Example of scanned barcode result

zigzak · Post by **zigzak** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 4:01 pm

Not sure how well this will come out - but if I scan a barcode with the following number in it "5018677033943" I get the result in my comms program "5

zigzak · Post by **zigzak** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:49 am

OK, having tried very hard to get this barcode thing to work I've now managed to capture the "keycodes" generated when a barcode is scanned. The unit is returning a consistent list of codes so there must be a connection.

The barcode number is 5018677033943
The actual keycodes returned are (in decimal): 43, 153, 102, 116, 100, 134, 48, 101, 104, 59, 101, 118, 150.

As you can see this IS the correct number of codes, but they just don't seem to correspond to the numbers I would expected to have been "typed". The barcodes has three 3's in it - but a different code is returned for each occurance - namely 104, 59, and finally 150.

This is driving me bonkers!!!

bladerunner · Post by **bladerunner** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:11 pm

Not my area of expertise, but IIRC, on a standard PC, the keyboard returns "scan codes" and the BIOS then converts them to "key codes". Scan codes are simple for things like alpha keys, but more complex for the "F" keys. There is one scan code when a key is pressed and another when it is released.

Here is a reference: http://www.beyondlogic.org/keyboard/keybrd.htm

My guess is that the LCD is interpreting your scanner data as "scan codes" and then doing its best to convert them into key codes.

Maybe.

If you hook your scanner into a regular PC (with none of the "scanner" software loaded) and put the focus in note pad, and scan a barcode, does it work then, even if no "scanner" software at all is loaded on the PC? I am thinking that maybe on the PC there is a driver loaded that does some conversion from scan codes to alpha.

zigzak · Post by **zigzak** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 2:10 am

Hi Bladerrunner - thanks very much for your comments.

To answer the question - yes, if I connect the scanner to a normal PC and then scan the barcode with the focus on Word or Notepad then the characters of the barcode are "typed" into the application. There is no driver loaded or required for this.

The details of the actual scanner I'm using is here - http://www.ganedatascan.com/specs/1000.asp

bladerunner · Post by **bladerunner** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:22 pm

Hmm. I dono then. Must be the LCD doing some weird stuff. What else is in the system besides the LCD and scanner? Why not just get a USB or RS232 scanner and have the scanner data stream bypass the LCD?

Post by **Mat-Moo** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 3:55 am

I would guess that the scanner is sending data too fast to the LCD. What speed are you connecting to the lcd at 19200? You could also try manually polling the keyboard by clearing and polling it? Also check what the scanner sens as some will emulate a keyboard (key up and key down) rather than raw data of the values read. Most scanners are configurable (I've worked with a few and have a LK404 here, if you have a spare scanner I can take a look)

zigzak · Post by **zigzak** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 4:29 am

Hi guys,
Thanks for all the postive comments!

Bladerunner - the reason I want the keyboard and LCD combined into one input into the PC is because I eventually want 1 PC to control possibily 4 screens/keyboard/barcode scanners at one time. I'm working on a system to control jobs in a workshop and want an LCD Display, Keyboard, and scanner on each desk. I had considered the option of seperate keyboard connections but this would get complicated for multiple USB keyboards as they would all appear as Human Interface Devices - another option would then be some kind of serial connected keyboard - but one of the main ideas was to use as standard parts as possible.

mat - I'm connecting, I think, at 19200 but I'd need to check - The actual connection to the PC is via a USB port as I'm using a USB/Serial converter on the end of the LCD serial lead. I have messed around with the settings for the scanner until I'm blue in the face to be honest - I've tried adjusting the inter-character delay, and keyboard "region", etc. I do have a spare scanner as we have 5 or 6 of them which are already used for an older system directly via PC keyboard sockets which works great!

bladerunner · Post by **bladerunner** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 7:06 pm

I wonder if you could get something like this to work in conjunction with a simpler LCD module:

http://www.solutions-cubed.com/solution ... EY2003.htm

zigzak · Post by **zigzak** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 2:12 am

Hi Bladerunner,

That looks pretty good - thanks for the pointer. However on first look it doesn't seem to support a full PC keyboard - which is what I need. I'll have a look at all the various info. they seem to have on that site.

Thanks again

zigzak · Post by **zigzak** » Fri Jan 21, 2005 6:28 pm

Still have not resolved my barcode input problems - however the link I'm enclosing include details of interfacing a PS/2 Keyboard, and LCD directly with a single PC Serial port for use as a "terminal" - which is exactly what I'm trying to do.

The module the page describes actually seems pretty similar to MO's LK404-AT only the display is only 2 lines instead of 4. However there are very detailed instructions of exactly how the module was made including a list of parts to build your own!

Hope MO don't mind me posting this link - but since you've discontinued your only AT-Keyboard interface module it shouldn't be a problem?

http://www.ezl.com/~rsch/projects.htm

zigzak · Post by **zigzak** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:40 pm

Just thought I'd post to say that I seem to have solved my barcode scanning problems.

I tried another make of barcode scanner and it all worked perfectly. The scanner which worked is a Unitech MS-265-1, the scanner which doesn't work is a CipherLabs 1000-K for the record.

Thanks for all the suggestions, etc.

Post by **Mat-Moo** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 2:44 pm

Sorry I didn't get to help much, been kinda busy