Inventory System

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  1. - 4th February 2014, 16:20 #1
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    Default Inventory System

    I've piled up quite a lot of stuff over the years. It's now a chore to find a part, let alone remember what I have and how many. This is my solution done in Access 2002.


    I enter the specs the same way they will appear on the labels for that part. I select a colour to make it easier to find where the drawer goes in the wall. I often pull out a few and bring them to wherever I'm working. There's nothing that looks more like a black-on-white label than another black-on-white label.




    I wanted a flexible system; each part can have different specs.




    I go through my stuff, look at specs on the datasheet, type in the quantities on hand and click the PRINT button.



    (Huh? maximum of 3 images per post now?)

    I'm still designing the database, queries, forms and reports. It's been many moons since I last used Access and VB so I'm a little rusty. This should make things a LOT easier to find stuff later. Labels will go on the drawer cabinets as well as the larger "surplus" cabinets.

    The barcode scanner app on my phone works beautifully. It scans my label barcodes really fast and accurately.

    My bluetooth dongle has been shipped so I should be getting it "soon". Still haven't looked at which BASIC I will use to make an app that will transmit the scanned number from the phone clipboard to my laptop. Still haven't looked at how I can get that received number on the laptop onto Access.

    Project moves on.

    Robert
    Last edited by Demon; - 4th February 2014 at 16:32.
  2. - 4th February 2014, 16:25 #2
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    Default Re: Inventory System

    (cont.)

    Then I print labels for the drawers and run a query that resets the PRINT buttons to OFF.

    (sample data used for testing the system)



    So when I add more parts later, only the new ones with PRINT ON will get printed.

    Robert


    EDIT: I tested the barcode scanner for fun, it can read up to 10" away without problems. That's very good considering the size of the barcode.
    Last edited by Demon; - 4th February 2014 at 16:30.
  3. - 14th February 2014, 02:14 #3
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    Default Re: Inventory System

    Got the bluetooth USB dongle today. I paid about $5.62USD total for a $0.99 item, shipping alone was $6.16USD, go figure.

    I tried it out and the laptop and android phone saw themselves properly. Scanning the barcode and sending the data is 3 clicks and the data is received in a HTML file. It comes through the COM12 port. I found an Access utility that can scan COM ports, just a matter of tying it all together.

    So at least my idea seems to be holding water.

    (Scan of Logic Sample barcode)
    Last edited by Demon; - 14th February 2014 at 02:16.
  4. - 14th February 2014, 02:43 #4
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    Default Re: Inventory System

    App sends 150 bytes.
    Code:
    <html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/></head><body><a href="140204102645">140204102645</a></p></body></html>
    Barcode is easily identified after <a href=".

    I don't have to use Windows XP Bluetooth utility to handle things (what I used so far to manually test communications - C:\WINDOWS\system32\fsquirt.exe). The Access COM utility is designed to do it all:

    Code:
    ' modCOMM - Written by: David M. Hitchner
'
' This VB module is a collection of routines to perform serial port I/O without
' using the Microsoft Comm Control component.  This module uses the Windows API
' to perform the overlapped I/O operations necessary for serial communications.
'
' The routine can handle up to 4 serial ports which are identified with a
' Port ID.
'
' All routines (with the exception of CommRead and CommWrite) return an error
' code or 0 if no error occurs.  The routine CommGetError can be used to get
' the complete error message.
    Utility available here:
    http://www.thescarms.com/vbasic/CommIO.aspx


    Might as well mention which free app from The Play Store:
    MobiScan v2.0.13 lib2.9.26
    https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...scanners&hl=en

    www.manateeworks.com to purchase SDK to build your own barcode app.

    Robert
    Last edited by Demon; - 14th February 2014 at 03:01. Reason: fsquirt info, ModCOMM and MobiScan links
  5. - 14th February 2014, 13:03 #5
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    Default Re: Inventory System

    you are doing cool stuff !!
    if you don't mind me saying
    d
  6. - 16th February 2014, 17:36 #6
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    Default Re: Inventory System

    Thanks, too bad I'm banging my head against a wall right now. LOL

    The utility I found above is for true RS232 communications, it doesn't handle bluetooth enumerating. I found MScomm32.OCX, much leaner utility but with the same problem, no bluetooth enumerating. I googled "android bluetooth" for fun and it is overwhelming what goes on in the background. I'm hoping I don't need all those features and might be able to make a skeleton interface - I don't need security and all bells and whistles.

    So the new plan was to see what it sent back and forth across COM2 and simulate it myself. I can't find a COM port sniffer that can monitor while I transfer a file manually using the Bluetooth icon on the taskbar. Google is literally swamped by HHD "free" serial monitor but it's just a demo screen with NO functionality on the COM ports - something like $60 for pay version. I've scrolled through at least 10 pages of google, mostly HHD using different URLs. Did I mention that HHD floods google with different URLs for the same useless freeware.

    I tried Wireshark by Softonic but they force the install of a browser utility. Can't install the free version without that darned browser add-on - not interested.

    I tried RealTerm, but it can't sniff while the port is in use. Payware for that SPY add-on.

    So I took another angle and tried emulating a keyboard. Windows Accessibility has a feature to use Serial Keys from a COM port, no workie - most likely for true RS232 communication, not bluetooth.

    Just tried SmartwedgeLite for bluetooth scanners, it sees the port and phone nicely but it doesn't do anything. The port is green but the phone doesn't seem connected. There's a big barcode on the screen, that is most likely to be scanned to configure the scanner properly (I have a broken handheld scanner that works like that).

    So that's where I am. Stuck with a working Access system and an incoming barcode number on COM2. I can't find an interface/module/bridge whatever to close that gap.

    Robert
  7. - 16th February 2014, 19:53 #7
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    Default Re: Inventory System

    OK then, I have a Blue Tooth (BT) module (from a few years back) sending serial data that is spit out from my PIC continually @56khz. Now on older pc's I used a BT dongle and my windows8 pc has BT in it already. So you use the SPP.......'serial port profile' on pc which just makes a faux port....(kind of software type port) that shows up in ports available in your VB.....consider VB.net free in visual studio from Microsoft.
    And I recently tried an app on my android phone that could also see the data over BT utilizing SPP.
    following is hyper-term displaying continuous data over BT, the port is the added port but the baud doesn't seem to matter because it still comes in at different settings !
    Name: BT-PIC.JPG Views: 1101 Size: 213.5 KB
    don
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