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Barcode Scanner to PC
- Thread starter Joshua
- Start date
alostpacket
Over Macho Grande?
My app listables does something similar, what kind of information did you want to pass to the PC?
alostpacket
Over Macho Grande?
the info scanned would go into whatever field you have currenty clicked on... like scanning upc labels and serial numbers.
I will check out the listables app now
Hmm ok, I will look into this but wont be for awhile. I should have said my app does more like the opposite, it generates QR codes, not scans them.
What you are seeking should be relatively easy on the phone side, there is an open source barcode scanner what can handle running the cammera and grabbing the data. The Scanner has a good api for developers to tie in to also. The tricky part is passing that data somewhere useful.
Unfortunately I dont know enough about PC programming to program an app to capture the data from the USB driver of a phone.
But like my app, I could paste it to a clipboard, or email it or write to a file on the SD.
As I learn more though i'll pop back in this thread and see if I can put in some updates on what I find
I was thinking about writing an app to do this.
Barcode scanners generally either send their data to the PC over a serial port, or by pretending to be a keyboard (called a keyboard wedge). I think that the best idea is to have the phone on the same wifi network as the PC and then send the data to the PC over the network. As 'alostpacket' says, the phone side of it probably won't be too hard...just a matter of calling existing programs to do the scanning and then sending the data over the network.
In the past I was able to send info that I typed into my phone to a PC serial port using Telnet and some open source apps on the PC. So the serial port type scanner would basically be done with that approach. I think that in order to make a keyboard wedge out of the phone I'd probably have to write a custom app for the PC side to gather the data coming over the network and send it out as keystrokes somehow.
I think I will have some time in a couple of weeks, maybe I can get into it then
Barcode scanners generally either send their data to the PC over a serial port, or by pretending to be a keyboard (called a keyboard wedge). I think that the best idea is to have the phone on the same wifi network as the PC and then send the data to the PC over the network. As 'alostpacket' says, the phone side of it probably won't be too hard...just a matter of calling existing programs to do the scanning and then sending the data over the network.
In the past I was able to send info that I typed into my phone to a PC serial port using Telnet and some open source apps on the PC. So the serial port type scanner would basically be done with that approach. I think that in order to make a keyboard wedge out of the phone I'd probably have to write a custom app for the PC side to gather the data coming over the network and send it out as keystrokes somehow.
I think I will have some time in a couple of weeks, maybe I can get into it then
just a quick update...i started working on it a bit. i've got the program for the PC side pretty close to done. i'll probably get some code put up sometime this weekend. the PC app uses mono and gtk# and can function as a keyboard wedge or send data over a serial port. it will support windows and any unix that uses x-windows and can run xvkbd. didn't get to the phone side of it yet, so the PC app will be of limited (read: no) use at the moment. i do have a simulator app though...any alpha testers? 
anybody know of a com0com type program for Linux? I don't think that there is one...
anybody know of a com0com type program for Linux? I don't think that there is one...
alostpacket
Over Macho Grande?
I'd be glad to help with the java end but, why serial port?
hi alostpacket! the idea was that the phone could be used as a plug'n'play replacement for commercial barcode scanners. in most cases, and for the casual home user, it will probably be used as a keyboard wedge. when the scanner is used by another program on the PC it can be more useful / easier to automate processes when the data is sent over a serial port. for example, a lot of the programs that i write at work prompt the operator to scan something like a serial number and then wait for the scanned data to appear on the serial port before continuing on with the program.
the PC app that i am working on uses a .NET TcpListener to get data from the network. so on the phone side, the scanned barcode data would be sent by the equivalent of a .NET TcpClient to the PC...not sure how that works in Android yet. the user would specify the destination IP and port within the app on the phone. you are welcome to help if you like. i don't think i could get to the phone part until about a week from now.
the PC app that i am working on uses a .NET TcpListener to get data from the network. so on the phone side, the scanned barcode data would be sent by the equivalent of a .NET TcpClient to the PC...not sure how that works in Android yet. the user would specify the destination IP and port within the app on the phone. you are welcome to help if you like. i don't think i could get to the phone part until about a week from now.
Downloads - android-pcbcr - Project Hosting on Google Code
See the readme.txt file for info on how to install and test it. This is just the PC side application so far. I've tested it on Xubuntu 9.10 and Windows XP. On Windows 2000 the latest version of Mono wasn't working, but older versions of Mono supposedly work. I'd be interested to hear if people have any trouble getting it up and running, if the instructions in the readme file could be improved at all, and how testing goes on Vista and Windows 7 (no trouble expected). I think it would also run on Mac, but not totally sure.
