ScanTalker™ 2.0, designed specifically for the PAC Mate™, is a bar code reading program that identifies more than 1 million products, such as grocery, entertainment, and drugstore items. Now you can access important product information such as directions, facts, and ingredients or use the pre-printed bar code labels to help identify your personal items.

ScanTalker works in tandem with the optional Metrologic MS6720 hand-held bar code scanner. It ships from Freedom Scientific pre-configured and ready for operation. Simply plug in the scanner, insert the supplied CompactFlash® card, and begin scanning. The scanner can be used freely in your hand or placed into the convenient desktop stand.

Features

ScanTalker supports numerous databases that recognize over 1 million products. The following are a few examples.

Product database of over 285,000 grocery and over-the-counter pharmaceutical items
Product database of over 90,000 health and beauty aids
Product database of over 320,000 audio and video compact discs and DVDs
Product database of over 500,000 general merchandise items
Expandable databases that allow you to enter or edit product information
Quick Scan Mode for fast item searches

Benefits

Quick identification of products and items
Access to additional product information
Simplifies activities of daily living

What's in the Box?

The ScanTalker package includes the following items. If you find that you are missing any of these components, please call Customer Service at (800) 444-4443.

CompactFlash card (includes ScanTalker application and databases)
100 pre-printed bar code labels to use on your personal items
ScanTalker Quick Start Guide in print
Documentation CD
Metrologic MS6720 hand-held bar code scanner (optional)
Metrologic bar code scanner cable (optional)
Desktop stand (optional)
USB adapter with an A connector and a mini-A connector (optional)

Using ScanTalker with PAC Mate

To use ScanTalker, first connect the bar code scanner cable to the USB adapter, and then plug the adapter into the PAC Mate's USB port. Next, insert the ScanTalker CompactFlash card into your PAC Mate, and, when prompted, begin scanning.

The following scenarios are described for using ScanTalker:

Scanning for the First Time
Adding a Product to the Database
Enabling Quick Scan Mode
Quitting ScanTalker

Scanning for the First Time

Use the following procedures when you are using the scanner for the first time.

Turn on your PAC Mate.
Connect the supplied USB adapter to the scanner's USB cable connector, and then plug the adapter's mini-A USB connector in to the PAC Mate's USB port.

The scanner emits a beep tone indicating that it is connected to the PAC Mate and turned on.

Caution: Do not point or look directly into the scanner's laser beam.

Insert the ScanTalker CompactFlash card into an available CompactFlash slot on the PAC Mate.
The PAC Mate speaks the contents of the View License Agreement dialog, which gives you the option of listening to the ScanTalker license agreement.

Choose Yes to hear the license agreement.

Note: The FSEdit application opens so that you can read the license agreement. When it is finished, press ESC on the PAC Mate QX (F1 on the PAC Mate BX) to close FSEdit and return to the View License Agreement dialog. Next, select No to start ScanTalker.

Choose No if you do not wish to hear the license agreement, and you want to start ScanTalker.

Note: For future reference, if you do not want to hear the license agreement announcement the next time you use ScanTalker, use the TAB key (DOTS 4-5 CHORD on the BX) to navigate to the "Don't Show Me This Again" check box, and press the SPACEBAR to select this check box.

After choosing No, ScanTalker automatically starts and announces that it is in UPC Edit mode.

UPC Edit mode means that ScanTalker is ready to scan an item.
Scan the following bar code scanner.

Verify that the PAC Mate's response is, "Ragu - Pasta Sauce. Chunky Garden Style Tomato, Garlic, and Onion."
Press ENTER (DOT 8) to place ScanTalker in UPC Edit mode and scan the following bar code.

Verify that the PAC Mate's response is, "Welch's Frozen - Juice Cocktail. Concord Grape Frozen Concentrate."

If the two bar codes are correctly identified, your scanner is ready for use. Press ENTER (DOT 8) to place the scanner into UPC Edit mode, and scan an item when you are ready.

If a bar code was not correctly identified, go to the Bar Code Scanner Calibration procedures to calibrate your scanner for use with ScanTalker.

Adding a Product to the Database

You can easily add a product to the database if it is not recognized by ScanTalker. When this occurs, the PAC Mate announces that the item is not recognized and asks if you want to create an entry for it. To create an entry, do the following:

Choose Yes. The Edit Item Info dialog opens.
Type the product name into the Product Name Edit text box, for example, Joe's Soda. Press TAB (DOTS 4-5 CHORD).
Type a product description into the Product Details text box, for example, Joe's orange soda in a 12 ounce can. Press TAB (DOTS 4-5 CHORD) to move to the OK button.
Choose OK to add the product to the database. The PAC Mate announces that the Freedom Scientific ScanTalker dialog is open and states the product's name.
To scan another item, press ENTER (DOT 8) to open UPC Edit mode.

Enabling Quick Scan Mode

Quick Scan mode allows you to scan a number of items without having to press ENTER (DOT 8) between product scans. When using this mode, if an item is not recognized, you are not prompted to add it to the product database.

To turn on Quick Scan mode, do the following:

Press TAB (DOTS 4-5 CHORD) until you hear, "Quick Scan check box not checked," and then press SPACEBAR to select the check box.
Press ENTER (DOT 8) to open UPC Edit mode.

