Viewing Control Characters within a Barcode Symbol
Monday, April 20, 2009
Posted in: Scanning
For reasons known only to you, you want to view the control codes in a barcode. Actually there could be all sorts of reasons to want to do this—you want to see the Function Codes or the Subset Shifts within a Code 128, you want to make sure the NUL or SUB instructions are present in a Code 93.
Most barcode scanners (and many verifiers) in their default configuration will only show you the data string and not the control codes. 
How do you set up your scanner to do this?
I have good news and bad news. First the bad news: I don’t know how to do this for every scanner out there, but (the good news) I know how to do it for a Honeywell 4600g. Here it is:
First, go to this link and download a utility called Quick View from Honeywell’s website: http://www.handheld.com/Site.aspx/na/en/product_center/product_support/?category=39&product=35
Next, download the USB Serial Emulation driver at this link: http://www.handheld.com/Site.aspx/na/en/product_center/product_support/?category=38&product=35 (or click on “Drivers” just beneath “Software” at the right side of the screen at the above link). Download and save the driver.
Next, open the attached User Guide and print page 1-10. This is an updated version so your technicians probably didn’t find this info in the guide I gave you with the scanner.
On that page, scan the barcode labeled USB COM Port Emulation at the bottom of the page.
Open Quick View and plug in the scanner. Your computer will do a “Found New Hardware” . The install wizard will ask for a driver—browse to where you saved it.
With Quick View open, click on “File Preferences” and find the new Com port that was created, and click on it. This will create a serial type of connection through the USB cable.
In the main screen in Quick View, notice a click box at the bottom of the screen, labeled “Expand Control Characters”. Click this box.
You can now scan any enabled barcode and view all embedded control characters.
One more thing about Quick View—this utility also contains a feature that allows you to update firmware, and there is an update available for the 4600g, 4600r, 4820, 4800i, 4820i, and the 2020-5BE. You should download and install the latest firmware version from this utility.
This is so cool.
