Intermec DevCon 2005 RFID Label Encoding and Printing in a Windows Environment

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Intermec DevCon 2005RFID Label Encoding and
Printing in a Windows Environment

• September 2005
• Jonathan Gewirtz
• Central Regional Sales Manager

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Corporate Offices

• World Headquarters
• Bellevue, WA, USA
• Sales/Support/Operations
• Seattle/Bellevue
• Philadelphia
• Madrid, Spain (EMEA HQ)
• United Kingdom
• Taiwan (Asia-Pac HQ)
• Tokyo, Japan

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Seagull ScientificA History of Innovation

• Early Innovator
• 1985 - Seagull Scientific Founded
• 1987 - BarTender for DOS
• 1994 - BarTender for Windows and Windows Drivers
• 1997 - First 32-bit Label Application

Expanding as Technology Matured 1999 -
Introduced ActiveX Automation 2000 - BarTender is
SAP Certified 2003 - Microsoft XP Partner
Certified 2004 - RFID Smart Label Support 2005
And Beyond?
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Why Drivers Matter

• Seagull Drivers - Optimum performance and
  supportability
• True Windows Drivers that work with Windows Print
  Services
• Work cooperatively with true Windows applications
  like BarTender and MS Office applications
• Competitors Label Applications with embedded
  printer support
• Many have performance limitations
• Many do not follow Windows conventions, cause
  user confusion
• Many replace Microsoft Windows components
• Lead to support hassles

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1,350 Windows Drivers and growing

• Argox
• Autonics
• Avery Dennison
• Birch
• Brady
• C. Itoh
• cab
• Citizen
• Comtec
• Cognitive

• Datamax
• Datasouth
• Eltron
• Etisys
• Godex
• IBM
• Imaje
• Intermec
• Meto
• Monarch

• Novexx
• Paxar
• Pitney Bowes
• Pressiza
• Printronix
• Quick Label
• Ring
• SATO
• System Wave
• TEC

• Tharo
• Thermopatch
• ThermoTex
• TSC
• Tyco
• UBI
• Unimark
• VIPColor
• Zebra

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BarTender. Our Industry Leading Product!
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BarTender Overview

• Tailored for label tag printing applications
• Intuitive user interface
• Supports any Windows printer
• On-line text-sensitive Help
• WYSIWYG
• Over 20 languages supported
• Free tech support to end users and Resellers

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• BT Wizards simplify label design

• Startup Wizard
• Page Setup
• Database Connection
• Data Source
• EAN.UCC Application Identifier
• RSS Compiler

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BarTender Editions

• Basic
• Small Office/Home Office Product
• Professional
• Full Featured Design and Print Capabilities
• Enterprise
• Top-level Product, Full Featured Design, Advanced
  Automation Capabilities out of the box
• RFID Enterprise
• Highest-level Product, all Enterprise RFID
  Objects drag and drop

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BarTendersRFID Enterprise Edition
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New RFID Enterprise Edition

• BarTender RFID Interface Completely Rebuilt
• Simplifies Design of RFID Smart Labels
• Supports the Latest RFID Tag Types and Encoding
  Formats
• Tag Images on Labels Enable Accurate WYSWYG
  Designs
• RFID Label Stocks Included in Stock Database

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RFID Enterprise Edition

• Newly Added
• RFID Button on Tool Bar
• RFID Toolbox drawer
• RFID Objects - EPC
• RFID Tag Images
• RFID Label Stocks

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Title Toolbar

• Edition Name RFID Enterprise on Title Bar
• RFID Object Button on Toolbar

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Toolbox Enhancement

• RFID Drawer Added to Toolbox
• Drag and Drop Standard RFID Encoding Formats
  (Components)
• Create Your Own RFID Components

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Tag Images

• Tag Image Display
• Configure in Page Setup
• Insert Your Own RFID Tag Images
• Double-Click Label to Enter Page Setup

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Page Setup

• Label Stock Database Includes RFID Stocks
• Actual Part Numbers from Converters
• Preview Shows Tag for Easy Identification

