Smartphone Vendor-Specific Help

Always Check for Updates First

Before seeking help, please ensure your device is running the latest version of:

  • Vendor-provided Android or iOS operating system and firmware patches

  • The TrackAbout app

  • Latest/greatest version of any third-party software such as DataWedge.

Zebra

Android devices from this vendor having built-in barcode or RFID scanners depend on a separate pre-installed app called DataWedge.

DataWedge is used to configure the scanner settings and needs to be configured properly to work with TrackAbout.

  • Install the TrackAbout app before proceeding

  • Launch Zebra DataWedge

  • Click the menu button a (third button on the bottom on the phone, next to Home)

  • Choose "New profile"

  • Enter "TrackAbout" and press OK

  • Tap on the TrackAbout entry

  • Set the following settings:

    • Profile enabled: checked

    • Associated apps: click and press the menu button, then "New app/activity". Select com.trackabout.mono (look for the TrackAbout icon), then select the first item, *

    • Enabled under Barcode Input: checked

    • Scan Params (Possibly under Scanner Configuration) - Decode Audio Feedback: Silent (it may read Silent, go in and set it to Silent or None again)

    • Scan Params (Possibly under Scanner Configuration) - Decode Haptic Feedback: unchecked

    • Enabled under Keystroke Output: unchecked

    • Enabled under Intent Output: checked

    • Intent action: com.trackabout.motoscan

    • Intent category: scan

    • Intent delivery: Broadcast intent

    • Enabled under IP Output: unchecked

Once the Data Wedge profile has been configured, the TrackAbout Mobile 7 app needs to be configured to use the hardware scanner. To do this, see: Enabling the hardware barcode scanner in the TrackAbout app

Zebra General Troubleshooting

Make sure your devices are updated with the latest vendor-provided operating system and firmware. Please consult your Zebra vendor and device documentation.

Cognex

Make sure the Cognex device is on the latest firmware and configured to scan for either iOS or Android. Please consult your Cognex vendor and device documentation.

For iOS, install the Cognex Quick Setup app https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cognex-quick-setup/id978679507

For Android, install the Cognex MX Connect app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cognex.mxconnect

If scanning stops working, swipe away or otherwise force-quit the TrackAbout app and try again.

If that does not work, reboot the smartphone device.

Honeywell

Android devices from this vendor having built-in barcode or RFID scanners depend on a separate pre-installed app called DataWedge.

DataWedge is used to configure the scanner settings and needs to be configured properly to work with TrackAbout.

  • Install the TrackAbout app before proceeding

  • Launch Honeywell DataWedge

  • Open Settings, then Click on Scan Settings.

  • Click on Internal Scanner

  • Click the "+" icon at the top left of the screen to add a new profile.

  • In the Add Profile screen that comes up, click on "Select an Application". Select TrackAbout from the list.

  • A new entry called "TrackAbout Profile" will be created. Click on that entry.

  • Click on "Data Processing Settings"

  • Uncheck the checkboxes for Launch Browser, Scan to Intent, and Launch EZ Config.

  • Check the Data Intent checkbox

  • Click on Data Intent

  • Click on Action, and type in "com.trackabout.scanwedge" , and click Ok.

  • Click on Category, and type in "TrackAboutScan", and click Ok.

  • Exit from Settings.

Now open the TrackAbout app

  • Log in

  • Go to Settings from the left menu

  • Click on Data Wedge settings

  • Click on Intent Data Key, and type in "data"

  • The Intent Name and Intent Category should already be set to "com.trackabout.scanwedge", and "TrackAboutScan"

  • Click on Done.

  • Click "Check barcode scanning" under "Scan Check"

  • When you see "Use this screen to test the scanning capability of your device," scan a barcode using the hardware scanner (don't select orange scan box to bring up camera). The barcode scanned will appear on the screen.

  • Click back and a new option appears, "Preferred Scan Method".

  • Ensure "Preferred Scan Method" is set to "Hardware (Internal)"

Urovo

Android devices from this vendor having built-in barcode or RFID scanners depend on a separate pre-installed app called DataWedge.

DataWedge is used to configure the scanner settings and needs to be configured properly to work with TrackAbout.

