This article is copyrighted (c) 1998 by Bill Cheek.  Permission to 
reprint for FREE access and FREE use by others is automatically 
granted so long as this entire article, including signature box at 
the end are retained intact and unaltered.


           A TUTORIAL ON 
THE CE-232 SCANNER/COMPUTER INTERFACE'S
   REMOTE KEYBOARD CONTROL FUNCTION

INTRODUCTION
============
The CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface is a 2.5" x 3" electronic 
board that goes between an IBM-PC/compatible computer and a scanner
for a host of very powerful capabilities.  

The CE-232 is  a -smart- RS-232 Interface controller and data 
acquisition system for some scanners and at least a drudgery-free 
automatic programmer and remote controller for all supported scanners.  

The CE-232 eliminates a lot of the drudgery and labor in scanning by 
its  ability to "AutoProgram" up to 999 memory channels from a plain 
ASCII text file in a short time, error-free and exactly the way you 
want the scanner configured.  

The CE-232 also allows REMOTE control of the scanner from the computer 
keyboard; a strong +plus+ for handheld scanners and those with hard-to-
operate keyboards like the PRO-43, PRO-2035 and PRO-2042!

The CE-232 is a one-way controller and AutoProgrammer like described 
above for MANY scanners, including the PRO-2042, PRO-2035, PRO-2022, 
PRO-43, PRO-39, PRO-37, PRO-34, PRO-26, etc.  

The CE-232 is a TWO-WAY controller, AutoProgrammer and data acquisition 
system for the time-honored PRO-2004, PRO-2005, and PRO-2006 scanners 
which have unique circuitry that allows the CE-232 to do MUCH more than 
just AutoProgram and Remote Control, including AutoLog data on "hits", 
REJECT undesired signals, LOOKUP data about a certain frequency, and 
much more.


REMOTE KEYBOARD CONTROL OVERVIEW
================================

**  Operate the scanner from the Computer's Keyboard!  **

REMOTE CONTROL FROM COMPUTER'S KEYBOARD:

Virtually all functions of supported scanners can be operated from the PC
keyboard.  If you have club fingers like I do, this is almost a vital 
necessity.  I just love my PRO-43 but I loathe operating its keyboard.

The CE-232 displays a replica of the scanner's front panel on your monitor 
along  with a keypad emulator to show the keys to be pressed as if you were 
operating the scanner in a normal manner.  The Figure just below is a 
reasonable facsimile of the main operating screen of the CE-232:

 ===============================================================================
|                       -SCANNER INTERFACE PROGRAM-                             |
|_______________________________________________________________________________|
| ________   Search ^   Monitor  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10         ________ |
| OUTPUT  |                            X                              | INPUT   |
| STATUS  |                3              138.0750 Mhz                | STATUS  |
|  0100   |                                         nfm       5 khz   | 100110  |
|_______________________________________________________________________________|
|                                                                               |
| +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+|
|     Manual          pri <!>        limIt           1       2       3   |
| +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+------+---------|
|      Scan           speEd        srch up <->       4       5       6   |
| +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+------+---------|
|      Delay          mOde         srch dn <+>       7       8       9   |
| +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+------+---------|
|    Lock-out         sTep         direct <*>        0       .  clr<bksp>|
| +----------------+---------------+---------------+----------+----------------|
| lockout reView      Reset       monitor<space> Program       <enter>    |
| +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+|
|                                                                               |
|__F1_____F2______F3______F4_______F5_______F6_______F7______F8_____F9_____F10__|
| HELP   MISC   LOOKUP   APRGM   SCRIPT   CONFIG   REJECT   TOOL   ALOG   PAGE  |
 =============================================================================== 

This Figure doesn't really do justice because of the difficulties of showing
screen graphics in an ASCII text message like this newsgroup article.  But
you get the idea?  Well, just in case you don't, in the above example, to
operate the scanner from the PC, you'd press <M> for MANUAL; <E> to change
SPEED; <O> to change MODE; and <T> to change the STEP increment, etc.  For
Remote Keyboard Control, the above screen is mostly just a guide to indicate
which PC keys control which scanner functions.

That's really all there is to Remote Keyboard Control of a scanner using the
CE-232 Scanner/Computer Interface.  If you can operate the scanner from its
own keyboard, then you can be more efficient and relaxed operating it from
the PC's keyboard.

NOTE:  The CE-232 does not slow down the scanner nor alter its peformance in 
any manner!  Not only can you operate the scanner from the computer's keyboard, 
you can also operate  normally from the scanner as well. You can even "mix"
operations alternatingly between the scanner's keyboard and the PC's.

NOTE FOR PRO-2004/5/6 ONLY:  As the scanner operates, the computer monitor 
displays EVERYTHING that the scanner shows in its LCD display. For all other
scanners, that part of the monitor display is just blank.  Remote Control is 
as described, however.    

------------------------------------------------        --
Bill Cheek - President/CEO/Publisher            \      /
COMMtronics Engineering/World Scanner Report     \    /
Box 262478 ~ San Diego ~ CA ~ 92196-2478          \  / 
Voice: 619-578-9247 (1:30-5:30pm, PST, weekdays    \/
  Fax: 619-578-9247 (any time)                     /\ 
E-mail:  bcheek@cts.com                           /  \
ftp://ftp.cts.com/pub/bcheek                     /    \
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/bcheek /      \
------------------------------------------------        --

Copyright (c) 1998 by Bill Cheek, December 6, 1998
=====================[End of Article]===============================
