I need to interface with a symbol ppt88xx's bar code scanner using .NET CF.
Any ideas?
A:
If you mean on the scanner itself (from memory PPT8800 runs on Windows Mobile 2003? 2002?) you don't need to do anything to interface with it. When you scan something it sends the result of any successful read as keystrokes to the active application (just stick a textbox or something on your form, give it focus and voila). If you mean from another PDA, you can attach the PPT8800 as a Bluetooth device and, again, it acts like a virtual keyboard as far as the active application is concerned. You don't have to directly interface with the scanner at all.
FerretallicA
2010-01-13 21:36:30
That is good to know as I don't have access to the device.
NitroxDM
2010-01-13 21:48:22
Really? Have you actually worked like this? PPT8800 is Symbol made handheld device that runs Windows PPC 2003. It requires special SDK to use scanner/MSR and other hardware features.
sha
2010-02-22 22:12:22
Yes I have worked like this. You don't need any special SDK. I maintained an asset management system for a local retain chain several years ago and the field workers used the handheld component on PDTs and Axims with BT-attached scanners. The software worked indentically on both - input by the program is ultimately received as keyboard input, it doesn't know (or care) that it actually comes from a barcode scanner whether internal or otherwise.
FerretallicA
2010-02-23 00:05:27
A:
I doubt that it will work. We use Symbol provided .NET libraries to enable/disable scanner, set different scanner parameters etc. And usually scan get returned inside a special event handler that you have to assign.
sha
2010-02-22 22:11:08
Believe it or not it works just fine. I can't trigger the scanner or do anything else cool with it. But it does translate bar code to keyboard input.Do you have a link to the Symbol provided .Net libraries? It would be nice to determine if input is coming from the keyboard or the scanner.
NitroxDM
2010-02-23 14:34:27
How did you enable scanner? I think by default it's disabled... I have Symbol SDK at work if you need it - I believe it's free - you just need to register on their dev zone.
sha
2010-02-23 14:44:09
They press the tiger button and the scanner starts looking for a bar code. Then it types text just like if someone did from the keyboard. They said they had to monkey with a few settings to get it working they way they want. I just provide them with a textbox and go from there.
NitroxDM
2010-02-23 20:54:14
Interesting... But whatever... :) We have about dozen different applications on several different Symbol devices and I needed fuller control over hardware scanner anyway. :)
sha
2010-02-23 21:20:00