
Page12 AllAboutBarCodes
a “serial eavesdrop” cable to connect the scanner between the terminal and the host computer When using serial scanners
with PCs, keep in mind that your application needs to “monitor” the serial port for incoming data Most applications do not
do this, and so an additional piece of software, called a “software wedge”, may be required
Operating Systems
Once you have decided on the scanner technology, you must design the system These systems can be set up in several
congurations Some applications will work with only one particular system type, but most applications allow you to select the
system to meet the best cost/performance requirements The basic system types are:
Single User: These systems use a single PC with a single bar code reader to process data These are generally the best type
of system to start with, as they give you experience with bar code technology without some of the complexities of multi-
user systems An example of a site with a single-user system is a small video store that uses a wand to read bar codes on
movies and stickers on customer cards The store might also use a slot scanner for customer cards
Multi-user: This was once the most common type of system It consists of a single computer that is hooked to several bar
code readers, terminals, or both A multi-user operating system manages the data collection
Local Area Network: These systems connect several essentially single-user systems and a common le server using a
network These are the most exible systems and currently the most popular
Portable Systems: Prices of portable data terminals and mobile computers have fallen over the last few years, making
portables one of the best solutions for bar code applications Portables are used with computers to keep data current either
in real time or in batch mode
Single-User Systems
A single-user system is simply a PC with a bar code scanner attached The system generally uses a wedge to simulate keyboard
input A wedge can be used with any PC that has the same keyboard interface as the wedge Most computers have either a DIN
connector (like that on IBM computers through the AT) or a PS/2-style keyboard connector A few companies make their own,
nonstandard keyboard connectors You must be sure to get the right kind of wedge for the computer you are using
The normal action of a bar code reader is to simulate typing the keystrokes for the characters in the bar code and then press the
Enter key You can change the Enter key to a tab key or any other key for specic situations
When the reader must be remote from the PC or terminal, you can later connect it reader to a serial port and use a “software
wedge” to send the data into the keyboard buffer Another possibility is to write the application so that it monitors the serial port
for incoming data Serial decoders are also useful if you must support a computer that uses a nonstandard keyboard interface
And when you want to use a single bar code reader with a combination of PC, Macintosh, or UNIX systems Software wedges
are available for a variety of operating systems
Multi-User Systems
Multi-user systems have traditionally been the most common type of bar code system This system uses serial ports to connect
a single PC or other computer system to multiple bar code readers, terminals, or both Each terminal runs a single session on the
multi-user operating system Cheaper PC prices and the availability of very basic network PCs will undoubtedly sway some users
away from multi-user systems Clearly the multi-user system is on its way out
This type of system requires a multi-user operating system If you want to use terminals with bar code readers attached to
them, you can use any multi-user operating system, such as DR Multi-user DOS, VM-386, or UNIX
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