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Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

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    Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

    Is it possible to use a Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9??
    And how could that be done??
    Any demo code or something ???

    Thank you for your help in advance.

    #2
    Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

    Bar code readers and card readers are input devices that act like a keyboard. They will work with any type of software that takes keyboard input. There is no "special" software or coding that has to be done.
    Bill Griffin
    Parkell, Inc

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

      How would you read the data from the smart card? I have a smart card reader for our clock in/out machine but when you plug the reader into the USB port it does not show up as a drive. I would like to incorporate it directly into our database rather than use the one supplied but I do not know how to get to the data.

      Any help would be appreciated.

      Cheers

      Geoff

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

        Well I don't think you can just assume that all card readers work the same. There are many, many manufacturers (hundreds? thousands?) . All devices are not designed to do what you may think they should do. If you have a card reader that works with a time clock, it may very well not be a "keyboard type" device. You would have to ask that question to the manufacturer of the reader.
        Bill Griffin
        Parkell, Inc

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

          Thanks Bill.

          I did some hunting around and found a demo in visual basic. Unfortunately I do not have visual basic and have never used it. The reader is a SCR335 manufactured by SCM Microsystems.

          The visual basic demo can be found at http://www.scmmicro.com/support/pcs_...ds.php?lang=en
          under development tools.

          If anyone has VB and the time to print the program code for me it would be appreciated. I will look into the cost of VB but I suspect it will be expensive.

          Thanks.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

            I guess the real question is what are you trying to do? There are card readers that will act like a keyboard, you swipe the card and the data is "typed" into a field. THese can be had for as little as hundred dollars. (google keyboard wedge card reader) You can pack quite a bit of info on one of these cards and some is in a standard format, others not. So I guess it depends on your application and the format that your existing cards are in.
            Bill Griffin
            Parkell, Inc

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

              I use barcode handheld readers, slot readers and laser readers.

              You will have to capture the info from the USB port with software like winwedge 32
              Winwedge captures the info and puts it into the keyboard buffer to be processed.

              Or you could capture the info in the USB port and write to a text file and inport into Alpha.
              My Unitech USB Scanners have a keyboard buffer built in

              Charlie Crimmel

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                Charlie

                Thanks for the link to the winwedge software! I had not seen that before...it will come in very handy it looks like for a couple of projects I have coming up.

                Regards,

                Jeff

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                  Charlie,

                  I too need to capture bar code information where the user scans the bar code, populates the field, and allows the user to do whatever. I have a cheap scanner (USB) attached that populates the input field (code 39), but I hearing from the posts that I may need an intermediary piece of software to properly handle the keyboard input like in winwedge ??

                  Thanks,

                  Ryland

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                    I have a cheap scanner (USB) attached that populates the input field (code 39)
                    If it is working, you don't need anything else.
                    There can be only one.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                      Thxs for the quick response..

                      Ryland

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                        What Stan said....plus...most of these type of barcode readers are known as keyboard wedge type readers which means they emulate a keyboard with the output they send to the pc. If you don't have this type of reader....I would get one as they are inexpensive and eliminate any other monkey business with needing other software, etc. Since the output of the barcode reader is just like typing on the keyboard it makes barcoding work very easily inside Alpha (or any app for that matter). Just keep in mind that you need a * before and after your string to be scanned. So if you were to scan a work order for example and the number is 5678 you would make that*5678* and make the font the 3of9 for that string and you will be all set.

                        Regards,

                        Jeff

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                          Thanks, all I'm doing is scanning (not a wedge) but a hand scanner like Symbol, the item from reader that is attached to the USB, and then places the item number in the field which I'm hoping the 'onactivate' will pick up and find the associated items with it. If I have to place the * before and after the record, then I guess I need to pick an scanner that has that option.

                          Is this right ?? Ryland

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                            Ryland

                            As I recall the * before and after the character string is required for proper formatting of the code 3of9 and using the keyboard wedge barcode readers. If you are getting a valid scan of whatever you are scanning then no need to do anything. The scanners I have used automatically send a carriage return after the scan(it's pogrammable but that is the default) so it is easy to use one of Alpha's field events to then do the search automatically. I do this all the time. FWIW, I used the ondepart event on the field to fire off my search.

                            Regards,

                            Jeff

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Using Smart Card Reader or/and Barcode reader with Alpha5 V9?

                              Hi Bill,

                              Originally posted by Bill Griffin View Post
                              Bar code readers and card readers are input devices that act like a keyboard. They will work with any type of software that takes keyboard input. There is no "special" software or coding that has to be done.
                              What you said is only partially true, but is the way most simple users tend to use it. They place the cursor into a specific field, and then scan the barcode (or rfid unit, etc.)

                              But that is not the real power. I have coded for clients generic barcode scripts (not ready for regular release, but 95% there) that does things like if in view mode, does a find of the barcode, and if not found, goes into enter mode, inserts the barcode into the appropriate field, but leaves the cursor for normal entry. If in change mode, it will just enter the value into the correct field withoutmoving the cursor.

                              There are also many options to my code, like scanning, record the barcode, and save the record, etc. Add to that the ability to play wave sounds if the scan was good or bad, etc, so that even in a large warehouse using wireless scanners, you can tell if the scan was good or not without looking up.

                              So yes, the scanning doesn't require code, but using it in the best way in an application does.

                              On the reverse end, generating the barcode sometimes requires various checksums to be generated, as well as prefix & suffix codes and using it with a font. This can get complex for some checksums, and some are less defined as others, and even vary for the same barcode type depending upon which industry the barcode is used.
                              Regards,

                              Ira J. Perlow
                              Computer Systems Design


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