Before you can start using the Spektrix Scanning Interface to scan tickets upon entry to your venue, you’ll need to set up all of your scanning devices and then connect them to Spektrix. This article covers the initial setup of your devices, whether you’re using Zebra or Saveo scanners - if you’ve already completed this setup, please see this article for details of how to connect to and use the Scanning Interface.
Here’s what’s covered in this article:
- Which scanners are supported?
- Setting up Zebra scanners
- Setting up Saveo scanners
- Setting up Janam scanners
- Customising your scanner’s sounds
- Sleep settings and timing out
Which scanners are supported?
For full details of what you need for scanning to work, please see our introductory article to Access Control and Ticket Scanners, but here’s a quick overview:
- Barcodes on your tickets (whether physical, Print at Home or both)
- The Scanning User role on your Spektrix login
- One or more ticket scanners, complete with mobile phone, phone holder etc. where appropriate
- A stable Wi-Fi connection
Click on one of the links below to go to the setup process for your relevant device manufacturer:
If you would like to discuss the two different types of supported scanners, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Spektrix Support team.
NOTE: if you use the legacy scanning solution, with an app installed on iPod Touch devices, please get in touch with the Spektrix Support team for more details.
Zebra scanners
A Zebra TC21 is an all-in-one solution powered by the Android operating system, just like a mobile phone. The first time you turn your scanner on, you’ll need to go through the basic device setup process, then once that’s done you can set it up to be ready for use with Spektrix.
Basic device setup
As the scanner works just like a mobile phone this process will likely be familiar, but you can find manuals and how-to videos for this scanner over on the Zebra website. A few key things to be aware of while you’re getting set up are:
- You may be prompted by the scanner to enable or edit settings for Location Accuracy, Vision Settings (i.e. screen visibility, text sizes etc.) and your Google Account. It's up to you whether you set these elements up - none of them are essential, and you can change them later on
- While you could skip setting up Wi-Fi, we would suggest you get the scanner connected to your local network as quickly as possible
- When you come to naming the device, you can call it anything you want - but we would recommend you choose a clear name that will help anyone using the device to know which one it is (for example Scanner 1, Scanner 2 etc.)
Once you’ve completed the initial setup, we’ll take you through the steps to follow for getting your scanner set up ready for use with Spektrix specifically.
Set up your Zebra ready for Spektrix using DataWedge
Once the device itself is set up, you need to configure an app called DataWedge, which contains various settings specific to the Spektrix Scanning Interface.
You can find this in the All Apps menu (swipe up from the home screen), but we would recommend moving it to your homepage by holding down on the app and dragging it up onto the homepage.
To link DataWedge to the Spektrix Scanning Interface, first open the DataWedge app and tap the 3 dots in the top right corner of the screen, then select New Profile.
Name this ‘Spektrix Wedge’ and tap OK to create a new profile, which you’ll see at the bottom of the list:
Select your new ‘Spektrix Wedge’ profile, then under the header Applications select the option for Associated Apps.
Tap on the 3 dots in the top right corner of the screen, then select New App/Activity.
From the Select application list, select com.android.chrome, then from the Select activity list select the top option which should have the logo of Chrome and an * (asterisk) symbol next to it:
Next, go back to the Profile: Spektrix Wedge screen (click the small triangle on the bottom left of the screen) and check that the following settings are correct under the Keystroke output subheading.
Make sure the following settings are correct:
- Enabled: checked
- Inter character delay: 1ms
Once you have checked this, scroll down slightly to the bottom of the Keystroke output subheading, just above the Intent Output subheading and select Basic data formatting.
Make sure that the following settings are correct:
- Enable: checked
- Send data: checked
- Send ENTER key: checked
You can also check the Zebra website, which has a range of manuals and useful resources about these scanners.
Now that your Zebra device is set up, move onto our article on Setting Up and Using the Scanning Interface.
Saveo scanners
Each Saveo scanner comprises of two main parts - the scanner itself, and a mobile phone which you connect to the scanner either via a cable or using bluetooth. You can find more information about the different components in this article.
Setting up your mobile phone
When getting your phone(s) up and running, you’re best off referring to the manufacturer’s instructions that came with it. Phones are designed to be easy to use, so setting them up is usually pretty easy.
You need your phone(s) to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, so make sure that you’ve got the details for your local network.
Lastly, we recommend you fully charge your phone(s) before you start using them.
Setting up your Saveo scanner
We’ve attached the Saveo manual here, which contains all the instructions you need to get things set up, including charging the scanner and getting it connected to a mobile phone.
It’s worth noting that the scanners have a switch located on the rear with two settings:
- O = Operation Mode (which will send data from the scanned item to the phone)
- C = Charging Mode (which will not send data to the phone, but will allow the phone to be charged through the scanner when placed on the charging dock)
In Operation Mode the scanner acts as the main input for the phone, preventing any other data entry through the phone’s touchscreen. This means that a digital keyboard will not display on the touchscreen of the phone, and you will not be able to enter your Spektrix username and password.
You’ll notice in the manual that there are two options for connecting phones and scanners - you can connect them via the micro-USB cable, or via Bluetooth. Either of these options should work fine, although if you connect via Bluetooth it’s worth noting that you’ll still need to connect the phone to the scanner via the cable if you want it to charge while plugged in.
