Barcode Scanners

Barcode Scanner Options and Features

Opmetrix Service Desk avatar
Written by Opmetrix Service Desk
Updated over a week ago

The Opmetrix App on iPad and Android tablet supports barcode scanning of products (SKUS) during sales transaction entry.   

During your sales transaction, you will typically scan a barcode that's printed on a shelf ticket, a barcode printed on the product itself, or a barcode that's printed in a product catalogue. There may be other places barcodes appear; the main thing is that they must be relevant to the sales transaction at hand.

However, Opmetrix does not support scanning using your device's built-in camera so you must have some kind of extra device to scan barcodes.

It would pay to contact Opmetrix Support before making any decisions about buying a barcode scanner.

There are two popular barcode scanners used with Opmetrix:

  • Socket Scanner series - CHS 7 Series (superseded)

  • Socket Scanner series - S700 Series

  • Motorola CS3000 series - CS3070 (superseded)

  • Motorola CS6000 series - CS6080 (enable carriage return)

Barcode Connection

Opmetrix also supports scanners that can be connected as a Keyboard Wedge. 

A keyboard wedge is either an inserted hardware device of some kind or a certain type of software program that converts digital signals from a barcode reader or magnetic strip reader [MSR] into individual keyboard characters for use on the computer, tablet or smartphone where the Opmetrix App is operating. This is also sometimes referred to as an HID connection; HID, which stands for Human Interface Device, was developed initially as a standard protocol for connecting devices such as keyboard, mouse and joystick to a computer's USB, but it's now more widely used in other communication bus protocols such as Bluetooth HID, Zigbee and Microsoft's Windows Media Centre PC remote control receivers. There's Wikipedia page on HID if you're interested or google HID protocol for further information.

Barcode scanners usually have one of three output options - either Keyboard Wedge output, RS232 serial output, or USB output.

Scanners are available in different types and each has different benefits. The most commonly used is 1D Laser.

  • 1D Laser - fast at detecting and scanning from paper/cardboard

  • 1D Imager - slower at detecting and scanning, but can also scan very effectively from a screen or shiny surfaces

  • 2D Imager - can scan 2D barcodes (similar to but not limited to QR codes)

Talk to your Opmetrix Administrator or in-house technical support team in the first instance if you're confused on the hardware front or you are welcome of course to contact Opmetrix Support.

Toggle on-screen keyboard

There may be times that you need to show the on-screen keyboard while using a Bluetooth barcode scanner, for example, when typing in the name of a product you wish to search for by name, or if you want to enter a call card note. In that case, you can press the - (minus) key on your CS3000 series scanner, or double-tap the power button on the CHS 7 Series.

Note: on Android you may need to manually allow the on-screen keyboard to show when you've paired a Bluetooth scanner. To do this make sure Settings->Language and Input->Physical keyboard->Show on-screen keyboard is enabled.

Scanning from the Tablet/Smartphone Camera

Opmetrix does not support using the internal camera of your device as a barcode scanner no matter what tablet or smartphone device you are using.

See also

For more help on this or any other matter contact Opmetrix Support.

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