Symbol LS4278 Scanner: Getting batch mode data to the database
I'm using the barcodes and process under "Standard Batch Mode" in this document to enable, store and then send batch mode data to a memo field on a form which then gets processed and used in the database:
http://support.scansource.com/images/TKP3XXX%20Articles/TKP3551/TKP3551.pdf
This method overall works fine, but with a couple of things I want to improve:
1. The textbox that receives the scanned data is enabled, and the user might inadvertently change the scanned data.
2. The cursor remains in the textbox after the scanner sends the data, so the user currently has to hit the enter key or otherwise manually exit the textbox to trigger the After Update code (which I want to run automatically after receiving the data)
So a few questions about this:
1. Is it possible to programatically *read* data from the scanner rather than having the scanner send it to the database? This would take care of both of the issues I mentioned above. If so, can you point me in the direction of a good reference?
2. If not, is it possible to force the cursor to leave the textbox and trigger the after update event after the batch data is sent?
3. Is there a better approach to this that I am not aware of -- preferably with no third party software/solutions?
Thanks!
http://support.scansource.com/images/TKP3XXX%20Articles/TKP3551/TKP3551.pdf
This method overall works fine, but with a couple of things I want to improve:
1. The textbox that receives the scanned data is enabled, and the user might inadvertently change the scanned data.
2. The cursor remains in the textbox after the scanner sends the data, so the user currently has to hit the enter key or otherwise manually exit the textbox to trigger the After Update code (which I want to run automatically after receiving the data)
So a few questions about this:
1. Is it possible to programatically *read* data from the scanner rather than having the scanner send it to the database? This would take care of both of the issues I mentioned above. If so, can you point me in the direction of a good reference?
2. If not, is it possible to force the cursor to leave the textbox and trigger the after update event after the batch data is sent?
3. Is there a better approach to this that I am not aware of -- preferably with no third party software/solutions?
Thanks!
You can use mscomm contol from vb6. The data comes from serial port, and you send it to the database programmatically. No textboxes.
For that you need scanner that connects to serial port or usb.
For that you need scanner that connects to serial port or usb.
Looked at the scanner manual...not much support in the gun itself. It's only capable of transmitting a suffix and batch control is controlled by the gun itself either by scanning a bar code or being setup to touching the cradle.
Symbol does have a full SDK though, so it would be possible to really get into things. That gun can also be hooked up in a number of ways (USB, Wedge Device, Serial Port, etc). A serial type setup would give you a lot more control and there is a Virtual Com Port driver available (you hook it up to a USB port, but it appears to the OS as a serial/com port).
Jim.
Symbol does have a full SDK though, so it would be possible to really get into things. That gun can also be hooked up in a number of ways (USB, Wedge Device, Serial Port, etc). A serial type setup would give you a lot more control and there is a Virtual Com Port driver available (you hook it up to a USB port, but it appears to the OS as a serial/com port).
Jim.
ASKER
Jim,
Just confirming that we're reading this the same way - my understanding is that you can set up a suffix for each barcode scanned, but you can't set up a suffix to appear just once at the end of a batch transmission.
Vadim,
If memory serves me right that mscomm control was included in earlier versions of Access. I'm using Access 2010. Do I have to install VB to use it?
Thanks for the responses. I'll check back into this and try to test things later today.
Just confirming that we're reading this the same way - my understanding is that you can set up a suffix for each barcode scanned, but you can't set up a suffix to appear just once at the end of a batch transmission.
Vadim,
If memory serves me right that mscomm control was included in earlier versions of Access. I'm using Access 2010. Do I have to install VB to use it?
Thanks for the responses. I'll check back into this and try to test things later today.
<<Just confirming that we're reading this the same way - my understanding is that you can set up a suffix for each barcode scanned, but you can't set up a suffix to appear just once at the end of a batch transmission.>>
Not sure. I haven't worked with Symbol in a long time....so long in fact that batch operations were a "new" feature, so I'm not sure how it really handles it. Should be fairly quick to turn on and try. I think though that you are right; it would be a prefix/suffix on each scan. But there may be an option to control batch transmissions as well.
I registered for Motorola's site a while ago and want to look at the SDK. The gun should be fully controllable from the PC side, but it may be more work then it's worth.
I also noticed that through ADF (Advanced Data Formatting) rules, you can program the gun to do prefixes/suffixes on a scan. The suffix only setup I noticed before (which I thought was pretty lame) was just a way of doing an "easy" setup. You can do a lot more with the gun directly. Their 123SCAN utility allows you to do this with a GUI.
