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Thread: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

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    Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Hello There..
    I wanna make some improvement using RFID and VB6, so the main purpose is how can i submit the code that i got from scanning it through the reader, to the database, and trigger another function like update some information on listview, so there is some code with another information on the listview.

    anyway i use simple RFID reader called ID-12
    Code:
    http://www.proto-pic.co.uk/content/datasheets/RFID-ID-12-Datasheet.pdf
    and passive tags.
    so, what is the function that i must use?
    the algorthm maybe?

    thnx beforehand.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Thread moved from the 'CodeBank VB6' forum (which is for you to post working code examples, not questions) to the 'VB6 and earlier' forum

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Quote Originally Posted by si_the_geek View Post
    Thread moved from the 'CodeBank VB6' forum (which is for you to post working code examples, not questions) to the 'VB6 and earlier' forum
    aww snap, sorry for this unconvenient thing.
    thnx for moved it here.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Well the question is pretty broad. the fact that the data comes from an RFID source should make no difference but if you do not know how to place data into a database, call a function or update a listview then there are lots and lots of questions in there. In this case you should probably start with a tutorial on working with Databases and ADO

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Quote Originally Posted by DataMiser View Post
    Well the question is pretty broad. the fact that the data comes from an RFID source should make no difference but if you do not know how to place data into a database, call a function or update a listview then there are lots and lots of questions in there. In this case you should probably start with a tutorial on working with Databases and ADO
    thnx for your respons,
    well the main purpose is i want to make some application that had a function like inventory management system, when some item are withdraw from the shelf (by pass the RFID rader), it will automatically stored to DB and trigger the form in reall time system, so every item that allready been taken recorded there too.

    yap, this is pretty broad, but i just want to get some algorithm first, what is the quickest way/ effective step to build this such a 'broad' application.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Well there is a lot to that and there is no special algorithm for it. You first need to have a data container [DB] and you need to know what data you will be working with and the structure of that data. You have to know the interface that the device is going to be using to give you the data and then once you know all of that you intercept the data and trigger an update of your database.

    You'll need to ask more specific questions to get a more targeted answer.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    ok thnx for ur opinion,
    to avoid broad topics, i'll try to make it simple for this thread, so that will be 'resolved' mark soon. let us forget the DB first, i just want to make sure that the application goin well based from the project itself.
    the main purpose is when the tag was pass through the reader, it will be read at the system (maybe in list view, etc) then it also contains some information regards of what it attacth to the tag (using DB here), just like smart cash-out on virtual warehouse, fyi.

    just that for this thread, so there will no more 'broad topic' here.
    once again, thnf for ur response.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    What interface does the rfid device use? You need to know this before any code can be written.
    What format does the data come in from the device. You also need to know this before you write the code.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    I believe that OP can already read the tag (it's a serial interface managed by MSComm). (See here:http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...t=#post4472057 )

    I don't really understand the question but if you're talking about simple inventory management the there are some fundamental 'steps' to take.

    1. Record the details of the Item attached to the tag. That will establish a relationship between the Tag ID and the Item itself.
    2. When the Item is moved from,e.g.the Warehouse, onto the shelf, record its new location, decrement the 'In Warehouse' count and increment the 'On Shelf' count.
    3. When the Item is sold (passes through the Tag reader), decrement the 'On Shelf' count and mark item as sold.

    The two counts can be used to trigger re-stocking the shelf (i.e. when the 'On Shelf' count reaches a particular value, issue a 're-stock shelf' message) and a 're-Order Warehouse Stock' message when the 'In Warehouse' count reaches a re-order level.

    I know nothing about the practical use of RF Tags, do they stay with the Item when sold or are they removed and re-used? If the latter,then when an Item is sold it shoud be moved to an 'Items sold' table and out of the main Inventory Table. Also, is each Tag unique or is it possilbe to have duplicates? i.e. would identical items have the same Tag ID, like you would have with Bar Codes, perhaps, or would there be a one to many relationship between the Item and Tags (i.e. a Set of identical items would each have a different Tag ID) ? Also, does an Rf Tag have a fixed life-time? e.g. is there a lmit to the number of times it can be read, or a period of time after which its readability is compromised? I suppose that the Inventory Management system should also manage the Tags.

    Those would be fairly important things to establish so you can get the design of the Database worked out.

    The 'features' of the system are really up to you to define. A basic system needs to track What it is, Where it is, How many have we got, and when do we need to re-order. Related items you might wish to hold may include the Supplier(s) Details, the Cost Price, the Selling Price, Last Order Date, How many are on order, expected delivery date, etc etc.

    If you're dealing with perishables you might also need to hold a 'shelf life' and record when the item was delivered to the warehouse to ensure that the older items are moved to the shelf first and alerts can be issued for those items that are 'out of date' or nearing their shelf life.

