One of the things we have been asking Pidion to change on their devices for ages was how the Power Button behaves on their devices and a few months ago they answered our customers prayers by providing a new full power button feature on their newer devices.  This FAQ works on the Pidion BM170, BIP-5000, BIP-6000 and the BIP-7000 too but we’re using the BM170 as the example on this one as it’s asked for most on this device.

Finding the Power Button App

Hidden in the depths of the settings you’ll find the power button set-up application.  It’s actually a new tab on the “Buttons” application which can be found in”

Windows Button -> Settings -> Personal ->Buttons -> Then click on the right tab twice and you get the power button screen as shown below.

We’ll talk you through the 3 options you have here

Power Control feature

 This feature allows you to select from 3 options

• Default – This means the button will just put the device into hibernate (Unattended) mode.  It will not do anything else with the device.
• Set Sleep/Wakeup delay - This simply tells the device the delay you want to put on the hibernate and wake up of the device.  The power button will still only hibernate the device but if you want to put a delay on the button action so that a 2 or 3 second press is required rather than a a quick press then select this option and put the desired time from the drop down menu.  This is useful to stop the device from waking up accidentally whilst in your pocket or tool box.
• Deep Sleep - This now changes the power button so that a short press will hibernate it and a long press will actually turn the device off completely.  You get a little confirmation box pop up before the device actually switches off.

 Hold Control

 This feature isn’t that obvious at first but it effects how the behave button behaves. 

The hold button short press can be set to launch a whole load of things. 

Just click the tabs in the Buttons application until you see the “Program Buttons” screen and you can select what this does. 

For instance the hold button is ideal as a launch key for the camera application.  This replaces the old, fixed hold functionality of the button that basically just locks the Semi Rugged PDA into the Lock screen.  This functionality is still useful though and indeed hasn’t gone away.  It is now operational on a long key press of the Hold button. 

The Hold Key

This feature here sets the delay you want that to happen. 

So setting this value to 5 seconds will mean in this example that a short press will put my device into the camera app, a 5 seconds long press will lock the device.  Hope that makes sense to everyone!

Wake Up Lock

This will automatically require you to unlock the device when it wakes up if selected.  If not then the device will wake up and the screen will be live just where you left it.  This is useful again if the device wakes up in a pocket, the screen will effectively be disabled so you can;t make any accidental phone calls.

Hope this helps people, as always don’t forget that we are the Number 1 Pidion experts here in the UK.  If you want any more help at all then just come and ask us and we’ll be happy to help.

www.ruggedandmobile.com