The Manatee Works Barcode Scanner SDK has been fully integrated into the Cognex Mobile Barcode SDK (cmbSDK). Therefore, we are shifting our focus to the cmbSDK.
The good news is that the cmbSDK is backward compatible with the MW SDK. The cmbSDK simply adds a higher-level API to the scanning methods that utilize the camera of a smartphone or tablet. Or, you can continue to use the lower-level methods you have become familiar with in the Manatee Works SDK. Your account, login, license(s), and key(s) remain the same. If you do decide to program to the higher-level API, you will have the added benefit of your app(s) supporting the Cognex MX Series mobile barcode readers, and MX Series mobile terminals, with a single code base.
Scanning any barcode utilizing the Cognex Mobile Barcode SDK without previously entering a valid license key will produce a result partially masked with asterisks (*).
The solution is to:
Utilize our Evaluation License generator to generate a free 90-day trial license. After 90 days, the decoder will revert to its unlicensed state, and again partially mask results. If you wish to continue evaluating the SDK after 90 days, you may request a renewal of the evaluation keys by clicking the Renew button under each barcode type and completing a short Survey;
Obtain a commercial license by submitting a “Purchase Request” from our Purchase option within the Cognex Mobile Barcode Developer Network.
If you have trouble scanning a barcode with the Cognex Mobile Barcode SDK, try the following:
Check if the barcode type you are attempting to scan is enabled and active within the SDK.
For mobile devices, check that your camera meets our minimum requirements – 5 Megapixel (MP) with Autofocus (AF);
Try different barcode images to confirm an image is not damaged, too small, or has poor resolution;
Clean the camera lens;
Try alternate devices to confirm a device is not physically damaged or defective;
Decoder input is limited to 3000x3000 so image should be downscaled (by factor of 2 preferably) until it fits into that dimension;
Default minimum length for Code 39 which is set to 5 - detailed explanation is in FAQ #5
There are several possible reasons that you might experience slow or incomplete decoding on mobile devices with cameras:
Slow mobile devices - On older mobile devices with slower processors, scanning can be laggy and inefficient. Try using lower resolution camera buffer images and a lower scanning effort level (2 is recommended).
readerDevice.getDataManSystem().sendCommand("DECODER.EFFORT 2"); - This example is for Android
[readerDevice.dataManSystem sendCommand:@"DECODER.EFFORT 2"]; - This example is for iOS
High-density barcodes - If you are trying to scan high density and complex barcodes it may be inefficient to use low resolution camera buffer images and lower scanning levels. Try increasing the resolution and scanning effort level to 3. Keep in mind that these settings could be CPU taxing for older, slower devices.
Camera specifications - Check if your device has a camera with minimum requirements - Autofocus (AF) support and 5 megapixel (MP) capture is recommended minimum. Using cameras with lower specifications will decrease the likelihood of achieving a successful scan, especially on complex barcode types and images.
Codabar, Code 11, Code 25, Code 39, and MSI Plessey barcode symbologies have weak or non-existent error protection and checksum. This can lead to false detections whenever a code is encoded with four or less characters. In order to mitigate such cases, we have set a default minimum character length for those barcode types. The default values are currently set to 4 characters for Code 25, and MSI Plessey; and at 5 characters for Codabar, Code 11, and Code 39.
For specific use-cases that require scanning those barcode types below the default minimum threshold length, we have integrated a special configuration parameter within the Barcode Scanner SDK initialization block that can be used to change the barcode length for those symbologies.
Below are examples of the Barcode Scanner SDK initialization for setting minimum detection lengths.
iOS
[readerDevice.dataManSystem sendCommand:@"SET CODABAR.CODESIZE ON 5 20"];
[readerDevice.dataManSystem sendCommand:@"SET C11.CODESIZE ON 5 20"];
[readerDevice.dataManSystem sendCommand:@"SET C25.CODESIZE ON 5 20"];
[readerDevice.dataManSystem sendCommand:@"SET C39.CODESIZE ON 5 20"];
[readerDevice.dataManSystem sendCommand:@"SET C93.CODESIZE ON 5 20"];
[readerDevice.dataManSystem sendCommand:@"SET MSI.CODESIZE ON 5 20"];
Android
readerDevice.getDataManSystem().sendCommand("SET CODABAR.CODESIZE ON 5 20");
readerDevice.getDataManSystem().sendCommand("SET C11.CODESIZE ON 5 20");
readerDevice.getDataManSystem().sendCommand("SET C25.CODESIZE ON 5 20");
readerDevice.getDataManSystem().sendCommand("SET C39.CODESIZE ON 5 20");
readerDevice.getDataManSystem().sendCommand("SET C93.CODESIZE ON 5 20");
readerDevice.getDataManSystem().sendCommand("SET MSI.CODESIZE ON 5 20");
Yes! However you should first make sure that the front camera is of sufficient quality for successfully decoding your targeted barcodes. In order to proceed, follow these instructions:
iOS
kCDMCameraModeFrontCamera: This initializes the reader to use the front facing camera of the mobile device, if available (not all mobile devices have a front camera). This is an unusual, but possible configuration. Most front-facing cameras do not have auto focus and illumination, and provide significantly lower resolution images. This option should be used with care. In this mode, illumination is not available.
