For example, the phone on google maps showed me as moving around (seemingly in a path) while I was sitting down, not moving; and the GPS accuracy in general seems fairly low (usually 50-100 ft off-ish).
If these problems can be fixed via software update then I would be MUCH happier with my phone once things worked as well as I would think they are supposed to.
This is particularly important to me also because I am looking to start developing android apps and would want to use and then test apps using these systems. As of right now though, these seem to be far below par.
-TheOnlyMerlin
The compass didn't ever work for me either, would point in random directions and hop all over. Layar was unusable and Yelp's Monacle would never show things in the right direction. Skymap was just a mess.
I just thought the games that you had to tilt the thing sucked, like labyrinth, racing games, etc. Couldn't control any of them.
The two things on the phone I loved were the screen and swype.
hobbbbit said:
Google Sky Map doesn't jump all over the place for me, it also just jittery (when you move slowly), but Layar does. So does the Compass app... It becomes a bit better if you run any of the accelerometer test apps in the background, but even then it's a bit jumpy... Hoping for a software fix for this some time in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just update Google Earth on my captivate and if I use hardware sensors to control the view, it uses compass to update your view on Google earth and it seems (at least for me) very smooth in comparison to Layar or Google Skymap.
what I've noticed with mine:
mine was jerky as mentioned above.
a simple compass app shows that if I tilt the phone the compass follows, which tells me the app is using the tilt sensors and not the compass.
I flashed jh2 and it worked for a while, but at some point it stopped again. still trying to narrow down why... but this tells me it's a software thing
I'm not sure if it was an app I installed, or maybe it worked until I turned the phone off, not sure, need to do more research, really just hoping our froyo update will fix it
I have the issue too. When you go into the test app even with the phone sitting on a table the compass heading is constantly changing. Its an issue with all captivates.
I was a vibrant owner and had the same issues. To my knowledge, this problem is evident in all US galaxy s phones. The epic may have avoided the bug due to its later release. Samsung is supposedly pushing out a fix for the GPS and we're all hoping they will address the totally laggy compass too. There are YouTube videos demonstrating the problem on the vibrant. Cross your fingers but know you're not alone.
I've certainly noticed this problem too with the compass. The six-axis seems fine though.
Mostly I've found that how you hold the phone effects the interference with the compass. I've done a side by side comparison with a real high quality compass (both phone and compass calibrated to magnetic north) and the Captivate isn't all that bad after it's "settled" and on a level non-metallic surface. It's just the quick movement or change of direction that really seems to throw it off.
Hey all - I don't mean to bring this long dead thread back to life, but I figured it was better than starting a new one.
Has anyone figured anything out with the jittery compass issues?
I've only had my Captivate for a week, but am definitely dealing w/ the jitters (let alone the GPS issue).
I've found that it can be demonstrated pretty well using the sensor test on the phone (*#0*# -> Sensor) - it displays the data from the magnetic sensor... on mine, X, Y, and Z coordinates are all bouncing up and down within a couple of points.
Any thoughts or advice on this?
I'm still well within the first 30 days.
yourtvlies said:
Hey all - I don't mean to bring this long dead thread back to life, but I figured it was better than starting a new one.
Has anyone figured anything out with the jittery compass issues?
I've only had my Captivate for a week, but am definitely dealing w/ the jitters (let alone the GPS issue).
I've found that it can be demonstrated pretty well using the sensor test on the phone (*#0*# -> Sensor) - it displays the data from the magnetic sensor... on mine, X, Y, and Z coordinates are all bouncing up and down within a couple of points.
Any thoughts or advice on this?
I'm still well within the first 30 days.
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Click to collapse
Did you update to JH7 yet? I heard it fixed the compass issue.
gtg465x said:
Did you update to JH7 yet? I heard it fixed the compass issue.
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Click to collapse
Indeed I did - I had the opportunity to briefly examine another unit, as well and while I believe it was on JH6, the compass seemed very steady.
Sorry for the bump- but I have a more specific question for people:
Does anyone have a unit where the compass is steady? Either in the sensor test (*#0*#) or elsewhere?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
yourtvlies said:
Sorry for the bump- but I have a more specific question for people:
Does anyone have a unit where the compass is steady? Either in the sensor test (*#0*#) or elsewhere?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
If i put it on a flat surface away from any metal then it is almost solid. Some minor movements and now and then. But it is super picky about being near anything metal.
