PSC TopGun, PT2000 Note Full ASCII mode for Code 39 must be enabled in the portable, Overview

Full Keyboard Support

Overview

Almost every key on the keyboard, including non-printing keys, can be programmed into the PT2000 or TopGun. The tables in this appendix list Code 39 equivalents for programming all keyboard keys.

Use the Code 39 values to create bar codes to include lowercase or non- alphanumeric characters in a bar code. For example, to include an exclamation mark (!) in a bar code, encode it as /A (slash capital a).

Note: Full ASCII mode for Code 39 must be enabled in the portable.

Some keys act immediately when read into the portable. For example, the portable transmits the page-down command to the computer as soon as it reads a bar code containing the characters %U$Z.

Other keys are not quite so simple. For example, the <Ctrl> key has to be “turned on and off.” When typing <Ctrl>+<C>, for instance, hold the <Ctrl> key down while pressing <C>, then release the <Ctrl> key. Three signals are sent to the host device:

<Ctrl> key on (down)<C> <Ctrl> key off (up)

To include the <Ctrl>+<C> keystroke combination in a bar code, encode $SC$R. Think this way when encoding <Ctrl>, <Alt>, <Shift>, and other keys requiring a key to be held down while another is pressed.

Including a function key in a bar code can present a problem if the portable is programmed to follow every bar code transmission with an autoterminator character. Eliminate the autoterminator in a bar code by including the “zap” character, $Z, in any bar code not followed by the autoterminator. For example, encode %U$A$Z to send function key <F1> with no autoterminator.

Table B-1 on page 95 lists the Code 39 and ASCII equivalents for keys that are common to many keyboards. Table B-2 on page 97 lists equivalents for additional keys found on IBM PC and compatible keyboards.

94 PT2000™ & TopGun™