News | September 6, 2011

Rugged PDA Gets OS Upgrade, Biometric Module

DAP Technologies announced Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 support and a new biometrics module for a small, lightweight PDA (personal digital assistant). The DAP M2000 includes a 520MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, a 3.5-inch touchscreen, an optional GPS receiver and GPRS/EDGE cellular module, plus an available RFID reader and 1D or 1D/2D scanner, the company says.

DAP first introduced its M2000 PDA in October 2010, offering two different models, as we review later in this story. Both came with Windows CE 5.0, but the company is now offering Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5, which is built on Windows Mobile 6.5 and features a revamped user interface as well as telephony extensions.

DAP has also released an add-on biometrics module, pictured above, which is said to include the following:

a three-track magnetic stripe reader capable of reading credentials including drivers licenses and credit cards
a FIPS 201-certified fingerprint reader module
a machine readable zone (MRZ) reader for reading passports and other travel documents

Clearly, the module adds significantly to the size of the M2000, though DAP did not say by how much. The PDA itself measures just 6.1 x 3.2 x 1.2 inches with its standard 2200mAh battery -- a high-capacity 4000mAh version is also available -- and weighs just 13.3 ounces, according to the company.

DAP says the M2000 is "ideally suited for use in field service, utility, transportation, logistics, parking enforcement, and warehouse environments." The device is sealed against dust and liquids to the stringent IP65 standard, withstands multiple five-foot drops, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -4 to 122 deg. F (-20 to 50 deg. C), according to the company.

The sole difference between the M2010 model (above left) and the M2020 (above right) is that the former has a 12-key numeric keypad, whereas the latter has a 26-key alphanumeric keypad (it's laid out alphabetically rather than QWERTY-style). Both models are available with a 1D laser scanner or a 1D/2D imager, according to DAP, which says an HF RFID reader and a GPS receiver may also be specified.

Using a 520MHz Marvell PXA270 processor, both models include 128MB of RAM, 1GB of flash storage, and a user-accessible SD slot, according to DAP. Standard ports are said to include IrDA (not common these days) plus a microphone input, headphone output, and an "LIF" connector that provides RS232 and USB 1.1 host/client signals as well as a DC input. Offered connectivity options, meanwhile, are 802.11b/g wireless, Bluetooth 2.0, and GPRS/EDGE cellular. DAP does not say whether the handhelds may be used for voice calls, though the availability of Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 makes this more likely than it was in the past.

Features and specifications listed by DAP Technologes for the M2010 and M2020 include:

Processor -- Marvell PXA270 clocked at 520MHz
Memory -- 128MB of RAM and 1GB of flash storage
Expansion -- SD slot
Display -- 3.5-inch touchscreen with 320 x 240 pixel resolution
Keyboard -- backlit 12-key numeric keypad (M2010) or 26-key alphanumeric keypad, plus additional control and scanner buttons
Imaging -- 1D laser scanner or 1D/2D imager
Wireless:
- WLAN -- 802.11b/g (optional)
- PAN -- Bluetooth 2.0
- WAN -- cellular (GSM/GPRS/EDGE; optional)
- GPS receiver (optional)
Other I/O:
- LIF connector:
  - USB 1.1 client/host
  - RS232
  - DC in
- IrDA
- microphone input
- headphone output
Battery -- 2200mAh (standard); 4000mAh (optional)
Operating range -- -4 to 122 deg. F (-20 to 50 deg. C)
Dimensions -- 6.1 x 3.2 x 1.2 inches (150 x 67 x 25mm)
Weight -- 13.3 ounces (380g)
Operating system -- Windows CE 5.0 or Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5

Khalid Kidari, DAP's director of product management and marketing, stated, "The addition of the Windows Embedded Handheld Operating system and the biometrics module makes the M2000 a more robust offering, providing users additional functionality on an already powerful handheld computer."

SOURCE: DAP Technologies