Multiple comms options, which technique?

I'm developing data collector software for the ipaq pocket pc. The ipaq has
bluetooth, usb, irda capabilities. My previous ce application only used
rs232.
Soon I've got to make decisions on how to communicate directly with a server
pc running .net to deliver the data to the host and receive new
configurations.
If I can provide a single solution where I don't have to write several
drivers for the different technologies it would be great.
Is it possible to use active sync to do this sort of special activity? Can
the pocketpc instigate discrete sessions to activesync? ie the user would
select one or more files to send followed by a request to receive one or
more configuration files .
If I can use activesync then that would be ideal, but there is a chance that
some customers will not allow active sync to run on their systems. Is there
another method I could use? I had a brief brush with remoting but that
seemed available to networking environments only

any opinions gratefully received.

Mike
Wed Jul 28 12:36:25 CDT 2004

We use the System.Net.Request object to communicate with a server. The
Pocket PC needs to have an internet connection which can be established
through ActiveSync or WiFi or some other method. But the same code works no
matter how the internet connection is established.

"Claire" <blahhh@blahhhhh.com> wrote in message
news:%23sBSXAHdEHA.3216@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> I'm developing data collector software for the ipaq pocket pc. The ipaq
has
> bluetooth, usb, irda capabilities. My previous ce application only used
> rs232.
> Soon I've got to make decisions on how to communicate directly with a
server
> pc running .net to deliver the data to the host and receive new
> configurations.
> If I can provide a single solution where I don't have to write several
> drivers for the different technologies it would be great.
> Is it possible to use active sync to do this sort of special activity? Can
> the pocketpc instigate discrete sessions to activesync? ie the user would
> select one or more files to send followed by a request to receive one or
> more configuration files .
> If I can use activesync then that would be ideal, but there is a chance
that
> some customers will not allow active sync to run on their systems. Is
there
> another method I could use? I had a brief brush with remoting but that
> seemed available to networking environments only
>
> any opinions gratefully received.
>
>

r_z_aret
Wed Jul 28 17:23:20 CDT 2004

We have our own server to communicate between handhelds and a backend
database. Handhelds can use ftp or UNC (universal naming convention)
to communicate with our server. We also have an intermediary that uses
RAPI. And we have backend tools to analyze the data in the database.

Semi-add:
Data collection is our primary target. So I'm inclined to say that
buying our product would be less expensive than building your own.
Especially if you factor in the real effort needed to debug
communication problems. Please see contact details in my signature.


On Wed, 28 Jul 2004 07:57:51 +0100, "Claire" <blahhh@blahhhhh.com>
wrote:

>I'm developing data collector software for the ipaq pocket pc. The ipaq has
>bluetooth, usb, irda capabilities. My previous ce application only used
>rs232.
>Soon I've got to make decisions on how to communicate directly with a server
>pc running .net to deliver the data to the host and receive new
>configurations.
>If I can provide a single solution where I don't have to write several
>drivers for the different technologies it would be great.
>Is it possible to use active sync to do this sort of special activity? Can
>the pocketpc instigate discrete sessions to activesync? ie the user would
>select one or more files to send followed by a request to receive one or
>more configuration files .
>If I can use activesync then that would be ideal, but there is a chance that
>some customers will not allow active sync to run on their systems. Is there
>another method I could use? I had a brief brush with remoting but that
>seemed available to networking environments only
>
>any opinions gratefully received.
>

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Robert E. Zaret, eMVP
PenFact, Inc.
500 Harrison Ave., Suite 3R
Boston, MA 02118
www.penfact.com