Exporting to Hand Held Devices

                                 

 

 

 

 

WBAR includes a built in Import/Export capability for use with hand held meter reading devices. The built in option was designed to work with hand held computers running Tri C's meter route collection software. We also have interfaces that will work with other manufactured devices including Rockwell, Badger, Neptune, and Schlumberger systems.                  

In some cases, we can modify the Import/Export process to create a file structure that will work with your existing equipment. Call Tri C tech support if you need a quote on custom programming to address this issue.

WBAR can work with your equipment provider to create a customized export file specifically for your hand held.                                                                                                                           

To create an export file that can be copied onto a held held, click on Readings, Hand Held, Export Reading Data. WBAR will inform you that it needs to temporarily change the system clock. This is make the date and time functions of the hand held compatible with the host computer.

Select starting and ending account from the drop down lists. By default, WBAR will show you only A active or F final status accounts unless you select the Include All Statuses radio button. WBAR will create a new export file each time unless you check the Accumulate in File checkbox in the lower left corner. If this box is checked, WBAR will add each range of accounts to the export file it has already created. In this way, you can have several ranges of accounts in the same file even if those accounts are not in the same route or near each other.

Once you have selected a range and the export options you want to use, click on the Create New Export File button and WBAR will build the export file. The file is called REMOTE.DBF and will be located in the DATA sub-folder WBAR's main folder.  The path to the file is X:\wbar5\data\REMOTE.DBF where X: is the hard drive that WBAR was installed onto.

The REMOTE.DBF file that WBAR creates contains the account information that the hand held's route software uses to collect meter reading data from the field. The file must be copied to the hand held device before it can be used with the hand held's route software to collect readings. With DAP hand helds, this is accomplished using either the built in WinCom program or using a serial communications program that comes with WBAR. To use the WinCom program, click on Readings, Hand Helds, Run WinCom.

 

The WinCom program allows you to open a channel and then drag the REMOTE.DBF file from your computer's hard drive over to the hand held. This copying process is very similar to Windows drag and drop capability.

The hand held and the host computer must be connected by a cable. DAP hand helds can use either a cradle charger connection or a direct LEMO cable connection.

 

WinCom allows you to connect the host computer and hand held and then drag files between the two.

Once the REMOTE.DBF data file has been copied onto your hand held, you are ready to begin collecting meter readings from the field. As readings are entered into the hand held, the REMOTE.DBF file is being updated. When all readings have been collected, the process is reversed so that the REMOTE.DBF file is copied from the hand held unit back to the host computer.

Exporting

          

---- WinCom  copies to REMOTE.DBF file to hand held ---->
When you export meter readings, WBAR creates a file that is copied TO the hand held.

Importing

 
-------WinCom copies the REMOTE.DBF file back to computer-->
 
When you import meter readings, WBAR looks for a file that has been copied FROM the hand held.
 
You may want view the REMOTE.DBF file after you copy it to see if it contains the data you want. To view the file before you complete the Import, click on Readings, Hand Helds, View Import/Export File. It is important to keep track of whether the REMOTE.DBF is a new file that has been created and not yet copied to the hand held, or a file that has been filled with new reading data and has been copied from the hand held back to the computer. WBAR displays the date and time that the REMOTE.DBF was last updated to help you.
 
Tip: A REMOTE.DBF file that contains a zero in the Current Reading field is a new export file and a file with numbers in the Current Reading field is a file that has been copied from a hand held. 
 
After you copy the REMOTE.DBF file from the hand held, you must run the Import Meter Reading Data  form. Click on Readings, Hand Helds, Import Meter Reading Data. The Import form will appear. Click on the Import File Now button and WBAR will create new readings in the meter collection file from the data held in the REMOTE.DBF file.
 
 
When you Import data, the reading information in the REMOTE.DBF is used to create new readings in the meter readings collection file.
 

After you have successfully Imported, you can create a new export REMOTE.DBF file for a different range of accounts to be collected. Use caution when creating a new export file, any readings already copied from the hand held but not yet Imported will be lost if you create a new export REMOTE.DBF file before you have successfully imported.

Explanation : Since the REMOTE.DBF file is used for both exporting and importing data, it is important that you make sure that you have successfully imported your reading data into the meter reading collection file before you create a new export REMOTE.DBF file. Creating a new file destroys any previous REMOTE.DBF and copies only the range of accounts selected in the form.