Multilevel 1.9 PDA

1. Introduction

From this very moment the software can be downloaded from the server. I switched from a download-based fee to web-page advertizing. The resulting revenues are primarily used for maintainance of this web-site and my non-profit decompression medicine research, which in turn will lead to safer diving procedures for the whole diving community. Please read the licence statement before you use the software.

Multilevel 1.9 PDA is the second international release of this decompression software and also the first version especially designed for personal digital organizers (PDA).The first German version dates back to 1996. It all started with an MS-DOS version, much like the famous "Dr. X". Several Windows - version were released afterwards, written in the powerful but platform- dependent C++ - programming language. In 1998 the Java Revolution provided the world with the fascinating possibility of a platform-independent programming language. I soon realized the huge potential and converted  my source code to Java. It was well worth the effort and I am sure, never to return to the C++ - world. Meanwhile I have the great pleasure, to provide the diving community with the first professional mixed-gas decompression software that is running on different platforms like Windows NT/95/98/XP/Vista, Windows CE/mobile, Linux, MacOS, Unix etc.......
In 1999 the first international version of Multilevel (version 1.6) was released.

Multilevel 1.9 PDA is remarkable in that it comes with a number of very useful features:

• Platform independent Java software running on both PDAs as well as on stationary PCs
• Uses the fully documented Bühlmann ZH-L16 multi-tissue algorithm supplemented with the unique ZH-L17_TS deep stop generating algorithm that has proven its usefulness on numerous deep trimix cave dives
• Can be used with the 3 standard diving gases oxygen, helium and nitrogen
• Step-by-step real-time deco calculation which is especially useful in overhead environments like caves
• Can jump backwards in time
• Deco prognosis utility can be used to simulate the impact of different settings on the deco without changing the real saturation status
• No limitations in depth and time
  
• Displays ceilings for each single compartment thus emergency deco schedules for fast (CNS!) tissues can be generated
• Displays saturation status for each single compartment thus revealing the mystery of the deco model "black box"
• Displays CNS clock and OTU
• Adjustable deco interval starting from 1 m
• Trimix and nitrox blending utility with refill option
• First deco software that uses the dump ratio of passive-addition rebreathers for the calculation of gas consumption and inspiratory inert gas fraction
• Profiles can be easily exported to third party applications using the clipboard
• Gas consumption (adjustable RMV and tank capacity) and runtime are displayed
• Altitude diving is supported
• Repetitive diving with user-defined surface intervals is supported
• The safety factor has a linear impact on the tolerated inert gas overpressure and comes very close to the gradient factor concept
• Intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI) optimized for simplicity of use

Attention: Multilevel has been tested with various operating systems and WWW-browsers, but problems might possibly occurr, since I have used the AWT- and not the (truly platform-independent) Swing - classes because the program had to be able to run on a simple WWW-browser under Java 1.02. Although the software has generally proven to be platform-independent, the GUI might have to be altered on particular operating systems. This can most probably happen with handheld PCs with small screens, operating on systems like Windows CE/Mobile or Palm OS.
However, generally speaking, the availability of JVMs on even exotic operating systems is steadily improving. Java has meanwhile earned a reputation of running on a lot of different consumer devices from mobile phones to Network PCs and has become more accepted than ever before. Please give me some sort of feedback on which platforms you have successfully tested Multilevel.
There can be no doubt that one of the most powerful platforms for Multilevel 1.9 PDA is the Sharp SL-5500, called "Zaurus".
Since Linux and Java are already on bord, this powerful handheld is certainly the best choice if you want to run Multilevel on a PDA.

Until this very moment the following platforms have proven successful:   

Operating System	Java - Environment	Remarks
Windows 98/NT/XP/Vista	Netscape, Firefox (Java Plugin), Internet Explorer	OK
Windows CE/Mobile	Microsoft JVM	on Casio's Cassiopeia
Embeddix	Jeode JVM (preinstalled on the "Zaurus"!)	Runs flawlessly on Sharp SL-5500
Linux	Netscape Communicator 4.x or greater	OK
MacOS	Netscape Communicator 4.x or greater	OK

Check http://java.sun.com to find a JVM for your platform. Please let me include your experience with Multilevel on this site!
For suggestions and questions I can be contacted at  .

And last but not least I would like to thank the members of Höhlenforschungsgruppe Ostalb/Kirchheim e.V. (HFGOK) and Höhlentauchsektion des Verbandes deutscher Höhlen- und Karstforscher (HTS-VdHK), who have supported the development and testing of Multilevel .