Week 2 FYP2

Week 2
Date: 10/02/2014 (Monday)

Title: Purchase and setup hardware

1) Barcode Scanner

The barcode scanner that have been purchased was the Alcrity Laser Barcode Scanner MJ-4209. This barcode scanner is easy to use and affordable. It uses the concept of “plug and play” which means that it does not requires any special installation software or driver to work. In default setting, this barcode scanner will work as keyboard input. It means that the output of the barcode scanner will be processed by the computer as if it were manually typed. The barcode scanner is connected to computer via Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable. 

Some of the features of this barcode scanner :

· Waterproof and dustproof

· Quick decoding capability

· Up to 10,000 hours laser life

· Capable of scanning bad quality or dirty barcodes

 

 The specification of the scanner :

The barcode scanner has to be tested first to determine if it is workable and ready to use. An unworkable device will be a liability to the project and will result in time delay to finish the project. To test, the barcode scanner has to be connected to the computer. Then from the computer, open-up the software Microsoft Word. The next step is to scan the barcode and observe if the output is shown in Microsoft Word. The process is shown below :

2) Wireless router

A router is a device that forwards data packets between computer networks, creating an overlay internet work. When a data packet comes in one of the lines, the router reads the address information in the packet to determine its ultimate destination. A wireless router is a device that performs the functions of a router but also includes the functions of a wireless access point. It is commonly used to provide access to the internet or a computer network. It does not require a wired link as the connection is made wirelessly, via radio waves.

In this project, the wireless router is used to simulate the phone connectivity to the website. The website is constructed with local host meaning that the computer will act as the server of the website. For the phone to connect to the website, it has to be able to connect in same connection with the computer. By connecting the computer and phone in same connection (in one wireless router connection), it will allow the phone to access the website which being hosted by the computer. The wireless router used for this project is TM D-Link DSL-2460B.