So it seems that the magnetic closure on my holster flap keeps triggering car mode.
Anyone have an idea how to turn this feature off?
Since we don't have a Q&A section go to General for all your questions...
Thanks in advance
Chaosmstr said:
So it seems that the magnetic closure on my holster flap keeps triggering car mode.
Anyone have an idea how to turn this feature off?
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Click to collapse
Uninstall the car app (u can use Titanium Backup Pro to do that) and use a 3rd party car app from the Market (or get a non-magnetic holster).
Chaosmstr said:
So it seems that the magnetic closure on my holster flap keeps triggering car mode.
Anyone have an idea how to turn this feature off?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
happened to me last night at the gym... it kept going into car mode, and finally I came to the conclusion it was the magnetic snap on the holster... I have been looking for a fix all day and have been messing with/looking for a particular setting.. might be that the car dock activates car mode when a magnet is detected within phones proximity, if thats the case, I doubt there is a way to turn it off.
palosjr said:
happened to me last night at the gym... it kept going into car mode, and finally I came to the conclusion it was the magnetic snap on the holster... I have been looking for a fix all day and have been messing with/looking for a particular setting.. might be that the car dock activates car mode when a magnet is detected within phones proximity, if thats the case, I doubt there is a way to turn it off.
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Click to collapse
Glad I found this thread because I thought I was going insane. I bought a cheap little leather holster at Five Below that has a magnetic clasp (like a Blackberry case) and My G2x was constantly going into carMode as well. I don't want freeze or remove carMode app, but I'd like to find a fix that doesn't have it pop on in my holster.
Look for apps like Dock Blocker, NoDock, Dock No-Op, etc. in the market. I am using Spider Launcher and it works reasonably well and has more uses than just avoiding Car Home.
Be wary of magnets & battery!
I have a friend who had a Droid (original), which also used the presence of a magnet to go into car mode. His battery life started going down the tubes when he got a magnetic-closure type holster for it (this was before he/we figured out what was going on).
However, he also experienced some MAJOR issues with his battery not long after. Meaning the battery would seem to do ok until about 40%, then start dropping like crazy. Juiceplotter would show it going from 20% to 5% in 30 minutes, no reporting by android in between, etc.
I didn't research it TOO much (wasn't my phone heh), but a cursory search showed some people had issues with magnetic cases and their batteries going to hell. I'm assuming that the magnet in the car dock is very weak and in just the right spot to trigger the car app, but a magnetic case (unless made FOR the G2X BY LG, so they would know about the issue and where to place the magnet) might end up having some effect on your battery. Or it might not. I'm no expert, but just check out the potential battery issues if you stick with a magnetic case.
Mangraa said:
I have a friend who had a Droid (original), which also used the presence of a magnet to go into car mode. His battery life started going down the tubes when he got a magnetic-closure type holster for it (this was before he/we figured out what was going on).
However, he also experienced some MAJOR issues with his battery not long after. Meaning the battery would seem to do ok until about 40%, then start dropping like crazy. Juiceplotter would show it going from 20% to 5% in 30 minutes, no reporting by android in between, etc.
I didn't research it TOO much (wasn't my phone heh), but a cursory search showed some people had issues with magnetic cases and their batteries going to hell. I'm assuming that the magnet in the car dock is very weak and in just the right spot to trigger the car app, but a magnetic case (unless made FOR the G2X BY LG, so they would know about the issue and where to place the magnet) might end up having some effect on your battery. Or it might not. I'm no expert, but just check out the potential battery issues if you stick with a magnetic case.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Blackberry's have had magnetic cases for years and have been very reliable. I don't know if the magnet would have an adverse affect on the battery itself. The magnet could affect the cell phone's antenna and thus attenuate the signal so that the phone has to increase power to stay in contact with the tower. And although the battery may drain quicker because of that, it wouldn't make it a long term problem unless you consider faster power drain cause the battery to wear out quicker. Good to know and a good experiment to try with the "Battery Monitor Widget".
exact problem
read this and done a little testing. it seems the sensor is to the right of the camera (if you are looking that the phone's back vertically) or at where the hour digit is displayed on the lock screen. magnet clasps should not be a problem by theory if you don't put that part of the phone there and the magnets are relatively weak.
Strange cause I have a heavy earth magnet and went all around it and got nothing. I THOUGHT I did this on stock but it could have been cm7.
I now my blackberry uses magnets and it is actually a nice feature TO TURN THE SCREEN ON but not to launch a program.
