4

Data Editing

Prefix/Suffix Overview

When a bar code is scanned, additional information is sent to the host computer along with the bar code data. This group of bar code data and additional, user-defined data is called a “message string.” The selections in this section are used to build the user-defined data into the message string.

Prefix and Suffix characters are data characters that can be sent before and after scanned data. You can specify if they should be sent with all symbologies, or only with specific symbologies. The following illustration shows the breakdown of a message string:

Prefix

 

Scanned Data

Suffix

1-11

 

variable length

1-11

alpha numeric &

 

alpha numeric &

control characters

 

control characters

Points to Keep In Mind

•It is not necessary to build a message string. The selections in this chapter are only used if you wish to alter the default settings. Default prefix = None. Default suffix = None.

•A prefix or suffix may be added or cleared from one symbology or all symbologies.

•You can add any prefix or suffix from the ASCII Conversion Chart (Code Page 1252), beginning on page A-2,plus Code I.D. and AIM I.D.

•You can string together several entries for several symbologies at one time.

•Enter prefixes and suffixes in the order in which you want them to appear on the output.

•When setting up for specific symbologies (as opposed to all symbologies), the specific symbology ID value counts as an added prefix or suffix character.

•The maximum size of a prefix or suffix configuration is 200 characters, which includes header information.

To Add a Prefix or Suffix:Step 1. Scan the Add Prefix or Add Suffix symbol (page 4-2).

Step 2. Determine the 2 digit Hex value from the Symbology Chart (included in the Symbology Charts, beginning on page A-1)for the symbology to which you want to apply the prefix or suffix. For example, for Code 128, Code ID is “j” and Hex ID is “6A”.

Step 3. Scan the 2 hex digits from the Programming Chart inside the back cover of this manual or scan 9, 9 for all symbologies.

Step 4. Determine the hex value from the ASCII Conversion Chart (Code Page 1252), beginning on page A-2,for the prefix or suffix you wish to enter.

Step 5. Scan the 2 digit hex value from the Programming Chart inside the back cover of this manual. Step 6. Repeat Steps 4 and 5 for every prefix or suffix character.

Step 7. To add the Code I.D., scan 5, C, 8, 0.

To add AIM I.D., scan 5, C, 8, 1.

To add a backslash (\), scan 5, C, 5, C.

Note: To add a backslash (\) as in Step 7, you must scan 5C twice – once to create the leading backslash and then to create the backslash itself.

Step 8. Scan Save to exit and save, or scan Discard to exit without saving.

Repeat Steps 1-6 to add a prefix or suffix for another symbology.

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