Table of Contents

1. Equipment Requirements
2. Configuring the Barcode Scanner for Keyboard Mode
3. Using Python to Capture Barcode Data
4. Switching the Barcode Scanner to Serial Mode
5. Capturing Data with pyserial
6. Conclusion

Section 1.1: Equipment Requirements

For this tutorial, you'll need the following hardware:

• Raspberry Pi: While any computer could suffice, the Pi is an excellent choice.
• 1D Barcode Scanner: I’m using a compact scanner sourced from Aliexpress.
• USB Cable: My scanner operates with Micro USB.
• USB to Serial Converter: If your scanner is USB-only and you wish to use Serial, a converter is necessary.
• Python: I’m utilizing Python 3.10.9, but any version should be compatible.

Section 1.2: Configuring the Barcode Scanner for Keyboard Mode

Most barcode scanners come with a manual featuring barcodes for adjusting settings; you can also find documentation on the manufacturer’s site. To enable Keyboard Mode, scan the corresponding barcode, which will emit a distinct beep to confirm the setting change. To test the scanner, connect it to your Pi with a USB cable and scan a random barcode in any text input application.

Section 1.3: Using Python to Capture Barcode Data

With the scanner configured to Keyboard Mode, every scan will be interpreted as keyboard input. In Python, you can utilize the built-in input function to capture this data:

input("Scan something: ")

Running this code will pause the program until it detects an input, either from a keyboard or the scanner. How you choose to utilize the scanned barcode is entirely up to you; options include logging data to a database, sending notifications, or even ordering pizza. Here’s a simple example that saves each scanned barcode to a file:

file_count = 1 # Tracks the incrementing file value

# Start the barcode data capture loop while True:

barcode_data = input("Scan something: ")

# Exit condition

if barcode_data.lower() == 'exit':

break

# Define the file name with an incrementing count

file_name = f"barcode_{file_count}.txt"

# Save the barcode data to a new file

with open(file_name, 'w') as file:

file.write(barcode_data)

print(f"Barcode data saved to {file_name}.")

# Increment the file count for the next barcode data

file_count += 1

Section 1.4: Switching the Barcode Scanner to Serial Mode

As with Keyboard Mode, you need to scan the barcode that switches the scanner to Serial Mode.

Section 1.5: Capturing Data with pyserial

To communicate with barcode readers through a serial connection, you can employ the pyserial library. If it’s not already installed, you can easily add it via pip:

pip install pyserial

On a Raspberry Pi, serial communication is facilitated through UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) components, which manage the serial data transfer. For Raspberry Pi, the UART ports can be accessed via device files like /dev/ttyAMA0 and /dev/ttyS0. If using a USB converter, the port may appear as /dev/ttyUSB0.

Here’s a basic example that captures and saves barcode data:

import serial

# Configuration serial_port = '/dev/ttyUSB0' baud_rate = 9600 file_count = 1

# Initialize serial connection scanner = serial.Serial(serial_port, baud_rate, timeout=1)

# Start the barcode data capture loop while True:

data = scanner.readline()

if data:

# Decode byte data to string and remove trailing newline

barcode_data = data.decode('utf-8').rstrip()

# Define the file name with an incrementing count

file_name = f"barcode_{file_count}.txt"

# Save the barcode data to a new file

with open(file_name, 'w') as file:

file.write(barcode_data)

print(f"Barcode data saved to {file_name}.")

# Increment the file count for the next barcode data

file_count += 1