BARCODE

16.4.1 Overview

Bar-coding increases efficiency and inventory control accuracy. A retailer from a large grocery chain once remarked "We are on such tight margins, with so little room for error, we do not trust clerks to enter $6.95 let alone an 18 character part number". To print bar coded labels you will need to purchase a True Type Bar Code Font. To read the bar coded labels you will need to purchase a bar code wand.

16.4.2 Wedge Type Bar Code Wands

pc/MRP will work out of the box with any wedge type barcode reader. A wedge type barcode reader is defined as a bar code reader that inserts itself in between the computer key board and the CPU unit (i.e. the keyboard plugs into the wedge bar code reader and the wedge is plugged into the computer's keyboard connector). The computer will then read any input from either the wand or the keyboard.

16.4.2 Portable Bar Code Wands

Portable barcode wands can be used to take a physical inventory and then later download the part numbers and quantities from the portable barcode wand's docking station into pc/MRP's physical inventory program. The portable bar code wand must be programmed that it can download a comma delimited ASCII text file named physical.txt into the pcmrpw directory. The file must consist of part numbers and quantities separated by commas and line returns as shown below:

000000001,47.00
000000010,53.00
890000000,40.00
000003,100.00

The Percon 2000 can be programmed to provide such an output. However you or one of your programmers must create the program.

Unitech's PT600 comes with a program for pc/MRP built in. To take an inventory with the PT600 follow the steps listed below:

• Select Run.
• Select pcmrp.exe.
• Select Physical inventory, F1.
• Scan the bar coded parts or bin boxes and enter the quantities.
• After you are finished, press F4 to exit.

To download the physical inventory count follow the steps listed below:

• Set the PT600 into it's cradle attached to the PC.
• Go into explorer and run C:\Unitech\Qkuplad\upload.exe.
• The update screen will appear.
• Select Load.
• The terminal will contain a file named pcmrp.txt.
• Set the name of the destination file to c:\pcmrpw\physical.txt.
• Do not check the Append check box as we want to overwrite the physical.txt from the prior inventory.
• Select Save to save to save the file to disk and then exit.

16.4.4 Software Arts Bar Code Font Option

Software Arts offers an optional 3 of 9 or UPC Bar Code True Type font for $149.00 that can be inserted into any pc/MRP form or label using pc/MRP's custom report writer. In versions 7.01 and higher users can call Software Arts for the barcode activation codes. In versions lower than 7.01 users must call Software Arts for the disk set or download URL. Both methods will utilize the instructions below.

Barcodes can be added to pc/MRP labels, forms, and reports by installing pc/MRP's optional True Type bar code font files, (3of9.TFF Version 1.0 or c39hdw3, c39hdn3, c39hdm3, c39n3, c39m3, c39w3 Version 2.0) into Windows Font file.

Windows 95/98/2000/ME/NT/XP
Select Start, Settings, Control Panel
Double-click the Fonts shortcut
Select File, install new Font
Locate the drive and directory where
the Barcode Font is found.
(A:, for example)
If you are on versions 7.01 or higher and have activated the Barcode Module the barcodes reside in a directory called BARFONT in the pcmrpw directory.

To modify a report or label use pc/MRP's report generator, select the related data base file, select the report, select the variable, select object such as part number, select font, select the bar code font. The bar code font should be 26 points or higher and should not be printed out in bold. The 3 of 9 font requires that the variable be entered as:

"*" + ALLTRIM(PARTNO) + "*"

The above example is for the variable PARTNO.

To create a custom part label with a bar coded part number you would.

Go to the configuration menu, select next window, select report writer
Select PARTMAST.DBF as your dbf file
Select PARLABEL.FRX as your label
Save the PARLABEL.FRX as CPARLAB.LBX
Click on the part number object, select FONT, select 3of9.TFF, regular, 26 points
Click on the part number object and change it from partno to read

"*" + ALLTRIM(PARTNO) + "*"

To print your custom part number labels

Go to the Inventory Module, select labels, select all part numbers, select custom

16.4.5 Controlling Barcode Width

With normal true type fonts the width of a character is a % of the height of the character (point size). If you reduce the point size of the object the width of each character is reduced. pc/MRP's true type barcode fonts are mono-spaced, meaning each character in the font set are the same width. You can select the true type bar code font that best fits your application. For example:

   The low-density wide format has a height to width ratio of 1:1
     If you select 36 points (1/2" high each character will be 1/2" wide)
   The low-density narrow format has a height to width ratio of 3:1
     If you select 36 points (1/2" high each character will be 1/6" wide)
   The high density fonts are narrower yet and are designed for laser and
     CCD scanners.