Need direct device control on a thin client from a Web app

[Charles Lavin]

Hi --

I need to develop a Web POS application that will be run from a thin client.
I haven't figured out exactly what we'll use to develop this app, but we are
considering two thin clients from Wyse. The app needs direct control of the
thin client's serial and parallel ports, to properly drive receipt printers
and cash drawers.

The thin clients we are considering are:

-- Wyse Winterm 3150SE,
http://www.wyse.com/products/winterm/3150SE/index.asp: This is a Windows CE
5.0 unit.

-- Wyse Winterm 9150SE,
http://www.wyse.com/products/winterm/9150SE/index.asp: This is a Windows XP
Embedded unit.

My biggest concern is setting up a server-based app that can properly print
receipts to the receipt printer and trigger the cash drawer on the thin
client when it's supposed to, without user intervention on the thin client
side.

Any suggestions or input to help me would be appreciated. What
technology/ies would be best suited to build this project? Is Windows XP
Embedded preferable to Windows CE 5.0 -- especially for local device
control?

Thanks,
CL

 

[Sean Liming \(eMVP\)]

Actualy there is a new offering from Microsoft called WEPOS and POS for
..NET. WEPOS is built on XPe, but installs like XP Pro from CD. Unlike XPe,
WEPOS can get updates directly from Windows Update servers. POS for .NET is
an implementation of the UPOS specification for C# and VB.NET developers.
Using POS for .NET, I was able to write a POS applications that controls a
serial receipt printer and cash drawer. You might find it easier create an
app using POS for .NET in XP than CE.

More information:
newsgroup: microsoft.public.windows.embedded.pointofservice
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/embedded/wepos/default.mspx

Regards,

Sean Liming
www.sjjmicro.com / www.seanliming.com
XP Embedded Book Author - XP Embedded Advanced, XP Embedded Supplemental
Toolkit.

 

[Charles Lavin]

Hi Sean --

Thanks for the info. I'm reading up on it now.

But would WEPOS be installed on top of whatever is in the thin client, or
instead of it?

CL

 

[Charles Lavin]

Hi Sean --

Thanks for the info. I'm reading up on it now.

But would WEPOS be installed on top of whatever is in the thin client, or
instead of it?

CL

 

[Glyn Davies]

WEPOS is an alternative to XP Embedded in this case, it would be
installed instead of XP Pro / Embedded (on your 9150SE)

ActiveX controls are handy for controlling hardware devices on a
machine from within a web browser / JavaScript.

I haven't actually used the WEPOS software in anger yet, but it looks
fairly straightforward, and similar in some ways to the WOSA/XFS
standards (ActiveX controls for ATMs)

The big advantage is the abstraction away from any one vendors
hardware. (in theory anyway!)

Glyn

 

[Sean Liming \(eMVP\)]

WEPOS was built with XPe, but it installs like XP Pro. In the end, it will
wipe out what is there.


I think POS for .NET is what you are really looking for, but the question is
will POS for .NET install and work on the WYSE XPe thin client. This I don't
know. You can download and install the POS for .NET 1.1 SDK. Once installed,
it has everything needed to create and run a POS application and support a
application that accesses a receipt printer and cash drawer.


In the not to distant future, I should have a page on the seanliming.com
site for WEPOS/POS for .NET, which will have some POS for .NET examples.


Regards,

Sean Liming
www.sjjmicro.com / www.seanliming.com
XP Embedded Book Author - XP Embedded Advanced, XP Embedded Supplemental
Toolkit.

 

[barbato]

Hi Charles,

KLone (koanlogic.com) does exactly what you need, it lets you embed low
level code (C/C++) into HTML pages just like ASP does with VB code.
You could write all high level application logic in HTML/Javascript (or
AJAX if you prefer) and serial/parallel code in C/C++ (possibly using
vendor libraries).

bye,

Stefano Barbato
KoanLogic srl - http://koanlogic.com