Device Agent
From Peaksware Help Center
What is Device Agent?
- Device Agent is a free desktop based software program that works on Windows and Mac which allows the user to extract data files from electronic training devices and upload them to their online web account (using Device Agent and WKO+ to upload to your TrainingPeaks online account is redundant); it is a new program that replaces the use of Messenger (our old free upload utility, which we have phased out). To obtain our latest version of Device Agent, and for more information, go to https://www.trainingpeaks.com/deviceagent/. Please note that in order to upload to a TrainingPeaks online account, it is required that your account be in a Paid Subscription , or that your account is in the Professional Client format.
Compatible Devices
- For a full list of compatible devices, click here.
- For information on what method of uploading to your account is the best to use for your device, go to How to Upload Workout Data.
How to Download, Install, and Use Device Agent
- Once the program is downloaded on to your computer, open and install it. Now, open Device Agent, enter in your Username and Password, and use it to extract files from your device and upload them in to your account. Take a look at this screen shot for how to setup Device Agent for first time use:
- After you Click the Download button the following popup window will appear:
- Once the file is uploaded to your account, you can view the file in the File Viewer in the Daily Log (Training drop-down menu > Daily Log):
General Trouble Shooting Tips
- Device Agent will only upload to accounts that are in the full access Paid Subscription, or Coached Athlete formats.
- We highly recommend that you install on to your computer the software that came with your training device (it is this software that contains the Drivers needed for your training device to "talk" with your computer; you do not have to use the device manufacturer software, just have it installed on your computer)
- We recommend that you set your Heart Rate and Power Zones in your account before uploading data files, otherwise Time in Zones will not be calculated. For more info on how to set your Training Zones, go to My Zones.
Establishing a Connection with Your Device for Download
- If you have any troubles with your device not being recognized by Device Agent, or the download will not initialize, try this:
- Unplug your device from the cradle
- Unplug the cradle from the computer
- Turn off Device Agent by right clicking in the Task Tray and clicking Exit (so that we know if is off, not just closed)
- Then, in this order
-
- Open Device Agent
- Turn on your device
- Connect you device your your computer
- Select device and port
- Click Download
- Click Start Download.
Receiving Response Error
- If you get the error "An error occurred uploading the file Error receiving response", or something of that effect, when trying to upload from Device Agent to your online account:
- This error is usually created by anti-virus software (and more often than not, it is Norton anti-virus software that causes this), privacy settings on your computer, firewall settings, or changes in your network; basically, something on your end is preventing the communication connection to establish for the upload. If this is happening at work, you may need to consult your IT department, as they may have changed some settings (unfortunately, we can't see that stuff from this end). If you are having this issue from home and work, try setting http://www.trainingpeaks.com as an exception in your anti-virus software. Also, try setting Device Agent as an exception in your computer's Firewall. Try disabling your anti-virus software temporarily, then try uploading and see if it goes through; this will confirm if this is the issue or not.
Matching Actual Workout with Planned Workout
- If your uploaded Actual workout is not matching your Planned workout in your online account, here is why:
- When TrainingPeaks receives the data, it checks the day for which the file is set to see if you have any workouts planned. If you do have one planned, it checks to see if the type of workout (bike, run, walk, etc) matches between the designation in the device and that planned in your account. At the same time, it looks to see if there is any "actual" data stored yet(meaning you have not done the workout yet), and if the planned duration is similar to the actual duration. If the upload file matches the type of workout (bike, run, etc), there is no file already loaded for that workout in that day, and the duration is similar to what was planned, it will attach the uploaded data to your planned workout. If you don't have a planned workout, it will create a workout automatically for you and store the data. To change the Workout Type of the file before you upload it, click Send to the right of the file name in the download window, then select the correct workout type in the drop-down menu.
Why Does Data Extracted from my Training Device Through Device Agent or WKO+ not Match the Numbers I Get When Downloading to that Device's Manufacturer's Software?
- Extracted data from Device Agent or WKO+ won't be dead-on exact compared to the Device Manufacturer's Software. This is especially true with GPS enable devices (but applies to all devices), since the GPS devices are able to calculate a more precise location than what they record in the time series data, which is what we mostly use to do calculations. For example, If I go out and do a bike workout using a Garmin Edge 305, the EDGE might read 42.06 miles, but once downloaded the data might show 41.9 miles. To apply a correction to every single reading to force the time-series data to match the overall "lap" data would be sort of fudging. We have decided to stick to showing the raw data, and not try to interpolate what the device thought the raw data meant. Typical discrepancies are within +/- 5%; rounding errors and lots of other things can play into it. We do our best to match manufacturer's data, but after working with many major vendors, you'd be pretty amazed at how much smoothing and adjusting of the "raw" data goes on. We choose to show true "raw" data (if we can get it), instead of adjusted data.
Another reason that Garmin's differ is that the watch may be using Latitude, Longitude, and Altitude to determine the distance traveled (if it doesn't have a wheel sensor or footpod to override the positional calculation internally) when directly displaying data to the user. Garmin Training Center will have it's own method of (re)calculating, etc. WKO+ will use the speed and/or distance values from the file or device if they are provided. If not, WKO+ uses only Latitude and Longitude when determining speed and distance for Garmin devices because the elevation readings are so erratic.
So, devices capable of reading from a wheel sensor or foot pod will produce the most accurate results. The Garmin Forerunner 301 is not so capable, as it is older technology. Thus, if you have a wheel sensor or foot pod, use it!
The Garmin's by the way, do not provide a way for us to tell where the distance and speed values come from, if reported.
Depending upon your firmware and/or version of Garmin Training Center producing the files, or used when first downloading the workout from the device, speed and/or distance may not be provided.
Over time, we have noticed that the underlying sample points issued by the Garmin devices seem to be getting farther from the starting and times of laps. That is, as the functionality has increased, Garmins seem to worry less and less about matching up end points. Recent changes inside WKO+ (and Device Agent) have increased attempts to insert points where they might be missing (such as exactly when a lap starts or ends)and extrapolate the data in between.
Regarding differences between version of our software - we are mainly interested in knowing that downloads into WKO+ match downloads into Device Agent which should match what is displayed in a TrainingPeaks account online. Likewise, files imported into WKO+ should match those imported directly to the web site. Finally, downloads to WKO+ should very much match imports of the same workout coming from Garmin Training Center (+/- 1 second and including the differences stated above).
Mac Device Agent with a Garmin Forerunner 301
When using Mac Device Agent with a Garmin Forerunner 301, please note that speed and pace will not be reported in WKO+ if later downloaded from TrainingPeaks.com and imported to WKO+.
