BC Hydro – Customized Field Mapping and Editing Software

BC Hydro – Customized Field Mapping and Editing Software

In 1998 Underhill was contracted by BC Hydro to provide a field computer system to reconcile their GFIS GIS and customer services databases, prior to migration to a new enterprise GIS (EGIS) in SmallWorld. The field work was necessary to support the implementation of an outage management system.

The system was based on Underhill’s electrical GIS core technology Distribution Circuit Builder— and called Copan FM–Electric. It ran on Fujitsu pen computers, and integrated L1 12-channel OEM GPS sensors. The system provided

  • data import/export via IBM IFF and DB2,
  • compatibility with BCH ‘s overhead–underground service to transformer model,
  • full connectivity and attribution tools,
  • full data editing capabilities),
  • database reconciliation,
  • display of BCH GIS data to BCH graphic standards,
  • note taking capabilities, and
  • GPS positioning and map location functions.

Underhill also provided full training and documentation.
Read our paper Field Inventory Approach to Data Conversion presented at CIRED’02.