How much recourses does destinator PC need?

david_liz · 09-12-2003, 06:26 AM

I'll try tomorrow destinator v2 PC (the SDK version with the Pocket PC maps) on an old laptop, P400 or so. Will this be sufficient? If it runs on a <300 PDA, I think it would work... What do you think?

Thanks!

GingerPrince · 09-12-2003, 09:02 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by david_liz

I'll try tomorrow destinator v2 PC (the SDK version with the Pocket PC maps) on an old laptop, P400 or so. Will this be sufficient? If it runs on a <300 PDA, I think it would work... What do you think?

Thanks!

Probably "work", but I find even on my EPIA-M 9000 (933MHz) that it lags behind my position slightly, especially when it rotates the 3D map at junctions etc.

Seraph · 09-12-2003, 10:44 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by david_liz

I'll try tomorrow destinator v2 PC (the SDK version with the Pocket PC maps) on an old laptop, P400 or so. Will this be sufficient? If it runs on a <300 PDA, I think it would work... What do you think?

Thanks!

Comparing 300Mhz processor on PDA and 400Mhz processor on a laptop is like comparing oranges to apples. They are different type of processors.

henkbliek · 09-12-2003, 03:07 PM

Regarding apples and oranges; take one of each of about the same size and you'll notice that they weight about the same and also that they fall equally fast when you drop them

The lag in display update of destinator is caused by the GPS receiver, which only generates the postition information once a second.

Here on my laptop (without GPS attached), destinator uses 41.3MB with the dutch map.

david_liz · 09-12-2003, 03:17 PM

All GPS receivers have the same updating rate? Or the best ones, like GPS35-36 do faster updates? Other question... I know that for having lat/long info 3 satellites are all we need, and 4 for 3D reception. But how many satellites do normally a gps lock with? Locking with more gives more precision? I think the answ is YES, but only want to ask.

Alanh · 09-12-2003, 11:27 PM

I can't speak for all GPS receivers, but 1 second update is very common. Some have higher rates, but they cost more. Garmin has one (not a handheld - a version of the GPS16) that had something like 5 per second, but it was quite a bit more expensive as I recall.

I assume the calculations are complex enough it takes a fair amount of horsepower to do them faster. The earlier generations of chips probably couldn't provide that, and it probably wasn't even considered necessary for most consumer uses.

I don't know how many actual GPS chips are out there, but lots of brands are probably using the same chips so the core features will tend to be the same.

I can't add any real knowledge about the accuracy with more satellites. I've read just a little, but I don't think that more gets better accuracy necessarily. Most units use only a small number even if many satellites are in view. I think its actually a pretty complex issue that would take some real study to understand fully.

andymitch1971 · 09-20-2003, 05:33 AM

HI

THANX

wallyworld · 09-26-2003, 05:11 PM

There are separate versions for pocketpc and for pc...

Magnezium · 10-05-2003, 01:17 PM

People, please, the a 400MHz system is fine to run Desitinator v2. This is very simple. All you need to do is go into the windows system manager (Shortcut: Windows Key+Break) and go into performance and (in windows 98) click graphics and lower the slider down at least 2 notches, or (win xp) change the performance of the computer to higher performance rather than all that crap windows puts in for "viewing pleasure". Fact is, you can run destinator on a 200MHz machine without lag. I've done it. As for the alpha processors and the intel strongARM processors that they put in the PDAs, they are FAR different then the pentium class that we use in laptops and desktops. They use a short-command system with a very impressive math database. But simply, because they use less resources (from less hardware) they are much faster Hz for Hz. I have 2 laptops that run Destinator at the exact same speed (aside from loading) and one is 500MHz and the other is 1.13GHz.

My two cents

Magnezium.

unsavory · 01-20-2004, 08:50 PM

After reading this I think I'm going to change my system to be an Athlon 64 with 4 Gigs of RAM so I can run 12 destinators all at the same time.

Thoughts?

RX7FDTT · 01-21-2004, 11:59 AM

As to the gps question, well in theory 5 is better than 4, the problem is every additional signal you add to the calculation adds error, and what you want in reality is 4 sattelites spaced at least 90 degrees appart on at least 1 axis...
If not 2, the troubble comes from picking which ones are the strongest, and axially furthest appart.
If you draw 4 lines across a piece of paper trying to create a center you'll likely end up with some sort of star patten at the center, the issue is that unless you plan your lines very carefully, none of the lines will intersect on the EXACT same spot, likely is they'll be in the neighborhood, but not exactly, and that's the trick if you get more samples per second, you might be able to average out the error, and give the user a rough guestimate as to his location.
If you slow the process down it will seem like the dot is dancing around, which is the error you are seeing...

BTW, In reality you need 3 points of reference to plot a 3D position and 2 Points of Reference for a 2.5D position. The forth is a safety for if one of the sattelites dissapers from view, the point on the map won't start darting off into the distance....

unsavory · 01-21-2004, 01:26 PM

Very informative. Thanks. I was kidding about the Athlon-multi-destinator thing btw.