WinWedge Feeds Data from Symbol barcode Scanners Directly into laptop PC apps at Wireless Communications Company
This is a case study from TALtech’s archives but WinWedge still handles the same type of RS232 barcode scanner to laptop data collection today. Updated August 2026.
Auto ID Inventory Control Problem
A regional mobile communications company needed a way to provide rapid on-site inventory of its AT&T communications equipment. A system of automatic identification was decided upon as the most reliable, accurate and controllable. This involved providing each piece of equipment with its own bar code label. The data accessed by this bar code included information about the piece of equipment including its serial number, its warranty, its exact location and detailed technical information. Field representatives perform an inventory of their cell sites (an industry term describing a communications network of transmitters and receivers that will transmit radio communications) by going out to the sites and scanning the bar code on each piece of equipment with a Symbol LS2020 bar code scanner. This scanned data needed to be fed into a database, called “Escort”, running on the field representatives’ laptop PC. The laptop was then to dial though a modem to the company headquarters to enable rapid and efficient inventory of fixed assets.
The WinWedge Solution for Data Collection into Laptop PCs
A hardware keyboard wedge could not be used to input the scanned barcode data as laptops do not have detachable keyboards. WinWedge solved this problem as it can run on any Windows PC and requires no hardware. The RS232 output scanner just need to be plugged directly into the PCs’ serial port. WinWedge not only has all the features of the most powerful and expensive hardware wedge (such as data parsing and filtering, keystroke macro insertion and date/time stamps) but it also buffers the input better so it is more reliable it is more portable, less expensive and will never break! It can also be installed on up to 32 serial ports on one PC to collect data from many devices simultaneously.
WinWedge also comes with many powerful utilities. The utilities can be used to automatically dial a modem, send data out the serial port or read data to a disk file in the background. Hence it is able to instantaneously transmit scanned data out via a modem to any destination. These are very powerful features for fast and accurate on-site data collection and transmission such as required by mobile operator.
Benefits:
- Ability to interface scanner directly to remote laptop computers
- Cost effective
- No lost data
- Automatic dialing of modem
- Real time inventory control
The mobile communications company originally set up this data collection method with TALtech’s WinWedge in the early 1990’s.
Today’s Update:
The RS232 barcode scanner would probably be connected to the laptop’s USB port using an RS232 to USB converter cable such as those from FTDI or Prolific. WinWedge would work in the same way to get the barcode data from the port to the application running on the laptop. WinWedge is updated to run with the latest versions of Windows.
Download a full working trial version of WinWedge and call TALtech at 800-722-6004 with any questions. We are happy to assist.