Input Devices - Barcode Scanners/ Weighing Machines

[mattspriggs28]

Hi,

 

I'm working on a project that requires some interaction from some input devices for processing orders coming through a warehouse.

 

I've done some research into Barcode Scanners and it appears quite clear that you can purchase USB compatible barcode scanners, so this appears pretty straight forward for getting it to interact with a web-based PHP application.

 

The other input device that needs consideration is weighing machines for weighing products as they are processed. In the same way as the barcode scanner, when something is weighed the value needs to be fed to the web application.

 

Does anyone have any experience of this? And are there weighing machines that are USB plug and play compatible in the same way as a barcode scanner? I've done some research but the information is not very forthcoming.

 

Thanks for your help.

[scootstah]

I'm not sure how your question pertains to PHP, but yes USB scales exist. http://www.google.com/search?q=usb+scale

[gizmola]

At least in the case of barcode scanners, they simply convert the barcodes into numbers, and look to the application like someone typed the number into the keyboard.  I'm guessing a usb scale does the same.  In short, you don't code anything special, the user uses the right device at the right time, and your app simply needs to accept the input.