Hi,
I recently purchased an A81 7-inch tablet. The tablet came with
Android installed on it. I installed Windows CE 6.0 on it and then
put Basic4PPC on it.
When running Basic4PPC on a Windows CE 6.0 device, the menu bar
is at the top of the screen instead of the bottom of the screen.
Some of the menu bar is chopped off, but it is not a show stopper.
Usually the last few characters on the right side of the menu bar is
missing: ) " OK
When designing a form the menu bar is at the top of the screen.
When you select a control and go to the Properties screen to
adjust the control's parameters all of the menu bar is covered up
except for part of the OK menu selection. You can still select the OK
menu button and exit out of the control's property screen.
You still have access to the SIP keyboard panel. I find I can still
write programs and these menu bar issues are not a show stopper.
The first line of the program is usually covered up by the menu bar
being at the top of the screen. I have to increase the font size to
20 or larger. Position the cursor to the top left hand corner of the
screen and then press the "Return" key on the SIP to add a blank
line at the top of the screen. This will move all of the code down
one line so that you can see all of the code statements in the
program. This is not a problem on a large 7-inch screen device.
It makes the code large and easy to see.
Below are some images of the A81 screen running Basic4ppc. The
A81 also has a screen rotation Icon and you can rotate the screen
between portrait and landscape modes.
It would be nice to be able to see the whole menu bar all of the time.
Is there a way to create a version of Basic4ppc for a Windows CE 6.0 device?
If you get a Witstech A81 device it needs to have a resistive screen to
work with Wince 6.0. The device I have is an A81G with a resistive screen.
If the device comes with Android installed you can put Windows CE 6.0
on it using the following proceedure.
1.) Visit merimobiles.com and search for the A81 Witstech device.
In the specifications for the device they will have links to both
the Android firmware files and the Windows CE firmware files.
The A81 can run both operating systems and would probably be
a good device for both Basic4Android and Basic4PPC.
2.) You will need a MicroSD card. I used a 4GB MicroSD card. I used
Windows 7 running on a desktop PC to format the 4GB MicroSD card
using the FAT 16 format.
3.) Windows CE version 6.0 for the A81 consists of 4 files:
MLO
EBOOTSD.nb0
nandboot
NK.bin
After formatting the MicroSD card you will need to copy the MLO file
to the card first.
Then copy these files to the MicroSD card:
EBOOTSD.nb0
nandboot
NK.bin
4.) Make sure the A81 device is turned off and the external power adapter
is plugged in. Then place the MicroSD card with the Windows CE 6.0
files on it into the card slot on the A81.
5.) Hold the Left Volume button down and then press and hold the Power
On/Off button. When you see the A81 is loading the operating system
you can release both buttons and when the installation process has
completed the install the A81 will boot into Windows CE 6.0.
This process will take a few minutes to complete.
Once the A81 has booted into Windows CE 6.0, double click on the
"Wits Panel" Icon which takes you to a setup panel where you can
configure the device. Select "ActiveSync Mode" so you can install
Basic4PPC when the A81 is connected to your Desktop PC with a USB
cable.
If you want to use a Bluetooth connection select "WiFi Enable" and
"Bluetooth Enable". Save the settings and exit from the setup panel.
You may want to reboot the device by double clicking the "PowerKey" Icon
and then press the "Poweroff" Icon. The A81 will power off and you can
turn it back on by pressing the Power On/Off key and the A81 will boot the
with the settings that you just selected being activated.
When you plug the A81 into your Desktop PC it will show up in your
file directory as "WinCE". You can then install Basic4PPC onto the A81.
To setup a Bluetooth connection with an external Bluetooth device you
will need to search the Internet for a file called "virtual_com.rar".
Download the file, create a directory on your PC called "vir_com".
Then extract the files in the "virtual_com.rar" file into the "vir_com"
directory. Copy the "vir_com" directory over to the A81's "My Device"
directory.
Powerup your external Bluetooth device. On the A81 device double-click
on the "My Device" Icon. Then double-click on the "Control Panel" Icon.
Then double-click on the "Bluetooth Device Properties" Icon. This will take
you to the "Bluetooth Manager" panel. Press "Scan Device" and the A81
will search for your external Bluetooth device. When the A81 has
discovered your bluetooth device it will show up in the "Untrusted" panel.
