Using a Portable Scanner
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STOCKTAKE USING CIPHER PORTABLE SCANNER


Things you need:-   Sheet of setup barcodes for scanner, Battery pack with two good AAA’s, a

list of the various sections of your collection you will be stocktaking.

It is probably wise to shutdown your computer before disconnecting your scanner from the computer.  We have not had problems with our particular brand of computers in the office but all machines are different.

Better to be safe than looking for a technician or a new computer!


  1. Disconnect cable (gently insert a straightened paper clip into the little hole on the under

side of the scanner near the cable and tugging on the cable lightly).  Fit battery pack into

Barcode Reader. Turn on…it should beep.

2.       From Label Sheet, scan START CONFIGURATION label.

3.       Scan ENABLE SCAN & STORE label.

4.       Scan EXIT label. You are now ready to gather barcodes…

5.       Scan the barcodes on a selection of books.

  1. Return to the computer, turn battery pack off and unhook battery pack (again using the

trusty paper clip!) and reconnect keyboard cable.

  1. Turn on the computer and go into Circulation / Stocktake / Add.  MAKE SURE PAUSE on ERROR is No!


  1.      Scan START CONFIGURATION label.
  2.      Scan 0.25 SEC transmit delay label. (Some computers will not need this but to just to be         sure)
  3.      Scan TRANSMIT STORED DATA label. (Downloading of barcodes will commence.  Barcode

reader may beep but computer should not.  Computer beeps are BAD.  If the computer             beeps,

you have either NOT set Pause on Error to No or the barcode reader is transmitting too             fast foryour computer.  Check Parameters and if Pause on Error is No, use a larger                   transmission delay)

12.      If stock records displayed on screen are correct (rough estimate), CONTINUE with step 13.

If not, RETURN to 10, increase TRANSMISSION TIME DELAY and follow steps 10 & 11.


13.      Scan CLEAR STORED DATA label.

14.      Scan CONFIRM label.

15.      Scan EXIT label.

  1. QUIT circulation. EXIT LibCode. Turn off computer and back to step 1.  (2, 3 & 4 are not

necessary this time but won’t cause any dramas!)


If stocktake is complete, Scan START CONFIGURATION, DISABLE SCAN & STORE and then EXIT to reset scanner for normal use.  If you forget to do this the scanner will appear not to be workingwhen you go to lend out your first resource!