PiDirect is a virtual memory manager, which allows you to directly run applications and access read-only databases stored on the expansion card without the need to transfer the complete program and/or data file to internal memory on the handheld device prior to being used.
This quick start guide will give you
step-by-step guidelines on using PiDirect.
Four example tasks
will be shown:
1. Move a application from RAM to the expansion
card, and run on the card
2. Install a document reader and its database to
expansion card with card reader
3. Manage PiDirect preference list
4. Manage PiDirect active path
This task involves
transferring an application to expansion card and activating PiDirect.
User can either tap on
the PiDirect II icon or use the Palm ¡§Preferences¡¨ applications (i.e. the place
you go to reset your digitizer, change the volume of alarms, etc.) to launch
PiDirect.
From within the Preferences
application, tap on the category control at the top right, and select PiDirect
II.
After PiDirect is
launched, select a mounted path and then tap File Manager. (Only registered
users are able to change and add mounted path. For unregistered users, only
¡§/Palm/PiDirect/¡¨ is available)
Fig. 1.1 |
Figure 1.1. This is a general screen shot of PiDirectPanel
Tap the ¡§File
Manager¡¨ button at the to go to File Manager. Note: the ¡§File
Manager¡¨ and ¡§Setting¡¨ buttons are available only when PiDirect is disabled. |
Fig. 1.2 |
Figure 1.2. This
figure shows the File Manager. It helps to manage the files on user¡¦s
handheld device and the mounted folder of expansion card (in this case,
¡§/Palm/PiDirect/¡¨ on MemoryStick) Note: If the ¡§Path¡¨
selected in PiDirectPanel does not exist on the expansion card
(¡§/Palm/PiDirect/¡¨ in this case), File Manager will create it automatically
when users launch it. |
Select an application
you want to run on card and move it to ¡§/Palm/PiDirect/¡¨ folder.
Fig. 1.3a |
Fig. 1.3b |
Figure 1.3a. Select an application you want to run on card. And then tap the ¡§Move¡¨ button. Figure 1.3b. Tap ¡§OK¡¨ to confirm to move
file. |
Fig. 1.4a |
Fig. 1.4b |
Figure 1.4a. Moving in progress. Figure 1.4b. Move file completed. User can
now see that the file is moved to ¡§/Palm/PiDirect/¡¨ folder by viewing the
external card side. |
Back to PiDirectPanel
by tapping ¡§Back¡¨ button in File Manager and then enable PiDirect. Exit
PiDirect and the card application will be found in the launcher.
Fig. 1.5 |
Figure 1.5. Tap the ¡§Enable¡¨ button to activate PiDirect. The ¡§Databases on card¡¨ will show the
number of databases run on card. |
Fig. 1.6 |
Figure 1.6. The application icon of the card¡¦s application will show up on your launcher (with a dot before icon name for the default launcher). Tap the icon and you can start the card¡¦s application and run it. |
Example
Task 2: Install a document reader and its database to expansion card with card
reader
This task involves installing a document reader, TomeRaider, and a document (about 12M) by a card reader, and then accesses the document on Palm
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Figure 2.1. Connect the card reader of your expansion card to your PC. Install the necessary driver for the card reader (sometimes your system may detect it and install the driver for you). After it is set up correctly, you should notify that a new drive appears e.g. Removable Disk (E:). |
Figure 2.2. Copy the document reader, "TomeRaider.prc", and a document, "websters_encylo.pdb", to the PiDirect folder, which is "E:\Palm\PiDirect" in this case. |
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After you have copied these 2 files, eject the card from the card reader and then insert into the expansion card slot of your Palm device.
Step
2. Enable PiDirect
Fig. 2.3 |
Figure 2.3. Launch PiDirect, verify the path is "/Palm/PiDirect", and then tap on the enable button. After PiDirect is enabled, you will see "Databases on card" is 2. Now you can exit from PiDirect. |
Step
3. Run the document reader and read the document
After you exit from PiDirect you will see the TomeRaider icon. Tap TomeRaider icon to launch it and you are now ready to read the document.
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Fig. 2.4a |
Fig. 2.4b |
Fig. 2.4c |
Palm applications
commonly assume all databases reside on RAM. Some applications do not work well with PiDirect (e.g. Some
backup applications). PiDirect
need to be disable when enter those conflict applications, meanwhile PiDirect
may need to rescan after entering some applications (e.g. 3rd party
file manager),
User can set those
preferences in the preference list of PiDirect; PiDirect will handle those
conflict and rescan-needed applications automatically.
Fig. 3.1 Fig. 3.2 |
1. In PiDirectPanel, tap ¡§Disable¡¨ push button, the ¡§setting¡¨ button will appear. 2. Tap on the ¡§setting¡¨ button. The ¡§Prefs List¡¨ Form will pop up 3. User could tap on the ¡§default¡¨ button for PiDirect to arrange those common setting for you. 4. Tap the icon area of the conflict application to switch its state. (Pause and resume state is commonly used to avoid conflict) 5. Tap ¡§OK¡¨ to save the setting and exit 6. On PiDirectPanel, tap ¡§Enable¡¨ to re-enable PiDirect with the new preference. |
Note:
When entering or leaving ¡§Disable and Rescan¡¨ application, PiDirect need to clean up and rebuild the application list. It may cause the palm device blank out for a while during processing.
PiDirect allows user
to specify up to 16 user-specified sub-directories, and allows user to switch
between them in the PiDirectPanel
It is recommended user
to manage their files under different sub-directories. And switch between them simply.
Fig. 4.1 Fig. 4.2 |
1.
Tap PiDirect
icon to enter PiDirectPanel 2.
As show in
Figure 4.1, tap on the path name, and the active path list will pop up 3.
Select Edit Subdirectory list¡K. 4.
Figure 4.2.
Users can create/rename/delete any enter displayed here. 5.
Tap ¡§OK¡¨ when
completed 6.
Tap the path
trigger again, and select the active path for PiDirect |
Note:
The active path list
just provides a simple way for users to switch between different paths, it does
not create the sub-directory. However, if you select an active path that does
not exist on the expansion card, PiDirect will create it automatically when
users launch the File Manager.