In the ScannerController of our sample iOS app, replace:
readerDevice = [CMBReaderDevice readerOfDeviceCameraWithCameraMode:kCDMCameraModeNoAimer previewOptions:0 previewView:self.ivPreview];
with the following code:
readerDevice = [CMBReaderDevice readerOfDeviceCameraWithCameraMode:kCDMCameraModeFrontCamera previewOptions:0 previewView:self.ivPreview];
iOS Swift
Replace the line in func createReaderDevice() ;
self.readerDevice = CMBReaderDevice.readerOfDeviceCamera(with: CDMCameraMode.noAimer,
previewOptions:CDMPreviewOption.init(rawValue: 0),
previewView: self.ivPreview)
with the following code:
self.readerDevice = CMBReaderDevice.readerOfDeviceCamera(with: CDMCameraMode.frontCamera,
previewOptions:CDMPreviewOption.init(rawValue: 0),
previewView: self.ivPreview)
Android
Please place this code in initDevice() in the Activity before you init connection to Phone Camera:
FRONT_CAMERA: This initializes the reader to use the mobile front facing camera of the device, if available (not all mobile devices have a front camera). This is an unusual, but possible configuration. Most front facing cameras do not have auto focus and illumination, and provide significantly lower resolution images. This option should be used with care. In this mode, illumination is not available.
readerDevice = ReaderDevice.getPhoneCameraDevice(this,
CameraMode.FRONT_CAMERA, PreviewOption.DEFAULTS,
rlPreviewContainer);
Xamarin
How to use the front camera of the device in our Xamarin SDK:
Android:
case DeviceType.PHONE_CAMERA:
readerDevice = GetPhoneCameraDevice(this, CameraMode.FrontCamera, PreviewOption.Defaults, rlPreviewContainer);
selectedDevice = "Mobile Camera";
break;
iOS:
readerDevice = CMBReaderDevice.ReaderOfDeviceCameraWithCameraMode(CDMCameraMode.FrontCamera, CDMPreviewOption.Defaults, ivPreview);
For maximum reliability, an Internet connection is highly recommended the first time a device opens the barcode scanner (i.e. the Initialize() method is executed). The SDK may subsequently attempt to periodically communicate with the Registration licensing service to register a device or update license information, but if an Internet connection is not available, the SDK will simply defer this operation and continue to function normally.
The SDK licensing component sends only information about the license key, SDK version and features, the name of the application using the SDK, number of scans, and some basic device information (make, model, and a pseudo random identifier Cognex uses to register the device with the license). The component never collects any personally identifiable information.
The app has crashed because it attempted to access privacy-sensitive data without a usage description. The app's Info.plist must contain an NSCameraUsageDescription key with a string value explaining to the user how the app uses this data.
<key>NSCameraUsageDescription</key>
<string>Camera usage description</string>
No. When purchasing your production license, a new license key is generated. You should consider this before deploying your application(s) with an evaluation key?
If you have purchased an MX Mobile Terminal (e.g., MX-1000 or MX-1502) no license is necessary; you can use the SDK to develop barcode scanning applications for your MX device. If you wish to scan barcodes using a mobile device's built-in camera, then a license is needed. Contact sdksales@cognex.com for additional details or sales assistance.
Please disconnect the iPhone from the MX-1000 and scan the code that is marked in the image that is added in the attachment. Then after the scan is completed you connect your iPhone again to the MX-1000 and the issue will be resolved.
Since the MX-1000 and MX-1502 devices are MFi certified, we have to add your application to our MFi Project Plan (Apple's requirement, not ours!). Please follow the instructions in this knowledge base article on what information we need and how to provide it; we will get you set-up right away!
You need to have Cognex MX Connect application installed on your android device to connect with MX Device. Download and install the application from Play Store.
Also you can install DataMan Quick Setup application from Play Store. Use this application if you want to configure your MX Device, update MX Device firmware, etc.
The MX-1000 scanner operates in both USB Device Mode and USB AOA (Accessory) Mode. It switches back and forth between these modes when it needs to charge the mobile phone. When an MX-1000 originally boots up, it will be in Device Mode and after one minute, it will switch to AOA Mode. The very first time this happens, Android will display a security prompt, asking you to confirm that the MXConnect service can access the USB device. This will happen once for Device Mode and once for Accessory Mode. As long as you check the box on the screen and press OK, you will not receive this prompt again.
Use the attached "MX-1000_Quick_Setup_Sheet.pdf.zip" file to configure the MX-1000 for use as a keyboard, by scanning the "Android Keyboard Input - Enable" code. When in this mode, the MX-1000 will behave as a USB keyboard. The Android OS handles if the virtual keyboard will show, but the MX-1000 will "type" the scanned barcode regardless whether the virtual keyboard is displayed or not, as long as the application accepts keyboard input.
