ArcPad: Difference between revisions
Brian Wilson (talk | contribs) |
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== Learning to live with ActiveSync == | == Learning to live with ActiveSync == | ||
Maybe ActiveSync is so good now there are no longer any 'annoyances.' | |||
My advice is to upgrade your handheld to the latest version of PocketPC (2003?) | |||
and run at least 3.7.1 version of ActiveSync on your PC. | |||
I worked with a TDS Ranger a few months ago running Solofield and an older version | |||
of the O/S (maybe 2002?). Forget the serial port connection, ugh. Running ActiveSync | |||
over a serial port is not just slow, it's hard to get the PC and the Ranger to notice | |||
talk at all... Pop for the $25 USB/Ethernet adapter. | |||
== Software development == | == Software development == | ||
Revision as of 19:30, 22 March 2005
A tree inventory system for Corvallis
Start with the ESRI sample project which installs very easily...
Hardware for ArcPad
Daylight visible display with as big a screen as possible
Interfaces (RS232, bluetooth, USB) - decide which ones you can't live without. For example, using a bluetooth GPS receiver means you have to have bluetooth!
Slots (SD/MMC, CF, PCMCIA)
Optional extras- keyboard, ruggedized case
Windows CE devices
DAP uses a turtle on their web page so it must be good!
Dell (Axim)
HP (iPaq formerly a Compaq product; and from before the merger, the Jornada)
NEC MobilePro
Symbol Technologies PDT 8100, PPT 2800
TDS (Recon, Ranger(formerly from At Work Computers))
Trimble (rebadged Recon, GeoExplorer XT)
Tablet PCs
Panasonic Toughbook 01
ArcPad Hacks
Learning to live with ActiveSync
Maybe ActiveSync is so good now there are no longer any 'annoyances.' My advice is to upgrade your handheld to the latest version of PocketPC (2003?) and run at least 3.7.1 version of ActiveSync on your PC.
I worked with a TDS Ranger a few months ago running Solofield and an older version of the O/S (maybe 2002?). Forget the serial port connection, ugh. Running ActiveSync over a serial port is not just slow, it's hard to get the PC and the Ranger to notice talk at all... Pop for the $25 USB/Ethernet adapter.
Software development
ArcPad runs on PocketPC devices; and that's normally the context in which you'd expect to use it. But it also runs on desktop systems. Customizing it normally requires Arcpad Application Builder, a $1500 add-on to a $500 product.
I'd really like to see what it takes to develop code without the Application Builder... at least to build custom menues. The App Builder creates XML files. I can write XML files, with emacs...
To test your custom app, you can run ArcPad in a 'skin' on your desktop system. Basically you just provide it with a picture of your PocketPC device and it inserts the screen image into the screen area of the PocketPC picture. Here is the ESRI page on how to do this: Making a skin
Working with layers
How can I possibly live without ArcIMS?
ArcPad Options
GPS data quality
You can tell ArcPad to issue warnings regarding DGPS availability, PDOP, EPE, and 3D mode.
Paths
You can preset paths that ArcPad uses for things like maps & data, system files, and applets.
Audio
You can attach your own WAV files to events. See Tools->Options->Alerts.
A day in the field: Mission planning for ArcPad
Way ahead of time
How to collect useful data.
With and without GPS
Customizing ArcPad with applets etc.
Preparing maps and data
How much memory will all that take?
RAM versus compact flash
Using mission planning software
Debriefing
Pulling data out of ArcPad
Using it
Links
Hacks from afar.
Some guy's notes on ArcPad and handhelds
Chris De Herrera's most excellent PocketPC site
