Barcodes are
especially useful when using PDAs.
Manual Logger allows both
for the use of existing
barcodes or the creation of
new barcodes for our Tours. When
creating new barcodes using Manual Logger,
we can also print the barcodes
to be taken to the field and attached
to the equipment from which we are going to collect
data. Let's see how to do that
in Manual Logger. My
Experiment 190, if I opened
this Experiment, I can
see the Barcode Field for each one of the tags.
In here, if I have
existing barcode equipment
or barcodes in the equipment that I,
I will be collecting from, I can enter
the alpha-numerical number for the
barcode that will be associated
with each one of the tags.
That alpha-numeric number will
have to be manually entered for each one
of the tags for which I want to use a
barcode. As an alternative,
if I do not have pre-existing barcodes,
I can go to Views
on the bottom of the Configuration Pane,
go to Barcodes Overview,
and in here I can both
see existing barcodes or
create new barcodes for
my Tour. By clicking on Auto,
I have created 11
barcodes for each one of the tags
that I am going to be collecting data
in this particular Tour. I can also
print the barcodes
and take these barcodes and
attach them to the specific
equipment.
I can also change the options
or the way in which I will be
using the barcodes. If I go
to Tour Options,
there is a Tab in here for barcodes
under which I have three different options.
One of the options
is that if I have a barcode
assigned, this barcode
must be scanned or manually entered
before that entry is allowed. This is a
useful feature to, again,
prevent mistakes or
error when collecting the data to
ensure that Data Collectors are at the right piece of
equipment while collecting the data. Another option
is to display the barcode
before the data entry screen.
This can facilitate the navigation
through the PDA and also the
data entry. The last option
is to use the barcode scanning
equipment for navigation through the tags or,
in other words, when I scan a barcode,
Manual Logger will take me
to the correct tag. An
alternative to that is to use the
barcode scanning equipment to enter
data, and the way that works
is on the PDA, by
selecting the Data Entry Field,
which is the field where the
data is to be collected, I can
scan a barcode and enter
that value into the
field. Some of the instances
where that might be useful are on
occasions where I am
collecting
digital type of data or
perhaps the position of a valve. When the
valve is open, I scan the
barcode for the open position. When
the valve is closed, I scan the
position for the closed valve.
Another example
could be when a pump is running, there is
a barcode attached to the pump to be scanned
when the pump is running, and a different one
when the pump is stopped. That way, I
can enter that digital type of data
into the PDA by scanning the
appropriate tag.