If this is true perhaps someone can change the behavior.
LG G2x - CM7.1 RC1 2.3.4
www.CincyAdmins.com
www.MiiWiiChat.com
player911 said:
Strange cause I have a heavy earth magnet and went all around it and got nothing. I THOUGHT I did this on stock but it could have been cm7.
I now my blackberry uses magnets and it is actually a nice feature TO TURN THE SCREEN ON but not to launch a program.
If this is true perhaps someone can change the behavior.
LG G2x - CM7.1 RC1 2.3.4
www.CincyAdmins.com
www.MiiWiiChat.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One feature I miss from my blackberry.
Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
stefan.buddle said:
Since we don't have a Q&A section go to General for all your questions...
Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually we do.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
I recently acquired two NS phones, one for wife, one for me. After playing them for a few days, I found the compass is not working for both of them,even after the calibration. They point to everywhere but the right direction.
I came from Samsung Vibrant, the reason I switched was because Vibrant has bad GPS and defective compass, which really bothered me. Now after the jumping, I found NS has the similar compass problem...
Can Samsung really make a working phone?
Maybe you got a bad one, I came from the vibrant a month ago and I'm hooked. Everything works and never going back to a non nexus phone ever. GPS works perfectly and locks in less than ten seconds. My first one was a dud so I got exchanged. If you're not happy than demand to be satisfied. Do it!!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I gave up on my compass, too. It rotates with the phone... Not completely anyway, but the display is nearly completely independent from magnetic north. I think the sensor value may be computed by something like
Code:
north = sha1(/dev/urandom + /dev/accelerometer);
On a more serious side note: We have some metal parts in our phones. If one close to the magnetometer sensor is only slightly magnetized, that would likely seriously impact compass performance. Unfortunately, there is neither a (simple) way to find out, whether it is so, nor a (simple) way to fix it.
since I acquired the two NS phones from two independent channels, now both of them showing bad compass, I'd suspect this is something systematic.
I'm surprised to see so little echo on this issue...
coolmib said:
since I acquired the two NS phones from two independent channels, now both of them showing bad compass, I'd suspect this is something systematic.
I'm surprised to see so little echo on this issue...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just checked my compass on my NS and it seems to be real close to pointing north.
I had a G1 before and the compass would occasionally get stuck and give inaccurate readings. To fix that I would shake the phone vigorously like I was trying to take the fizz from a soda bottle and that would make the compass work properly. However I don't think that that is a problem with the NS.
The compass points wherever the point of gravity is. North is always facing down for me for some reason but gps status seems to work, but not entirely accurate.
Is there still no fix for this issue?
I often have to do the figure 8 when I want the compass to point north. Normally this works for me.
Seems like it was a rom issue. I had the newest cm rc1 and north was pointing wherever the ground was. I just returned it back to rooted 2.3.4 stock and seems to work fine, except it's shaky now.
EDIT: There is the "Compass" app that still points down, but google map and the other compass apps works somewhat fine (still shaky and about 10-15 degrees off or so)
I wonder is it pointing TRUE north or MAGNETIC north? Where I live there is almost no declination however some areas are +-15 degrees.
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
coolmib said:
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try using "Smart Compass" if you search for "Compass" in the market, it's usually the second one from the top.
koyanishi said:
I just checked my compass on my NS and it seems to be real close to pointing north.
I had a G1 before and the compass would occasionally get stuck and give inaccurate readings. To fix that I would shake the phone vigorously like I was trying to take the fizz from a soda bottle and that would make the compass work properly. However I don't think that that is a problem with the NS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have experimented a bit more with NS compass and have to agree that its accuracy is random - occasionally it will point north but more often it will be off by 10 to 20 degrees.
SovereigN7 said:
Try using "Smart Compass" if you search for "Compass" in the market, it's usually the second one from the top.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just downloaded and installed "Smart Compass"。 Same problems persist...
try the compass built into the mapping app Locus. Best compass i've found yet.
coolmib said:
For my case in the original post, both phones are running the stock ROM of 2.3.4 (unrooted). I tried several compass Apps from the Market, none of them pointing to the right direction.....I wonder if it's a hardware problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I think it is a hardware problem.