    If you're dealing with safety critical systems, you'll also need full tracability of every Item, e.g. for any given item you should be able to know the supplier, the supplier's batch number and any other Supplier code(s) / identification associated with the item, when you received it, when it was moved to the shelf, when it was sold, to whom it was sold.

    You may be beginning to appreciate that the physical mechanism for 'tracking' the item through it's life-cycle, whether it be Rf Tag, Bar Code or any other method - i.e. the acquisition of one piece of data, is trivial compared to the application functionality. The key to success will be in the analysis of the data you need to hold, the relationships between data items and the design of the various Tables required, together with an understanding of the functionality you wish to implement. I don't think you can 'forget the DB first', that's the most important consideration once you've defined the functional scope of what exactly you want the Inventory Management system to do - AKA "the boring stuff" (IMHO, of course)
    Last edited by Doogle; Aug 5th, 2013 at 12:22 AM.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Totally agree getting the data and triggering an update is the easy part. The real effort is required in making sure your data is related properly and that you have all the data that will be needed for tracking and reporting and that the data is properly indexed for speed.

    I generally spend much more time designing the DB than I do writing code to stuff the data in.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Quote Originally Posted by DataMiser View Post
    What interface does the rfid device use? You need to know this before any code can be written.
    What format does the data come in from the device. You also need to know this before you write the code.
    it will use Mscomm port, conected with RFID reader through serial port. well i allready clear with this one, many thanx to this kickin'ass forum.
    about the format is some code that allready confirmed the validity based from checksum value itself. so each code on tag represent each item on the shelf.

    Quote Originally Posted by DataMiser View Post
    Totally agree getting the data and triggering an update is the easy part. The real effort is required in making sure your data is related properly and that you have all the data that will be needed for tracking and reporting and that the data is properly indexed for speed.

    I generally spend much more time designing the DB than I do writing code to stuff the data in.
    i see...
    well seems agree with that, especially doing some query on that thing, i use MySQL to do this project, so it would be VB6+MySQL+RFID Device, what a combination.
    thnx for your suggestion, Sir.

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Don't bother choosing particular DBMS until you have some experience writing database programs.

    MySQL may have some advantage that makes you want to use it, but it can be a poor choice to begin with. Windows support for it doesn't exist, so to begin with you have to find and install a bag of stuff. Even then there isn't a usable free OLEDB Provider so most people are forced to use a clunky ODBC Driver instead. Then you have to worry about tooling, so you're off to find a some set of 3rd party utilities that will work with the MySQL version you have installed.

    You'll be far better off using Jet MDBs as a starting point. Windows support for these comes "in the box" as part of Windows. If you want to be able to manually open a database and look at tables and such MS Access is common and works natively with Jet MDBs. As a file-based DBMS, Jet is easy to play with since there is no need to run a dataabse service and deal with its care and feeding, etc.

    Once you get to some level of proficiancy it should be easy enough for you to take on the additional headaches involved in using MySql.


    You have the cart far out in front of the horse by tinkering with your RFID scanner before you know how to design and write programs. Put it back on the shelf and start studying, the RFID part of your project is fairly small and trivial.

    What you're doing is like trying to build a house by learning how to make the front door key first.

  13. #13

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Quote Originally Posted by Doogle View Post
    I believe that OP can already read the tag (it's a serial interface managed by MSComm). (See here:http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...t=#post4472057 )

    I don't really understand the question but if you're talking about simple inventory management the there are some fundamental 'steps' to take.

    1. Record the details of the Item attached to the tag. That will establish a relationship between the Tag ID and the Item itself.
    2. When the Item is moved from,e.g.the Warehouse, onto the shelf, record its new location, decrement the 'In Warehouse' count and increment the 'On Shelf' count.
    3. When the Item is sold (passes through the Tag reader), decrement the 'On Shelf' count and mark item as sold.

    The two counts can be used to trigger re-stocking the shelf (i.e. when the 'On Shelf' count reaches a particular value, issue a 're-stock shelf' message) and a 're-Order Warehouse Stock' message when the 'In Warehouse' count reaches a re-order level.

    I know nothing about the practical use of RF Tags, do they stay with the Item when sold or are they removed and re-used? If the latter,then when an Item is sold it shoud be moved to an 'Items sold' table and out of the main Inventory Table. Also, is each Tag unique or is it possilbe to have duplicates? i.e. would identical items have the same Tag ID, like you would have with Bar Codes, perhaps, or would there be a one to many relationship between the Item and Tags (i.e. a Set of identical items would each have a different Tag ID) ? Also, does an Rf Tag have a fixed life-time? e.g. is there a lmit to the number of times it can be read, or a period of time after which its readability is compromised? I suppose that the Inventory Management system should also manage the Tags.

    Those would be fairly important things to establish so you can get the design of the Database worked out.

