Feeding back to a barcode reader via RS232

[SDM]

Hi

Has anyone has any experience sending messages to an RS232 barcode scanner using a VB application. What I would like to do is make the barcoder bleep differently if a stock item is not found on the database. Any advise/code would greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[DougP]

So if you have a scanner that has a HIGH, medium, and low tone you want it to beep low if the part is not found. Or visa versa. And High if it is in the database. Or did you have something else in mind?

No I have not done that. I guess it could be done.
I prefer to use Keyboard wedges for scanning not RS232.

But you are also talking about a time delay that my be longer that the user thinks it should be and not know if he got a good read or not. Casue first of all its easy for the novice to not get good reads.
I would be apt to look at a differnt method of feedback.

What is your cost range for this?

DougP, MCP

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[Ruairi]

SDM,
I have used rs232 communication to talk back and forth between a PT2000 scanner and QBasic(OnComm Events) and VB (mscomm control) applications, however the delay Doug talked about was not an issue as I was using the scanner in a somewhat unique way. You may be able to get around the delay problem using a sorted array of the item numbers and a binary search to find one. In the right situation response time could be almost immeadiate. You certainly don't want to go quereying the database every time an item is scanned, just to see if it's there. You're going to have to provide more detail for anyone to give you a real answer.
Ruairi

Could your manufacturing facility benefit from real time process monitoring? Would you like your employees to be able to see up to the minute goal and actual production?
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