Bar Code Scanning Senior Capstone Experience

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Bar Code ScanningSenior Capstone Experience

• By Rachel R. Rouse

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Project Definition

• Project Description
• Purchase and install a bar code reader and design
  real-time experiments for it.
• Requirements
• Purchase a barcode scanner that will ID passing
  trains and calculate speed velocity on CCR
• Write the scanner driver and provide a good API.
• Rewrite the user manual.
• Design and implement the application described in
  1.
• Design and implement other experimentations
  involving some real-time issues.

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Goals Strategies

• Goals
• Write applications for CCR, hexidecimal
  communication between host and scanner, and
  audience participation application
• Strategies
• Trial-and-Error
• Experimentation modify as a result
• Faculty, peer, vendors and manufacturer resources
• Research

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Three Applications

• CCR Train Application
• Identifies trains, calculates speed, friendly
  user interface
• Hexidecimal Communication Application
• Establishes communication between host and
  scanner allows commands to be sent to scanner
• MTV Trivia Application
• Simple application that will allow the audience
  to scan bar codes

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CCR Train Application
Add Train Form
Add form initialized train information
Delete form removed a train from the application
Delete Train Form
Train Form
Edit Selected Train Form
Edit Train Form
Main form displayed latest scanned information
Edit form edited the train whose ID came from
Edit Train Form
History Form
History form displays the information about the
specified pass
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Calculating Speed

• HO Gauge
• 1/17 of life size
• D1 thru D4
• Specific distances between bar codes on an engine
• Calculations
• If D1 (18 / x) MPH
• If D2 (14.4 / x) MPH
• If D3 (12 / x) MPH
• If D4 (10.285714 / x) MPH
• where x is the time difference between Time1 and
  Time2 as seconds

Variables
Constants
FirstPass
D1 3.6414
Time1
D2 2.88
Time2
D3 2.4276
Speed
D4 2.0808
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User-defined VB Classes

• TrainClass
• ID
• Name
• InitDir
• InitPos
• Direction
• Position
• Speed
• Code Distance

• ScannerClass
• Code
• Time

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Hexidecimal Application

• One form that allowed the following
• Pre-defined menu options that sent commands to
  the scanner (i.e. Triggering Options)
• User could enter parameter and parameter value
  and the application created the string to be sent
  to the scanner
• UNDO ALL and UNDO LAST buttons to correct
  mistakes when appending
• Turn Laser On and Turn Laser Off commands

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MTV Trivia Application
A series of ten trivia questions appear on the
form. New question displayed after the answer
form is closed.
Question Form
Once the answer form is closed, a new question
is displayed.
Depending on the bar code scanned, a different
answer is displayed.
A bar code that directly corresponds to the
question is scanned and the answer to the
question is displayed on the Answer Form
Answer Form
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Future Extensions

• Creating bar codes without the use of software
• Writing a DLL specifically for opening and
  closing ports
• Purchasing a second scanner to do comparative
  experiments
• Developing a new symbology and having the scanner
  recognize it

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Thank You!

• Rachel R. Rouse