How to use Microvision ROV Barcode Scanners with Android - Update!

Bluetooth Data Acquisition on Android

Currently TEC-IT offers two Android apps for data acquisition with Bluetooth devices:

• GetBlue provides universal data acquisition and device communication with Bluetooth SPP, TCP and camera scanners. GetBlue communicates with serial Bluetooth devices (Serial Port Profile like SPP/RFCOMM barcode readers), TCP/IP devices and camera scanners. Captured data is displayed, saved (File, Google Docs), forwarded (HTTP, TCP) or injected as virtual keystrokes into Apps (GetBlue virtual keyboard).
• BluePiano extends all Apps with automated Bluetooth data acquisition. This new input method provides a Bluetooth-enabled soft-keyboard. This virtual keyboard captures data from Bluetooth SPP devices (serial port profile) and forwards the received data to input fields of arbitrary apps.

Microvision ROV Bluetooth Scanners

Problem:
Some users are experiencing the following issue: once a bar code is scanned with the Microvision ROV barcode scanner the bar code data is sent over and over again.
Cause:
This problem is because the scanner by default requires an acknowledgement of the receiving party (the Android device). The current versions of GetBlue and BluePiano do not acknowledge received data, thus you need to adapt the configuration of the Microvision device.
Solution:
The required acknowledgement can be switched off by configuring the scanner accordingly.
To do this please check out the Microvision ROV PDF user manual (page 74) for the configuration barcodes. You need to set the following values:

• ForceSerializationOverBT
  must be set to false to force compatibility mode and to disable serial numbers. Scan the Set FSOBT,0 = Force Serialization Over BlueTooth barcode.
• BCDataACK
  must be false so no ACK is required. Scan the Set Ack,0 = Bar Code Data Acknowledgement is False barcode.
• SeqNum
  must be false to disable serial numbers. Scan the Set Seq,0 = Sequence Number is False barcode.
• AutoDownload
  must be true to send scanned barcodes immediately to the Android device. Scan the Set ADl,1 = Auto Download is True barcode.

The Microvision ROV scanner user manual as compressed CHM file may also be of interest. Refer to this blogpost for displaying this file on Windows 7. Use the search function in the manual and search for Bar Coded Menu Cards.

Please note that the configuration information above was posted based on user feedback of TEC-IT's Android apps. If there are any problems let us know. Thanks!

Feedback

TEC-IT hopes this article is valuable for you. If there are any questions please feel free to contact us via email or MSN (support@tec-it.com).

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GetBlue Bluetooth SPP Problems: Android Troubleshooting

Bluetooth SPP Data Acquisition

GetBlue is an Android App which captures data from a data-source (Bluetooth SPP, TCP and Camera Scanners) and forwards the collected data to an adjustable data-sink (TCP, HTTP, File, Display, Online Spreadheets provided by Google Docs, GetBlue virtual keyboard). Data collection is done completely in the background.

Bluetooth SPP Connection Problems

Recently some users reported problems when using Bluetooth SPP (Serial Port Profile) devices with GetBlue: A Bluetooth SPP device can be paired without problems but GetBlue is unable to connect to it.

A Possible Solution

In order to avoid the connection problems please do the following in EXACTLY the given order:

a) Disable all GetBlue functions: Set datasink to "None", do NOT use keyboard output and deactivate the GetBlue keyboard in Android settings (required only if previously enabled).
b) Reboot the phone
c) Enable Bluetooth
d) Pair the Bluetooth device with your handset (Android settings)
e) Start GetBlue
f) Adjust datasource - select the device just paired
g) Press start in GetBlue

Background

The reason for this nasty behavior is a buggy Bluetooth implementation in the firmware of the handsets. HTC Desire, HTC Legend, HTC Wildfire, SonyEricson X10, Samsung Galaxy S and possibly more models are affected.
Google G1, G2 and Motorola Milestone work perfectly.

Please let us know your smart-phone model if you are experiencing this bug. We will update the list above accordingly.

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Barcode Scanner Keyboard for Android

Type Or Scan Barcode Keyboard

Barcode Keyboard - +TEC-IT's new soft-keyboard for Android offers integrated camera scanner support. Using this keyboard you are able to scan barcodes directly into any app, application switching or copy/paste is no longer required.

After the application was installed, this Barcode Keyboard  can be activated in Android Settings -- Language / keyboard.
Once activated you are still able to key-in text manually using the hardware or software-keyboard of your Droid. But whenever you need to enter the data of a barcode (e.g. an EAN or UPC product code, a QR-Code, ...) just press the barcode key or long press the num/alpha modifier. A camera scanner app (choose between the built-in or an external scanner) is opened, the barcode is decoded and the Barcode Keyboard enters the barcode data automatically into the current input field. No manual typing is required.

User Manual

NEW: A complete and updated user manual in German and English is available on TEC-IT's web site!

Enable Barcode Keyboard

After installing Barcode Keyboard from Android Market (Market link: market://search?q=pname:com.tecit.android.barcodekbd.demo) you need to enable the keyboard on your Droid (the keyboard must be activated too, see below!):

1. Navigate to Android Settings -- Language / keyboard
2. Check Barcode Keyboard and confirm the security warning

Barcode Keyboard Settings

• Data Prefix
  Using the placeholders ${ENTER}, ${TAB}, ${BACKSPACE}, ${DOWN}, ${UP}, ${LEFT} and ${RIGHT} you can control the cursor or input focus before the barcode data is inserted into the input field of the current app.
• Data Suffix
  Use the same placeholders as above to control the cursor or input focus after the barcode data is inserted into the input field of the current app.
• Camera Scanner
  If you prefer to select the camera scanner to be used each time, select Always ask. If a specific app is selected, the software always uses exactly this camera scanner app without asking.
• Search Key Function
  This entry specifies the action when the hardware search key is pressed (this key is usually marked with a magnifier symbol, it is also available on the hardware keyboard of a Motorola Droid/Milestone or Google G1): Scan Barcode Now immediately opens the camera scanner when this key is pressed (you do not need to activate the soft-keyboard beforehand). In this case the search key acts as hotkey for barcode scanning.
  Choose Do Nothing if you do not want to change the default behaviour of the standard search key.

Activate the Barcode Keyboard

1. Open some app which uses a text input field (e.g. Gmail, then Compose a new email).
2. Long-tap in some input field like To
3. A menu opens, select Input method
4. Choose Camera Keyboard

90 Seconds Video Demonstration

Update Available (V1.4 - October 2012)

In addition to numerous other improvements the updated version of the bar code keyboard supports the following keyboard layouts (The layout of the barcode keyboard is automatically adjusted to the system settings):

• English
• German
• French
• Russian
• Spanish - new
• Swedish

In addition the placeholders ${ENTER}, ${TAB}, ${BACKSPACE}, ${DOWN}, ${UP}, ${LEFT} and ${RIGHT} can now be abbreviated with ${E}, ${T}, ${B}, ${D}, ${U}, ${L} and ${R}. You can specify a multiplier immediately after the placeholder (e.g. ${E5}). This instructs the barcode keyboard to simulate the specified key n times (5 times Enter key in the example above).

Your Feedback Please!

Feedback and feature requests are highly welcome. Just contact TEC-IT.

P.S.: +TEC-IT  offers also another Android App named GetBlue. This app provides automated data collection and data entry for all apps. Connects to TCP RFID and Bluetooth SPP barcode scanners!

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