Free 2010 Calendars!

Azalea Software, Inc. and Peg Ogle Design have just released a series of free 2010 calendars for immediate download from www.azalea.com/calendarThe press release is available from www.azalea.com/news/2010-calendar-press-release.pdf

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UID Barcode Marking Label Creation Tutorial

by Nate Schubert

UID Marking Labels are becoming more and more common since the Department of Defense first implemented the Item Unique Identification Program (IUID), intended to increase efficiency in asset management between organizations, even between nations and throughout the world. UID Markings are intended affix to an item or directly on an item and should last the life time of the item itself. UID has become a mandatory requirement for the DoD and is seeing more and more inclusion into normal asset management within the DoD.

Creating UID Marking Labels should be accomplished by confirming to the MIL-STD-130 specification, and several types of labels may be created from that. The process for creating UID Marking labels can be very complicated and there isn't a lot of easy-to-understand information currently available about how to actually create the labels.

Fortunately, IDAutomation has recently released a new UID Barcode Marking Labels Tutorial that shows users of IDAutomation's Barcode Label Software Pro or the Data Matrix Font Package how to create UID Marking Labels to conform to the MIL-STD-130 specification in a step-by-step format that is easy to follow. Bookmark the tutorial for fast access to this unique and vital resource!

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Barcode Video Channels on YouTube

Hello there!

This post summarizes the available video playlists for barcode software from TEC-IT on YouTube.

Barcode Label Printing Software (English)

Content:

Tutorial videos for TFORMer Designer.

1. Barcode label printing with TFORMer Designer

Barcode Label Printing Software (German)

Content:

Tutorial videos for TFORMer Designer.

1. Barcode-Etikettendruck mit TFORMer Designer

Barcode Generator Component (English)

Content:

Tutorial videos for TBarCode.

1. Using Barcodes in Microsoft Office / Microsoft Word
2. Creating Serial Letters with Barcodes

Please check out the TEC-IT Barcode Software channel on YouTube on a regular base. More videos are coming soon - we are producing... ;-)

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Java Barcode Component: New Version

by Nate Schubert

IDAutomation is proud to announce the latest release of the IDAutomation Java Barcode component for both Linear and 2-dimensional packages. If you have not already tried barcoding in Java with IDAutomation products, now is a great time to download a Java component demo to generate barcodes on any operating system with a Java Virtual Machine.

While IDAutomation's java barcode components have supported many of the most popular barcode symbologies over the years including Code 39, Code 128, Data Matrix, UPC, EAN, USPS barcodes including Intelligent Mail and more, the 2D version now supports QR Code as well as a completely new DataBar component and will enable Java developers to create DataBar compliant barcode images within their java application, applet, servlet, bean box and more.

The Linear version of the Java barcode component has some added features of it's own with improved FNC1 functionality that will allow the parentheses in the DataToEncode variable to be encoded as FNC1 characters when the apply tilde is set to true as well as the ability to manually select the code 128 start character in auto mode. By including the start character as the first digit in DataToEncode, users can now specify which character set to start in. For example, DataToEncode = IABCD will encode the data in set B. The apply tilde functionality can also be used to achieve the same result; DataToEncode = ~204ABCD.

If you have a need to create barcodes using Java, then download the Demo version of the Linear, 2D or GS1 DataBar java component and try it out or just visit the website to complete your Java Barcode component purchase.

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Get Azalea Software's 2010 Calendar (PDF)

Azalea Software's 2010 calendar can be downloaded from www.azalea.com/calendar/ for free.Jerry's photos of industrial textures found in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. You know, metal and stone.Our holiday gift to you and yours!

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I may be a barcode nerd but I have my limits.

I've been doing barcode software for almost 21 years now. At no time did I think it was necessary to learn how to read Code 39 barcodes in my head. Never.

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Barcoded Lexus? Really?!?

Seen coming out of the parking lot of the Azalea Software offices here in West Seattle.

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Barcode Generator for SQL Reporting Service

To generate bar codes (ALL barcodes - meaning linear barcodes, 2D barcodes like DataMatrix and GS1 DataBar codes) all you need is an internet connection. Advantage: no additional software is needed and no Visual Studio is required. The basic idea is to insert an barcode image generated by the online barcode generator of TEC-IT. This barcode generator is customizable via the URL - so it is possible to create each bar-code as required.

1) Create the required barcode using the online barcode generator
2) Scroll down to the section "Free Use of This Barcode Generator". Copy the URL (see screenshot below) into your clipboard:

3) Start the MS SQL Server Report Builder
4) Create a new report
5) Insert a Picture object and change the “Image Source” property to “External” (see screenshot below)

6) Click on the “fx” button to set the URL for the barcode image (see screenshot below)


Function used in the example above:
=”http://www.tec-it.com/online-demos/tbarcode/barcode.aspx?code=Code128&data=” & CStr(Fields!UserName.Value) & "&dpi=96&rotation=0&modulewidth=fit"

This creates an Code128 barcode using our online barcode generator. The data encoded in the barcode is stored in the UserName field:
CStr(Fields!UserName.Value)

7) Close all dialogs with OK

That’s all you need to do to insert barcode functionality to the Microsoft SQL Reporting Service.

