Automation Direct PLC's and Pocket PC

As a result of a project I was recently tasked with, I now have both an easy to use DLL for Automation Direct PLC communications and a small set of applications(but growing)for the Pocket PC. Applications like a Data Watch app that allows you to enter various PLC data items and watch them realtime.
The DLL supports easy to use commands from within C++ and VB such as:
PLC.Open(ID);
PLC.MemReadWord(02000);
PLC.MemWriteWord(02000);
PLC.ReadMemReal(02000);
PLC.ReadCoil(01);
etc, with a full set of commands for all datatypes.
Before I invest any further development time, now that the original project is finished, my senior partner wants to know how much interest there is in this stuff. Being a small company, time is food on the table .

So, I would like to hear from you all as to if there is or is not a demand for this. I can use what I have for developing my customers applications as it is, but it will take a bit more work to have it on the market with manuals, example code etc.

Greg Keys
[email protected]

What OS is the pocket thingy?

Was is dev. with eVB and eVC+?

Dot Net version or not?

The PocketPC is a Windows CE handheld, I.E. Dell Axim, Compaq IPAQ, etc. Communications is done either with the wireless ethernetnet built into the PocketPC, or via a serial cable. It may work as is with a serial to bluetooth adapter on the PLC, but I have not yet specificlly tested such a configuration( got to pick up an adapter). If I deside to persue further development, I will be including that feature.

The Development was done in Embedded C++ version 4 (the latest out from MS for the PocketPC. The resulting DLL should be usable from within a C# program although I have not specificlly tested it using a C# app yet. The bulk of PocketPC software is done on the Embedded C++ software as MS is kind enough to give it away for free The Embedded C++ development package has the look and feel of Visual C++ 6.0, but is specificaly for the PocketPC/SmartPhone CE platform. Visual Studio.NET will also develop for the PocketPC. I will be doing some testing in that envrionment if the response I see here justifies putting more time into this project. I am sure that I will, over time do further development of this, just because I will use it, but if I see a healthy intrest I will persue it full time and get it out for public consumption ASAP.

Greg Keys

Blackberry....

I dont know what OS the Blackberry runs on, but it's a platform to look at for sure for this application. Were an AD user and Nextel customer. If sombody can do something with the Blackberry for AD then we'er very interested.

BlackBerry.... hmmmmm.... that could be a little tough But, you never know. I will look into it. From what I can see, it runs a 'unique' OS, and the only programming platform available is Java. The PocketPC basiclly runs Windows, and much of the coding on it can be ported back and forth. If you can write it for Windows, within memory limitations and screen size, it can be written for the PocketPC.

Greg Keys

Greg,

Many of our competitors are going to Blackberry. They have developed applications for time reporting, and reading/changing paramaters on their control panels using the Blackberry. We're also getting into the dispatch/time reporting with the Blackberry this summer. As it stands right now most of our equipment is connected to modems via directsoft and if the field tech has a problem that's not obivious, or needs to make a change, then he has to call the office and have it downloaded, or pull out a laptop. Adding this feature to the Blackberry would be a better option for us. Besides looking at it, the Blackberry is going to make a huge dent in the comm market, and will likely overtake many of the other wireless products for this type of industry. If I were you I wouldnt bother with the Pocket PC. By the time you get it to market, it'll be dead.

elevmike said:

Besides looking at it, the Blackberry is going to make a huge dent in the comm market, and will likely overtake many of the other wireless products for this type of industry. If I were you I wouldnt bother with the Pocket PC. By the time you get it to market, it'll be dead.

Click to expand...

Blackberry has been out for quite some time now, and they haven't taken over yet.

I don't see Microsoft's PocketPC (WinCE) going away anytime soon...

PocketPC

From what I have read, pocket pc's are gaining more and more of the market share as time passes.

Greg,
About a year ago, I wrote a app that talked from my pocketpc thru the serial link to a 504. I got it to work but I found that speed was my biggest issue. It was slow to update at 9600.

I think there may be a market for your product but how much it will be hard to say. I guess a lot will depend on functionality and advertising.

Will you be having a demo version available or perhaps need beta testers?

I may have overstated it, but I'm seeing Blackberrys popping up all over. I know the local utility here is getting ready to replace most if not all their techs comm and troubleshooting devices with the Blackberry..that includes currently used CE devices. For field work like ours it'll be a lot more convienent. New apps are comming out all the time..The developer of our dispatch/accounting system is also developing a Blackberry app. It looks as if we'll have no choice but to go that way to stay competitive.

http://www.blackberry.com/

Yes, I will have a demo, probably 30 day..... still looking at the best way to do that. If I continue to get replies like this one, I will jump on this thing with both feet and push to get it out within the next few weeks. The development is far enough along that it is mostly a matter of packaging and documentation.

I have not pushed the speed real high yet, the highest I have gone is a data scan every 100ms.

When I started this project, I was faced with a problem of calibration. The PLC controlled equipment required a calibration proceedure that was very math and memory intensive. Out original idea was to take onsite mesurements, haul out a laptop, compute the results, then use a touchscreen to modify the PLC parameters.

With the Pocket PC approach, the handheld serves as a touchscreen, does the math, updates the plc, gives us monitoring ability, and when we walk away, the control box sits there with the basic controls on it (E-Stop, etc.) and no interface for the plant folks to play with and screw things up . I also do not have to worry about having a fragile touch screen in a production environment waiting to get broken, sprayed with hose (had one get sprayed with a fire hose once during a washdown... NEMA 4 rated, but it leaked ) Obviously, this approach works best on systems that run without much operator intervention, other than a pushbutton or two, but needs the ability to change operational parameters on occasion. Kinda nice for a field tech to be able to walk up, no laptop to lay out on the plant floor, and dump a new program update to the PLC, or watch a few memory locations to verify proper operation.....

The last time I was on a plant site with a laptop, it got splattered with water, mixed with rice and other food particles, and all I was trying to do was dump a program correction in.... I was digging rice out of the keyboard for a week

Greg Keys

Hi Greg
A windows ce platform for creating downloading and monitoring ladder and adresses for melsec and omron would be well recieved we have 22 service engineers whos only need for a laptop is monitoring plc all other functions are done on their pda's
Regards
Hump