BarCode Reader Help.

[Rico]

Hello,

I have an application that uses a barcode reader for asset management. My
problem is, the barcode reader that I'm using will spit numbers and letters
out no matter which application I'm in (including Word, Excel, etc). Is
there a clean way I can only register barcode reading in my application?
I'd like to read the codes behind the scenes and pull up related information
for the equipment being scanned.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Rick

 

[Miro]

I would assume thats the programming of teh barcode reader.

Barcode readers come with a booklet with a scannable set of barcodes on how
you want it to run.

We use a barcode reader - and pulling it into notepad ( scanning a barcode
into notepad that has numbers and letters ) works fine.

I would pull up notepad and take a look to see if you have your 'config
book' for your reader.
I think its the setup on the reader itself.

Miro

 

[code39man]

All scanner programming books have a Default barcode or factory
settings etc. follow the instructions and use this barcode. This
should get rid of any preprogramming and get it back to sending just
the straight barcode. Remember though that if you are still using the
Asset system which needs the barcode split up like that then this may
no longer work. You may have to set up the same splits etc to get it
working again with the asset program.

Cheers
Ces

 

[JDS]

I think it is probably the way that the barcode reader is connected.
You can either connect one using a "wedge" cable that allows you to
plug the keyboard and barcode reader into the same PS/2 port and the
data from both is merged (I suspect this is what you have) or you can
connect one directly in to a serial or USB port.

If this is correct, then you should be able to get a different cable
from the supplier and then in your application monitor the com port
for data coming in from the barcode reader.

HTH

 

[Andrew Baker]

JDS is close.

*Most* bar code readers just emulate a keyboard so the numbers scanned come
just as though you had typed them using a keyboard. This way scanners work
without requiring specialist software built into an application but it might
make what you want to do an impossibility.

 

[Dick Grier]

Hi,

The only clean way to do this is to use a barcode reader that DOES NOT
emulate a keyboard (HMI) device. Thus, you should use a serial (RS-232) or
USB device that creates a virtual serial port -- and read data using
standard serial IO.

Dick

--
Richard Grier, MVP
Hard & Software
Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, Fourth
Edition,
ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages, includes CD-ROM). July 2004, Revised March
2006.
See www.hardandsoftware.net for details and contact information.

 

[Rico]

Thanks Dick, that gives me a few ideas to check. The reader is plugged into
a USB port and instead of just blasting whatever is canned onto the current
window, I just wanted to know how to "listen" to the port for barcode input.
I still have some reading to do it looks like. Is there a "best practices"
or some sort of documentation online that I can read about the best way to
handle such an application?

Any guidance is appreciated.

Thanks!
Rick

 

[James Hahn]

If it's plugged into a USB port, but providing input to the current active
window (whatever it is) then there must be an application, such as a USB
device driver, that is monitoring that port and displaying that input. So
your best starting point would be to examine the software that was installed
with the scanning device to see if there's a way of controlling the output
of that driver.

Perhaps a generic HID driver got installed when the device was connected, so
that the system treats it as a keyboard.