Keyboard/Barcode Reader

This function block reads keyboard and barcode inputs and makes them available to the rest of your flow. It is useful for capturing typed text, barcode scanners that emulate keyboard input, or simple manual entries during runs.

📥 Inputs

This function block does not have any inputs.

📤 Outputs

Text The latest text line read from the keyboard or barcode device.

Check A boolean signal that indicates a new text value is available (useful as a trigger).

🕹️ Controls

Mode Dropdown to choose the input behaviour. Typical options are "Key Press" and "Barcode Reading".

🎯 Features

• Background listening for keyboard-style input so the block provides the latest typed or scanned text without additional user interaction.

• Provides both the textual content (Text) and a trigger-like boolean (Check) to help you react only when new data arrives.

• Simple mode switch to treat incoming events as regular key presses or as barcode entries (useful for scanners that send a full code at once).

📝 Usage Instructions

1. Set the desired behaviour using Mode.

2. Connect this block's outputs to downstream blocks that process or store the text.

3. Use the Check output to trigger actions (for example, log or save the read text only when new data arrives).

📊 Evaluation

When running, this block listens for keyboard/keyboard-emulating barcode events and updates its outputs with the latest read value and a new-data indicator.

💡 Tips and Tricks

• To persist scanned entries to disk, connect Text (or use Check as trigger) into CSV Export or Data Write Local.

• Use Debug Input to inspect values during development when you want quick logging of what is being read.

• If you want to combine image-based barcode reading with hardware scanners, use this block together with Barcode Reader: camera-based detection can serve as a fallback or cross-check.

• For manual testing or to inject values without hardware, pair with String Input to feed known values into your flow.

• To start workflows only when a code is read, feed Check into logical blocks such as Logic Input or use it to trigger Image Logger or Image Write for associating images with scanned IDs.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

• No text appears: ensure your barcode scanner is configured as a keyboard wedge (many scanners send keystrokes).

• Scanner sends unexpected characters: check scanner suffix/prefix settings (e.g., carriage return or newline) in the device configuration.

• Duplicate or missed readings: try switching Mode between "Key Press" and "Barcode Reading" to match how your device sends data, and use the Check output to filter duplicates.

• Permissions or device access issues: verify the OS recognizes the keyboard/scanner and that no other application is exclusively capturing its input.