Interested?

If you like this method for barcode creation you can use the online barcode generator for free (for non-commercial use only). For commercial users TEC-IT recommends a local barcode server in the companies intranet.

Technorati-Tags: MS SQL Reporting Service,Barcodes,Online Barcode Generator,TEC-IT

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TWedge V2.3 Release Candidate

We are announcing the new version of the data acquisition software / software wedge TWedge.
TWedge is smart middleware which connects to arbitrary devices via RS232 (COM port), Bluetooth (native!) and TCP/IP. The received data is either simulated as keystrokes, stored in a file or saved directly into an ODBC database.

Improvements

• 0-byte awareness
  Previous versions clipped received or transmitted data after an 0x00 in the data stream.
• HEX data display
  Incoming data can be displayed as HEX string for better debugging
• Silent mode
  Device data display can now be turned off

Release Candidate Download

Download data acquisition software TWedge (MSI setup file for Windows). 

Technorati Tags: Database Wedge,software wedge,keyboard wedge,daq,aidc,barcode wedge,BlueTooth Wedge,Data Collection Software,Data Capture Software,TWedge,TEC-IT

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Reading RFID Tags with TWedge

TEC-IT's data acquisition software TWedge allows an easy implementation of RFID controller protocols. TWedge can be adjusted to communicate with RFID controllers in a bi-directional way. Reading and processing tag identifiers is as easy as reading/writing tag data!

The following TWedge script can be used to read RFID Tag IDs from EMS Datalogic RFID Controllers (utilizing the ABx Fast Protocol).

The following script performs the following functions:
1) Query the RFID controller by pressing the hotkey

2) When data is received test it for a valid response

3) Display data in MessageBox

Try it yourself - Download the software wedge for free! Keep in mind: V2.3 or higher is required!

Global Helper Functions

HEX Conversion

function encodeHex(input) {
    hexOutput = "";
    for (i=0; i < input.length; i++) {
        hexOutput = hexOutput + ' ' + Dec2Hex(input.charCodeAt(i));
    }
    return hexOutput;
}

function encodeDec(input) {
    decOutput = "";
    for (i=0; i < input.length; i++) {
        decOutput = decOutput + ' ' + input.charCodeAt(i);
    }
    return decOutput;
}

function Dec2Hex(Decimal) {
    var hexChars = "0123456789ABCDEF";
    var a = Decimal % 16;
    var b = (Decimal - a)/16;
    hex = "" + hexChars.charAt(b) + hexChars.charAt(a);
    return hex;
}

Test for TAG ID

function IsRFIDTagID (data)
{
 //  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12 13 
 // 02 02 00 09 0F E0 04 01 00 35 7F 5E 19 03

 return data.length >= 14
       && data.charCodeAt(0) == 2
       && data.charCodeAt(1) == 2
       && data.charCodeAt(4) == 15;
}

Test for TAG Response

function IsRFIDReadResponse(data)
{
 //  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10
 // 02 02 00 06 05 31 32 33 34 35 03

 return data.length >= 6
       && data.charCodeAt(0) == 2
       && data.charCodeAt(1) == 2
       && data.charCodeAt(4) == 5;
}

Send RFID READ Request

var escZero = "\\0";
var escBack = "\\\\\\\\";

function SendRFIDReadRequest ()
{
 var request;
 // read 5 Bytes from address 1 with timeout 2000 msec
 // 02 02 00 07 05 00 01 00 05 07 D0 03

 //request = String.fromCharCode ( 2, 2, 0, 7, 5, 0, 1, 0, 5, 7, 208, 3 );
 request =   "\x02\x02" + escZero + "\x07"
           + "\x05" + escZero + "\x01" + escZero + "\x05"
           + "\x07\xD0\x03";

 // MessageBox ('WriteToDevice: ' + request);
 WriteToDevice (request, 2000);

}

Get RFID Response Data

function GetRFIDDataFromResponse ( data )
{
   //  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9
   // 02 02 00 06 05 31 32 33 34 35 03
   var len;
   var out = "";
   if (data.length >= 5)
   {
      len = data.charCodeAt(2) * 256 + data.charCodeAt(3) - 1;
      for (i=0; i< len; i++)
      {
        out = out + String.fromCharCode(data.charCodeAt(5 + i));
      }
        
      //MessageBox ('Len: ' + len + ', ' + out);
      return out;
   }
   return null;
}

OnData Script

if ( IsRFIDTagID (DATA) )
{
  SendRFIDReadRequest ();
}
if ( IsRFIDReadResponse (DATA) )
{
 MessageBox (encodeHex(DATA) + ' (' + DATA.length + ' Bytes)');
 MessageBox ('Nutzdaten: ' + GetRFIDDataFromResponse (DATA));
}

HotKey Script

SendRFIDReadRequest ();

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Goodbye Barcodes, Hello Lasers!

Ariel Schwartz of Inhabitat's got a quick piece up about "annoying" fruit labels and the new process of etching them with low energy lasers. Not sure I've ever devoted much time to being annoyed by the tiny labels on fruits and veggies, but LASERS. We love lasers.

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