Tutorial 8: Setting Up a Barcode Scanner This tutorial explains how to use a barcode scanner with PranaStudio. PranaStudio allows you to use a scanner on your products and to assign a barcode to a student. Once a student has a student card with a bar code, the student may be quickly added to a class. With the class form open, scan the barcode on the student s card and the student is added. Once a product has been assigned a barcode, scanning product s barcode immediately prepares for a Retail Sale. Scanning other products will add them to this purchase. If the barcode on a student card is now scanned, the sale is assigned to that student and PranaStudio will prompt for the method of payment. Step 1: Test that Your Barcode Scanner is Connected and Working Properly 1. Plug your barcode scanner in to your computer s keyboard or USB port (depending on the type of connection your barcode has). 2. Try to scan a UPC barcode you can find a sample on almost any merchandise. You should hear a beep from your scanner, and if you have an application like Microsoft word, with a document open on your computer screen, you will see numbers of the UPC code automatically inserted to the document, as if you typed them in. Step 2: Configure Your Barcode Scanner for PranaStudio Different scanners need to be configured in different ways. Please refer to your Scanner s configuration/programming guide. If you purchased your scanner with PranaStudio, than it has already been correctly configured to work with PranaStudio. 1. Connect the Scanner to the USB port of your computer. 2. Find the configuration instructions to enable full ASCI support for code 39. This is a particular type of barcode that is used by PranaStudio. Follow the instructions in that guide to enable full ASCII support for the barcode scanner 3. A prefix ID/preamble and suffix ID/post amble must be used. Find these in your scanner s manual as well as the Hex or Hexadecimal table. Configure first the prefix ID/preamble setting (using the Hexadecimal code Table) and then the suffix ID/post amble setting (This allows PranaStudio to know when you are starting F5 to enter a barcode and when you have finished entering a barcode F6)
For the prefix ID/preamble setting, always code it to F5 (function key 5) your barcode manual should have a table (which may be called Table Hex or Hexadecimal) that has a barcode representing the number 5. The Preamble setting must be two digits, so first swipe the barcode for zero and then the barcode for five. For the suffix ID/post amble setting, always code it to F6 (function key 6) your barcode manual should have a table (which may be called Table Hex or Hexadecimal) that has a barcode representing the number 6. The Preamble setting must be two digits, so first swipe the barcode for zero and then the barcode for six. For example with our scanner we need to: Scan the corresponding barcode to configure a prefix Scan the corresponding barcodes for Code Bytes 1, 4 and 8 Scan the corresponding barcode to configure a suffix Scan the corresponding barcodes for Code Bytes 1, 4 and 9 4. Your scanner setup should now be complete. Try it out. Step 3: Printing Student Cards 1. From the Switchboard, click on Administration. 2. Select the Student Cards tab. 3. Enter the Quantity of Pages of student cards to print (10 cards to an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper). 4. Click Print Cards. Note the Instructions if the barcodes do not line up properly on your printed labels.
Step 4: Assigning and Modifying Barcodes Assigned to Students 1. From the Switchboard, click on Our Students then double click on the existing student s name or, for a new student, click New Student. Click on the Student Card tab. Either Scan a New Card OR Enter the Student Card Number (manually by typing) from the bottom of the Student Card. Click Apply. The Student Card Number will now appear here. This card can now be used to sign a student in to classes (as long as he or she has a valid passcard or membership).
Step 5: Scanning a Student s Barcode to Join a Class 1. In the Switchboard, click on Class Calendar. or doubleclick on one of today s classes. 2. Select and open (double click) the class to access the class record. 3. Scan the barcode from the student s card to include the student in the class. As student s barcodes are scanned they will appear here. If a student does not have a valid passcard or membership, the Drop In payment form will open and the computer will beep to indicate that it needs attention (if you have the sound turned on). No new students can be added until the student who needs to pay has been dealt with. Step 6: Assigning and Modifying Barcodes to Products 1. From the Switchboard, click on Retail. 2. Click the Products tab and select the item to be assigned a barcode. Click Edit Product.
If the product you are assigning a barcode already has a barcode on the packaging 3. Scan the product s barcode now. The barcode will now appear in here. 4. Click Apply. The barcode will be accepted and show here. If the product you are assigning a barcode does not have a barcode on the packaging 3. Click Generate New and a barcode will be created. You may edit this. 4. Click Apply and the barcode will be accepted. You may now make barcode labels to put on the products. Enter the number of barcode labels to print. Click Print.
This printing job is now in the queue for printing, possibly with other labels to be printed. To print all the labels in the queue click Print Labels. Step 7: Print Product Barcode Sheets 1. From the Switchboard, click on Retail. 2. If you have previously added barcode labels to your printing queue, then click here to print. In this example we have previous added barcodes for 3 items to the printing queue. 3. The queue of labels to print can be edited. Select and Remove items if necessary. In this example, 1L Water has been selected and could be removed by clicking Remove. When ready Print Labels. Step 8: Scan an Assigned Product Barcode to Make a Sale 1. From the Switchboard or Retail forms click on Make a Sale.
3. Each time you scan a product s barcode, the item will be added once to the bill of sale. In this example two 2L of bottles of water are to be purchased. Once all items are scanned, you are ready to proceed with payment. Step 9: Scan an Assigned Student Barcode to Make a Sale 1. The Retail Sale form first appears ready for a Walk In Sale. 2. Scan the barcode from the student s card. The Retail Sale form will change to show the student s name.