A couple of things to consider:
* You will need to determine precisely how to format the data returned from our scanner to best work with your application. By default, the MX-1000 will just send the contents of the scanned barcode, but you may want to append a CR, CRLF, or a TAB even to the end of the data so scanning the barcode causes the app to accept the input and/or advance to the next field on the screen. Most native applications work with the CRLF, while web based applications work better with a TAB character (and these days, it can be hard to tell if you're using a native app or just a webapp that has a native wrapper).
* You can setup the MX-1000's data formatting using the DataMan Quick Setup application. However, on Android there is a catch: when you put the MX-1000 in keyboard wedge mode, the DataMan Quick Setup application can no longer communicate with the MX-1000. This is a restriction of the USB keyboard wedge mode of Android. It means that when you need to use the DataMan Quick Setup app to change the MX-1000's settings you must take it out of keyboard wedge mode first, then the setup app will be able to connect to the MX-1000. There is a barcode in the MX-1000_Quick_Setup_Sheet.pdf.zip document to do this as well, just scan it, use DataMan Quick Setup to make any desired configuration changes, then scan the code to put the device back into wedge mode.
* Some Android devices may work better than others in keyboard wedge mode: Currently there is a bug with the J3 (that Samsung is addressing) where the connection may hang, so a reboot of either the J3 or our MX-1000 is required to get them to see each other again.
Android Kiosk/Pinning basically just locks the application to the screen and disables the buttons that would allow you to exit the application. The locking allows for a specified list of packages to be able to run. Pin MXConnect as a trusted app by adding com.cognex.mxconnect to the list of trusted packages. Activity name is MXConnectActivity.
There are two locations where you can access the latest firmware files:
The entry point of the web API is https://s3.amazonaws.com/cognex-firmware/index.json
The link always follows a schema which is the combination of the address (https://s3.amazonaws.com/cognex-firmware/) and a request (index.json).
Request: index.json
Response: [{"id":"mx-1000","name":"MX-1000"},{"id":"mx-1500","name":"MX-1500"},{"id":"mx-1500","name":"MX-1502"}]
Let's say, you want to have the latest firmware for your MX-1502LR. Then you have to do the following request (use the "id" attribute and not the name): https://s3.amazonaws.com/cognex-firmware/mx-1500/index.json
Request: mx-1500/index.json
Response: [{"description":"Firmware version V5.7.1 SR3 for MX-1500 readers.\n\nThe DataMan 5.7.1 SR3 release provides these new features compared to 5.7.1 SR2:\n-\tSupport for MX-1502-ER version \n-\tImprovements of battery management\n-\tImproved recover charging for grip batteries \n-\tFix connection issues on iOS\n-\tStability fixes\n","title":"MX-1500 V5.7.1 SR3","created":"2018-07-09T09:56:10","version":"V5.7.1 SR3","filetype":"firmware","file":"files/MX-1500_v5.7.1_sr3.bin.gz","channel":"stable","id":15},{"description":"This is a Samsung J3 specific firmware release for MX-1500 readers. Fixing issues with MX readers connecting to Samsung J3 phones.","title":"MX-1500 V5.7.1 CR3 (Samsung J3 Specific)","created":"2018-03-20T16:56:12","version":"5.7.1 CR3","filetype":"firmware","file":"files/MX-1500_v5.7.1_cr3.bin.gz","channel":"stable","id":5}]
You have to look for the "file" text beside the firmware you want to have. In this example we take V5.7.1 SR3. The location of the firmware file is: https://s3.amazonaws.com/cognex-firmware/files/MX-1500_v5.7.1_sr3.bin.gz
The Cognex Quick Setup application can be used to change many of the common settings for your MX device, including enabled barcode symbologies and key features like data formatting, target decoding, and multi-code scanning. Once you have your MX device configured for your application, you can also use the Quick Setup app to retrieve a configuration file.
The Cognex Setup Tool is a Windows desktop application that can be used to configure your MX device as well. The Cognex Setup Tool allows for much more advanced configuration of MX devices. Like the Cognex Quick Setup app, the Setup Tool can be used to save the MX device's configuration directly to your computer.
NOTE: be sure to click on the upper half of the icon (Save Configuration); this creates a .CFG file. The lower half is used to create a device backup.
The SDK registers only the devices which initialize the scanner. Keeping that in mind, you should make sure that the initialization method is activated only when the device accesses the scanner and not on other app functions, like app start.
Decode counts are updated when the SDK's initialization function is called, but only periodically (about once a week), thus the count is not always precise if the SDK hasn't "phoned home". Your application should only be initializing the SDK when scanning functionality is needed (if you're doing it on app startup, then this will consumer a device license, even if the decoding function is never called). The zero counts you're seeing are either because the application always initializes the SDK, even when no scanning has been done, or in the case where no scanning has been after the app was used for 6 days (as on the 7th day, the SDK would have updated the decode count).