Bar Code Scanner....anyone?

[MJuric]

We are setting up our ERP to have a mobile Bar Code Scanner. I ran into an issue where some things the ERP printed in bar code was scanned improperly.

When I converted the bar code to text the ERP is adding a "$%" in front of everything. We are using Code 39 which uses an "*" as a start and end character. "$" and "%" are special characters that are used to create other functions.

So when I look at the font from the ERP everything is "*$%[Data]*". Now this works fine for any numeric data, so "$%123456" ends up being scanned properly as "123456" as the "$%" is ignored because these special characters only create something "Special" when they precede a letter....where in lies the problem. So while numerics work fine something like "$%DEFGH" ends up scanning as "$EFGH" because "%D" is code for the special character "Record Space" so the "%D" ends up getting pulled out, the "$" is no longer ignored because it is actually a record on it's own so you end up scanning two records "$" and "EFGH".

Soooo... on the off chance that anyone here is a Bar Code expert.

1) is there any reason for the ERP to be adding the "$%" before everything? I could not find any information that these two characters together mean anything at all or do anything, thus why I thing they are completely ignored in anything with a numeric.
2) Is there any way to force the scanner to ignore these characters? I only ask because getting the ERP company to change things like this tends to take an act of congress, months of time and a significant PO.

[AlexLachance]

The $% is generally added because of a bad conversion of a symbol from one font to another.

[MJuric]

The $% is generally added because of a bad conversion of a symbol from one font to another.

Hmmm, wouldn't that mean that some character would be missing? So if the original was "ABCDEF" and the bar code was "*$%" something wouldn't it have to be "*$%BCDEF"or something like that or am I not understanding you?

In any case are you saying that somewhere, in the ERP system, it's converting one something to another something and the "$%" is actually and error and not put there purposefully?

[AlexLachance]

Hmmm, wouldn't that mean that some character would be missing? So if the original was "ABCDEF" and the bar code was "*$%" something wouldn't it have to be "*$%BCDEF"or something like that or am I not understanding you?

In any case are you saying that somewhere, in the ERP system, it's converting one something to another something and the "$%" is actually and error and not put there purposefully?

For example, the symbol # creates a %$ for us when we generate codebars. For instance, if a code-bar is generating a number for CAP#-123 then the code-bar would come out as CAP%$-123

Not sure if I'm being clear? The $% is a conversion of a symbol that can't be converted as a code-bar. It could be something as feeble as a coding error in the ERP that slips in a random symbol which then gets wrongfully converted to %$

[MJuric]

For example, the symbol # creates a %$ for us when we generate codebars. For instance, if a code-bar is generating a number for CAP#-123 then the code-bar would come out as CAP%$-123

Not sure if I'm being clear? The $% is a conversion of a symbol that can't be converted as a code-bar. It could be something as feeble as a coding error in the ERP that slips in a random symbol which then gets wrongfully converted to %$

Well turns out that in it's infinite wisdom the company that does our ERP PURPOSEFULLY adds those characters. They add them so they can distinguish where the item being scanned is an "Employee" or some other item like an inventory item, Work order etc etc.

So you got that right. These geniuses purposefully used special characters that convert ANY letter into some other special code as a defining character. So if you create a report with a list of bar codes representing employees it will not insert these special characters....good thing because the first letter of everyones name would not appear and it would be replaced with something else....but if you do a bar code on a work order or inventory list report it DOES insert these special characters....which causes this issue on anything that starts with a letter.

[DanPihlaja]

I did a google search and came up with this:

https://www.barcodefaq.com/1d/code-39/

Edit:
So, it sounds like you have the extended/full ASCII set enable in your scanner. If you bring it back to standard, this shouldn't happen.

"Code 39 has a standard and an extended/"full ASCII" character set. The standard set only encodes digits 0-9, upper case letters A-Z and a few special characters like +-/%$ (43 characters in total). The extended/"full ASCII" character set is usually (on all barcode scanners that I've seen) disabled by factory defaults. You have to enable it by scanning some configuration barcodes from the barcode scanner manual."

[MJuric]

I did a google search and came up with this:

https://www.barcodefaq.com/1d/code-39/

image.png


Edit:
So, it sounds like you have the extended/full ASCII set enable in your scanner. If you bring it back to standard, this shouldn't happen.

"Code 39 has a standard and an extended/"full ASCII" character set. The standard set only encodes digits 0-9, upper case letters A-Z and a few special characters like +-/%$ (43 characters in total). The extended/"full ASCII" character set is usually (on all barcode scanners that I've seen) disabled by factory defaults. You have to enable it by scanning some configuration barcodes from the barcode scanner manual."

