Brief description and Tips for the skeye.allegro

Introduction

When development on the MDA Client for Android started in spring of 2012, the skeye.allegro was the only device that matched the requirements of our first customer and was actually available on the real world market.

Unfortunately it has initially been developed for Windows CE 6 and Android 2.3.4 was kind of forced on to the very same hardware which, technically, does not even fulfill the screen resolution requirements for Android 2.3.x.

Quick Start Tips

Read the chapter "Android semantics of skeye.allegro's hardware keys"

See below.

Use keys instead of the touchscreen, particulary steering cross, digits, orange function keys

The allegro has a touchscreen, but using the touchscreen requires both hands and can be quite inefficient in rough environments or when wearing gloves.

Most of the time it's easier to use the steering cross of the physical keyboard. Android's UI supports navigation keys better than one might expect, entering text is the only activity requiring to use the touchscreen.

"OK" clicks/activates a selected object (button, icon, ...), the arrows around it are cursor keys, "Esc" usually means "Back".

MDA additionally supports the two orange function keys. For further information see below.

No SMS-style text entry with numeric keys

The digit keys carry markings suggesting it would be possible to enter text like one is used to do when writing SMS on mobile phones without a touchscreen. Unfortunately this is not possible with Android and the current allegro firmware. Furthermore, the '.'-key cannot be used as comma with some languages settings.

Unlocking the Screen

Take the pen or a finger and "drag" the green thing shown on the touch-sensitive screen from the left side to the right side.

It is also possible to disable the screen locker in the settings.

Android semantics of skeye.allegro's hardware keys

MDA support for the orange function keys

Android as operating system and all Android applications we tried so far have no useful function for the two large orange function keys.

MDA however is dedicated to efficient entering of measurement data of considerable numbers of measurements, so we support these two keys for navigation:

• the right function key (labeled ③ in the diagram above) can often be used to go forward to the next page resp. measurement, pressing it has the same effect as touching (clicking) the graphical "next" button displayed on the touch screen.
  
  
• the left function key (labeled ⑩ in the diagram above) can often be used to go back to the previous page, pressing it has the same effect as touching (clicking) the graphical "back" button displayed on the touch screen.
  The "Esc" button (labeled ⑨ in the diagram above) often has the same effect, but Android's "back" / "back out" semantics furthermore navigates across application layers and even applications. 

Status LEDs

Device LEDs

• Left LED: 
  
  • permanent or blinking green: System boots or barcode reader is active
• Right LED:
  • permanent red: battery charges
  • blinking red: battery is fully charged

Docking Station LEDs

• 3 Front LEDs:
  
  • Left LED: 
    
    • permanent green: docking station is powered on
  • Center LED, only used by LAN: 
    
    • permanent yellow: Ethernet link is up
    • blinking yellow: Ethernet traffic
  • Right LED:
    
    • yellow: USB connection is possible, device is docked and USB cable is plugged in
• LED near battery charging bay:
  
  • blinks red 1.5s on, 0.1s off: Battery outside temperature for charging
  • blinks red 1.5s on, 0.05s off: Battery is fully charged
  • blinks red 0.2s on, 0.2s off: Charging aborted, battery propably broken
• LED of Ethernet plug: Unused!

Specification

• CPU Marvell PXA 320 CPU, 806 MHz
• 256 MB RAM, 1 GB Flash
• Card reader: SD and MMC cards, no known size restriction
• Android 2.3.4
• Screen of portrait model: QVGA TFT (240 x 320), 2,8", 64K colors, 4.4x5.8cm, ~140dpi (between "ldpi" and "mdpi")
• Screen of landscape model ("LS"): QVGA TFT (320 x 240), 3,5", 64K colors, ~7.7x5.8cm, ~105dpi ("ldpi")
• WLAN: 802.11a/b/g dual band 2.4/5 GHz , WPA/WPA2/WEP, AES/TKIP
• Bluetooth: Class 2, V2.0+EDR
• Barcode reader: 1D, Laser class 2. 
• Environment: IP65, 1.2m fall height, -10° to +50° Celsius
• UMTS: Optonal, not tested by us

Accessories

Known Problems and Solutions

See Known problems of the skeye.allegro.

Making Screenshots

If anybody finds out, please tell us.