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Environmental Studies |
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GPS Plus Software |
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It could be possible that the following text is not up-to-date. The manual & operating software available at the download area is valid!! |
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The GPS Plus software is used to configure and read out the GPS Plus collar, to handle a GSM modem for reception of collar data and to configure and to read out a Handheld Terminal. GPS measurement times can be configured as well as position, activity and mortality data can be read out, stored, exported, graphically shown and erased. The programm is easy to use and mostly self-explanatory. It allows you to keep as many configruration files as needed, which can be used for any collar. Every data file can be stored with any filename, so that it is possible to have multiple files for every collar. With the GPS Plus software it is very easy to programm the GPS fixing schedule of the collar. In the window “Create GPS Schedule” the settings have to be filled in. This file
containing the GPS fix schedule can be uploaded to the collar by one buttom push via the GSM groundsstation, if
the collar is linked to the Link Manager, or in the field via the Handheld Terminal.
The Main WindowThe program is a sizeable window with a centred logo. On top there is a pull down menu bar and a toolbar below. Every action is done via this menu and the toolbar. At the bottom time and date in UTC derived from the computer time, the device selected and the corresponding interface are shown. You have to select the device with which you want to communicate via the first three buttons of the toolbar or via the corresponding entries in the file menu. The main menu as well as the toolbar changes whenever you change the device. The toolbar shows only the most important commands of the selected device. The device and the corresponding interface are updated in the status bar at the bottom. The different menus (except File menu), their entries, and the toolbar are described in the following chapters corresponding to the devices Collar, GSM Base and Terminal. The menus will look partly similar and partly very different in each mode. The File menu for example looks the same all the time. Therefore it is described in this chapter. The Activity menu on the other hand disappears completely in GSM Base mode, because it is not possible to access activity data via the GSM Base Station. For the use of the program the collar should be deactivated with the provided magnet and the deactivation checked with the telemetry command.
Figure 1: File menu
File MenuThe items in the File menu serve mainly general program configuration purposes. About opens a window, which contains information about the program version and contact to our company. Close closes the program. This is the same as clicking the small cross in upper right corner of the program. All other entries are explained in separate chapters following this one because of their complexity.
Figure 2: Register collar dialog with selected file
Register CollarTo work with a collar it is necessary to register the appropriate collar key. Collar keys are stored in files with the extension .KEY XE "file extension:KEY" . You’ll have to copy these files to the Keys directory of the base data path from wherever they are stored (CD, email etc.). Then you can register a collar by selecting the key file(s) in the register collar dialog “Read Collar Key File” (see Figure 2) popping up after clicking on the Register Collar menu item in the File menu. You can select multiple files by holding down shift and/or ctrl. After the files are selected click the open button and the keys will be registered.
Figure 3: Registered Collars window with one incorrect key (last entry)
Registered Collars ListThis menu item is just for verification of registered collar keys. The window popping up shows a list of collar numbers and the corresponding keys. The number should be between zero and 65535. Following the number is an equal sign followed by the key in quotation marks. If the key is not correct, instead of the key a text will be displayed: “<Key Incorrect>”. You can see this in Figure 3 where key 462 in the last line is incorrect. Therefore the collar with the number 462 cannot be used with this program.
Figure 4: GSM Collar Number & Modes window
GSM Collar Numbers & ModesIf you are using collars that have GSM communication capability, the messages from the collars will be identified via the incoming phone number of the SMS. This number has to be assigned to a collar ID number. Since there are two kinds of modes for data transfer via GSM this has to be stored, too, for each collar. The list will be empty after installation. The assignment will be done while reading the messages from the GSM Base Station, but you can view all already assigned collars and change their GSM mode with this command. To change the GSM mode of a collar first mark the collar in the list. The current mode is shown in the radio button group. Now select the new mode by clicking the appropriate radio button. Then click on the Change Mode button. This will change the entry for this collar. Mail ReceptionThis feature is NOT part of the free version of GPS Plus. You will have to purchase a Mail Reception Key from your distributor to use it (see chapter Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. GPs Plus user manual.)! With this form (see Figure 5) you can easily read, store, merge, and export SMS messages contained in emails. To use it you have to configure the Incoming Mail Server Options (chapter 3.1.5.2 Mail Server Tab Sheet, GPS Plus manual). The form contains a Progress Log area on the left, displaying what the program is currently doing, a drop down list showing the last error messages at the bottom, and the three buttons Read Mail , Auto Read and Stop . The last button should be disabled when the form comes up unless it is invoked by autostart (see chapter 3.1.5.6 GPS Plus user manual). Pressing Read Mail button changes the stop button from disabled Stop to enabled
Pressing Auto Read button changes the stop button from disabled Stop to enabled
If the
At the first occurrence of the data reception form the received messages form may not be visible. It will show up when the first message is received. Every stored SMS file will then increment the entry in the received collars list or, if it is the first occurrence of this collar ID, will add the ID to the list.
Figure 5: Mail Reception form with 10 emails read and the received messages list left to it
Figure 7: Mail and SMS reception form after GSM initialisation (on the right)
Mail and SMS ReceptionWith this form (see Figure 7) you can easily read, store, merge, and export SMS messages either received directly or contained in emails. To use it you have to configure the Incoming Mail Server Options (chapter Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden. GPS Plus user manual). This form unites the functionality of the mail reception and the SMS message reception form. In fact all three forms are the same. Parts of the form can be hidden to adapt the look to the current usage. For a detailed description of the both parts, mail reception (chapter 1.1.4 GPS Plus user manual) and SMS message reception (chapter Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden.), please read the appropriate chapters. The combination of the two functions is coordinated in the first come first served style: You can click on both read buttons and both stop buttons will show action immediately. But activity will start on the side where the button was clicked first. When using autoread XE "autoread"on both sides the same applies: Wherever the time for activity (can be adjusted in the Fehler! Verweisquelle konnte nicht gefunden werden.) is reached first, will be served first. If the time for one activity is reached while the other is still active, activation will be delayed until the first has finished. Activation of both data reception parts is guaranteed: If the activation is so dense, that there will be no pause between both activities, the activation will alternate between both. Collar ModeIn this mode the program can be used to read data from collars and configure collars. The GPS and activity data can be saved to files and exported, viewed in a data browser or displayed as a graph. ScheduleIn the Schedule menu are commands concerning GPS measurement and beacon activation scheduling. The commands allow the creation of GPS and beacon schedules, the sending of schedules to a collar and the reception of schedules from a collar.
Figure 8: Main window with open schedule menu (in Collar mode)
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Stop and will
start the reading of the configured email account. First, the connection will be established and the user is authenticated. Then the program checks the number of emails currently available on this
account. Now all emails are read one after the other. If an email has a subject containing the string ”Data for Collar” and it contains at least one attachment with a filename containing the string “Collar”
and the extension ”SMS” then the file is stored in the SMS-subdirectory of the base data path. It will automatically be merged and exported if the appropriate options are checked (see chapter 3.1.5.1
SMS Handling Tab Sheet). The program will also recognise multiple attachments. These wouldn’t be sent by GPS Plus but can be send manually provided they confirm with the rules described earlier.
After all emails have been read the command closes the connection again. It can be stopped at any time by pressing the
