Scanning Devices SDK's with Demo/Test Applications for 2500 Series Readers

Two Applications - Linked Library and Shared Library

April 5, 2004

The Scanning Devices SDK for Series 2500 MagStripe Readers includes two sample Palm OS applications that read magnetic stripe data and display it on the Palm screen. The applications differ only in which Scanning Devices libraries are used. The applications serve as demonstration/test programs to illustrate how applications can make use of the 2500 Series Magnetic Stripe Readers.

The Magstripe Linked Library SDK (msr25-LL) consists of a MetroWerks Code Warrior Release 8 project using a linked library. The project includes the library executable msr.lib and header file msr.h. Building the project links the library through its header and generates an executable with the library included. For users of Code Warrior or other "C"-based development environments, using this library will be convenient and straightforward. The Palm OS executable MagstripeU.prc can be installed and operates independently of any other Palm application.

The MagStripe Shared Library (msr25-SL) implements the same demo/test application using a shared library. The shared library SDK is also a MetroWerks Code Warrior Release 8 project with an executable (distributed as smagnet.prc) installed as a Palm Resource file. The application must find or load and then open the library. The library provides three functions to support the magnetic stripe reader. The library is not a part of the Palm Application but exists as an independent resource much like the Palm Serial Port Library, Bluetooth Library or Math Library.

Each library is documented in its header file: msr.h or smagnet.h. Sources as well as all necessary components for these project are included.

Why a shared library? It can be opened and its functions called from non-C programs. For example, this file from Handheld Basic shows how to use a shared library with their basic development environment. For the complete reference, visit the Handheld Basic website. Other development systems and form-implementation systems are likely to support shared libraries.

Extending the SDK Samples

The sample applications are extendable within the limits of Palm. Some typical extensions:

• Delimit the track data to extract field information.
• Match key fields with pre-authorized database entries or lists.
• Collect additional information from the Palm User such as monetary values, question responses in surveys, etc.
• Identify events or venues associated with magstripe data such as might be done in attendance or admittance.
• Construct Palm database records with magstripe data and other information collected.
• Save records in the palm database.
• Retrieve and display previously saved records.
• Hot-synch records to PC.
• Transmitt records via email or palm.net.

Alternately and with some care, the source code included in these SDK may be integrated with another Palm application to add magstripe reading capability to that application.

Here are some magstripe applications with typical card formats:

Application	Track Format
Bank cards, credit card, debit cards	Track 1: Alpha, Track 2: Numeric, no track 3
ID badges, student badges, employee ID's	Track 1: Alpha, Track 2: Numeric, Track 3: Numeric
Drivers Licenses	Track 1: Alpha, Track 2: Numeric, Track 3: Alpha

Additional Information

Series 2500U Programming Interface

SDK Installation and Usage

111 Terrace Hall Avenue Burlington, Massachusetts (USA) 01803 1-781-272-5135 FAX: 1-781-272-4856 Email us: mail@scanningdevices.com

Scanning Devices Inc.