Deus v4 smartphone app technology?

[OutdoorAdv]

Like many of you, I'm looking forward to the Deus v4 update, specifically the new coil and the smartphone app. The app sounds awesome and will give us a way to map a site using our phones. Being a technical person I immediately wonder how this will be possible given my current understanding of how the Deus works. As I understand it, the Deus uses radio frequencies for all components to communicate. RF allows the coil to transmit in the fastest possible way to the headphones and remote.

This makes me wonder if perhaps the Deus coils have a Bluetooth chip in them that is currently not used and will be unlocked with the v4 update. I suppose WiFi could be another communication option here as well. For instance my GoPro camera uses a WiFi network hosted on the camera to communicate with the smartphone app.

Anybody have any idea, insight or thoughts on how this will work? I'm obviously looking forward to this app since mapping my sites will give me invaluable information. I am hoping this app will also assist me in maintaining a search grid in the field.

I've read about the smartphone app in a few xp deus forums. Here is a translated screenshot from a French site


Here is a link to the whole site Nouveautés XP DEUS V4 - 2016 - Detecteur Deus Detection Mentions of the app can be found in various locations on the internet though.

 

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[OutdoorAdv]

Thinking about this some more, I bet it will use the coils RF transmission capabilities to create a WiFi connection to our smartphones. Hopefully that's what it uses and we don't have to purchase any additional hardware to use the phone app. If that's the case, then the sky's the limit with how the app could control the coil

 

[Maine_Capt]

Wow! Thanks for the heads-up on the new XP Deus smartphone enabled technology. I had not heard about this but was hoping we would head down that path.

Yes, hopefully we won't be adding extra hardware to have smartphone control/program storage/program creation, etc. My google search even shows the GPS enabled part of the equation called "GO DETECT".
Disclaimer: I clipped this image from the website XP DEUS V4 et nouveaux accessoires - Tous à Poêle PLEASE NOTE: I saved this info after a translator was run and it should be understood that there are surely errors. Click the link I provided and have a read. Some great stuff

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Wow! Awesome link Maine Capt. So what I expected seems true... We will be able to control the coil with our smartphones. That will be awesome since we will have color and touch navigation... It also means I will end up trashing my droid touching it with muddy fingers. Ha. I'm guessing it will use a WiFi connection like the GoPro camera does since the coil already has a radio connection. So hopefully no more hardware is needed. Hopefully the database go detect info will be stored local to the phone. Awesome info man... Thanks a ton for posting it.

My screenshot was also translated so the text was a bit off too.

 

[RobRieman]

I don't think it would have anything to do with the communication to the coil OA. I believe it would just communicate with the display unit via either Bluetooth or WiFi to the app.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

Thanks Rob, That could definitely be a possibility. Those links do suggest that the app would communicate with the coil (sensor) as it will the pinpointer, but since the remote (display unit) isn't required I suppose they could require it to use the app. If they didn't require the remote unit, then the Deus would become much more affordable by buying the lite version and then using the phone app. However the coil is what contains the actual detector electronics and that's where the programs are saved. Guess we'll have to wait to find out. Either way it seems like it'll be a really awesome upgrade to a killer machine.

 

[Maine_Capt]

I have to say, after reading the French MD blog, I'm thrilled with the infinite possibilities. For some time, well before I purchased my Deus, I thought it would be terrific to create a detector controller based on an Android platform... with it's user friendly interface, constantly improving and evolving.

One of the key reasons I purchased the Deus was the firmware update path. With that level of technical commitment (and obvious passion) for their machines, our friends at XP seem to be doing a terrific job of keeping up with the times.

Putting detector storage, control, and navigation, and logging capabilities on my Google Nexus 6 is a natural evolution.
It would be (or hopefully will be) just the experience I was hoping for.

 

[RobRieman]

If they could make an app to control everything without the control unit I think they would be loosing money. I really don't think the coil communicates though Bluetooth or WiFi anyway, it has to be a proprietary protocol. I would guess it's something on the order of the Minelab Go-Find app that lets you control the coil and settings through the control unit.

 

[Maine_Capt]

It appears that the GPS and logging software Go-Detect is a 3rd party application for i-phone and android. It is currently available for download. They have a website GO-DETECT.com - The Next Step for Metal Detection and a Facebook presence https://www.facebook.com/godetect

Not sure if they will be an actual partnering with XP or not? Based on the photos on their Facebook page, they are definitely Deus users.
It would make sense to let the XP Engineers and Programmers focus on their strengths.... That is to build killer, cutting edge detection equipment.

