RE: Barcodes!

["Ian Lowe" <ian@xxxxxxx>]

nice collection. a shame we don't have "our man in the US"

The cuecats are about as easy as barcode scanners get!

Ian.


-----Original Message-----
From: Campbell Macdonald [mailto:c.macd@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 02 March 2002 22:11
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [ukha_d] Barcodes!


There is currently a box for 25 including cables....unfortunately won't
ship
outside US....
have to make do with the one on order via Canada

Campbell

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Lowe" <ian@xxxxxxx>
To: "UKHA Mailing List" <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 2:30 PM
Subject: [ukha_d] Barcodes!


> Well, our box of *five* cue-cat readers arrived from the States. (not
two
> months after all)
>
> Can I just reiterate, i got *five* of these for $9.99USD and $6.50
shipping.
> They come up on ebay a lot.
>
> These are incredibly dinky (especially if you remove the dodgy
"cat"
> plastics)
>
> In a fit of "keen" I hacked two of them to remove the serial
number and
> encryption, and now have two "native" PS/2 scanners.
>
> That's when Jenni had an idea. Perhaps the serial number placed in the
scan
> by Digital Convergence is useful. We intend to use three of the
scanners
> either "built in" or sat beside:
>
> 1) The Fridge
> 2) The Freezer
> 3) The Main Food Cupboards
>
> (The other two become one on my PC for barcode databse maintenance/dev
work
> ane one for the laptop)
>
> The native cuecat returns this:
> .C3nZC3nZC3nWChvYCxf1D3nY.bNjW.DNnZC3b3Dhn0C3TZEW. when I scan a 300ml
> bottle of macleans complete care coolmint mouthwash. (happened to be
on my
> desk)
>
> Loading the "catnip" software for removing encryption
provides many
options
> for processing, including passing the (decrypted) Serial Number +
Barcode
> with a "." seperator
>
> With catnip in place, it becomes the rather clearer:
> 000000003361226401.5000347070808
>
> Given that the serial number for each cat is always the same, I can
then
use
> this sequence of kepresses (000000003361226401.) as a girder trigger
event
> to mean "incoming scan from the fridge" (or, at least, thats
the plan)
>
> Next steps:
> 1) extending the PS/2 connection over the CAT-5 to the Kitchen without
> spending £100 on an extender!
> 2) running two/three cue-cats over this extended link (I have already
ran
> all five at once here on my desk!)
> 3) scanning *everything* in the cupboard as a test of how fast it is.
> 4) Scanning and OCRing my last ASDA receipt, which includes the
following
on
> each line:
> Item Name, Barcode Number, Cost per Item
>
> Ian.
>
>
>
> For more information: http://www.automatedhome.co.uk
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>



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