Zebra Barcode Scanner Plugin [Android]

This plugin allows you to communicate with Zebra scanners over bluetooth 2.0 (possibly USB as well) on Android.

Requirements

• Cordova 5.0.0 or higher
• Android 4.1 or higher - target Android API 26

Limitations

• iOS is not supported. It looks like I won't get more time allocated to develop iOS part. However this plugin can be used instead: https://github.com/shanghai-tang/cordova-plugin-zebra-scanner
• Only one scanner can be connected. The Zebra SDK does not support multiple connections.

Warning

I had to use SDK provided by Zebra and there are multiple bugs in it.

• Calling any method will start scanning for bluetooth devices. There was no way around it. The SDK object starts scanning by itself when it is created.
• There is no way to stop scanning for bluetooth devices. Calling stopScan() will stop the scan however only for few seconds, after that the scan will restart itself and it will keep repeating that unless a scanner is connected or until the plugin is destroyed.

Install

cordova plugin add https://github.com/PreciousBiscuit/cordova-plugin-zebra-scanner.git

Overview

These bluetooth barcode scanners are supported:

• CS4070
• LI4278
• DS6878
• RFD8500 (Tested)
• DS3678
• LI3678

These USB barcode scanners should be supported as well, however I cannot test it:

• PL3307
• DS457
• DS4308
• LS2208
• DS6878 and Presentation Cradle
• MP6210 (CSS + Scale) + EAS (Sensormatic)

Methods

• zebraScanner.startScan
• zebraScanner.stopScan
• zebraScanner.getAvailableDevices
• zebraScanner.getActiveDevices
• zebraScanner.getPairingBarcode
• zebraScanner.connect
• zebraScanner.disconnect
• zebraScanner.subscribe
• zebraScanner.unsubscribe

startScan

Starts scanning for bluetooth (possibly USB connected) devices. Scanning is expensive so call stopScan() as soon as possible [see Warning above]. The method returns all discovered and paired devices.

zebraScanner.startScan(successCallback, errorCallback)

Success

{
  "status": <string>
  ["device"]: {
    "id": <number>
    ["name"]: <string>
    ["model"]: <string>
    ["serialNumber"]: <string>
  }
}

• status - One of these: ["scanStart", "scanStop", "deviceFound", "deviceLost"]
• device - Available for statuses "deviceFound" and "deviceLost"
  • name - Available for status "deviceFound"
  • model - Available for status "deviceFound"
  • serialNumber - Available for status "deviceFound"

Errors

• "Scanning is already in a progress." -- startScan() was already called but stopScan() was not

stopScan

Stops scanning for bluetooth devices [see Warning above].

zebraScanner.stopScan(successCallback, errorCallback)

Success

"ok"

Errors

• "Scanning was not in a progress." -- startScan() was not called

getAvailableDevices

Returns all bluetooth (possibly USB connected) devices found by Zebra SDK including paired devices. Zebra SDK searches for devices non-stop and stores all devices it had found. This method returns all stored devices.

zebraScanner.getAvailableDevices(successCallback, errorCallback)

Success

An array of devices

[
  "device": {
    "id": <number>
    "name": <string>
    "model": <string>
    "serialNumber": <string>
  },
  ...
]

Errors

None

getActiveDevices

Returns all connected devices. Zebra SDK supports only one connection so this method returns maximum one device.

zebraScanner.getActiveDevices(successCallback, errorCallback)

Success

An array of devices

[
  "device": {
    "id": <number>
    "name": <string>
    "model": <string>
    "serialNumber": <string>
  }
]

Errors

None

getPairingBarcode

Returns barcode for pairing devices. The barcode is JPG encoded in base64.

zebraScanner.getPairingBarcode(successCallback, errorCallback)

Success

A string with base64 encoded JPG

Errors

None

connect

Connects to a device. The device needs to be found by Zebra SDK before it is possible to connect. Call getAvailableDevices() to check if the device was already found or use startScan() to search for it. It is possible to connect only to a single device. If a connection to a device is interrupted errorCallback will be called with a message "Disconnected".

zebraScanner.connect(successCallback, errorCallback, params)

Params

{
  "deviceId": <number>
}

• deviceId - ID of a device retrieved from methods startScan() or getAvailableDevices()

Success

{
  "status": "connected"
  "device": {
    "id": <number>
  }
}

Errors

• "Missing parameters" -- Params were not provided
• "Invalid parameter - deviceId" -- Parameter 'deviceId' was not a valid number
• "Scanner is not available." -- Device was not found by Zebra SDK
• "Already connected to a scanner." -- Connection to a scanner is already established
• "Unable to connect to a scanner." -- Connection to a scanner was not successful
• "Disconnected" -- Device was disconnected; either by calling disconnect() or by itself

disconnect

Disconnects from a device.

zebraScanner.disconnect(successCallback, errorCallback, params)

Params

{
  "deviceId": <number>
}

• deviceId - ID of a device retrieved from methods startScan() or getAvailableDevices()

Success

"ok"

Errors

• "Missing parameters" -- Params were not provided
• "Invalid parameter - deviceId" -- Parameter 'deviceId' was not a valid number
• "Scanner is not available." -- Device was not found by Zebra SDK
• "Never connected to a scanner." -- Connection to a scanner wasn't established
• "Unable to disconnect from a scanner." -- Disconnect from a scanner was not successful

subscribe

Subscribes for a barcode events.

zebraScanner.subscribe(successCallback, errorCallback)

Success

{
  "deviceId": <number>
  "barcode": {
    "type": <string>,
    "data": <string>
  }
}

• barcode
  • type - Type of a barcode that was read; It could be for example 'QR Code', 'EAN 128', or 'Code 128'.
  • data - Data that was read from a barcode.

Errors

• "No connected scanner" -- No device is connected

unsubscribe

Unsubscribes from a barcode events. Events are unsubscribed if a device is disconnected.

zebraScanner.unsubscribe(successCallback, errorCallback)

Success

"ok"

Errors

• "No active subscription" -- subscribe() was not called