Bluetooth Connections with the KDC line of barcode scanners

3 methods of Bluetooth Communications Methods Used with Koamtac Barcode Scanner

Koamtac KDC200i, KDC250Gi and KDC300i are capable of 3 different Bluetooth Connections:

• Serial Port Protocol
• Apple iOS Specific HID - (iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone only)
• Apple Specific MiFi - (KDC200i, KDC250Gi & KDC300i for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone only)

Serial Port Protocol -

Represented as "SPP" in the >>ConnectDevice options of the KDC line configuration menu system. Serial Port communications can be configured when:

• Any of the KDC line of barcode scanners is "tethered" (connected to a host PC or Mac via the Type A USB connection). When tethered, the all KDC barcode scanners become corded scanners using Serial Port emulation over USB.
  
  
• The Koamtac KDC200, KDC250G and KDC300 can connect to PC, Mac, Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile devices using Serial Port Protocol over Bluetooth

In both cases, the barcode scanner is assigned a COM Port. (for a description click here) that is addressed by the program that communicates with the barcode scanner. Koamtac provides various forms of the keyboard wedge software called KTSync. There are versions of KTSync available for free that manage communications with Koamtac barcode scanners for Mac, PC, Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile.

There is also a version of KTSync available through the Apple AppStore for use with the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Apple iOS devices have added complexity to the serial port communications process. When an applications program is running on an iOS device and it makes a call to the COM port, it must make that request through the iOS operating system. When it does, the iOS monitors the request, and tests the device connected to the COM port to make sure it is recognized and approved as an "Apple Certified" device - the iphone security layer.. If the device isn't "certified" the iOS won't let the program communicate to that device. The KDC200i, KDC250Gi and KDC300i are currently the only barcode scanners on the market that are "Apple Certified" and carry the "Made for iPad", "Made for iPhone" and "Made for iPod" logo issued by Apple. You could use the KDC200, KDC250G or KDC300 with iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, but you'd have to "jailbreak" the Apple mobile device - a process that disables the iPhone security layer so you can communicate with the COM port without the security check.

If you're a developer, using SPP gives you a lot of flexibility. For example, when reading the PDF417 2-Dimensional barcode from a driver's license, you may store all the data, but only display the first name, last name, birth date and calculated age. In fact, you may decide to just act when the data is received, not show the scanned characters to the user at all. More importantly, you can send data to be displayed on the KDC Barcode Scanner's OLED Screen! The KDC line is capable of "2-way communications". For example, you can pull the scanned data from the COM port, use the data to look up information in a database or update a record, then send a message to the KDC's screen giving the user information about what they just scanned, or what they are to do next.

KTSync keyboard wedge software currently does not support 2-way communications for Mac, PC, Blackberry, Android or Windows Mobile. The AppStore version for iOS devices had a "demo" mode which demonstrates communications with the OLED screen using the Amazon.com product search.

Apple iOS Specific HID (iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone only) -

Represented as "HID" in the >>ConnectDevice options of the KDC line configuration menu system. HID stands for Human Interface Device. This input method does not require any keyboard wedge software or middleware to operate. When the Bluetooth connection is made, the host device recognizes the connecting slave as keyboard and automatically chooses the keyboard profile in completing the connection process. The KDC line of barcode scanners doesn't require a PIN or any other authentication.

When a KDC barcode scanner connects to an iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone in HID mode, the Apple device recognizes side button input from the barcode scanner as special control characters.... allowing the user to display and hide the soft keypad, and use both at the same time.

Apple Specific MiFi - (KDC200i, KDC250Gi & KDC300i for iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone only) -

Represented as "HID" in the >>ConnectDevice options of the KDC line configuration menu system. The KDC200i, KDC250Gi and KDC300i can will also be recognized by Apple mobile devices as a "different" kind of HID when there is already a bluetooth keyboard connected to the Apple iOS device. Because there is already a keyboard attached via bluetooth, the iPad, iPhone and iPod will attach the KDC barcode scanner using "MiFi". Although a different bluetooth protocol is used, the barcode scanner is still recognized as a keyboard, with the same functionality as the HID connection described above.