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Page Setup

• RFID Label Options
• Select Tag to Display
• Control Tag Image Size, Location and Rotation
• Preview Tag in Label

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RFID Objects

• Configure RFID Data
• Support for Multiple RFID Objects
• Double-Click RFID Object to Open Dialog

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RFID Object Dialog

• Format RFID Objects
• RFID Tag Type Data Format
• Data Source
• General Options

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RFID Object Dialog

• Select Tag Type
• EPC Class 0, 1
• ISO 18000-6b
• Gen2
• Others (Old and New)
• Displays Only Tags Supported by Selected Printer

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RFID Object Dialog

• Select Tag Data Format
• SSCC-64, 96
• GIAI-64, 96
• DoD
• Custom
• etc.

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RFID Data Display

• RFID Objects Always Off Label (Do Not Print)
• RFID Data Printable when Data Shared with Text
  Bar Code Objects
• Printer Command Fonts allow read/write Advanced
  Users only!

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RFID Enterprise Edition

• Industry-leading Ease-of-Use
• Productivity enhancement for RFID integrators
• Pilots
• Production deployment
• Ongoing changes
• Tight integration with Printer Manufacturers
• Current models supported in drivers
• Updated Printer Drivers provide immediate updated
  support for new RFID printers and features
• List Price 1495 for 3 printer license

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BarTender version 7.72
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BarTender 7.72Unicode in BarTender

• Available now - BarTender 7.72
• Eagerly anticipated technology
• Unicode support solidifies BarTender as a global
  enterprise solution.
• What is Unicode?
• Standard that defines unique number
  representation for every character in any
  language.
• Any character value, in any language can co-exist
  in a single text string

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Unicode Structure

• Global, Scalable Language Support

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Unicode Features

• No text conversions needed FASTER Performance!
• Display any mix of languages in a single
  sub-string
• Access servers, databases, tables, and fields
  that have foreign characters in their names
• Direct support for subscripts and superscripts
• BarTender can switch into any supported language
  without changing the Windows Regional Settings

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BarTender 7.72Reading Order

• Most Phonetic Languages read from left to right
  (LTR)
• Example
• People should wear more hats.
• Start?
• Some Phonetic Languages (e.g. Hebrew and Arabic)
  read from right to left (RTL)
• Example
• ????? ?????? ????? ???? ??????.
  ?Start

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Reading Order

• When bidirectional (R-to-L or L-to-R) text is
  included in the same string they are known as
  runs
• LTR Intent for English speakers
• The Hebrew word for hat is ????, which is hard to
  pronounce.
• 1? ? 2
  3?
• RTL Intent for Hebrew speakers
• ????? ?? ?????? ????? hat, ???? ????.
• ?32? ?1

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Reading Order

• An application must support Reading Order
  controls
• MS Word has paragraph text direction support
• Excel has cell direction support
• BarTender now supports true reading order for
• Text Objects
• Prompt Objects
• Regional Settings

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Reading Order Controls

• Text Object Reading Order
• Text object reading order is set using the
  Effects tab.

• LTR and RTL Supported
• Changes the reading order of Data Source and On
  Screen Edit controls.
• Auto
• Uses the font script as the indicator for RTL or
  LTR reading order.

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BarTender Integration Tools
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The Foundation External Database Connectivity

• BarTender can connect to virtually any data
  source.
• Text
• OLE/ODBC
• SAP IDocs
• Combination of Tables and Databases

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Database Setup Tour

• Database Setup Wizard
• Tree Based View
• Tabbed Navigation

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Automation Basics

• Automation in BarTender
• Programmatically execute tasks and processes that
  would normally be done manually via the user
  interface.
• Run BarTender from inside other applications or
  programs
• Why Use Automation?
• Simplify Workflow
• Reduce Errors
• Solution Approach to Automation
• No one size fits all approach customers can
  combine ActiveX and Commander, for example

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Command Line Automation

• Automatically run BarTender functions from within
  other programs
• Preload formats or automatically start print jobs
• Excellent for Production Lines, Order Picking,
  Shipping and Receiving

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Commander Module

• Enterprise Integration Utility
• Automates label printing
• Replaces middleware programming
• Supports dynamic label formats and data content
• Saves hours of integration work
• Excellent for high volume or legacy environments

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Commander Overview
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Commander Basics

• Commander initiates action based upon trigger
  files.
• Triggers are processed by Commander Tasks
• Commander Task Lists organize tasks into a
  single workflow.

