FlicWatch Developer Newsletter

In August 2006, Microvision began shipping Flic Scanners with version x.36 firmware. After being overwhelmed with requests for a utility to update older scanners, Microvision has responded by developing the Scanner Update Utility for x.34 and x.36 firmware versions.

The X.36 firmware was designed, and has been tested internally, to be fully backwards compatible. Extensive testing has not been done for all partner applications. We recommend updating one unit to x.36 firmware, then testing compatibility with your application before converting all units to x.36 firmware.

Flic X.36 Firmware Details

Flic X.36 Scanner Update Utility

Flic Product Spotlight – 3 Paths to BlackBerry Handheld Connectivity

3 Paths to Connect the Flic Cordless Scanner to a BlackBerry Handheld

Thank you to those who participated in the beta programs for each of these products. Your feedback improved the quality of these products which have now been released.

Scanner Wedge for BlackBerry – This software collects data from your Flic Cordless Scanner and then injects it (as a keyboard would) into any active application on your BlackBerry. Due to BlackBerry security settings, enabling Scanner Wedge requires BlackBerry Enterprise Server administrative changes. Learn more »

Microvision SDK for BlackBerry – The Software Development Kit’s rich feature set affords developers maximum flexibility to natively integrate the Flic Scanner API into any BlackBerry application. Also includes integrated documentation, sample applications and Scanner Driver (detailed below). Learn more »

Scanner Driver – Scanner Driver is the easiest path to integrate a Flic Scanner into a BlackBerry application. Scanner Driver is a lightweight version of Scanner Wedge. It is available as part of the SDK for BlackBerry. Scanner Driver provides a full User Interface for connecting to a Flic Cordless Scanner and provides a “global event” whenever a bar code is transferred. Although your application must be slightly modified to listen for an “global event”, Scanner Driver does not require BES administrative changes. Learn more »

Flic Tip – Demo Projects for Flic Scanner

Have you ever needed to download Flic Scanner demo projects but didn’t know where to go? Have you ever lost sleep because you didn’t know how to program your scanner interface?

Great news! Microvision now has a Flic Scanner demo project download page. From this page you can download Flic Scanner demo projects for VB.NET, C#.NET, C#.NET for Pocket PC, VB6, and VC++ 6. You can also freely use and copy any program code from the demo projects.

For BlackBerry related demo projects please see the related article above:
Flic Product Spotlight – 3 Paths to BlackBerry Handheld Connectivity

Access the download page using:
http://www.flicscanner.com/flicdemo/index.php
username: flicdemo
password: 2007450
Happy Downloading!

Flic Developer Resources

Developer FAQ – recent updates include SDK enabled features:

Enable/Disable Bar Code options
Time Stamps
Host Scan Control
Manage Batches of Data
Bluetooth Auto-reconnect

App Note

Case Studies

Take advantage of this Special Coupon to Evaluate the Flic Scanner for your Application.

Integrate the Flic Scanner into your application:

Request the SDK

Check out the Compatibility Matrix.

Report device compatibility issues or successes.

Flic Support. Need Help?

Company Information

Newsletter Archives

Flic Fact – FlicPrint® Software

Did you know that Microvision offers FlicPrint, a simple wizard-based application for fulfilling basic bar code labeling needs? This entry-level software includes many useful design elements with the emphasis on simplified user interaction.

FlicPrint is suitable for designing and printing a small number of bar codes, but it’s also capable of producing large quantities of barcodes for small business, route sales, health care, inventory management, asset tracking and mobile workforce applications. Create bingo cards, custom inventory or asset bar codes, and save templates for later use.

Symbologies: FlicPrint software is capable of creating and printing the same industry standard symbologies that the Flic Scanner is able to read. Including: UPC/EAN/JAN, Code 39, Code 128 and ITF .

Printing: Label production with FlicPrint software can be performed using a standard office grade printer with a Windows® driver either local or network connected. Containing hundreds of Avery label templates, printing on any Avery stock is easy!

FlicPrint is available online for $20.

You Ask, We Answer: Can I Create a Simple Bar Code Application Using Microsoft Excel Macros?

By Tony Cataldo

We routinely encounter a number of users and developers who want to use Microsoft Excel to read and manage their scanner data.The Microvision Scanner Wedge for Windows application works well as a simple interface to push bar code data into cells on an Excel spreadsheet. However, you can turbo-charge your Excel interface by using macros and classes. You can use the programming capabilities of Excel to create some sophisticated applications.

Purists may question this type of application as being “real” programming. However, programming a computer is the art of creating a solution to a problem that can be operated by the intended audience of users. Excel is a high-level tool that also contains its own high-level development environment allowing programs to create sophisticated applications. Excel is a powerful tool and applications developers should consider it in their bag of programming tricks when appropriate.