The scanner is now in Quick Scan mode. You can scan several products without having to press ENTER (DOT 8) on the PAC Mate to reactivate UPC Edit mode. If you want to access product details or add or edit information go back and uncheck this box.

To turn off Quick Scan mode, do one of the following:

Uncheck the Quick Scan check box

or
Close ScanTalker. When closed, the application returns to the default setting, which is to have Quick Scan mode disabled.

Quitting ScanTalker

To close ScanTalker, press ESC (F1).

Scanning Tips

Caution: Do not point or look directly into the scanner's laser beam.

To achieve the best scanning results with ScanTalker and your bar code scanner, be aware of the following tips:

Place the product on a flat surface and, from a distance of about 6 inches, sweep the hand-held scanner across the product label until you locate the bar code data.

The sweeping motion can be either upward, downward, or side-to-side. A good sweeping speed is about 2 inches per second. The scanner will read the bar code as long as the beam intersects all the bars, upside-down or right side up. If you don't find the barcode, try turning the product 90 degrees and sweeping again.
Keep your fingers out of the way of the surface you are scanning.

Note: If the PAC Mate enters Power Save mode, the scanner turns off. To continue using ScanTalker, turn on the PAC Mate; the scanner emits a beep, and ScanTalker is again ready for use.

If you are using the scanner in its desktop stand, place the PAC Mate near the edge of a table. In one hand sweep the product and bar code vertically in front of the scanner and with the other hand press ENTER (DOT 8) on the PAC Mate. You may need to reposition and maneuver the product until the scanner laser recognizes the bar code. Place the product about 6 inches away from the scanner so that the beam lines extend past the sides of the bar code.
Once you hear the tone, PAC Mate announces the product name. You can then press TAB (DOTS 4-5 CHORD) to move to the product details edit field and read additional information about the product, if available.
After the PAC Mate announces the product name, you can edit existing product information by moving to the Edit button and pressing ENTER (DOT 8). In the multi-line edit fields, type in the information you want to save about this product.
If a product is not recognized, a dialog opens prompting you to add it, plus any additional information about it, to the database.
Be sure to exit ScanTalker by pressing ESC on the PAC Mate QX, and by pressing F1 on the PAC Mate BX. If you remove the CompactFlash card while ScanTalker is still running, your changes are not saved.

Avoid bar code scanning in direct sunlight as there is enough red spectrum light to affect the scanner's decoding system.
Generally on canned items, UPC bar codes are near the label's seam. For video and audio CD, the UPC bar codes are usually on the back side of the CD case. With box packages, the UPC is generally on the bottom or back side of the package. For clear plastic or glass, you may find the UPC by scanning through the plastic or glass opposite the label.
Do not move the product too close to the scanner or the beam becomes too short to intersect the whole bar code.

Troubleshooting

Use the following Issues and Solutions to troubleshoot problems you may have while using ScanTalker.

Issue: My changes are not being saved when I edit or add an item.

Solution: Be sure to close the ScanTalker program before removing the CompactFlash card. Removing the CompactFlash card, while the program is open, results in changes not being saved.

Issue: ScanTalker does not start.

Solution: Select and press WINDOWS Key, and then P for Programs. Press S until ScanTalker is announced.

Issue: My scanned item is not in the database.

Solution: See Adding a Product to the Database.

Issue: I scan a product, the scanner beeps, but the product's bar code is not read.

Solution: Press ENTER (DOT 8) to place ScanTalker into UPC Edit mode, and scan the bar code again.

Issue: My scanner has been sitting idle for a while and does not scan.

Solution: Try one of the following:

Move the scanner back and forth several times, press ENTER (DOT 8), and rescan the product.

or
Unplug the scanner from the PAC Mate, remove the CompactFlash card, reinsert the CompactFlash card, and plug in the scanner.

Bar Code Scanner Calibration

Note: It is only necessary to scan the following bar codes if you need to recalibrate your Metrologic scanner, or if you are using your own user-provided scanner.

Connecting the Scanner to a PAC Mate

Turn on the PAC Mate.
Connect the supplied USB adapter to the scanner’s USB cable connector, and then plug the adapter’s mini-A USB connector in to the PAC Mate’s mini-B USB port.

If you are using the Metrologic scanner, the scanner emits a beep tone and the scanner light is red indicating that it is connected to the PAC Mate and turned on.

Scanning Bar Codes

Use the following procedures to calibrate the bar code scanner.

Scan the following bar code. Verify that you hear a double-beep, and go to step 2.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 3.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 4.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 5.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 6.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 7.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 8.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 9.
Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 10.

Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 11.

Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 12.

Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 13.

Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 14.

Scan the following bar code. After the beep, go to step 15.

Scan the following bar code. Verify that you hear a double beep, which indicates that you have exited Programming mode and saved the calibration.

This concludes scanner calibration.

For More Information

For up-to-date information on PAC Mate and accessories, please visit www.pacmategear.com.

To learn more about how UPC bar codes work, please visit http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/upc.htm

Contacting Freedom Scientific

Corporate Offices

11800 31st Court North
St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1805

Sales & Information Phone: 1-800-444-4443 (within US)

Sales & Information Phone: (727) 803-8000 (worldwide)

Fax: (727) 803-8001

Technical Support

All Products: (727) 803-8600
Software Email: [email protected]
Hardware Email: [email protected]

PUBLISHED BY
Freedom Scientific BLV Group, LLC
www.freedomscientific.com

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or any means electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Freedom Scientific.