I think I'm the only person on the face of the earth that is using a
MICRImage check scanner and I will probably get no replies to this,
but I have to ask anyway. I don't have any hair to pull out and I'm
ready to throw this thing out the window.

Everything was working fine until we switched to Windows 7...

I was using MagTek's OCX that Columbus brought over to the new world
with him. I wish they would update this thing...

I'm using Click-Once Deployment for my program. I have two references
in my program for this scanner:
MagTek ActiveX Comp For Micr Image Device
Microsoft Comm Control 6.0

Both are set "Isolated = True" and "Copy Local = True". If I change
either of these, I get unregistered control errors.

The program runs fine and the form with the MicrImage control opens
just fine. When I scan a check or credit card, the program doesn't
respond. It never activates the MicrImage1_MicrDataReceived event.

I'm sure Windows 7 is blocking it somehow. I know the scanner is
working because I've installed their sample program and the data shows
up when I scan a card. The big difference is that their sample program
doesn't use their ancient OCX control, it just uses an MS Comm
control. And of course they don't offer the source code...

So, I delete the MicrImage control and add a NET serialport to my
form. I scan the credit card and I end up with a string of characters
twice as long as the string from their sample program.

There's a sticker on the bottom of the scanner that says it's
encrypted.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do with this? I'm even
open to buying a new scanner, but it has to be able to scan checks and
credit cards.

Hi,

I've never used this particular hardware, I suspect.  I did write code for a 
MICR check scanner, a number of years ago.  The manufacturer provided the 
format details (which included a JPG packet, along with decoded data for 
account and routing, etc.).  Unfortunately, I don't remember these "details" 
though I may be able to find them.  Does MagTek provide these for its 
reader?  If so, then using the SerialPort object should work fine.

You do offer one clue, though.  You say that you receive twice as many 
characters using the SerialPort object as from their sample... This suggests 
that you may have a problem in your receive code.  What is it?  If I were to 
guess, you are trying to read binary data into a String, instead of a Byte 
array, thus you are seeing any encoding problem.

What additional information can you provide?

Dick

-- 
Richard Grier, Consultant, Hard & Software 12962 West Louisiana Avenue 
Lakewood, CO 80228 303-986-2179 (voice) Homepage: www.hardandsoftware.net 
Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 4th 
Edition ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages) published July 2004, Revised July 
2006. 

Hi,

I just looked at: 
http://www.magtek.com/documentation/public/99875175-7.02.pdf

I don't know what model reader you are using, but this document does provide 
all of the details needed to work with the serial output from this 
particular scanner.  Since much of the output data is binary (image), you 
certainly need to buffer it properly, but the actual implementation is 
practical using this information.

Dick

-- 
Richard Grier, Consultant, Hard & Software 12962 West Louisiana Avenue 
Lakewood, CO 80228 303-986-2179 (voice) Homepage: www.hardandsoftware.net 
Author of Visual Basic Programmer's Guide to Serial Communications, 4th 
Edition ISBN 1-890422-28-2 (391 pages) published July 2004, Revised July 
2006. 

Here is the code I'm using in the DataReceived event. I don't remember
where I got it, but it's probably yours.


Dim bRead, nRead As Integer
Dim returnStr As String = ""
Dim ascStr As String = ""

bRead = SerialPort1.BytesToRead 'Number of Bytes to read
Dim cData(bRead - 1) As Byte

nRead = SerialPort1.Read(cData, 0, bRead)  'Reading the Data
For Each b As Byte In cData
       ascStr += Chr(b)        'Ascii String
       returnStr += Hex(b)     'Hex String
Next

Textbox1.AppendText(vbCrLf & returnStr)


I figured it out after looking at the code. I should be putting ascStr
into my textbox and not returnStr.



I rebooted my computer today and the scanner worked ONCE with the old
ActiveX control in my program. I could scan a credit card one time and
it triggered the event. After that it wouldn't do it again no matter
what I tried.

Could Windows 7 somehow be blocking the ActiveX control because it
uses the MSComm control?



On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:24:24 -0700, "DickGrier"
<dick_grierNOSPAM@msn.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I've never used this particular hardware, I suspect.  I did write code for a 
>MICR check scanner, a number of years ago.  The manufacturer provided the 
>format details (which included a JPG packet, along with decoded data for 
>account and routing, etc.).  Unfortunately, I don't remember these "details" 
>though I may be able to find them.  Does MagTek provide these for its 
>reader?  If so, then using the SerialPort object should work fine.
>
>You do offer one clue, though.  You say that you receive twice as many 
>characters using the SerialPort object as from their sample... This suggests 
>that you may have a problem in your receive code.  What is it?  If I were to 
>guess, you are trying to read binary data into a String, instead of a Byte 
>array, thus you are seeing any encoding problem.
>
>What additional information can you provide?
>
>Dick

Thanks. I have the August 2003 version of this. Thanks for finding me
an updated version.

On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:45:40 -0700, "DickGrier"
<dick_grierNOSPAM@msn.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I just looked at: 
>http://www.magtek.com/documentation/public/99875175-7.02.pdf
>
>I don't know what model reader you are using, but this document does provide 
>all of the details needed to work with the serial output from this 
>particular scanner.  Since much of the output data is binary (image), you 
>certainly need to buffer it properly, but the actual implementation is 
>practical using this information.
>
>Dick

I just can't figure out how to get the image of the scanned checks
now.




On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:24:24 -0700, "DickGrier"
<dick_grierNOSPAM@msn.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I've never used this particular hardware, I suspect.  I did write code for a 
>MICR check scanner, a number of years ago.  The manufacturer provided the 
>format details (which included a JPG packet, along with decoded data for 
>account and routing, etc.).  Unfortunately, I don't remember these "details" 
>though I may be able to find them.  Does MagTek provide these for its 
>reader?  If so, then using the SerialPort object should work fine.
>
>You do offer one clue, though.  You say that you receive twice as many 
>characters using the SerialPort object as from their sample... This suggests 
>that you may have a problem in your receive code.  What is it?  If I were to 
>guess, you are trying to read binary data into a String, instead of a Byte 
>array, thus you are seeing any encoding problem.
>
>What additional information can you provide?
>
>Dick

Dick,
I still can't figure out how to save the TIFF image file of a check. I
send the TI command to the scanner and it comes back with "IM1.tif
12877 coming". After a slight pause I get "?

I cannot find any file IM1.tif anywhere. How can I save the file to my
hard drive?



On Fri, 12 Feb 2010 10:45:40 -0700, "DickGrier"
<dick_grierNOSPAM@msn.com> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I just looked at: 
>http://www.magtek.com/documentation/public/99875175-7.02.pdf
>
>I don't know what model reader you are using, but this document does provide 
>all of the details needed to work with the serial output from this 
>particular scanner.  Since much of the output data is binary (image), you 
>certainly need to buffer it properly, but the actual implementation is 
>practical using this information.
>
>Dick

Our company use the Magtek scanner & driver as well.  We encountered similar 
problems with Windows 7.  There are 2 things that we needed to upgrade.  The 
drivers for the hardware and the OCX for the webpage.  The updates can be 
found here:
http://www.magtek.com/support/software/

If you still have troubles you can create an "ITS" ticket to ask for help.  
We did & they where very helpful.
http://www.magtek.com/ITS/logon.asp