PassTracker - How to Setup a Mac to use an F-Key when a Bar Code is Scanned

1.) How to program the barcode scanner to add prefix such as a function key F7?

Assuming you are using the Metrologic Voyager bar code scanner, here are the steps to program the pre-fix. This prefix will cause the F7 key to be sent to the computer. On the computer, we program it to listen for the F7 key and then launch the Scanner.fp7 database.

First of all, find the code bytes for F7 from page 75, it's 150

Steps to program
1. Scan the Enter/Exit configuration Mode on page 2 to enter configuration mode, you will hear 3 beeps
2. Scan the "Configurable Prefix Character #1" on page 35 to configure the first prefix
3. Scan the code byte 1,5,0 orderly from code bytes page 69
You will hear 1 beep for first character 1, and 2 beeps for second character 5, and 3 beeps for 0
4. Scan the Enter/Exit configuration Mode on page 2 to exit configuration mode. You will hear 3 beeps.

2.) How to program the barcode scanner to add suffix such as Tab then Enter?

To launch the script or action in the Scanner.fp7 program, it is necessary that the cursor leave the field. The Tab key is the best way to do this, so we program the bar code scanner to add a Tab code after the bar code has been read.

First of, find the code bytes for Tab and Enter keys from page 76, Tab is 166, Enter is 168

Steps to program
1. Scan the Enter/Exit Configuration Mode on pge 2 to enter configuration mode. You will hear 3 beeps
2. Scan the "Configurable Suffix Character #1" on page 43 to configure the first suffix TAB
3. Scan the code bytes 1, 6, 6 orderly from code bytes page 69
You will hear 1 beep for 1, 2 beeps for 6, and 3 beeps for 6
4. Scan the "Configurable Suffix Character #2" on page 43 to configure the second suffix Enter
5. Scan the code bytes 1, 6, 8 orderly from code bytes page 69
You will hear 1 beep for 1, 2 beeps for 6, and 3 beeps for 8
6. Scan the Enter/Exit Configuration Mode on page 2 to exit configuration mode. You will hear 3 beeps

3.) How to change the data transmission delays?

Because there is the need to delay the bar code transfer until the computer has a chance to bring the Scanner program to the foreground and be ready to accept the bar code, you may need to reprogram the transmission delay.

Here are the steps to program this:
1. Scan the Enter/Exit Configuration Mode on page 2 to enter configuration mode. You will hear 3 beeps.
2. Scan the delay time you want on page 30, 25 msec works fine for PassTracker
3. Scan the Enter/Exit Configuration Mode on page 2 to exit configuration mode. You will hear 3 beeps.

4) Programming the Computer to Process the F7 Key

We employ a small, free helper application called XKeys to capture and process the F7 key coming from the bar code scanner.

Place this program in your Applications folder.

System Preferences: Set XKeys to Launch whenever your computer launches

Click on System: Accounts

Add a Login Item

1) In Accounts click on the Login Items tab

2) Click the small plus sign near the bottom of the list. (note your system may not have any of these items listed.) Navigate to your Applications folder and add the XKeys application by double clicking on it.

3) In the end, you should have at least one item listed here, hopefully it is the XKeys application.

Launch XKeys

Configure XKeys

1) Click on the F7 option in the popup list.

2) Then click the 'launch the file/application' button.

Select the Scanner.fp7 file.

XKeys Configured

When all is said and done, your XKeys screen should look like this.

When F7 is pressed

launch the file/application: Scanner.fp7

Test this a couple of times to ensure that the F7 key does in fact launch the Scanner.fp7 application. If you keep FileMaker and PassTracker running, this should be a very quick switch to the Scanner.fp7 file. If all goes well, the cursor will be in the bar code field as well.