T&T: : GPS and Compass

[Arild Jensen]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ed Bruette
> I agree with the recommendation to look for a machine with XP Pro with the
> operating system.


REPLY
I guess I should have mentioned but forgot.
My compass deviation/calibration machine runs machine code.
I think the old Toshiba ran DOS 3.2 but the program boots from the floppy
and was written in C+ as a very tight fast machine language app.

If I repackage the whole thing including the 400hz 26V  gyro reference; the
processor would be a gutted laptop buried inside the guts. It would boot
from a BIOS chip specially programmed with this extra code added to the
basic BIOS. The idea being the machine has to run from a 12V DC cigarette
plug.

I would not need a keyboard unless a lot of frills was added like the
ability to generate a form wherein you enter Vessel Name, Owner, Date of
check/calibration, and a dotted line for the compass adjustor to sign off.
Only five keys are needed. ON OFF, STANDBY, LOG PRINT.

But those are frills we didn't bother with when I designed this compass
calibrator some 10 years ago.
I'm not a programmer! A friend who happens to be rather good and who can
write about 1000 lines of checked and verified code per day, knocked off
this little program in less than a hour.  There can't be more than a hundred
or so line of code. It isn't Windoze code bloat.

REGARDS
Arild