Read altitude from hardware barometer when available

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Newer devices (Motorola Xoom, Galaxy Nexus) contain a barometer which can read 
atmospheric pressure. 
This enables developers to get a fairly accurate altitude opposed to the poor 
accuracy of the gps.

To get absolute heights above sea leven, MyTracks would have to "calibrate" the 
barometer with the current atmospheric pressure. Perhaps the ATIS (air traffic 
information service) provides an API for this (please see the text at the end 
of this issue). Relative heights should be accurate even when the barometer 
isn't calibrated.

This would enable a much finer and accurate height-reading and make the height 
graph really usable while jogging etc.

Here's the comment by Jim Sher on the G+ post 
(https://plus.google.com/112413860260589530492/posts/jVJhPyouWDP):

"It would be nice if the barometer could also be configured. As any pilot can 
tell you, the air pressure changes from day to day and hour to hour. The QNH 
(air pressure adjusted to sea level) is broadcast by the nearest ATIS (Air 
Traffic Information Service). If the phone's internal barometer can pick up the 
QNH from the local ATIS, often streamed online as well as over the air (at 
least I think so), then a more accurate alt could be achieved and could even 
assist in recording of tracks with the GPS?

I have AIX Weather widget installed on my phone. It gives me the MSLP (Mean Sea 
Level Pressure) which is essentially the same as QNH."

Original issue reported on code.google.com by ulrich.moritz on 5 Dec 2011 at 7:43

• Merged into: #553

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Sorry, just saw that there's already a ticket asking for this: #553

Original comment by ulrich.moritz on 5 Dec 2011 at 7:55

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Original comment by sandordo...@google.com on 5 Dec 2011 at 8:26

• Changed state: Duplicate