Job Number Excel Macro Example
This Excel template uses Scanner Wedge to read job numbers from the Flic Scanner. It prompts the user for a starting job number, records the start time, and prompts for a job number again. Scanning the same job number ends the current job and causes the macro to prompt for the next job number. Ending a job causes the macro to record the stop time and calculate the elapsed time. Scanning a different job number ends the first job and starts a new job.

This is a simple Excel macro that demonstrates the concept. Developers can use the concept to create much more sophisticated Excel interfaces using the Flic Scanner.

This is my first Excel code so please be kind when reading it.
(I normally write in C++, C#, and VB).

' This macro prompts for a start job number, records the starting time, and ' prompts for an ending job number. After you enter the end job number it ' records the stop time for the current job and calculates the elapsed time. If

' the start and end job numbers are the same then it moves the cursor to the ' next column and prompts for the next start job number. If the start and end ' job numbers differ then it ends the current job and automatically starts a ' new job. ' ' Assumptions: ' ' 1. You must enable macros in order for this to work. ' 2. Must have the cursor positioned in the first column on the spreadsheet ' when the macro starts.

Sub Auto_Open() Dim boxResult As VbMsgBoxResult ' Gets responses from message boxes. Dim jobNumber As String ' Current job number being processed. Dim jobNumberEnd As String ' Ending job# (in case job# changes). Dim newJobPrompt As Boolean ' TRUE=prompt for starting job number. Dim timeElapsed As String ' Elapsed time for the current job. Dim timeEnd As Date ' Ending time for the current job. Dim timeStart As Date ' Starting time for the current job. newJobPrompt = True ' Set cursor to column zero of the current row. ' ActiveCell.Cells = 0 Do If (newJobPrompt) Then ' Prompt for and store the job number (either scan or key it). jobNumber = InputBox( "Scan or Key Job Number" + vbCrLf + "to start the job.", "Start Job") ' If user pressed "Cancel" then string length returned will be zero. ' Prompt to see if the user wants to exit the macro. If (jobNumber = "") Then boxResult = MsgBox("Exit Macro?", vbQuestion + vbYesNo, "Exit") If (boxResult = vbYes) Then Exit Do End If ' Redisplay the last prompt on the next interation of the loop. newJobPrompt = True End If End If ' If job# is empty then go to top of Do/While and reprompt for job#. If (jobNumber <> "") Then ActiveCell.Value = jobNumber ' Store the start time. timeStart = DateTime.Now() ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Select ActiveCell = timeStart ' Stop current job, store stop time, and calculate elapsed time. Do boxResult = vbNo ' Used as a flag to stop WHILE loop. jobNumberEnd = InputBox("Stop current job", "Stop Job", jobNumber) If (jobNumberEnd = "") Then boxResult = MsgBox( "Cancel current job?", vbQuestion + vbYesNo, "Cancel Job") If (boxResult = vbYes) Then ActiveCell.ClearContents ' Clear the starting time. ActiveCell.Offset(0, -1).Select ActiveCell.ClearContents ' Clear the job number newJobPrompt = True End If End If Loop While (jobNumber = "" & boxResult = vbNo)

If (jobNumberEnd <> "") Then ' If numbers match then stop current job, if not match then stop the ' current job and start a new job. timeEnd = DateTime.Now() ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Select ActiveCell = timeEnd ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Select timeElapsed = timeEnd - timeStart ActiveCell = DateTime.Hour(timeElapsed) ActiveCell.Offset(0, 1).Select ActiveCell = DateTime.Minute(timeElapsed) ActiveCell.Offset(1, -4).Select newJobPrompt = (jobNumber = jobNumberEnd) jobNumber = jobNumberEnd End If End IfLoop While (True) End Sub

If you would like to share your own Excel templates, Excel programming expertise, or if you have suggestions, we would be happy to hear from you. Also, if you have unusual or creative Flic Scanner interface solutions that you would like to share please let us know. We might even feature your solution in an upcoming newsletter!

I want to share my interface solution.

Flic Beat – Microvision PicoP on the Horizon

As you know, Microvision enables price sensitive data collection applications with the Simple and Affordable Flic Laser Bar Code Scanners. But, did you also know that Microvision is leveraging its expertise in MEMS, lasers, and optics to enable next generation mobile devices?

No doubt you have experienced what we call the "display bottleneck" first hand when you watch a video on your phone or view pictures on your camera. The situation worsens when you attempt to share the 2" viewing experience with others. Microvision has been working with Handset OEMs and Consumer Electronics Manufacturers to embed ultra-miniture projection display devices into cell phones and other portable devices. Imagine being able to beam your photos from a cell phone or other mobile devices onto a wall, shirt, piece of paper or whatever else is nearby. Learn more about PicoP at www.getPicoP.com .

Suggestion Box

SDK Survey Results – We have a Winner!

Thank you to all who participated in the Microvision Flic Scanner SDK Survey. Your feedback was valuable and will be used to improve the quality of our SDKs. The randomly selected winner of the $100 American Express Gift Cheque was Chris Arlott of Cognito, UK. Congratulations Chris and happy spending!

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