Windows Mobile PDA Data Capture - Overview
Capturing important data using paper forms and then transcribing the results onto an office computer is not only prone to errors, it is extremely inefficient.
Help is literally at hand with ITL's PDA Data Capture mobile data collection software suite for Windows Mobile.
Any data collection task can benefit from ITL's computerised solution. Specific applications of our software suite are: asset tracking, facilities management, condition surveys, preventative maintenance, building surveys, housing stock surveys, inspections, opinion surveys, quality surveys.
Realise the benefits of mobile data collection by using our mobile data collection software suite.
ITL’s new PDA based data entry system will enable PDA users to download, edit, read, store, and submit predefined questionnaires to a web server database.
Completion of questionnaires can be by any combination of free text, check boxes, or drop-down lists. A user will have the option to attach additional data such as photographs.
There is username and password protection to the web server, and a tracking management system will provide single-user form protection. Forms can be completed and stored off-line when the web service is unavailable.
A user can run the application on their Windows PC and enjoy the same full functionality as when using their PDA, with the added feature of being able to produce predefined reports in Microsoft Word.
Benefits of Windows Mobile PDA Data Capture Software
Implementing this type of application streamlines business processes and can reduce costs.
- The orginal form does not need to be printed, duplicated and distributed to the end user
- Once completed, the form does not need to be collected, batched and returned to the central co-ordination point
- The 'paper' data does not need to be processed by bulk data entry personnel
- Data is validated at the point of capture making it more accurate
- The end to end capture process is shorter which can make the data more valuable
- New data entry forms and fields are easy to add to the Windows Mobile application
Principles of Windows Mobile Data Capture
A typical set of core requirements for Windows Mobile PDA data capture are ;
- The existing system is paper based and the completion of the manual recording of data is either undertaken in difficult working conditions, e.g. a site survey on a roof top, or is recorded at a later date, e.g. a police witness statement.
- The data should be captured and validated off site and stored locally on a PDA.
- At a convenient time, the user should connect to a Web site, e.g. by using a GPRS account, and then upload the information to a database table.
- The form templates used by the PDA should be easy to change. The application itself should not change.
- New form templates should be added without an application change.
- The centralised database should be used to either export data to other systems, e.g. sending marketing information to organisations that request it, or to generate reports.
Windows Mobile Data Capture Screens
This tab provides some sample screen shots of the application that was built to allow a site engineer to complete a site survey prior to some wireless radio equipment being installed.
Windows Mobile Data Capture Software - Requirements
The client on the PDA device is written in C# and can execute on either a Windows PC or a PDA that supports the Windows Mobile 5.0 (or better) operating system (also known as Windows Mobile 2005).
Both PDA and PC applications can display all data entry screens, but some buttons will only become active in the PC application. An example of this would be report generation.
New or updated forms can be downloaded and made accessible to the client application from a 'blank forms' database hosted by a .NET Web Server. In this way fields can be added or deleted or new forms introduced without needing to change the core application.
Completed forms are uploaded and stored in a separate database with the part of the supplied data acting as a primary key.
The PDA Forms Data Capture product is now "Works With Windows 2008" accredited.
The "Works With Windows Server 2008 R2" MS program is intended to help developers and customers ensure that applications meet the baseline technical bar for compatibility with Windows Server 2008.
The application was tested on Windows 2008 R2 and found to function correctly after extensive testing.
Conduct tests on both x64 Windows Server 2008 and x64 Vista Ultimate or Enterprise edition operating systems
To ensure compatibility, a server application as well as all its client components must meet Works with Windows Server 2008 requirements.
To maintain consistency in testing and validation, all Works with Windows Server 2008 testing is conducted on:
- x64 Windows Server 2008
- x64 Windows Vista Ultimate or Enterprise edition
Support 64-Bit version of Windows running on multiple processors
Applications must support x64 versions of Windows Server 2008 and all testing must be conducted on a 64bit version of Windows Server 2008.
To maintain compatibility with 64-bit versions of Windows, it is necessary that:
- Applications install and run properly on at least a dual-core system.
- Applications and their installers must not contain any 16-bit code or rely on any 16-bit component, since 16-bit code will not run on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.
- All drivers and executables must be signed to install on a 64-bit Windows OS.
- If an application is dependent on kernel-mode drivers for operation, 64-bit versions of these drivers must be available. The application setup must detect and install the proper drivers and components for the 64-bit Windows OS.
- If an application is natively 32-bit, it may rely on WOW64 instead of running natively on 64-bit. 32-bit applications must also provide 64-bit versions of kernel mode drivers.
Follow best practices in Security and Reliability
- The application must not disable Windows Error Reporting service at any time.
- IPv6 network layer IP protocol must not be disabled by the application.
Firewall
- The application cannot disable the Microsoft Firewall and must work properly with Microsoft’s or any third party certified firewall.
User Account Control
- The application must work properly with User Account Control (UAC) enabled. The application must not disable UAC or require UAC to be disabled.
Maintain compatibility with Antivirus software
- Applications must install and operate correctly when a certified antivirus application is running.
- The antivirus engine must not be disrupted by the application.
Do not cause services to unexpectedly become unavailable
- The issue of services remaining available is critical. The goal of this requirement is to ensure that applications do not cause failures in other applications by making services unavailable.
- Applications must maintain stability in general, and violating that is a failure of this requirement and primary functionality
- To pass this requirement, applications must notify the administrator at any time any service needs to be shut down.
- Services shutting down unexpectedly or shutting down without allowing the administrator to control the timing of the shutdown is a failure.
All drivers must be WHQL signed
- Poorly written kernel-mode drivers can crash a system.
- Applications that include kernel-mode drivers, such as backup, copy protection, and antivirus products, must be thoroughly tested to minimize this risk.
- All application drivers must have a Microsoft signature.
- All application drivers must pass Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) testing.
- Driver signing is a pivotal to receiving the Works with Windows Server 2008 designation. No application will pass if drivers are unsigned or if WHQL Submission ID is missing from the submission package.