Manifold® GPS Tools for Microsoft Access® 97

ZDNet Editor's choice:  5 Stars! Wow! ZDNet reviewed Manifold GPS Tools  and awarded a coveted 5 Star Editor's Choice review, the very best!  Among other superlatives, here's what ZDNet had to say: "The setup program takes care of the add-in installation, then the detailed online help explains the program's straightforward, easy-to-use interface. Here's a perfect tool for anyone who needs detailed, accurate latitude/longitude information quickly."  We are pleased to announce that this is the third ZDNet "Editor's Pick" award (two five star awards and one four star award) won by manifold.net products.

Free Trial Users:  Get your fully-licensed edition at the Manifold.net Online Store.

Update Information: GPS Tools for Access 97 is a legacy product that will not be evolved past Access 97.  All manifold.net GPS development efforts are now centered in our GIS product, Manifold System. Manifold System includes a GPS console and thousands of more capabilities than the GPS Tools product. For information on Manifold System, see the Manifold home page at http://www.manifold.net. 

More on GPS Tools

Just about everyone has Microsoft's Access 97 database system, so why not use a database system you already know how to use for GPS data collection?  Manifold GPS Tools are an add-in  product that installs into an Access 97 database installation.  No other software is required, only Access.    Manifold GPS Tools are only $45 - Wow! You must have Access 97 installed to use GPS Tools.  

Try Manifold GPS Tools for Free! We've prepared a fully functional Trial Edition that will run full-power for 14 days after installation.  Download the GPS Tools Beta and check it out for yourself.  You'll be amazed at how easy it is to use GPS devices with Access.   Download Free Trial 

Connect a GPS Device to your Computer - Use any NMEA compatible Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver connected via a serial port to your computer.  GPS Tools can be used interactively, to fetch Current Position, or in Batch Mode to "track" Current Position or to download waypoints and routes stored in the GPS device.  GPS Tools wizards make GPS data acquisition a snap. 

Rich selection of GPS data items - Manifold's GPS Tools fetch all the data your GPS device generates that you desire.  Downloadable fields include Latitude, Longitude, Speed, Bearing, Time, Altitude, GPS Quality, and the Number of Satellites in view.   Waypoints and Routes may be downloaded in batch mode, or the GPS can be interrogated automatically to "track" GPS data. Here's a really cool feature: just one mouse click updates your computer system clock using the atomic clock accuracy of the GPS system. Your computer system's clock is only good to a second or so accuracy, but why not use the most accurate timepiece you'll ever own to set the time?   Excellent! 

Automatic or Interactive Table Construction -  You can import any of the above fields into Tables that you've already created, or you can have GPS Tools automatically create new Tables for you.

Interactive Table Display for Quick Edits - GPS Tool dialogs provide table displays, so that you can edit data as you fetch it from GPS.  Suppose you've got a comments field in which you would like to enter some notes on a particular GPS fix you've appended to the table - simply click into the box and enter your comments just the way you would with any Access table.

Sophisticated Route and Route Waypoint Management -  A route is a list of waypoints in order.  Some GPS devices can store more than one route.  Manifold GPS Tools can automatically build a route table that's related to a list of waypoints using an Access relationship.  Neat!

Atomic Clock Time Setting for your Computer System - GPS devices utilize a synchronized time signal that establishes atomic clock time accuracy for each and every GPS receiver, even the least expensive portable unit.  In addition to providing location data, your GPS receiver is also the most accurate clock your computer system will ever meet.  GPS Tools includes a time synchronization function that with a single mouse click will set your computer system's on-board clock using the phenomenally accurate GPS time signal. This method won't convert your computer to an atomic clock, of course, because computer system clocks are only accurate to a second or so.  But NMEA sentences and Windows can certainly set accuracy within this range with a single mouse click using GPS Tools.  Even if you only set the time accurate to the nearest second or so, isn't it great to know that your computer's accuracy is all it possibly can be using the most accurate clock, your GPS, you'll ever own?

Uses

• Asset Management - A laptop with a GPS is the easiest way to keep track of the location of your assets.  For that matter, in many asset management applications you can simply store waypoints and asset ID numbers into one of the newer portable GPS units and skip the laptop altogether.  Download the data into your Access/GPS Tools equipped computer back at the office.
• Route Tracking - GPS Tools' track feature will automatically add a position fix after whatever time duration you specify.   Use this to build a record of ship, aircraft, or land vehicle movements.
• Mapping - Why use an expensive and difficult to use GIS for data acquisition?  You probably already own Access and know how to use it well.  Use GPS Tools to interactively add position points to your database, or use track mode with a short time interval to simply drive the boundaries of your ranch property, timberland, road system, or whatever it is you are mapping.  You can then transfer the Access data to a cool mapping program like Manifold System to create spectacular, custom maps and geographic data sets.
• Environmental Surveys - You are probably already using Access to keep track of environmental data.  Now, add an exact location to your databases by including a GPS location with each sample or data point.
• Precision Geocoding - Many metropolitan areas are located within the coverage of differential GPS beacons and so enjoy GPS position accuracy down to five meters (15 feet) or less.  This makes it possible for cities and utilities to precisely geocode the location of specific homes, addresses, buildings, utilities facilities such as transformers and more.    Batch geocoders simply cannot provide this level of accuracy.

Try Manifold GPS Tools for Free! We've prepared a fully functional Trial Edition that will run full-power for 14 days after installation.  Download it and check it out for yourself.   Download Free Trial

Manifold GPS Tools for Access are only $45, and are available exclusively as a downloaded product from the  Online Store.  To buy this product and download it right now, jump on over to the Manifold.net Online Store.

Want more information? Read the online User Manual for Manifold GPS Tools.

Companion Products: If you like GPS Tools for Access, you will love Manifold Database Commander.   Manifold Commander provides the best and easiest to use environment for data editing, data manipulation, field calculations, statistics and much more. Over 75 functions give you full control over text, numeric, date/time, and boolean fields. 

Manifold GPS Tools for Access runs in Windows '95, Windows '98, Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and Server, and in Windows 2000.