Software Compatibility: Are your hand held systems that run on the Allegro DOS hand held fully compatible with the Allegro CX hand held?
Running Pocket DOS on the Allegro CX machine allows all of our DOS applications to run without change on the Allegro CX hand held unit. Full support for all printer types, bar code scanners, and Geomet Sticks is maintained using this new unit.
|
I am having a hard time finding Printers to work with my Allegro hand held units. What can I do or where can I go to find some?
There are a number of serial printers that will work with the Allegro DOS and the Allegro CX hand held units. The Epson LX 300 plus is our unit of choice for serial printers since it is both a parallel printer and a serial printer. Okidata has a whole range of printers that can be outfitted with a serial card but the printers must be ordered with the serial card or one ordered later.
There are only a few ink jet printers still available that can be found at Office Depot, Staples, and Office Mart or Circuit City or Wall Mart. Most printers that these office stores carry are now USB only printers. We have found some HP Desk Jet 5650s available but we have found their performance unreliable.
The HP 450ci printer can be made to work with the right adapters. These include a serial / parallel converter, a null modem cable, a DB25M Centronics adapter and the included cable that comes with the unit. It works but requires 4 cables and adapters. This makes for quite a hodgepodge when assembled.
Right now the best place to start is on the internet. First determine the use of the printer (in the office, in a rugged outdoor environment, or in your vehicle) and then limit your searches to printers that fall in that category. You will find that most of your choices are USB and Bluetooth because that is the future. The Bluetooth printers work just fine with the Allegro CX hand held but will not work with the Allegro DOS unit. None of the USB printers work with either hand held.
An alternative choice is IRA (infra red). The Allegro CX unit has an infrared interface but we have not tried any printers with this device other than the no longer made Cannon BJC 80 and 85 printers.
|
I need to send files from my hand held back to the main office while I am on the road. What choices do I have for Remote Transfer.
There is no built in software that come with the Allegro DOS or the Allegro CX hand held units that will allow directly transferring files from the hand held to the PC. We are working on seeing if an internet connection using wireless 802.11b technology or web enable Bluetooth phones will work but that will be down the road. We do know that using the Allegro CX hand held that you can access the internet and you can email files to the home office if an internet connection can be obtained. With the 802.11b wireless connection that is possible at a number of hotels, internet cafes, truck stops to get a wireless internet connection and then use their service to email files home. More on this will be published later.
|
I have a lap top without any com ports and the USB to serial converters that I find at Radio Shack and other places aren't working. Do you have any that do work so that I can upload my hand held using my lap top unit?
There is only one USB to Serial Converter that we have found that works with lap tops and the Allegro DOS hand held units using Lynx. These are the Keyspan USA 19-HS converters. See www.keyspan.com for more information. Don't forget to select the new Com port from Lynx when making use of this adapter. We have also found that it is necessary to install the drivers that come with the adapter to make the converter work. Built in Windows XP drivers do not work by themselves.
|
I hear that the Allegro hand held units have Heaters in them. How do you turn them on and what do they do and how does it affect the battery life?
Both the Allegro DOS and the Allegro CX have heaters built into them and normally they are set to turn on when the temperature outside is below 32° F. This should happen automatically. This default setting can be turned off using the unit setup option.
Note: The heater only keeps the screen readable in cold weather and does not help heat your hands or any other part of the unit. Normally only the screen needs heat since LCD (liquid crystal diodes) screens are affected by extreme cold temperatures. The rest of the unit should work well down to about -22° F.
Note: Using the heater drastically reduces battery life.
|
What kind of Battery Life do I get using my unit virtually all day scaling logs or grading lumber? I need to make sure that it doesn't run out when I need it most.
Battery life will vary with the application that you are running. The manufacturer (Juniper Systems) says that this figure is between 10 and 20 hours on the Allegro CX and 12 to 16 hours on the Allegro DOS hand held. These times are affected by the outdoor temperature, whether any add on devices are attached that use power (Geomet scaling sticks, PSC scanners, GPS pods, etc.). The use of backlighting and color (CX unit only) also affects the battery life. The setting of power options on the Allegro CX unit can also affect the battery life (powers down ports and other items when not in use).