Since I have already using tools like GPS and Maprika (overlaying vintage maps), I think I'll check out a download of Go-Detect on my Android phone.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

It appears that the GPS and logging software Go-Detect is a 3rd party application for i-phone and android. It is currently available for download. They have a website GO-DETECT.com - The Next Step for Metal Detection and a Facebook presence https://www.facebook.com/godetect

Not sure if they will be an actual partnering with XP or not? Based on the photos on their Facebook page, they are definitely Deus users.
It would make sense to let the XP Engineers and Programmers focus on their strengths.... That is to build killer, cutting edge detection equipment.

Since I have already using tools like GPS and Maprika (overlaying vintage maps), I think I'll check out a download of Go-Detect on my Android phone.

Awesome! On their fb page it looks like they are very closely tied. I downloaded and installed godetect and check on the app screenshot.


Says its powered by XP. So yeah, either a division of xp or company closely partnered to xp. I guess this is the app they will use to receive all the ground info, in my original post, from the Deus.

 

[Maine_Capt]

Got my XP Powered Go-Detect ap installed too.

Damn gotta go to work ;(

 

[OutdoorAdv]

If they could make an app to control everything without the control unit I think they would be loosing money. I really don't think the coil communicates though Bluetooth or WiFi anyway, it has to be a proprietary protocol. I would guess it's something on the order of the Minelab Go-Find app that lets you control the coil and settings through the control unit.

Rob, I think you're right... it has to be proprietary. Documentation just calls it a "digital radio link". Since WiFi is also a radio link, maybe they can use the existing radio transmitter\receivers to create a WiFi connection in a WiFi bandwidth? I understand that Radio is much faster than Bluetooth. When I first posted I didn't see the online page that Maine Capt found that said color menus and controlling the coil (sensor) with the app... I just thought it might be a mapping app. I would imagine they would have to steer towards a radio link with the phone if they plan on letting the phone app act as the Deus remote.

Since the coil is the brain of the machine and does all the processing, I don't understand a technical reason they might require the Deus remote to use the phone app. I guess they could have a couple business models here. They could either plan on having the phone app replace the expensive Deus remote (or supplement if you already own the remote in your Deus package), which would allow you to get the Deus WS4 Lite package and use your phone if you wanted to. This would lower the price of a Deus package and they would perhaps sell more product. Or they could make the remote required at the full Deus package price, which would cost more and they'd probably sell less. I guess it all depends on if they want to sell more for cheaper, or less for more expensive.

Perhaps though, there will be some other piece of hardware necessary to use the phone like an adapter or something? Maybe a purchase or subscription fee for the app? I'm only speculating based on the vague descriptions we see in the online posts about whats up and coming. I guess we'll just have to wait a few more months and see what the end result is.

XP really did a good job getting a buzz out about whats coming in the next few months.

Thanks a ton for all the input Rob and Maine Capt.

-Brad

 

[RobRieman]

It's possible the WS4 could have a Bluetooth or WiFi link built in I guess but I really don't think the coil would communicate through an industry standard protocol to the limited communication types a cell phone has. Could be another piece of cheaper hardware to bridge the gap maybe. It would be really neat to sub a phone for the control though.

 

[OutdoorAdv]

It's possible the WS4 could have a Bluetooth or WiFi link built in I guess but I really don't think the coil would communicate through an industry standard protocol to the limited communication types a cell phone has. Could be another piece of cheaper hardware to bridge the gap maybe. It would be really neat to sub a phone for the control though.

Yeah. I don't know enough about WiFi protocol or the digital radio link that the Deus uses. Perhaps since Wifi and the Deus both use radio frequency, than maybe the plan is to have the Deus also transmit\receive another radio frequency that is in a Wifi radio band? Total guess! Just seems possibly reasonable. ha If not, then I bet your right in that there would be a (hopefully cheap) piece of Deus hardware that would receive the Deus radio signal and translate it to a Wifi (or bluetooth).

 

[sprinter]

I'm in the UK and what's on offer here is a Deus head phone with the ability to let your mobile butt in While your detecting,not for me ,can you imagine ,, it's me darling ,can you pick up some milk on the way home dear ,
I stand to be corrected , if they could do it ,I wouldn't think they would relinquish there control box features to a phone or an app , the present blue tooth arrangement is strictly headphone to mobile phone ..

 

[frogmaster-riviera]

The smatphone map application has been developped to provide a real and professional tool for archeologists and workers.

It's more powerful then the one on the CTX and is on your smartphone which is for me far more versatile then the Minelab option.