Using barcode scanner as camera

0
votes

I need to use barcode scanner as camera to take images and save them using c# application (WinForms). I am using Zebra scanner SNAPI. And I have few questions.

  1. Can I use barcode scanner as web camera connected by USB and how can I do it?
  2. Is there general API for barcode scanners? I was trying to use Interop.CoreScanner.dll but, I had a problem with taking images and saving them.

PS. I need to write general application where I can use different barcode scanners.

1
c#barcodebarcode-scanner
Sorry but your question is not suitable for SO. Your question requires investigation. But just look what I found after searching "Zebra scanner SNAPI" in google. It's 4th result! USING THE DS3407 TO CAPTURE IMAGES Sample application written in c# is already provided! That was best 20s of search :) - Renatas M.
@Reniuz not much investigation needed. Barcode scanners aren't cameras, they are keyboards. Especially the cheaper ones - Panagiotis Kanavos
Perhaps you mean QR scanners instead of Barcode scanners? Barcode scanners work since the 80s by sending characters down a serial line to a register or computer. More recently (90s, 00s) they started emulating keyboards so they could be used by any application. There's no need for image capture or any requirements to make an application work with multiple scanners - Panagiotis Kanavos
Check your scanner's manufacturer website and see if there is an existing API. You should take a look at the features of your scanner to see if your needs can be provided. - jegtugado
More expensive barcode scanners have proprietary APIs for configuration, activation etc. The cheapest ones use a printed sheet of barcode sequences that can be used to activate features, like the speed of the serial line, or the type of barcodes they should recognize - Panagiotis Kanavos

1 Answers

1
votes

The typical barcode scanner emulates a keyboard and simply delivers the recognised characters. Since it is also specialised for edge detection I doubt, that necessary hardware modifications will be feasible.