See the readme.txt file for info on how to install and test it. This is just the PC side application so far. I've tested it on Xubuntu 9.10 and Windows XP. On Windows 2000 the latest version of Mono wasn't working, but older versions of Mono supposedly work. I'd be interested to hear if people have any trouble getting it up and running, if the instructions in the readme file could be improved at all, and how testing goes on Vista and Windows 7 (no trouble expected). I think it would also run on Mac, but not totally sure.
I've got the whole thing working now...you can find the latest .apk file for the phone and the latest .exe for the PC from the svn repository here:
android-pcbcr - Project Hosting on Google Code
(apk file is in android-pcbcr - Project Hosting on Google Code)
(exe is in android-pcbcr - Project Hosting on Google Code)
I didn't release it to Android Market yet because it still needs some polishing before that. I am also going to make a setup program for Windows that will put a shortcut in the start menu so that you don't have to type out all the cd and mono stuff before it is officially released.
android-pcbcr - Project Hosting on Google Code
(apk file is in android-pcbcr - Project Hosting on Google Code)
(exe is in android-pcbcr - Project Hosting on Google Code)
I didn't release it to Android Market yet because it still needs some polishing before that. I am also going to make a setup program for Windows that will put a shortcut in the start menu so that you don't have to type out all the cd and mono stuff before it is officially released.
just an update on my progress...
I'm pretty close to releasing it to Android Market. I've been working on an installer for Windows that isn't quite to where I want it to be yet. The application itself is ok, but if people can't figure out how to use it I will be in trouble
Should be done by the end of the week, and maybe as soon as later today...
I'm pretty close to releasing it to Android Market. I've been working on an installer for Windows that isn't quite to where I want it to be yet. The application itself is ok, but if people can't figure out how to use it I will be in trouble
Should be done by the end of the week, and maybe as soon as later today...
BaLListic_Evo
Lurker
Any chance this can be made to work via bluetooth as the wifi will not work as it is being used in a work environment and cannot connect to our secured network here.
How about having the program just save the scanned data to a .csv file so I can down load it later?
No need to have any communications with any network or divice, just record the barcodes.
It would be nice to be able to set up X-number of columns to scan and have it read different types of barcodes.
When I'm done canning my inventory, I can then email the .csv file to myself and work with the data then.
The current program won't work for me.
No need to have any communications with any network or divice, just record the barcodes.
It would be nice to be able to set up X-number of columns to scan and have it read different types of barcodes.
When I'm done canning my inventory, I can then email the .csv file to myself and work with the data then.
The current program won't work for me.
MikalCarbine
Lurker
I agree that being able to save the data to a .CSV instead of connecting to a wifi network would be invaluable. Here at my job I can't connect my phone to the network for the same reason as ballistic_evo
Man Eating Duck
Lurker
Thanks for this brilliantly simple application.
I looked for something like this to catalog my album collection, this works beautifully with my script for Amazon lookup
USB connectivity or some kind of security for use over public internet/3g would be a nice addition for when you lack a wifi connection, but the application does what I need. Nice work!
Arnebirger
Lurker
This program looks really cool. I have downloaded the app, and the program for my pc. I can scan barcodes on my dvds with the phone, (Im about to register my collection), and I can see the numbers appear inside the PC_BCR program, but I can
GeorgeFord
Lurker
Can't find this application?
Has it been removed form the market?
Can anybody help me out...
I would be interested in using this app via tethered USB, or wireless....
I write code in LabWindowsCVI, so even a 'keyboard wedge' would work with my apps that require user entry...
I am also finding that the barcodes captured by many of the "scanner apps" on the Android market, do not correctly scan the data that I am trying to scan (non-UPC) - usually simple ASCII encoded serial numbers.
Any help would be appreciated !
Thanks !
George Ford
Has it been removed form the market?
Can anybody help me out...
I would be interested in using this app via tethered USB, or wireless....
I write code in LabWindowsCVI, so even a 'keyboard wedge' would work with my apps that require user entry...
I am also finding that the barcodes captured by many of the "scanner apps" on the Android market, do not correctly scan the data that I am trying to scan (non-UPC) - usually simple ASCII encoded serial numbers.
Any help would be appreciated !
Thanks !
George Ford