Hmmmm, so you're saying that if the Extended ASCII code is disabled it will ignore the "$%" entirely? I'll try that and see if it works, I'm pretty sure I saw a "Disable extended ASCII" Scan in the setup book.

I'd been looking at those which is how I realized what was going on but it never struck me that those were all "Extended only".

That might work.

Thanks

[DanPihlaja]

Hmmmm, so you're saying that if the Extended ASCII code is disabled it will ignore the "$%" entirely? I'll try that and see if it works, I'm pretty sure I saw a "Disable extended ASCII" Scan in the setup book.

I'd been looking at those which is how I realized what was going on but it never struck me that those were all "Extended only".

That might work.

Thanks

Its just a guess based on a 5 minute google search. LOL

Your mileage may vary...

[MJuric]

I did a google search and came up with this:

https://www.barcodefaq.com/1d/code-39/

image.png


Edit:
So, it sounds like you have the extended/full ASCII set enable in your scanner. If you bring it back to standard, this shouldn't happen.

"Code 39 has a standard and an extended/"full ASCII" character set. The standard set only encodes digits 0-9, upper case letters A-Z and a few special characters like +-/%$ (43 characters in total). The extended/"full ASCII" character set is usually (on all barcode scanners that I've seen) disabled by factory defaults. You have to enable it by scanning some configuration barcodes from the barcode scanner manual."

You sir win the internet for the day. Went down and switched off Extended ASCII and BOOM actually worked as expected.

Thank You a TON!.

This place has no "Correct response" thingy does it?

[SPerman]

This checkmark should be available to you as the OP.

[MJuric]

This checkmark should be available to you as the OP.

image.png

What theme are you using. I'm on "elegant Aqua" and no check mark.

[DanPihlaja]

You sir win the internet for the day. Went down and switched off Extended ASCII and BOOM actually worked as expected.

Thank You a TON!.

This place has no "Correct response" thingy does it?

Glad it worked. LOL Never actually used or saw Code39 scanning language before today.

As my grandfather used to say: The sun's gotta shine on a dog's butt once in a while.

[MJuric]

Glad it worked. LOL Never actually used or saw Code39 scanning language before today.

As my grandfather used to say: The sun's gotta shine on a dog's butt once in a while.

Like I said, I'd been staring at that for the last couple days trying to figure out what was happening and why. thought jest never occurred to me that you could just turn it off and it would work.

That's like two times in two days something like this has happened to me. We have a program attached to a pallet and when the pallet transferred to the machine only part of the program showed up. First thing I did was look at the program for an extra "[this should be a percentage sign but apparently percentage signs are not allowed]" which essentially indicates the start and stop of the program....nothing....well nothing in the program. At the end of the day the operator looked at it an saw a "[this should be a percentage sign but apparently percentage signs are not allowed]" in a comment line. Took it out...boom worked.

I never bothered to even look at the comments because....well the machine is supposed to ignore comments....apparently not

[SPerman]

I'm stumped. I switched to Elegance Aqua (I'm using plain old Elegance) and it is there for me.

@matt is there any reason he doesn't have the checkmark to indicate the correct answer? Are you trying to emulate the old site where you had a limited amount of time to turn a post into a question?

[matt]

I'm stumped. I switched to Elegance Aqua (I'm using plain old Elegance) and it is there for me.

@matt is there any reason he doesn't have the checkmark to indicate the correct answer? Are you trying to emulate the old site where you had a limited amount of time to turn a post into a question?

Yeah, there's a reason. This is off topic. No answers in off topic. I don't have the checkmark here either.

[mike miller]

Yeah, there's a reason. This is off topic. No answers in off topic. I don't have the checkmark here either.

Maybe this thread could be moved to an "On-Topic" place....??? I think it's both relevant and helpful.

[matt]

Maybe this thread could be moved to an "On-Topic" place....??? I think it's both relevant and helpful.

Agreed. Moved it to General Engineering. OP should have a checkmark available now.

Just so you all know, there are several things that don't happen in off topic topics. One is search bot crawling (so we don't start ranking for all the crap in Kitty Dump). Marked answers is another. Probably some more as well, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

[AlexLachance]

Agreed. Moved it to General Engineering. OP should have a checkmark available now.

Just so you all know, there are several things that don't happen in off topic topics. One is search bot crawling (so we don't start ranking for all the crap in Kitty Dump). Marked answers is another. Probably some more as well, but I can't remember off the top of my head.

The KD's got the best things to be ranked, how dare you!