Jim.
Not sure. I haven't worked with Symbol in a long time....so long in fact that batch operations were a "new" feature, so I'm not sure how it really handles it. Should be fairly quick to turn on and try. I think though that you are right; it would be a prefix/suffix on each scan. But there may be an option to control batch transmissions as well.
I registered for Motorola's site a while ago and want to look at the SDK. The gun should be fully controllable from the PC side, but it may be more work then it's worth.
I also noticed that through ADF (Advanced Data Formatting) rules, you can program the gun to do prefixes/suffixes on a scan. The suffix only setup I noticed before (which I thought was pretty lame) was just a way of doing an "easy" setup. You can do a lot more with the gun directly. Their 123SCAN utility allows you to do this with a GUI.
Jim.
Rather then a single memo control, what about using a popup form in continious view to accept scans?
Then it would not matter if they did a single scan, batched on loss of signal, or batched by touching the cradle.
A thought anyway.
Jim.
Then it would not matter if they did a single scan, batched on loss of signal, or batched by touching the cradle.
A thought anyway.
Jim.
ASKER
Is this the manual you were looking at?
http://www.posmicro.com/downloads/ls4278_manual.pdf
Just thinking aloud... starting on page 8 - 12 is a listing of ASCII characters and keystrokes. Perhaps if I had the users scan "$M" (ctrl-M/Enter) as the last item in a batch scan it would force the cursor out of the textbox when the data gets transferred. I'll try that when I'm back at my computer.
<<but it may be more work then it's worth>>
That is actually a very important trade-off here in determining what to do... the client wants this as soon as possible, so I can't spend an enormous amount of time on it.
http://www.posmicro.com/downloads/ls4278_manual.pdf
Just thinking aloud... starting on page 8 - 12 is a listing of ASCII characters and keystrokes. Perhaps if I had the users scan "$M" (ctrl-M/Enter) as the last item in a batch scan it would force the cursor out of the textbox when the data gets transferred. I'll try that when I'm back at my computer.
<<but it may be more work then it's worth>>
That is actually a very important trade-off here in determining what to do... the client wants this as soon as possible, so I can't spend an enormous amount of time on it.
ASKER
<<
Rather then a single memo control, what about using a popup form in continious view to accept scans?
>>
I actually started out with a similar approach, but they are not going to be carrying a tablet or laptop with them.
Although, if I add suffixes to each scan - perhaps it would automatically cursor to the next control and populate them sequentially. Is that what you had in mind?
Rather then a single memo control, what about using a popup form in continious view to accept scans?
>>
I actually started out with a similar approach, but they are not going to be carrying a tablet or laptop with them.
Although, if I add suffixes to each scan - perhaps it would automatically cursor to the next control and populate them sequentially. Is that what you had in mind?
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Thanks for the replies, and sorry for the slow feedback.
Both of these look like they should work, and I've seen a working sample using the OPOS Driver.
I'm not 100% there in my own application though - it may have had to do with registering the controls (the properties were read-only).
The client in the meantime described a need to collect data on different computers/different locations not on their network, so we went with the approach of collecting the data in a text file at the remote location, having the users copy the file to a network location, and then reading that textfile into the database.
I want to try these approaches again at a later time, but don't want to leave the question hanging open. If needed, I'll post new questions with specific issues at a later date,
Both of these look like they should work, and I've seen a working sample using the OPOS Driver.
I'm not 100% there in my own application though - it may have had to do with registering the controls (the properties were read-only).
The client in the meantime described a need to collect data on different computers/different locations not on their network, so we went with the approach of collecting the data in a text file at the remote location, having the users copy the file to a network location, and then reading that textfile into the database.
I want to try these approaches again at a later time, but don't want to leave the question hanging open. If needed, I'll post new questions with specific issues at a later date,
On this:
<<2. If not, is it possible to force the cursor to leave the textbox and trigger the after update event after the batch data is sent? >>
I know that on just about every gun, you can setup a prefix/suffix to be transmitted on a scan.
With the prefix, you can come up with something unique to trigger an "unlock"; enable a control and set focus to it.
With the suffix, you can do the reverse, or transmitt a tab or return. Depending on your Access settings, that would force you to leave the control.
I'll look at the manual for that scanner in a minute to see if #1 is an option.
Jim.