Communicate with a USB Barcode Scanner

[andreas_p]

Hi,

I have a usb barcode scanner with an image function that I would like to use with Labview. However I have only got the scanner to take images with a software provided by the manufacturer. When you press the trigger otherwise it acts as a normal barcode scanner - no picture taking. I need to send an "enable image taking" command somehow and use the trigger and also collect the image data in some smart way. The idea is to use Vision and do a bunch of stuff with the scanned images. The problem is that I cant seem to find a way to send any commands to the scanner. I use com port emulation and try to send commands that way but no luck. Im quite new with LV so I might have missed some obvious solution. Help on this issue would be much appreciated.

Best regards

Andreas

[MikeS81]

Hi Andreas,

you have to know the provided interface. Maybe you can use a shipped dll or ActiveX. If you want to send serial commands, then you have to know them and your scanner has to have this functionality. Do you know how to do it with other programming languages?

Mike

[andreas_p]

Thanks for your reply. I have a dll file shipped with the scanner. I read something about using call library function node when dealing with dll files. I found all the commands available for the scanner when checking the configure options. Now I just need them to be sent to the scanner. Any easy way to do this perhaps? I will continue work on this and reed some in the help files but if you have a quick solution or suggestion on how to proceed it would be great!

//Andreas

[MikeS81]

Hi Andreas,

see this link please. To create the different vi´s for your functions, you can also use the dll import if you have the header file.

Hope it helps.

Mike

[PhillipBrooks]

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To create the different vi´s for your functions, you can also use the dll import if you have the header file.

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I think the Import Shared Library wizard was introduced with LabVIEW 8.20. See this link...

Message Edited by Phillip Brooks on 10-17-2008 06:36 AM

[andreas_p]

I will look into that. Thanks a lot for your help!

//Andreas