This project has been developed as a GIS/Location Based Service course on Technical University of Denmark.

Are you interested in this project or are you working on a related project, please let me know.

The following features were to be explored and hopefully implemented in a test-application

• Reading and parsing NMEA data from the GPS device connected to the serial port.
• Datacollection on device.
• Downloading maps from a Web Map Server (WMS Service).
• Receival of RTCM data from a RTCM broadcaster developed in an earlier project.
• Implementation of XML Webservices, such as online adress search.
• Additional webservices can be added as plugins

Following hardware and software were being used:

• Embedded Visual Basic 3.0 (dropped as of May 09. Replaced by CF.NET)
• MapInfo MapXMobile (dropped as of May 09. Replaced by WMS servers)
• Development language: C#.NET (.NET Compact Framework)
• UMN MapServer (OpenSource WMS Server) and the danish cadastrals mapservices (Kortforsyningen)
• ASP.NET XML Webservices
• Compaq iPAQ 3870 with PocketPC 2002 and .NET Compact Framework installed
• Sony Ericsson T68i cellular phone (connected to iPAQ via BlueTooth and to the Internet via GPRS)
• Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver with RTCM support (connected to iPAQ via serial link cable)
• Trimble Pathfinder GPS Receiver (master station in the DGPS setup).

The following features and tasks were more or less completed:

• Rewrite application to CF.NET
• Downloading of maps from WMS servers
• Reading and parsing NMEA data from GPS device. Created as a neat little GPS component for later reuse.
• Datacollection on device and direct upload to XML Webservice.
• Download of exisiting collected data from XML Webservice to device.
• Receival of RTCM data from a RTCM broadcaster partially implemented. Skipped due to problems with too many threads running. Also tried out the NTRIP RTCM broadcaster.
(Note June 2004: This is now possible with PocketGpsLib).
• Optimized GPS and Data download/upload. GPS now runs on a different thread, without causing the application to be slow (thanks to T Jarmo for helping me out). Downloading maps is also done asyncronously, prevented the download from freezing the application.
• When recieving data from the GPS, a neat little marker shows your position.
• Datacollection can be done either by the position of a click on the map or at the GPS-measured position.

Further development has been stopped.

Links and resources:

• MapInfo MapXMobile - A slow but easy-to-use map component for Pocket PC applications.
• UMN MapServer - The free OpenSource mapserver.
• LocationBased KillerApp - A similar LBS project for PocketPC, developed with CF.NET.
• Microsoft .NET Compact Framework QuickStarts Tutorial - Great to get you started developing.
• Compact Framework Tutorials.
• Peter Bennett's GPS and NMEA Site - Great info on the NMEA format.
• The OpenGIS Consortium - Standard specifications on WMS services and OpenGIS Simple Features.
• Technical University of Denmark - Section of Geoinformatics - Where I study Geoinformatics.
• BlomInfo A/S - GIS company who kindly has provided me with a Pocket PC for this project.