    The 'features' of the system are really up to you to define. A basic system needs to track What it is, Where it is, How many have we got, and when do we need to re-order. Related items you might wish to hold may include the Supplier(s) Details, the Cost Price, the Selling Price, Last Order Date, How many are on order, expected delivery date, etc etc.

    If you're dealing with perishables you might also need to hold a 'shelf life' and record when the item was delivered to the warehouse to ensure that the older items are moved to the shelf first and alerts can be issued for those items that are 'out of date' or nearing their shelf life.

    If you're dealing with safety critical systems, you'll also need full tracability of every Item, e.g. for any given item you should be able to know the supplier, the supplier's batch number and any other Supplier code(s) / identification associated with the item, when you received it, when it was moved to the shelf, when it was sold, to whom it was sold.

    You may be beginning to appreciate that the physical mechanism for 'tracking' the item through it's life-cycle, whether it be Rf Tag, Bar Code or any other method - i.e. the acquisition of one piece of data, is trivial compared to the application functionality. The key to success will be in the analysis of the data you need to hold, the relationships between data items and the design of the various Tables required, together with an understanding of the functionality you wish to implement. I don't think you can 'forget the DB first', that's the most important consideration once you've defined the functional scope of what exactly you want the Inventory Management system to do - AKA "the boring stuff" (IMHO, of course)
    hmm... couldnt agree more, Sir.
    what a nice solution, it feels like had a great virtual consultant here, once again thanx for this great community.

    ok about some question u ask to me,

    I know nothing about the practical use of RF Tags, do they stay with the Item when sold or are they removed and re-used?
    about the tags if theyre allready out from the shelf/warehouse, it would be re-attached manually before leaving the 'outside' place of warehouse, so it will be no system handle on that part (for now), but maybe in the next plan, it would be printed on some stamp/sticker using some kind of programming called Zebra or something, i just read a little from the internet, but first thing first is build the main project.

    Also, is each Tag unique or is it possilbe to have duplicates? would there be a one to many relationship between the Item and Tags
    each tag would be unique for now, because it will represent based from their 'kind number' let say there will be 12digits of codes (each item) xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx ->
    xxx kind number.
    xxx subkind number.
    xxx.xxx unique number each item.
    and about the relation between item and tags are one to one only, even though they will be package item like nuts, bolts, nail, etc.. it would be package first and will count as one unique code,.

    Also, does an Rf Tag have a fixed life-time? e.g. is there a lmit to the number of times it can be read, or a period of time after which its readability is compromised?
    sure, first when the tag its recorded to DB (add stock), second when the tag pass through the shelf (reduce stock), third when the tag pass the gate to doing some cashout (confirmation). so about three times, after that it would be deactivated.

    I don't think you can 'forget the DB first', that's the most important consideration once you've defined the functional scope of what exactly you want the Inventory Management system to do - AKA "the boring stuff" (IMHO, of course)
    stupid me,, sorry for my shallow mind.. i just want to solve the easiest problem first, then go through the hardest one, beacuse no one can doubt that DB is the most complicated thing to do when design some application, function to security issue of the application are depend the DB itself.

    well once again, thnx Sir for contribute in my thread, really appreciated.

  14. #14

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    Re: Automatic function using RFID & VB6.

    Quote Originally Posted by dilettante View Post
    Don't bother choosing particular DBMS until you have some experience writing database programs.

    MySQL may have some advantage that makes you want to use it, but it can be a poor choice to begin with. Windows support for it doesn't exist, so to begin with you have to find and install a bag of stuff. Even then there isn't a usable free OLEDB Provider so most people are forced to use a clunky ODBC Driver instead. Then you have to worry about tooling, so you're off to find a some set of 3rd party utilities that will work with the MySQL version you have installed.

    You'll be far better off using Jet MDBs as a starting point. Windows support for these comes "in the box" as part of Windows. If you want to be able to manually open a database and look at tables and such MS Access is common and works natively with Jet MDBs. As a file-based DBMS, Jet is easy to play with since there is no need to run a dataabse service and deal with its care and feeding, etc.

    Once you get to some level of proficiancy it should be easy enough for you to take on the additional headaches involved in using MySql.


    You have the cart far out in front of the horse by tinkering with your RFID scanner before you know how to design and write programs. Put it back on the shelf and start studying, the RFID part of your project is fairly small and trivial.

    What you're doing is like trying to build a house by learning how to make the front door key first.
    i see..
    thnx Sir for your opinion & suggestion, well i allready feel comfort with this kind of DBMS. and because there will be deadline soon on my project, i think i'll keep goin with this one first, but if this project will goin too far, then i will consider to use yours.

    yeah, i think that too, thats why i try to share my problem here, and many thanx for all of your support, great criticism and suggestion makes me really..really understand about my project. dont even bother to give me some opinion/suggest/criticism, beacause for me learning has never ending story..

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