While researching a problem I have with NFC reading tags I cam upon this gem from this tread
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=905512&highlight=nfc+-reading+tags
And chadrockey had this to say in post # 1 of that tread.
chadrockey said:
So I've been noticing that my compass would always misbehave (in terms of accuracy, not stability a la Sky Maps). I would get a pretty large static error (30 to 40 degrees obviously not declination); rotations would not be consistent (IE, a 180 degree turn would yield 100 degrees change.); and the magnitude of raw measurements was not like that of the magnetometer I got from Sparkfun.
Turns out the neodymium magnets I had near my desk actually latched onto my phone and magnetized the NFC antenna. I tested this by removing the cover and putting the magnet near the antenna and it sticks. Without the cover on, the compass worked much better.
I've mostly demagnetized my NFC antenna now by doing some magnet sweeps and leaving it near the heater, but I've learned to keep the magnets away.
If anyone is having problems with the compass overall accuracy, removing the back cover may help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I never, as far as I know, have had strong magnets near the nfc antenna, but the nfc app does not read nfc tags so it could be that it is magnetized.
But if I take the back cover off my NS as chadrockey recommends, then the compass reading will be spot on.
oh, and btw, the best compass app that I know comes from swiss army knife which is one app containing a number of other neat apps
I have the same problem with my nexus s compass, north is not accurate ever and augmented reality application like streetview defect because the compass seems to vibrate, even if I have my hand stable the screen vibrates like I'm shacking the phone...
walker7373 said:
I have the same problem with my nexus s compass, north is not accurate ever and augmented reality application like streetview defect because the compass seems to vibrate, even if I have my hand stable the screen vibrates like I'm shacking the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
did you try using the compass without the case back cover?
tried removing the back case, compass still not working
I gave up my compass a couple of weeks after i got the phone. Shakes like a drug addict and the accuracy is worse than a blind guy trying out sharp shooting for the first time.
Ive removed the back cover, tried different apps and "calibrated" the compass multiple times but to no avail.
Join the club. The compass is a failure and google is not fixing, or not able to fix it.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
not sure if anyone else will have noticed this, so I am curious if anyone has more information on it.
We have a DECT 6ghz baby monitor, that the other day I happened to place my G2x on top of while walking around the house. When I put my phone onto of it, suddenly the Car Mode was engaged.
I know that some phones (HD2) have an 'active car cradle' that will allow you to engage car mode automatically when docked, but I didn't think this was a feature that was built into the G2x.
Does anyone have any more information on it? I tried the same on my wifes Mytouch4G, and that didn't cause the same results.
Car Mode also activates when I put it in my belt case that has a magnetic close on the cover. I thought I found a thread where someone was sure the car holder had a magnet, and the G2x was designed to sense that magnet and activate Car Mode. Some day when I finally root my phone, I'm going to post a question (although I'll probably find it in a search of the forums) on how to NOT START Car Mode at boot, or kill Car Mode or what ever.
I have the same problem just go to the settings apps select car home and then force close it the. It won't bother you again till you restart the phone. XDA App
Check out "Dock Nothingness"
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.geekherd.docknothingness&feature=search_result
update, gingerbread ota disables magnetic carmode
I finally decided to let the gingerbread ota update get applied, I had been using cm7 rc1. The new ota disables the magnetic sensor ( I thought it was the radio, erroniously)
Kind of interesting that this feature is removed. Strange thing was that it had a lot to do with the distance and intensity of the magnet. No other magnet I could find would activate car mode.
Im glad I stumbled upon this thread cause I have been driving myself nuts trying to figure out how I keep starting car mode retrieving my phone from the holster.
I have been having strange issues with my compass while running Ingress. If I have the app open when the phone is in the car dock, the compass either gets stuck (it thinks I'm always facing a certain direction) or twitches erratically. The compass works perfectly fine in Google maps while in the dock so I'm not sure I can blame that, and I haven't heard of anyone else having this issue with the app.
Does anyone have any ideas on what could be causing this??
I have no idea what's causing this either but it happens with my phone too. I've used both TW roms and AOSP roms.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Yeah same here. I thought my compass or gyroscope was broken but looks like it's a common problem.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Further experimentation results seem to point to interference from the engine (em interference?). The compass works perfectly fine even when sitting in the dock as long as the engine is not running. And moving the phone further back into the cabin away from the engine seems to reduce this effect. I'm going to try to re-mount my dock so that the dash is between the phone and the engine and see if that helps.
Google maps seems to counter this effect by taking the roads and vehicle movement into account. Ingress is more like google maps in walking directions mode, so I imagine that it does not include the same correction methods.