Oceanic Code and Macs

[tep]

Just publishing the protocol that sits on top of the USB layer would probably do the trick. From there you could pretty much figure out everything...

Take a look at the Internet model: everything you do (and I mean *everything*) is done over protocols that were openly published, and people wrote code to implement those protocols.

And if all the dive computer manufacturers decided to support a *single* protocol, (over time) they'd win because they wouldn't have to re-invent the wheel with every new product, *and* we'd likely end up with an industry-standard library for the device side, which would allow all the manufacturers to share development costs (and lower liability risks as well).

 

[ryssyr]

they wouldnt have to publish a 'standard' as long as the output was in a readable format with some definition such as an xml file you can do just about anything. the xml formats dont even have to be the same, just readable.

it sure would be nice to get some portability to the data from all of the various instruments.

 

[andrejs]

looks like i'm bringing up an old thread to life again - but I just wanted to say that I would absolutely love to get my hands on the Atom 2 - but still no Mac software.. Any updates on this? Anything in development?

 

[AndyDragon]

There are two ongoing projects which are working on cross-platform (xplat) libraries to allow downloading of the most popular dive computers. TnT is working on a C/C++ version of the library which is being integrated into MacDiveLog by t0w. I am working on a C#/.NET/Mono version of the library which will be used in my own xplat diving log software. Both of us strive to provide libraries on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. I currently have a tool which will download most of the Pelagic dive computers and save them as XML, either as UDCF or UDDF. I talked to t0w about also exporting to the format he imports, but I have not received an email from him yet.

If anyone would like to contribute their dive data to this cause, there is a downloader application which will read the contents of your computer and then you can send it to either TnT or myself (PM me, I'll reply with an email address). Further, if you are comfortable with computers, you can install a port monitor to watch the communication from the OEM software and the downloader interface and pass that along too.

The computer dumper application can be downloaded from this page:

Dive Computer Library Portal • Login

Unfortunately I haven't had time to update the Mac version of this application, so it needs to be run on Windows and it requires .NET 3.5 (WPF).

Instructions on installing and using portmon can be found here:

libdivecomputer, a library for communication with various dive computers.

The more dumps and logs we get, the better the work will be and the sooner it will be integrated with software packages on all platforms, if you have access to one of these computers, please contribute.

 

[hdiaz]

There are some significant, yet not impossible hurdles to overcome for either open code or a Mac version of the software. We're listening -

Hmm, no posts from Oceanic since Dec, 2007. In the meantime Mac OSX now has a 10% market share. I encourage Oceanic/Pelagic to work with the developer community to support the Mac platform.

 

[dewalds]

The rewrite of their software might be best and quicker...

OceanLog software is written in VB6 (Visual Basic 6.0 for the uninitiated... )

What this means is that it will only ever run on Windows OS. There are no redistributable libraries for VB6 for Mac OS.

Which also means, should Oceanic ever wish to support multiple OS, they'll also have to do a complete rewrite of their software...

The port monitor sounds like a very good idea! C# developer myself and my first thought upon opening was "this I need to rewrite!". Unfortunately there exists no known VB6 decompiler. :depressed:

But will give my Geo a run-through on the old portmon and get a data dump.

 

[AndyDragon]

Yes, the current version of OceanLog/ACI/HCI/SCI is VB6. It will be interesting to see if the new software with be VB.NET (or any other .NET language). Then it's time to break out reflector and see what's what...

As for the Mac, I'm working away at the dumper application using Monobjc Cocoa bridge. I've done some Mac development pre-OSX, so all of this Cocoa stuff is all new and there's not a ton of sample code for using Monobjc, Cocoa# or NObjective, so it's SLOW going. Rest assured, work IS progressing.

BTW, a log from the GEO would be great. It's one of the computers we don't have a log from...

 

[dewalds]

Unfortunately my GEO still brand, spanking new... ITCHING to get in the water and give it a test-run, but at the moment the only data being dumped is my personal settings...

However, as soon as I've done a dive or 10 (hopefully soon!!) I'll do a dump and upload.

But dumping the personal settings so long to try and read the bytes into readable data for some "practise".

 

[AndyDragon]

Even a full memory dump from an empty computer is VERY useful (for us to see what the memory looks like in a default state so we can determine this in our code).

 

[baha]

For what it's worth, here's another pleading vote for a mac version. But mac or PC, the bugs really must be addressed. I'm running V2.2.3 and I must say it is the most klunky, buggy piece of software I have ever used.

Oceanic, please help!!