Select your bluetooth device and move it over to the "Trusted" panel
using the "Right Arrow" button. When you see your Bluetooth device show
up in the "Trusted" panel you will notice that it has a 12 character
alphanumeric number associated with it. Write this 12 character number
down you will need it later. When your bluetooth device is in the
"Trusted" panel, press on it to select it, then double-click on it to get
to the Pop-Up Menu Screen. Make sure the "Active" selection is Checked.
Then click on the OK button on the Bluetooth Manager panel to exit.
Press the "X" box in the top right of the screen to exit from the
"Control Panel" screen.
Press the "X" box in the top right of the screen to exit from the
"My Device" screen.
You will now be back at the Windows CE 6.0 main "blue" screen with
all of the Icons on it.
The "vir_com" directory has the following files in it:
bt2com.exe
virtual_com.bat
You will need to run bt2com.exe to create a Virtual Com Port for your
"Active" Bluetooth device.
You can do this two different ways.
1.) From the Windows CE 6.0 main "blue" screen with all of the Icons on it,
at the bottom of the screen press the "Start" button.
Then press "Run".
You will enter something like this into the single line text box:
"\vir_com\bt2com.exe" 00099x00x9x9 1 8
Then press the "OK" button.
Instead of entering: 00099x00x9x9
you will enter the 12 character alphanumeric number
associated with your Bluetooth device that you wrote down earlier.
This will attach your Bluetooth device with Virtual Com Port 8.
2.) You can use the Basic4PPC "shell()" command:
shell("\vir_com\bt2com.exe","00099x00x9x9 1 8")
I usually place this command statement in my "main" subroutine.
When it executes it will setup the virtual com port with my bluetooth
device and I can then treat it as Com Port 8.
Using the SerialEx.dll, I can setup the serial port in my Basic4ppc
code using the statement:
serial.New2 (8,9600,"N",8,1)
I execute the above statement first somewhere in the "main" subroutine
before I execute the:
shell("\vir_com\bt2com.exe","00099x00x9x9 1 8")
statement. I can then open and close the serial port and send data
across the Bluetooth wireless link without any problems.
I recently purchased an A81 7-inch tablet. The tablet came with
Android installed on it. I installed Windows CE 6.0 on it and then
put Basic4PPC on it.
When running Basic4PPC on a Windows CE 6.0 device, the menu bar
is at the top of the screen instead of the bottom of the screen.
Some of the menu bar is chopped off, but it is not a show stopper.
Usually the last few characters on the right side of the menu bar is
missing: ) " OK
When designing a form the menu bar is at the top of the screen.
When you select a control and go to the Properties screen to
adjust the control's parameters all of the menu bar is covered up
except for part of the OK menu selection. You can still select the OK
menu button and exit out of the control's property screen.
You still have access to the SIP keyboard panel. I find I can still
write programs and these menu bar issues are not a show stopper.
The first line of the program is usually covered up by the menu bar
being at the top of the screen. I have to increase the font size to
20 or larger. Position the cursor to the top left hand corner of the
screen and then press the "Return" key on the SIP to add a blank
line at the top of the screen. This will move all of the code down
one line so that you can see all of the code statements in the
program. This is not a problem on a large 7-inch screen device.
It makes the code large and easy to see.
Below are some images of the A81 screen running Basic4ppc. The
A81 also has a screen rotation Icon and you can rotate the screen
between portrait and landscape modes.
It would be nice to be able to see the whole menu bar all of the time.
Is there a way to create a version of Basic4ppc for a Windows CE 6.0 device?
If you get a Witstech A81 device it needs to have a resistive screen to
work with Wince 6.0. The device I have is an A81G with a resistive screen.
If the device comes with Android installed you can put Windows CE 6.0
on it using the following proceedure.
1.) Visit merimobiles.com and search for the A81 Witstech device.
In the specifications for the device they will have links to both
the Android firmware files and the Windows CE firmware files.
The A81 can run both operating systems and would probably be
a good device for both Basic4Android and Basic4PPC.
2.) You will need a MicroSD card. I used a 4GB MicroSD card. I used
Windows 7 running on a desktop PC to format the 4GB MicroSD card
using the FAT 16 format.
