Configuring Barcode Scanners

Barcode scanners may require programming within themselves to operate correctly with the Point of Sale

On this page

• Configuring for Fieldpine PosGreen
• Configuring for Web Browsers
• Configuring for Apple iPads and iPod touch
• Configuring for Android based tablets and phones
• FAQ - Frequently asked Questions
• Programming a Zebra LS2208 Scanner
• Programming a Zebra DS2208 Scanner
• Programming a Zebra LI4278 Scanner
• Programming a Symbol CS3070 Handheld bluetooth Scanner
• Technical Notes

Configuring for Fieldpine PosGreen

If you only wish to use the barcode scanner with PosGreen:

1. It is a USB scanner
2. And, it is one of the following brands:
   • Symbol
   • Zebex
   • Honeywell or Metrologic
3. Then ensure that the setting "Auto Detect Barcode Scanners" is enabled and it will simply work without programming.

Configuring for Web Browsers

Configuring for Apple iPads and iPod touch

These Apple devices, and rarely some Android devices, cannot work with the standard configuration used by Fieldpine. So instead they are programmed using different values.

When using iPads, you cannot have both the on screen keyboard AND a barcode scanner active. The barcode scanner is seen as a keyboard to the browser. Typically retailers use the Symbol CS3070 scanner with these devices, and you can turn the scanner online/offline with a single button click. As soon as the iPad detects the scanner is gone, the keyboard will reappear.

Configuring for Android based tablets and phones

Programming a Zebra LS2208 Scanner

Programming a Zebra DS2208 Scanner

These scanners are configured by scanning a series of barcodes, which reprogram the scanner. Scan each of the following barcodes in order, top to bottom. The DS2208 is an imaging scanner so you can scan directly from this web page.
The DS2208 is an exception and uses the prefix/suffix characters "{}" as programming the normal prefix/suffix of STX/ETX is often not possible

Scanner will sound a 2 beep warble
Scanner will sound a 2 beep warble, then pause for about 2 seconds, then sound a "123" sequence. You must wait for the second set of beeps before continuing
Scanner will sound a 2 beep warble
Scanner will sound a 2 beep sequence
Scanner will sound a 2 beep sequence
Scanner will sound a 2 beep sequence
Scanner will sound a 2 beep sequence
Scanner will sound a 2 beep warble
Scanner will sound a 2 beep warble
Scanner will sound a 2 beep sequence
Scanner will sound a 2 beep sequence
Scanner will sound a 2 beep sequence
Scanner will sound a 2 beep warble

Programming a Symbol CS3070 Handheld bluetooth Scanner

These scanners are most easily configured by editing a config.ini stored on the device

1. Plug the scanner into your computer USB port. (Note, you cannot scan barcodes when connected via USB, it can only scan over bluetooth)
2. Open Windows explorer, and find the file config.ini on a drive that will have appeared.
   
3. Edit this file using Notepad
4. Locate the lines with Prefix and Suffix
   
5. If you are planning on using this scanner on Apple iPads and iPods, and, rarely, some brands of Android devices, set the values to 7B and 7D as shown below
   
6. If you are NOT using it on an Apple iPad or iPod, set the prefix and suffix to 02 and 03 as shown below
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use more than one scanner?

Yes. For USB scanners you can have a maximum of 16 keyboards, mice and scanners active at one time. A normal computer with one keyboard, one scanner and perhaps using an external USB mouse counts as 4 devices (1: the real keyboard, 2: the barcode scanner, 3: the external USB mouse, 4: the internal mouse touchpad if present), so 16 devices is a large limit for most practical circumstances

If the scanners are serial port scanners, then you may have a scanner in every serial port.

What about Bluetooth Scanners?

You can use bluetooth scanners the same as USB connected scanners. The CS3070 scanner descibed on this page is a bluetooth connected scanner. Where this page says "USB scanner" you can take that to mean "USB or Bluetooth scanner"

My Scanner wasn't Auto Detected, what do I do?

First check that the scanner works at all. Open a text editor (wordpad, notepad etc) and scan a barcode. If you do not see anything then the scanner may be preprogrammed in some different mode or simply broken. Perhaps try resetting the scanner to factory settings. If you cannot see scanned data in a text editor, then Fieldpine applications will not be able to use that scanner.

If your scanner is not one of the models described on this page then it is possible it has manufacturer identification values the Pos does not understand. In this case, configure it with prefix/suffix values and it should work.

For general "scanner not working" problems, please see Scanners support roadmap

Technical Notes

Fieldpine applictions use USB scanners in HID mode. While other modes as SPP are possible, these limit which programs can read the scanner and require additional programming steps.

If the scanner is from a known USB manufacturer and only used within the POS then programming is not required as the POS can determine which device it comes from

When used in browsers and other devices however, the scanned barcode appears as normal typing. To seperate which is normal typing and which is the barcode scanner we require the scanner to send prefix and suffix values around the barcode. While it would be possible to place a "barcode" entry field on every web page we wanted to use the scanner, this would be an unfriendly user experience as they need to click into that field before scanning.

Our preferred prefix is STX (ctrl-B or 0x02) matched with a suffix of ETX (ctrl-C or 0x03)

As not all scanners can send these prefixes, and not all browser/device combinations can accept them either, we also handle a prefix of "{" ( 0x7B ) with a suffix of "}" ( 0x7D )