Pocket PC software to evaluate drip irrigation lateral diameters with on-line emitters

This communication presents the development of a freeware for mobile devices (Smartphone and pocket PC). It was developed with a LabVIEW PDA® program, and enables engineers and installers to calculate commercial diameters to be used in laterals of drip irrigation, without the need for being at the personal computer. Specifically, this freeware allows users to immediately evaluate the sensibility to changing demands (e.g. crop, water needs, spacing, etc.) in all the range of commercial diameters for drip lines with on-line drippers. Input data required are: drippers flow rates, number of drippers, spacing between the drippers, medium pressure in the lateral and pressure tolerance. As results, it shows with a figure with light emitting diodes (LED), the commercial diameters that can be used. Other results implemented in this tool are the maximum and minimum pressures for each diameter and a table that shows, on a comparative basis, whether the pressure tolerance of every diameter is exceeded or not.