3.) Windows CE version 6.0 for the A81 consists of 4 files:
MLO
EBOOTSD.nb0
nandboot
NK.bin
After formatting the MicroSD card you will need to copy the MLO file
to the card first.
Then copy these files to the MicroSD card:
EBOOTSD.nb0
nandboot
NK.bin
4.) Make sure the A81 device is turned off and the external power adapter
is plugged in. Then place the MicroSD card with the Windows CE 6.0
files on it into the card slot on the A81.
5.) Hold the Left Volume button down and then press and hold the Power
On/Off button. When you see the A81 is loading the operating system
you can release both buttons and when the installation process has
completed the install the A81 will boot into Windows CE 6.0.
This process will take a few minutes to complete.
Once the A81 has booted into Windows CE 6.0, double click on the
"Wits Panel" Icon which takes you to a setup panel where you can
configure the device. Select "ActiveSync Mode" so you can install
Basic4PPC when the A81 is connected to your Desktop PC with a USB
cable.
If you want to use a Bluetooth connection select "WiFi Enable" and
"Bluetooth Enable". Save the settings and exit from the setup panel.
You may want to reboot the device by double clicking the "PowerKey" Icon
and then press the "Poweroff" Icon. The A81 will power off and you can
turn it back on by pressing the Power On/Off key and the A81 will boot the
with the settings that you just selected being activated.
When you plug the A81 into your Desktop PC it will show up in your
file directory as "WinCE". You can then install Basic4PPC onto the A81.
To setup a Bluetooth connection with an external Bluetooth device you
will need to search the Internet for a file called "virtual_com.rar".
Download the file, create a directory on your PC called "vir_com".
Then extract the files in the "virtual_com.rar" file into the "vir_com"
directory. Copy the "vir_com" directory over to the A81's "My Device"
directory.
Powerup your external Bluetooth device. On the A81 device double-click
on the "My Device" Icon. Then double-click on the "Control Panel" Icon.
Then double-click on the "Bluetooth Device Properties" Icon. This will take
you to the "Bluetooth Manager" panel. Press "Scan Device" and the A81
will search for your external Bluetooth device. When the A81 has
discovered your bluetooth device it will show up in the "Untrusted" panel.
Select your bluetooth device and move it over to the "Trusted" panel
using the "Right Arrow" button. When you see your Bluetooth device show
up in the "Trusted" panel you will notice that it has a 12 character
alphanumeric number associated with it. Write this 12 character number
down you will need it later. When your bluetooth device is in the
"Trusted" panel, press on it to select it, then double-click on it to get
to the Pop-Up Menu Screen. Make sure the "Active" selection is Checked.
Then click on the OK button on the Bluetooth Manager panel to exit.
Press the "X" box in the top right of the screen to exit from the
"Control Panel" screen.
Press the "X" box in the top right of the screen to exit from the
"My Device" screen.
You will now be back at the Windows CE 6.0 main "blue" screen with
all of the Icons on it.
The "vir_com" directory has the following files in it:
bt2com.exe
virtual_com.bat
You will need to run bt2com.exe to create a Virtual Com Port for your
"Active" Bluetooth device.
You can do this two different ways.
1.) From the Windows CE 6.0 main "blue" screen with all of the Icons on it,
at the bottom of the screen press the "Start" button.
Then press "Run".
You will enter something like this into the single line text box:
"\vir_com\bt2com.exe" 00099x00x9x9 1 8
Then press the "OK" button.
Instead of entering: 00099x00x9x9
you will enter the 12 character alphanumeric number
associated with your Bluetooth device that you wrote down earlier.
This will attach your Bluetooth device with Virtual Com Port 8.
2.) You can use the Basic4PPC "shell()" command:
shell("\vir_com\bt2com.exe","00099x00x9x9 1 8")
I usually place this command statement in my "main" subroutine.
When it executes it will setup the virtual com port with my bluetooth
device and I can then treat it as Com Port 8.
Using the SerialEx.dll, I can setup the serial port in my Basic4ppc
code using the statement:
serial.New2 (8,9600,"N",8,1)
I execute the above statement first somewhere in the "main" subroutine
before I execute the:
shell("\vir_com\bt2com.exe","00099x00x9x9 1 8")
statement. I can then open and close the serial port and send data
across the Bluetooth wireless link without any problems.
Last edited: