My class is already breaking into a few CueCats.  It seems that there's a
chip to encode the barcode data, but you can get around that by popping off
a small, square chip near the nose and taking the output directly off of one
of the chips underneath the copper cladding.  I don't remember which pin,
but it wasn't too hard to find.  If there's any interest, I'll try to keep
all informed.

Ethan Swint
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Willis" <mwillis@FOXINTERNET.NET>
To: <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2000 4:35 AM
Subject: Re: [OT] Low cost serial bar code scanner


> William Chops Westfield wrote:
> >     Could anyone suggest some easily available bar code scanners that
are NOT
> >     expensive and will send data back through RS232?
> >
> > CueCat and a PIC?  There's a project for someone!
> >
> > (The CueCat is a (free!) barcode scanner w software you can get (at
radio
> > shack) that's designed to go straight from a bar code to a web page (and
> > they get their money setting up the mappings for would-be advertisers.)
> > While it's output is somewhat obfuscated "somehow", that's apparently
> > already been solved, and you can get assorted PC software that will use
the
> > CueCat WITHOUT any of it's "specialized" associated software.  I got one
to
> > help catalog my library, and it works "ok."  The CueCat sits on your
> > keyboard cable between your keyboard and your computer, so the timing
and
> > protocols are well within the ability of something like a 2509...)
> >
> > (Get yours fast, I don't think the business model is going to pan out
:-()
> >
> > BillW
>
> http://air-soldier.com/~cuecat/ is a mirror of the page for this (It's a
> PS/2 connector on there, though!)
>
> Also there is a fix now that gets rid of most serial numbering / hash
> stuff (desolder 3 solder bridges and so forth) for most CueCat versions.
>
> http://www.logorrhea.com/cuecat/mirrors.html for mirrors.
>
> Again, it's NOT RS-232 tho.  Keyboard wedge, though, so might do you...
>
> (I don't like their "We get to track you and sell your personal
> information and pretend we are doing this to HELP you" business model
> much, either...)
>
>   Mark
>
> --
> http://www.piclist.com hint: The PICList is archived three different
> ways.  See http://www.piclist.com/#archives for details.
>
>
>
>

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