We have found with fresh batteries that the Allegro DOS hand held will work all day 9 months a year grading lumber and scaling logs. This assumes that the temperature is consistently over 32° F. Log scaling and end tallying lumber hardly are a problem with either unit during any time of the year because the units are not used constantly all day for those tasks like lumber grading is. Between 0° F and 32° F you could safely bet on 8 hours of use with the Allegro DOS unit. We don't have enough information on the Allegro CX unit yet as to the battery life in the wintertime since we just put this unit into place (May, 2005) for our applications.
|
How long should the batteries life be in terms of months of usage?
The 3800 mAh batteries that come with the Allegro DOS and the Allegro CX unit should last you a couple of years under normal usage. This time is slightly less with high use units doing lumber grading or high volume log scalers. The mean is about 18 months but we have seen it as low as 6 months on some batteries but they may have been defective. All batteries show a lower usage level (hours / day) as they are used but normally a battery less than a year's old will last you at least 8 hours in the summer time.
Note: When you first get a new unit the battery may not last as long as normal until the battery is fully exercised - charged 2 - 3 times after having been fully discharged first. Expect 6 to 8 hours the first day or two and this should length out as the charge cycle is repeated.
Normally it would be a good idea to replace the battery annually before the cold season commences if you are using the hand held unit to grade lumber.
|
When using Lynx (Allegro DOS communication program) I have trouble sending the files to the right location. What am I doing wrong?
For non-computer users using Lynx to transfer files from the hand held to the PC or vice versa is often confusing. Let's cover all of the steps so that others with other questions about Lynx are both covered by this answer.
Step 1: Connect the null modem cable that came with the unit to the top left port on the Allegro DOS hand held. This is COM1.
Step 2: Start up File Scout on the hand held. This is the interface program that is used with Lynx. You do not need to set any directories or files from the hand held. All control is done using the PC.
Step 3: Start up Lynx. This application can be found within all Timber & Transportation Systems applications in the hand held interface section or it can be run as a stand along application.
Step 4: Once the application is started the top part of the screen is filled in. The left and right quadrants represent the PC. The left side indicates folders and the right side the contents of the currently active folder. Normally the active folder is noted by a blue box around a folder name on the left. Unless you change the folder on the left that folder comes up each time that you run Lynx. Therefore, unless you need to move files to multiple folders because you are using more than one of our applications, leave the folder alone on the left. You should see common file names on the right to help you identify the folder and that it is the folder that you want to place files into. If you are in the wrong place simply scroll up and down and file the right folder / drive-folder combination.
Step 5: Once the right folder is marked click the green circular arrow button that you find in the middle of the screen on the left side. This causes the two units to talk to each other. During the connection process you should see the words Status: Trying flashing at the bottom left of the screen. When they finally do connect you will see an A: and a C: in the bottom left quadrant.
Step 6: Now that communication is established (and if it hasn't in 2 - 3 seconds cancel the connection and try again - click the green circular bar with the red bar through it) double click on the C: button on the bottom left of the screen. This displays sub-folders that are on the hand held. Depending on your application, and the number of them on the hand held, you may find that the files that you want to upload are in the root directory or in one of the lower level directories (Logs, Cruise, Grader, Bundle, etc.) If they are in a sub folder (directory) next click on that folder name. Once that is done the files in that folder are shown on the right side of the screen.
Step 7: If you are only needing to upload a single file simply click on the appropriate file name. If multiple files are to be sent click on the first one, then hold down the Ctrl key (bottom left of the keyboard) and while holding down that key click on the remaining files. Once they are all marked click the Upward Pointing arrow to send those files to the PC. You will be asked to confirm any overwriting that takes place (those same files were uploaded before, or earlier copies of them). If you held down the Shift key instead of the Ctrl key when attempting to tag files then all files between the first and the last file clicked on are now marked. Simply click anywhere without text and try again.
Step 8: Once all the files are sent (a status bar is shown during the transmission) then you may disconnect the two systems by clicking the green circular arrow with the red bar through it on the right side of the center part of the screen. Once that is done the bottom portion of the screen is cleared out. You may now disconnect the null modem cable.
Step 9: The last step is to exit File Scout on the hand held unit. To do this press Esc and enter in a Y when asked if you wish to exit the DOS Shell. Then press Enter. You are now returned to the DOS prompt or to the DOS application menu from which File Scout was started from.
Now you are done with the upload. Downloading is similar except the transmission is in the other direction.
|
