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Getting Started with Android on the Trimble Juno T41
You just received your rugged Trimble Juno T41 with Android. Now what? This article will show you how to answer basic questions like upgrading the Android version and installing applications.
The box appeared on my desk. Inside was a very rugged-looking Trimble Juno T41 mobile device running Android. A couple of thoughts immediately came to mind. “Is my device running the latest version of the OS? How do I install my application on it?” (I have an APK file that someone on my team wrote.) This article will guide you through the basics of getting your Android-based Juno T41 up and running.
First, OS version. To check the OS version, it is very much like any other Android device. Go to Settings > About Phone (at the bottom of the list). The current Android version for the Juno T41 is 4.1.2. However, bugs are sometimes found after a release is done, or new features are added, so you will need to check beyond the Android version. For the T41, the most important number is the OS version. At the time of this article, the most current OS version is 2.0.5, which is still Android 4.1.2. (The T41 OS versions of 1.x were Android 2.3.) The Download section on the Trimble website has information about how to download and install the latest OS version (look for Juno T41 Downloads).
Once you confirm that you’re running the latest OS version, you will want to install your application. Several ways exist to do this. Because the Juno T41 does not have the Google Play store available at this time, you will want to enable the ability to install applications from SD card or applications that were downloaded from a website. This configuration knob is found in Settings > Security, where you can enable “Unknown sources”. But, be careful that you only install applications that you trust.
The Juno T41 does not come with a file manager. If you’re going to install applications from SD cards, then you should start by installing one. First, connect to a network, either cellular or Wi-Fi. Second, search for “OI filemanager apk” in the Google search bar. You’ll see a link to http://code.google.com/.... Follow that one, and download the OpenIntents File Manager (currently at version 2.0.2). Once it is downloaded, select the downloaded file to install it, either from the action bar at the top, or from Downloads application.
At this point, you will be able to install applications from SD card using OI File Manager (navigate to the SD card, then select the APK file to install), or by searching for other APK files on the web. In the next blog, I will cover some more advanced methods for installing applications and communicating with your desktop computer. Finally, while these instructions are specifically for the Juno T41, you may also find them helpful for other AOSP (Android Open Source Project) devices that do not have Google Play installed.