Magnetic strip reader doesn't work with tablet PC - anyone encounteredthis? (USB device, works fine

I have a three-line magstripe reader I want to use to read ID badges.

It works just great in any app on a "regular" windows machine, but on
the tablet it not only garbles the information, it does it differently
with each successive swipe of the card!

The problem exists in notepad, and is much worse in the Infopath
document I want to use this thing with. Possibly some of the characters
in the data from the card are treated as some kind of escape sequence.

I've tried all modes of the input area, tried shutting it off, tried
shutting the thing off machine-wide through prefs, but I still get a mess.

Has anyone encountered something like this?

 

I haven't used such a program on my Tablets, but it really should be no
different than any other Windows XP Pro computer, Peter. Are you running in
the default Landscape orientation? Some programs simply don't like being
turned on their sides or heads. I'd also check to make sure you've got
the latest graphics driver installed, if you're seeing garbled results.

 

Hmmm...thanks for the suggestion - I tried it in landscape, but no change.

The reader is a simple, driverless ASCII input device, and I still
suspect that the tablet, not being made for use with a traditional
keyboard, does something funny with the text that will be painfully
obvious when I figure it out :-\

Thanks anyway, Chris!

 

All Tablets can use keyboards, Peter. It just depends whether or not you
obtain one if you have a Slate model. Motion Computing, for instance, sells
a clip-on model with their Slates and they work just fine. I've used
wireless keyboard/mouse with a Motion 1300 and an early Fujitsu model.
Tablet PCs are Windows XP Pro as the operating system, and run the Tablet PC
Edition bits as a "superset" on top of that.

 

I know, I have a keyboard for the one I'm using...but nevertheless,
there is a tablet-specific layer doing *something* to the text that
isn't happening on my desktops or laptop.

The card reader works flawlessly in safe mode, but unfortunately the
safemode graphics aren't sufficient to what we're trying to do here.

I'll post updates, but nobody need feel compelled to answer; it's mostly
so that if I find a solution, or partial one, future people can
googlegroup the answer up.

Thanks again for the suggestions, Chris, I guess now I just start
killing services one by one until the card reader works....

 

Which machine do you have, Peter, and what drivers are you running for
graphics?

 

I'm working with a Fujitsu Stylistic ST5010

Display adapter is "Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME Graphics Controller"

Driver provider = Intel Corporation
Driver version = 6.14.10.3553
Driver date = 6/13/2003

 

Without researching it, Peter, I'd wager there's an update available for the
graphics setup. I know there are several updates for your model from
Fujitsu here: http://support.fujitsupc.com/CS/Portal/supportsearch.do and
it looks like Intel have a PV14.13 version (if applicable to your system)
here:
http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/intel852gm/sb/CS-009066.htm?iid=graphics+852main&#2

 

Ah well, same old problem, back to the trial and error of shutting
services and processes...but thanks for the suggestions, Chris!

 

Drat! Happy hunting.

 

Hi Peter,

I might be able to help.

1. What reader is it (i.e., Magtek, AMSI, Semtek, etc.)?
2. What are the baud settings for communications?
3. How are you hooking it up (i.e., BT, USB, USB-to-Serial Adaptor,
Keyboard piggyback,etc.)?
4. Have you tried a two track or one track card (i.e., credit card) with
same results?


Blaine
_______________________________________________________________
Visit the home of Tablet Calender: www.comcul.com



-------------------------------
:

I have a three-line magstripe reader I want to use to read ID badges.

It works just great in any app on a "regular" windows machine, but on
the tablet it not only garbles the information, it does it differently
with each successive swipe of the card!

The problem exists in notepad, and is much worse in the Infopath
document I want to use this thing with. Possibly some of the characters
in the data from the card are treated as some kind of escape sequence.

I've tried all modes of the input area, tried shutting it off, tried
shutting the thing off machine-wide through prefs, but I still get a mess.

Has anyone encountered something like this?

 

Peter,

We are experiencing the same issue. Have you found a resolution?

Michele