Use an Android Phone as PC Barcode Scanner

http://tec-it.com - In this video you'll learn how to use your Android Smartphone as a barcode scanner for your PC.

Video auf Deutsch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tm9e-...
Video en Español: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFzJwU...
Video in Russian: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOBNcJ...

TEC-IT's Android app GetBlue is able to capture data from camera scanner apps and from external Bluetooth or TCP/IP devices. The captured data can be forwarded to arbitrary targets for further processing. In this video we want GetBlue to scan barcodes with the camera barcode scanner and to transfer the data via Bluetooth to a connected PC.

To receive the scanned barcodes with a PC, we use TEC-IT's keyboard wedge software TWedge. By default, TWedge displays the data and transforms received bar-codes into keystrokes (keyboard wedge mode). The data appears like manual user input to target applications like Microsoft Excel. TWedge can also be configured to store the bar-codes directly in a database or to a text file.

GetBlue is a versatile Android application for bi-directional data acquisition: GetBlue collects data from Bluetooth SPP, TCP/IP, HTTP and camera scanners automatically in the background. The captured data is forwarded to adjustable target devices, files, online spreadsheets or even injected into 3rd party applications. Bi-directional device communication is supported, manual communication functions for reading and writing data are available as well.

The data acquisition app GetBlue can be operated like a cross-switch: it captures data from an adjustable data source and forwards it to any supported target. The following devices and protocols are currently available:

* Bluetooth SPP and Bluetooth RFCOMM
All serial Bluetooth devices supporting the Serial Port Profile (like SPP or RFCOMM barcode scanners) can be used. GetBlue supports Bluetooth client and Bluetooth server mode, thus device as well as PC connections are possible.

* TCP/IP
Any device providing a raw TCP/IP socket.

* HTTP
HTTP GET and HTTP POST requests with adjustable parameters.

* Camera scanners
GetBlue offers an internal barcode scanner. External scanner apps can be used if required.

* Manual data input
Device commands can be entered manually.

Try it yourself! Download GetBlue from Android Market. A full version and a free demo are available!

Copyright: TEC-IT Datenverarbeitung GmbH, Steyr, Austria,
http://www.tec-it.com

Music: Track Mirteaux from the Album Newborn Butterflies by StrangeZero -
http://www.strangezero.gr - http://www.jamendo.com

---

Closed Caption:

To use your Android smartphone as barcode scanner for your PC,
install the data acquisition app GetBlue from Android Market.
First, configure GetBlue to capture barcodes with a camera scanner.
Do this by adjusting the data source.
Now configure GetBlue to forward the scanned barcodes via Bluetooth to a PC.
Adjust the datasink as Bluetooth server, so a PC can communicate with your smartphone.
Make sure to start GetBlue before you pair your smartphone with the PC!
The camera scanner is invoked immediately.
To pair your devices use the home button and
switch to Android Settings, Wireless and networks.
Open the Bluetooth settings and scan for the target PC.
To allow your smartphone to discover your PC, open the Bluetooth
settings panel in Windows and check the appropriate box.
If your Android does not list your PC, just perform another Bluetooth device scan.
As soon as the PC is listed, tap on its entry.
Pairing is required only once, but needs user interaction
like confirming security questions or entering a PIN.
Please note that pairing is essential!
It enables Bluetooth devices to communicate with each other.
Wait until Windows has installed all required device drivers.
Once the drivers are installed, you need to find out
which serial port is assigned to the Bluetooth connection.
Right-click on the new smartphone symbol in the Bluetooth device list.
In this case the data is available on the serial COM port number 4.
Now it's time to test our setup.
We use TEC-IT's software TWedge to receive the barcode data from the smartphone.
Launch TWedge, adjust the interface of the Bluetooth connection and
click Start to receive the scanned barcodes.
TWedge displays received device data and is also able to
forward scanned barcodes to other applications like Microsoft Excel.
Here is how it works!
Switch back to GetBlue.
Scanned barcodes appear immediately in TWedge.
Now let's populate an Excel worksheet with the barcodes.
TWedge receives the barcode data via Bluetooth and converts them into keystrokes.
The barcodes appear as if manually typed by a user.
This works with all target applications and is a real time-saver!
Thanks for watching!