NOTE: there’s no way of knowing whether a scanner is set to connect via cable or Bluetooth when it is first delivered, so it’s always worth following the instructions in the Saveo manual - page 11 for wired connection, or page 16 for Bluetooth connection.
Now that your Saveo device is set up, move onto our article on Setting Up and Using the Scanning Interface.
Customising your scanner's sounds
Depending on which type of scanner you have, you can adjust the volume and/or change which sound is played when you scan a ticket. Here’s how to do that, based on which scanner you’re using.
Zebra scanners
By default your Zebra scanner will produce one sound when scanning a barcode and then, depending on the result of the scan (Successful, Warning or Error) a separate sound to indicate the result (as well as the visual indication displayed in the Scanning Interface).
To switch off or adjust the volume of any of the sounds, navigate to Settings (the cog) and then the Sound menu. From here you should see a selection of sliders which you can use to adjust the volume - for the purposes of this you’ll need to focus on the following two:
- Notification: the volume for the sound when a barcode is scanned
- Media: the volume for the sound demonstrating the result of the scan
Other than adjusting the volume, you can’t change the success/warning/error sounds generated from the result of the scan - however you can change the sound produced at the moment of scanning a barcode.
To do this, first open the DataWedge app (either from the scanner’s Home screen or the All Apps menu) then go to Spektrix Wedge > Configure Scanner Settings > Scan Params.
Select Decode Audio Feedback to see a list of sound options:
Select one of these to be your desired sound at the point of scanning - as long as the scanner’s volume is up, you’ll hear a sample of each sound when you select it. Press OK to return to the previous screen.
At this point you can also check the box Decode Haptic Feedback to set the scanner to produce a small vibration at the point of scanning each barcode.
When you navigate back to the Scanning Interface, any changes you’ve made will automatically be saved.
Saveo scanners
By default, Saveo handsets will beep following every scan, making the same sound regardless of whether the scan succeeded or failed. Alternatively you can turn the sound off on the scanner and enable sounds on the phone, in which case there are different sounds to denote Success/Warning/Error.
To turn the scanner sounds off you need to scan a specific barcode from the Getting Started guide. You can find the guide here to download and print, or alternatively you can try scanning the barcode below directly from your computer screen. Some screens have anti-glare coating which means you won’t be able to scan from them, however.
To disabled scanner sounds just scan the Disable barcode - you don’t need to have the Spektrix Scanning Interface open for this.
To enable sounds on the phone itself, navigate to the Settings menu and choose the Sound & notification option.
From here you just need to make sure that the Media volume is set as high as you need to be able to hear it - you can then adjust the volume if you need to by using the volume buttons on the side of the phone.
Sleep settings and timing out
If you’re keeping scanners on for a long period of time without them being used all the time, you may find that the devices sometimes go to sleep, and/or the Spektrix Scanning Interface times out.
Zebra scanners
Zebra scanners are by default set to go to sleep after one minute of inactivity - this will not affect the Scanning Interface, just the scanner itself. Once a scanner has gone into sleep mode you just need to press the power button to wake it back up.
To change the period of inactivity, go to Settings > Battery > Sleep, from where you can choose an alternative period - 30 minutes is the maximum amount of time the scanner will wait before going into sleep mode, but you can reduce the period if you want.
If you’re concerned about battery life, from here you can opt to enable Battery Saver which reduces the device’s performance in order to conserve battery, until it’s next charged.
Saveo scanners
By default, Saveo scanners are set to Power Saving Mode which causes them to go to sleep after one minute of inactivity - you’ll hear a beep when the scanner goes to sleep. At this point the Spektrix Scanning Interface isn’t affected, just the scanner itself. Once a scanner has gone into sleep mode you just need to press the trigger to wake it back up.
To change this, scan the Disable barcode in the Power Saving Mode section of the scanner manual. You can find the manual here to download and print, or alternatively you can try scanning the barcode below directly from your computer screen.
NOTE: the phone you use will also have a default sleep mode, which you should be able to adjust to suit use with a scanner. Please refer to the manufacturer’s guide for instructions on how to adjust this.
Spektrix
The Scanning Interface works in the same way as the rest of the Spektrix system in that it will time out after forty minutes of inactivity, although it will prompt you after thirty-five minutes to let you know that it’s about to time out.
Selecting Cancel here will take you immediately back to the login screen, while choosing OK will let you continue scanning.
If the Scanning Interface does time out, the next time you try to scan a ticket or otherwise use the interface you’ll be taken back to the login page
Janam scanners
For Janam scanner users, initial setup of your scanners will be completed by our supplier using your Spektrix system name and Wifi network information (which is usually provided during the ordering process). This means you should be able to scan 'out of the box' using your Spektrix username and password. These scanners are locked down, so the only setting you'll be able to update are the wifi details.
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For further reading about access control and ticket scanners, try these articles:
- Access Control and Ticket Scanners - An Introduction
- Setting Up and Using the Scanning Interface
- Troubleshooting Your Ticket Scanners
If you have any further questions about the Spektrix Scanning Interface, or about the hardware required to use this, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Spektrix Support team who will be happy to help.