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Commander Trigger Files

• File that contains information needed to start an
  automated process to print a label.
• Can be any type of data file, comma delimited
  ASCII files are most commonly used.
• Contains variable data that needs to be printed
  out on a label.
• There can be up to three sections or components
  in a Trigger File.
• Static Text and Graphics are not included in
  Trigger Files.

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Commander Tasks and Task Lists

• Commander Tasks
• A Commander task is a set of one or more commands
  associated with a trigger.
• Select what type of trigger will launch prompt
  Commander to execute the task
• Identify the commands that will be executed in
  response to the trigger. Options Include
• BarTender commands
• Operating System command lines
• Commander script.
• (You can mix all three types of commands in a
  given task.)

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Commander Tasks and Task Lists

• Commander Task Lists
• Commander can monitor multiple triggers and
  execute multiple tasks in response to each.
• Set of Tasks are organized into a Task List
• Multiple Task Lists can run simultaneously

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Commander Example

• Large Perishable Goods Distributor
• 20 Production/Shipping Lines in each Warehouse
• Connectivity/Reliability extremely important
• Minimal, if any user input desired
• BarTender Solution
• Centralized design and management
• Output/Workflow can be pushed out centrally
• Production lines retain ability to run labels on
  demand

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ActiveX Automation

• Business Need
• Mission critical, automated label output from
  order fulfillment, inventory control or other
  applications
• The Solution
• ActiveX Automation or COM, Microsofts standard
  for interaction between Windows applications.
• BarTender and ActiveX
• Automatically perform all of the data retrieval,
  prompting and label printing tasks enabled by
  BarTender from within a customers existing
  application.

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ActiveX Automation Basics

• Program providing services through the Automation
  interface is called the Server.
• Often referred to as the control or OCX.
• BarTender is the Automation Server.
• Application that is calling the Servers
  interface is the Client.
• Often referred to as the Container.
• ActiveX Enabled Client Software
• All MS Office applications
• Applications written in Visual Basic, Visual
  C, VB.Net, Internet Explorer through JScript or
  VB script.

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ActiveX Automation

• What Can You Do With ActiveX Automation?

• Load BarTender
• Select Formats
• Source data
• Specify quantities

• Set Prompt Values
• Log Data Files
• Launch Print Jobs
• Close BarTender

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ActiveX Application Example

• Internet Information Server is Microsofts web
  server
• IIS has ASP and ASP.Net Plug-ins that allow you
  to write code which generates HTML for the
  client.
• Using VBScript, Jscript, VB.net and C
• Integration is done by calling BarTenders
  ActiveX interface from the users ASP or ASP.Net
  code.

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ActiveX Application Example

• BT (on server) automated by ASP issuing ActiveX
  commands based instructions sent through client
  browser

Server IIS BT SLS DRIVERS
Client IE
HTTP
Printer
RAW or LPR
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Printer Code Templates

• Native Printer Code files with delimiters added
  to facilitate user or data driven input.
• Labels are designed and configured using
  BarTenders GUI design tools uploaded to the
  device
• Excellent for
• Embedded formats, Labeling without Windows OS
• Windows CE/PocketPC label printing
• SAP ITF upload using PCT
• Scales, keypads, PDA printing

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Conclusions

• RFID capabilities in BT RFID Enterprise Edition
• Drivers by Seagull are powerful, yet also the
  easiest way to support printers in a Windows
  environment
• Were constantly building better products to help
  you deliver more solutions!
• Consult Seagull white papers, sample
  implementations and scripts for a head start