  • Install the TrackAbout app before proceeding.

  • Open the Scanner application and tap the Gear icon to open Scanner Settings.

  • Under "Keyboard output mode", uncheck "output the barcode into the focused edit box".

  • Make a note of the "Intent action" value. At the time of this writing, it is "android.intent.ACTION_DECODE_DATA".

  • Make a note of the "Intent string extra" value. At the time of this writing, it is "barcode string".

Now open the TrackAbout app.

  • Log in

  • Go to Settings from the left menu.

  • Tap on Data Wedge settings.

  • Tap on Intent Name and enter the "Intent action" value noted above.

  • Tap on Intent Data Key and enter the "Intent string extra" value noted above.

  • The Intent Category does not need to change.

  • Tap on Done.

  • Log into the TrackAbout app

  • Go to Settings from the left menu

  • Click on Data Wedge settings

  • Tap "Check barcode scanning" under "Scan Check"

  • When you see "Use this screen to test the scanning capability of your device," scan a barcode using the hardware scanner (don't select orange scan box to bring up camera). The barcode scanned will appear on the screen.

  • Tap "Back" and a new option appears, "Preferred Scan Method".

  • Ensure "Preferred Scan Method" is set to "Hardware (Internal)"

Urovo DataWedge Troubleshooting

Issue: DataWedge Demo app appears when scanning in some screens in TrackAbout Mobile 7

Solution: Remove TrackAbout Mobile 7 associations from the DataWedge Demo profile

  • Tap the menu button in the demo app (three dots on the bottom right hand side of the screen)

  • Choose Settings

  • Tap on Associated Apps

  • Tap and hold to delete any app that says TrackAbout

  • Return to TrackAbout Mobile 7 and try scanning again

Chainway

Android devices from this vendor having built-in barcode scanners depend on a separate pre-installed app called KeyboardEmulator.

KeyboardEmulator is used to configure the scanner settings and needs to be configured properly to work with TrackAbout.

  • Launch Chainway KeyboardEmulator

  • Click on AppSettings

  • Under "Process Mode", select BroadcastReceiver.

  • Verify that the "Broadcast name" field is set to "com.scanner.broadcast" and the "Key" field is set to data. If not, set them to these values.

  • Exit from KeyboardEmulator.

Now open the TrackAbout app

  • Log in

  • Go to Settings from the left menu

  • Click on Data Wedge settings

  • Click on Intent Name, and set the value to "com.scanner.broadcast"

  • Click on Intent Data Key, and type in "data"

  • The Intent Category should already be set to "TrackAboutScan"

  • Click on Done.

  • Click "Check barcode scanning" under "Scan Check"

  • When you see "Use this screen to test the scanning capability of your device," scan a barcode using the hardware scanner (don't select orange scan box to bring up camera). The barcode scanned will appear on the screen.

  • Click back and a new option appears, "Preferred Scan Method".

  • Ensure "Preferred Scan Method" is set to "Hardware (Internal)"

Bluetooth Scanners

Some customers have purchased Bluetooth barcode scanners, paired them to smartphones, and then have sought support with TrackAbout when their device either did not work, or when it does work, their scans appear in the site as having been manually entered (typed in).

Prior to version 7.335.0 of the TrackAbout Android app, these devices were unsupported. There are not supported on iOS on any version.

When Bluetooth scanners connect to a smartphone, they generally pretend to be USB keyboards. This connection type is called the "Bluetooth HID profile" (see Wikipedia for USB-HID).

These scanners work by acting like a keyboard. So if you highlight a text box in the app and scan a barcode into it, the app thinks someone typed that barcode.

Most of the screens in the TrackAbout app that accept barcode scans from camera or supported external scanners do not present a text box to scan into. The TrackAbout app expects the scan data to be sent directly to the app, not using a text box.

TrackAbout does not support these types of external scanners prior to version 7.335.0 of the TrackAbout Android app.

TrackAbout does offer full support for a number of third-party scanning solutions that come with separate DataWedge applications. These DataWedge apps feed scans to the TrackAbout app in a way the app expects, and they work properly and those solutions are generally preferred over a generic Bluetooth scanner.

Please contact Support if you'd like to setup a Bluetooth HID scanner on Android.