Non Woodworking Question

[rjent]

In the old days I had written a macro for excel to generate bar codes using look up tables. I had created a data base for our prototype hardware and we could scan things in and then be able to locate them for inventory purposes and all that other cleaver stuff.

We had purchased a "pen reader" from HP that would output to a serial port. A box containing an 8051 was used to gather and transfer the data. This was in the days before you could buy this stuff off the shelf. That would be a real piece of history now, wonder what ever happened to it? Bud box with a serial port and some barcodes (control of the box was done with barcode) on the front, power switch, and a small display........... we did all sorts of skunkworks back then.

Anyway I no longer have access to excel and doubt I could remember how to do half of what needs to be done to get one of these macros working. I would think that one who is active in this sort of thing could whip up something in a few hours or maybe even less. I would assume in could be done with some of the "free" open office software as well.

Is this more like what you want to do?

Ed

Rjent is extremely close(he used basic as I intend).

Tried his esc code sequences(including the escE), but the brother printer continues to not react(prints with symbol for esc).

Since basic does not know about usb ports, I am creating a file and printing it with wordpad. I do not know if it is wordpad or the printer not being 'transparent' with the 'data'.

It just dawned on me that I was not suppressing crlf. Will try that next.

Does your brother have a LaserJet emulation mode? Escape sequences are the way these printers get configured, but not all printers are standard. Some of the emulation modes help with that. I need to pull out some of my old code in the POS systems if I can find it ....

[JPG]

In the old days I had written a macro for excel to generate bar codes using look up tables. I had created a data base for our prototype hardware and we could scan things in and then be able to locate them for inventory purposes and all that other cleaver stuff.

We had purchased a "pen reader" from HP that would output to a serial port. A box containing an 8051 was used to gather and transfer the data. This was in the days before you could buy this stuff off the shelf. That would be a real piece of history now, wonder what ever happened to it? Bud box with a serial port and some barcodes (control of the box was done with barcode) on the front, power switch, and a small display........... we did all sorts of skunkworks back then.

Anyway I no longer have access to excel and doubt I could remember how to do half of what needs to be done to get one of these macros working. I would think that one who is active in this sort of thing could whip up something in a few hours or maybe even less. I would assume in could be done with some of the "free" open office software as well.

Is this more like what you want to do?

Ed

Rjent is extremely close(he used basic as I intend).

Tried his esc code sequences(including the escE), but the brother printer continues to not react(prints with symbol for esc).

Since basic does not know about usb ports, I am creating a file and printing it with wordpad. I do not know if it is wordpad or the printer not being 'transparent' with the 'data'.

It just dawned on me that I was not suppressing crlf. Will try that next.

Does your brother have a LaserJet emulation mode? Escape sequences are the way these printers get configured, but not all printers are standard. Some of the emulation modes help with that. I need to pull out some of my old code in the POS systems if I can find it ....

Seems I will have to 'rediscover' the brother manual DISC and determine if it is at all possible.

[rjent]

Since basic does not know about usb ports,

BTW, try rerouting the LPT1 output to the USB by using :

NET USE LPT1 \\MYSERVER\HPLASERJ

Use a dos command window to issue the command. The MYSERVER\HPLASERJ is the NAME of the USB printer on your system ....

[JPG]

Since basic does not know about usb ports,

BTW, try rerouting the LPT1 output to the USB by using :

NET USE LPT1 \\MYSERVER\HPLASERJ

Use a dos command window to issue the command. The MYSERVER\HPLASERJ is the NAME of the USB printer on your system ....

How do I determine "my' usb printer name?

[rjent]

Since basic does not know about usb ports,

BTW, try rerouting the LPT1 output to the USB by using :

NET USE LPT1 \\MYSERVER\HPLASERJ

Use a dos command window to issue the command. The MYSERVER\HPLASERJ is the NAME of the USB printer on your system ....

How do I determine "my' usb printer name?

Depending on which OS, you can find the printers in either control panel or START/Printers and faxes. See if you can find them

[JPG]

I get 'System error 66 has occurred' = The network resource type is not correct. When I try NET USE LPT1 \\MYSERVER\Brother MFC=J825DW

ALSO WITHOUT THE \\MYSERVER\

[roy_okc]

I am intending to create bar code like stuff.:

Why not use a bar code font? Several years ago, I wrote a Access front end to print labels for computer backup tapes that were used in a tape robot. I simply put whatever text I wanted on the label twice, the top one in a "3 of 9" barcode font, the other in a human readable font, printed on a color laser (there was also color coding on the label to attempt to match our mainframe tape labels). Never had a problem with the robot not reading the labels.

[JPG]

I am intending to create bar code like stuff.:

Why not use a bar code font? Several years ago, I wrote a Access front end to print labels for computer backup tapes that were used in a tape robot. I simply put whatever text I wanted on the label twice, the top one in a "3 of 9" barcode font, the other in a human readable font, printed on a color laser (there was also color coding on the label to attempt to match our mainframe tape labels). Never had a problem with the robot not reading the labels.

Keyboard driven is a stopper!
http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/viewt ... 10#p191810

[rjent]

I get 'System error 66 has occurred' = The network resource type is not correct. When I try NET USE LPT1 \\MYSERVER\Brother MFC=J825DW

ALSO WITHOUT THE \\MYSERVER\

What OS?

[JPG]

I get 'System error 66 has occurred' = The network resource type is not correct. When I try NET USE LPT1 \\MYSERVER\Brother MFC=J825DW

ALSO WITHOUT THE \\MYSERVER\

What OS?

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