POWER METER LINK - HOW IT WORKS AND HOW TO USE IT
ACTIVATION, CONFIGURATION, AND DEACTIVATION OF THE POWER METER LINK FUNCTION
POWER METER LINK - HOW IT WORKS AND HOW TO USE IT
Power Meter Link (PML) is a function that allows for the pairing of a power meter on your bicycle with an Elite home trainer.
If you're using a power meter that employs the ANT+ or Bluetooth Smart protocol (such as, for instance, the Garmin Vector, Favero Assioma or the like) you'll be able to use an ergometer that is already on your bicycle as a power source instead of the power calculated by the home trainer.
Power Meter Link is a function available only to interactive home trainers that do not have an integrated power meter Suito, Tuo, Nero, and Zumo.
This function allows you to take advantage of the increased accuracy and power measurement of your ergometer by displaying it when you're working out on your home trainer.
Indeed, the aforementioned home trainers do not directly measure power but calculate it via specific algorithms that under certain conditions may not be totally accurate.
If the PML function is active when first booting up the home trainer it will automatically search for an ANT+ and/or Bluetooth Smart power sensor close by. The search will produce a rapid green LED light blink and, should no ANT+ ergometer have been found, a rapid blue LED light blink.
Once the search ends the home trainer vibrates slightly if an ergometer has been found and paired to it (you can feel it by placing a hand on the home trainer). The home trainer has then properly connected to the power meter on your bicycle.
When using a sensor with double ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart transmission protocol it is very likely that the pairing happens via the ANT+ protocol.
WARNING if there are multiple power meters in the same room, the home trainer automatically connects to the one transmitting the higher power signal so make sure that the sensors that you do not want to pair up with are off or placed elsewhere. If that's not possible, deactivate the Power Meter Link function to avoid any home trainer malfunction.
Should any ANT+ and/or Bluetooth Smart sensor not be found, the PML function shall not be considered, as the home trainer will work traditionally, that is by obtaining its power output via a calculation.
After the pairing process has been completed, the home trainer picks up the power value from the sensor it's connected to and sends it to any app, software, or device it is paired with.
The home trainer stores the serial number that has been found and will automatically try to connect to such a sensor every time it is booted up.
If the sensor is off, far away, or with a low battery and therefore impossible to find for the home trainer, the PML function shall not be considered and the home trainer will work traditionally, that is by obtaining its power output via a calculation.
You can replace and reset the power meter associated with your home trainer - just connect the home trainer to a power source while you're pedaling and the home trainer will automatically reset the serial number associated with the Power Meter Link and begin a new search.
A slight vibration happens when home trainers reset the serial number associated with the PML.
ACTIVATION, CONFIGURATION, AND DEACTIVATION OF THE POWER METER LINK FUNCTION
You can activate or deactivate the PML function by using the myETraining app.
To access the function:
- Boot up the home trainer
- Launch the app or software (configure the home trainer on myETraining if you haven't already done so)
- Select Settings from the main menu and select Power Meter Link in the home trainer TAB
Once the function has been selected, myETraining will assess the status of the Power Meter Link on the configured home trainer and its possible compatibility (some older Elite home trainers may not be compatible).
If the home trainer is compatible with the PML function a window will appear after a few seconds with:
Power Meter Link status is indicated in the first line.
If the selector is blue or red (depending on your OS) the PML function is active on your home trainer, otherwise, the selector is grey or white.
To activate/deactivate the PML just place the selector in the desired position.
Right below you can activate or deactivate the "Half-Power" function.
The function lets you double the power when you're using a single pedal power meter (or double pedal with Bluetooth transmission of the single pedal).
Other available functions include:
- Decouple any couple power meter, that is removing a previously coupled power meter via the "Erase pairing" tab.
- Display the serial number of the associated power meter (ANT+ or Bluetooth)
- Potentially (only for advanced users) change the serial number of the power sensor with another one you wish to use (only for ANT+ power sensors when you know the serial number of the sensor you are using)
WARNING: a manually entered incorrect serial number won't let the home trainer properly pair up with the power meter, as a consequence the home trainer will operate as if the Power Meter Link was disabled.
Once the adjustments you want are made, tap on OK to confirm.
Once the procedure has been completed and the request will appear on display you'll have to disconnect and connect again the home trainer to the power source to confirm the adjustments.
The new settings will be active after the restart.
TROUBLESHOOTING
In some cases, the PML function might make the home trainer work improperly.
Here's a list:
Multiple power meters in the same room
Multiple home trainers with power data transmission in the same room
Presence of a single Bluetooth Smart power meter or with a single crank
Multiple power meters in the same room:
When activating the PML the home trainer associates with the first power meter it picks up, usually, it's the one closest to the home trainer (the one installed on the bicycle) but if there are multiple sensors in a room with a high power transmission level, this one might be the one that gets picked up, closeness to the home trainer notwithstanding.
Therefore in this case the power picked up by the home trainer will be the one from the incorrect sensor as it's disconnected from the bicycle you're using while working out, with totally wrong or failed power readings and as a consequence, the home trainer will adjust resistance (especially when working out on courses simulations or ERG/Power Mode) in a totally random way.
In this case, and/or if you do not know the ANT+ serial number of the sensor to be paired, we suggest deactivating the PML for the home trainer to work properly or, alternatively, get the other power sensors you do not intend to pair to the trainer away from it.
Multiple home trainers with power data transmission in the same room:
The interactive home trainers usually transmit power data also with the ANT+ Power and Bluetooth Smart Power profiles.
If there's a non-Elite home trainer active in the same room, this might be detected as a power meter and as a consequence incorrectly paired to the PML of the Elite home trainer.
If this happens the Elite home trainer shall receive power data from this other home trainer it's connected to, subsequently malfunctioning. This is because the power data picked up by the Elite home trainer wouldn't be based on the workout you're doing but on totally wrong power readings (based on the status of the other sensor in the room), thus causing anomalous resistance levels.
In this case, we suggest deactivating the PML or disconnecting all other home trainers in the room from their power sources while configuring the Elite home trainer Power Meter Link.
Presence of a single Bluetooth Smart power meter or with a single crank:
When using a Bluetooth Smart power meter on pedals (or crank), or a single pedal (or crank) sensor, the PML automatically pairs up with only one of the two pedals (or cranks).
In this case, the power data received by the home trainer is automatically halved (as it's on a single pedal).
To adjust this power reading it is necessary to activate the Half Power function via the app or myETraining software, so the value is automatically doubled and thus the proper power data is displayed.