Trying to read data from USB barcode scanner!!!

[ramtekpr]

hello All,

I am trying to read data off a Symbol LS2208 barcode scanner. Since this is a RAW usb device, I am using NI-VISA to control my device. I have configured NI VISA to control my device using the VISA driver wizard.
The system can recognize the device as a USB device in the hardware device manager and indicates that the device is working properly. However, when I try to run the VISA session from MAX, I get an error saying that the device is in a unknown state/insufficient location information. I get an errro code 0xBFFF0011. I have tried creating a new driver but I still get the same error code. If you guys can help me out here, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,
Praveen R

[Dennis_Knutson]

I haven't used that model of scanner but the several USB ones I have used install as a USB HID device and you don't need to use the VISA driver wizard at all. In fact, trying to install the inf file that the wizard creates will cause nothing but problems. Remove the wizard created files and reboot the pc. See if the scanner is recognized by windows as a keyboard device. If it is, then you are all done. Just test the scanner in a program like Notepad.

[ramtekpr]

Hi there,

Thanks for the quick reply. I am able to read the barcodes now. Is there a way I can assign a default file where the barcodes are stored.

Thanks

PR

[Dennis_Knutson]

The location of where you save files is entirely up to you when you write your application. You haven't provided the programming environment that you are working with but I know that both LabVIEW and LabWindows?CVI come with examples for file I/O.

[falkpl]

Is it difficult to incorperate the LS2208 with labview?  I am budgeting time for this phase of the project an wanted to know how difficult this was.  I just need to scan bar codes and get back a ID number of the part.

[ramtekpr]

Hi,

It is really easy to incorparate the LS model barcode scanner in Labview. I was trying to do this the hard way. You can simply read the serial number in a string control.

ramtekpr

[falkpl]

Thanks.  I figured it would be easy but was a little woured when usb visa was mentioned.

[Nacree]

I am using the same scanner- LS2208 and am having difficulties getting MAX to recognize the scanner.  Can you give some tips on how you were able to get yours set up?

Very much appreciated,

Nathan

[Dennis_Knutson]

You should not be trying to get MAX to recognize the scanner. It's windows HID device and if you leave it alone and use the default driver, it will appear to windows as a keyboard. Nothing else to do. If you've already tried to use the VISA wizard to create a driver, remove all of that and start again. If it does not appear to windows as a keyboard, then you have another problem but it would have nothing to do with LabVIEW.

[Nacree]

Thanks for the quick response.  Someone I work with just showed me the same thing.  Was making things much harder than they needed to be.  I rolled back the driver I installed to the previous windows version and it works just like a keyboard

-Nathan