 neonhomerKK4BFNPremium
join:2004-01-27
Edgewater, FL | Barcode scanning to save time I am a control technician, and as such, I have to program controllers for energy management systems. We do LON and BACNet.
With LON, you have a label on each device that has a Neuron ID, similar to the label above. (The label above is off of a VAV controller, which I have as a test piece for programming.)
Normally, when we have to program large systems, we have to punch in everything by hand, and those are 12 digit numbers. Times that by 100, and that's a lot of numbers to type and get right.
What I want to do is use a barcode scanner, like the old keyboard wedge styles that will basically, when I scan the barcode, spit the number out into a selected text box in my programming application.
What should I look for? I would like to use something USB, since I am using this on a laptop. Wireless would be really nice, but I am doing this on the cheap for a trial.
If it matters, these labels have a tear off tag that the installer will hand me, and then I use that to ID the device. Some get destroyed, but if I can scan 75-80 of them, that is just that much fewer I have to type in.
EDIT: Forgot to add the picture!
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"F is for Fire that burns down the whole town...
U is for Uranium...... Bombs...
N is for NO SURVIVORS!!!!!" Sheldon Plankton
Keep Calm and Carry On |
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 boltEnd of the line DSL sucks.Premium
join:2003-11-11
Charlestown, IN
kudos:1 | We have a Handheld (now Honeywell) 4600gs (»www.honeywellaidc.com/en-US/Page···id=4600g). It uses a USB connection and it read 2D and 3D barcodes. It does exactly what you want. We've used it in various methods. It has a very long cord, so it's pretty easy to move and get it where you want it. |
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Reviews:
 ·RipNet
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If you're only doing a proof-of-concept, I'd look on eBay for an ultra-cheap barcode scanner first. I'm seeing some for around $30, which is pretty much throw-away if your concept doesn't prove out (though I suspect it definitely will).
Later, you can spring for a more robust commercial grade (ie, one that'll tolerate being dropped or whatnot).
Brad.
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Xplornet WiMAX -} Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH running DD-WRT -} about 13 machines running everything you can think of. |
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·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to neonhomer
Newegg, and some other store(newegg becomes the middle man.) sells barcode scanner:
»www.newegg.com/Scanner-Barcode-S···size=100
Not sure which one you will like. |
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neonhomerKK4BFNPremium
join:2004-01-27
Edgewater, FL | reply to b_p_smith
It's part proof-of-concept, but if it works, I am going to be using it on a job that has about 100 or so devices.... |
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KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to neonhomer
are all bar codes in high quality condition? if so go with a laser scanner. they deal well with things like barcodes that are possibly across angled surfaces.
if they have seen some wear from being out the world you want to have an optical scanner.
There is a difference, Laser based scanners depend on the laser beam getting a good clean set of lines. While optical scanners try to "see" the code with a imaging system and a usually red LED. Optical scanners can actually be less picky overall.
(the things you learn from working in a supermarket. which hand scanner tech is less picky.)
should note that lasers have longer range to UPC for a good read. a high quality laser gun will read a UPC from several feet away.(I might be misusing terms now though, UPC might only be used in retail for barcode.)
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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neonhomerKK4BFNPremium
join:2004-01-27
Edgewater, FL | Usually, the controllers, and thus their labels, are usually brand new. However, they are in a construction environment. Labels can, and do, get damaged. Usually though, there is two or three barcodes on each device. Worse case (with no label), there is a way to extract the Neuron ID (by doing a "service pin" and setting the programming software to "listen" for the pin.)
Still investigating on how I want to approach this...
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"F is for Fire that burns down the whole town...
U is for Uranium...... Bombs...
N is for NO SURVIVORS!!!!!" Sheldon Plankton
Keep Calm and Carry On |
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| reply to neonhomer
there are couple more options using any recent smartphones ..
1) use a cell phone camera to scan the barcode and transmit to your laptop over wifi
2) instead of bar code, use NFC stickers (if supplier provides that option). now instead of scanning, just tap the phone on the sticker and transmit to laptop over wifi |
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| reply to neonhomer
Maybe you could consider using a different barcode generator,like those from barcodelib. |
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neonhomerKK4BFNPremium
join:2004-01-27
Edgewater, FL | I don't generate the barcodes, they come from Schneider Electric already made... |
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| reply to neonhomer
Re: Barcode scanning to save time how about the old cat optical reader that was given free ages ago...there is a software out there to scan bar codes.
»www.cedmagic.com/cuecat/cuecat.html |
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 Sc0ttKneedraggerPremium
join:2000-11-13
Stockholm, NJ | reply to neonhomer
maybe use a barcode scanner on your smartphone? or have an app written? sending via wifi shouldn't be too hard from a smartphone either. |
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KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to neonhomer
any way those wireless guns they normally use in supermarkets could be used for this?
I know from working in retail that the guns used in a supermarket give access to the inventory systems right on the device itself, I cannot see why that could not be done here.
However such a setup is more costly than you would want to spend for a trial run.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports |
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Reviews:
 ·Charter
| reply to neonhomer
If you're looking for a specific recommendation we use Motorola scanners in our environment, specifically the LS2208 for USB and the LS4278 for bluetooth for 1D codes like yours. They're not the cheapest, but I'll say that I've never had one fail or even had to troubleshoot one for that matter.
We use the 2208 to scan inventory barcodes for hardware deployments, and also for photo IDs. We have over a dozen between both models and they just plain work. |
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