Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Detecting if a roll number was scanned or typed in.


We usually use barcode scanners to scan a roll number, a load number or a zone into a system. This saves time and reduces entry errors.

Sometimes, the barcode is not readable and the operator must type in the roll number.

It is better when we can tell if the entry was actually scanned or typed manually. For instance, when we investigate a misloaded roll and we can detect that the roll number was typed in, we can suspect that the wrong number was entered, probably causing the error.

There are two ways for the software to detect if the barcode was scanned or typed.

First, many barcodes, such as Code 39, include an asterisk in the barcode. The barcode scanner can often be programmed to forward this to the application which can detect that the barcode was scanned.

A second method is to measure the time between the first and last character entered. If the data was entered in less than one second, it was probably scanned. But, if it took longer, it was probably typed.

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