Created on 2010-03-16 18:21:00

A barcode scanner may be useful in production testing, not only to expedite data entry, but to eliminate the possibility of initiating the wrong test routine.

A handheld barcode scanner.

In high speed manufacturing test environments, it is common to visually identify the product to be tested, and then manually select the appropriate tests. If an error is made in selection, it can cause significant delay or improper testing of the device. This problem is most commonly seen in production areas where the device being tested has many variations in its configuration or features.

APx:

AP has created the APx Barcode Scanner Interface application in VB.NET (Run_Barcode_Project_ID.exe). It is designed to use common barcode scanners that enter data as if it were typed on a keyboard. When the application is run, the following dialog is displayed:

APx Barcode Scanner Interface.

The operator simply scans the product barcode, and an APx project with the same name as the barcode data is automatically loaded and run. The status box at the bottom shows what is happening during the process, and when it is ready to scan another device. The corresponding APx projects should be placed in the same folder as the “Run_Barcode_Project_ID.exe” application.

As an example, we have provided sample barcodes and projects that can be used to verify your scanner functionality. The “Barcodes.pdf” file contains four barcodes, one for each of the sample projects, that you can scan with your barcode reader.

A barcode reader can also be used to fill text data, such as a serial number, into an APx project report. In this case, a barcode scanner can be used instead of a keyboard to fill in a user input prompt. In this case, the VB.NET application is not necessary.

For more sophisticated functionality, the barcode scanner can be incorporated into a complete VB.NET application that uses the APx API to control the APx instrument.

AP2700 and ATS-2:

Users with 2700 Series and ATS-2 instruments can easily incorporate barcode input into macros, either to capture text input or to control conditional branching statements. No utility or extra code is needed – the bar code reader is simply used instead of a keyboard at the appropriate time.

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