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Robot. The source included will explain in detail how to accomplish a data link used to send and receive information.
Once the link is established, users can virtually project themselves anywhere. A doctor can perform surgery on a patient thousands of miles away. You can roam around your house on PDA Robot from your hotel room, cottage, or even flying 60,000 feet above the earth. This book will give you the tools and know-how to transform this project into anything. Explaining the schematic design, circuit board manu-facturing, embedded software for the microchip, mechanical design and the software source code for the world’s two most popular PDA (handheld) operating systems, this book will take you on a tour of today’s specialized electronic microchips and the inner workings of PDA operating systems.
PDA (personal digital assistant) is a term for any small mobile handheld device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedule cal-endars and address book information handy. The term handheld is a synonym. Many people use the name of one of the popular PDA prod-ucts as a generic term. These include Compaq/Hewlett-Packard’s IPAQ and 3Com’s Palm devices, such as the Palm Pilot and m505.
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Figure 1.1 Integrated wireless PDAs.
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Most PDAs have a small keyboard that the PDA clips onto, and an electronically sensitive pad on which handwriting can be received.
Typical uses include schedule and address book storage and retrieval and note-entering. However, many applications have been written for PDAs. Increasingly, PDAs are combined with telephones, paging sys-tems, and wireless networks.
Some PDAs offer a variation of the Microsoft Windows operating sys-tem called Windows CE (Pocket PC), which offers the familiar “MS Windows” look and feel. Other products, such as the palm devices, have their own operating system called Palm OS.
• Windows CE: Windows CE is a Microsoft operating system for handhelds, TV set-top boxes, upcoming home appliances, even game consoles (the new Sega Dreamcast is WinCE compatible).
Pocket PCs use Windows CE. Windows CE uses the familiar Windows task bar, scroll bar, and drop-down menus. Unlike Palm devices, WinCE products usually have a color screen.
• Palm OS: The Palm operating system runs the Palm series of organizers, the IBM Wordpad series, the new Visor products, and Sony Clie. Palm OS is known for its speedy navigation when compared with Pocket PCs.
• Pocket PC:Pocket PCs are a direct competitor to Palm handhelds.
They use the Windows CE operating system and have color screens, among other standard features.
Most PDAs are able to communicate directly with each other through the use of an infrared (IR) port. This makes sharing information effort-less. By simply lining up IR ports, people can “beam” information back and forth. Documents can be “beamed” directly to a printer or information exchanged bi-directionally to an IR transponder connect-ed to a network.
Many university campuses, such as the University of California at Berkeley, are IR enabled. Students can get class schedules and notes, receive and transmit assignments, and even have the bus schedule beamed directly to them from IR transponders placed around the campus.
The PDA Robot featured in this book will use the IR port on the PDA to communicate with its body. This protects the PDA from any
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age that could occur by an electronic malfunction in the robot body, and eliminates the need for any physical connection to the PDA. The PDA will act as the “brain” of the robot, monitoring and controlling its systems. The IR beam of light could be considered the robot spinal cord.
• IR port:Uses IR technology to transmit data to and receive data from other Palm OS handhelds, and to perform HotSync opera-tions. Used for communication with PDA Robot’s body.
• Power button/backlight control/LED indicator:Turns your hand-held on or off and controls the backlight feature. If your handhand-held is turned off, pressing the power button turns the handheld on and returns you to the last screen you viewed. If your handheld is turned on, pressing the power button turns the unit off.
Pressing the power button for about two seconds turns the back-light on or off. The power button also back-lights steadily when the handheld is charging in the cradle, and blinks to indicate alarms.
Some applications enable you to set alarms to remind yourself of events or notes. You can set preferences for nonaudible alarm notification.
• Handheld screen: Displays the applications and information stored in your handheld. It is touch-sensitive and responds to the stylus.
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Figure 1.2 Palm m505: A typical PDA.
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• Graffiti writing area:The area where you write letters and num-bers using the Graffiti alphabet.
• Scroll buttons: Display text and other information that extends beyond the area of the handheld screen. Pressing the lower scroll button scrolls down to view information below the viewing area, and pressing the upper scroll button scrolls up to view the infor-mation above the viewing area.
• Application buttons: Activate the individual handheld applica-tions that correspond to the icons on the buttons: Date Book, Address Book, To Do List, and Note Pad. These buttons can be reassigned to activate any application on your handheld.
• Tip: If your handheld is turned off, pressing any application button activates the handheld and opens the corresponding application.