Percon: Setup, Scanning, and uploading files for inventory

The Percon PT2000 model uses either alkaline (regular) or ni-cad (rechargable) batteries. If using rechargables, when it has been sitting idle for a long period of time, you will need to plug in the scanner for at least 8 hours to fully charge up the ni-cad batteries. If they will not even hold the charge, however, you may change the portable to accept alkaline batteries.

A. Hooking up your Percon portable to your computer:

1. Find the end of the Percon cable that has a cable number on it (00-884-28). It should have 15 pins.

2. Plug this end of the Percon cable into the input jack at the bottom of the scanner. Tighten the screws. If you have the removeable light pen (as in the photo above), attach it to the top of the Percon scanner by squeezing the sides of the plug and pushing it firmly into the input jack at the top. If you have a permanently attached TopGun laser module, the scanner is now ready.

3. Plug the other end of the Percon cable, marked "computer", into the COMM2 port on the back of your computer. The COMM2 port is on the right side of the back of the CPU, located vertically and to the left of the power cord outlet.

4. Attach the small round plug of the 9-volt power adapter into the input jack on the Percon cable connector that you've just plugged into the COMM2 port. These cables can now stay permanently attached to the back of your computer because you can simply plug and unplug your scanner from the opposite end of the Percon cable.

5. Plug the other end of the 9-volt power adapter into a wall outlet. (If it has to be plugged into a power strip, make sure the power strip is left ON to recharge the batteries.) This is constantly recharging a lithium backup battery that is inside the Percon. Do not use any other adapter beside the one supplied by Percon.

6. The portable will partially shut down to conserve power when not used for at least 10 minutes. Press the I/O key to return to full power. The screen will display the information that was displayed when the portable was turned off.

7.Leaving the cables plugged into the back of the computer will make all uploads easier as you can simply plug and unplug the portable from the cable, without bothering the back of the computer again. It will also insure recharging will take place whenever the portable is plugged in, as you have the power adapter plugged in all the time.

8.To use alkaline batteries in the portable scanner you must change a switch in the battery compartment of the portable, inside the battery case. Open the battery cover and remove the battery pack. A diagram inside the compartment indicates switch positions for alkaline ("ALK") and nickel-cadmium ("Ni-Cd") batteries. Use a pen or small screwdriver to slide switch 2 to the "ALK" position. This prevents the unit from trying to charge alkaline batteries which may cause them to leak and damage the scanner. Switch 1 may be in either position.

There is also a lithium backup battery that will hold information for about 10 days if the main battery power is removed or discharged. The backup battery is recharged whenever a charged battery pack in installed or whenever the power supply is connected. A "Low Battery" message may appear when you first turn on the portable but should disappear after 10 minutes or so as it recharges. If the "Low Battery" message does not disappear or occurs other than at initial turn-on after prolonged storage, Call the HelpDesk.

***You must check the portable's time and date to be sure they are correct. This time is crucial in the inventory process.

The portable does not need to be plugged into the computer to set the time or date. Turn on your portable. You will have a menu showing:
Inventory F1
Check Out/Check In F2
In-house F3
Offload data F4
This menu always shows when you turn on the portable. (Always return to this menu before turning off the portable as well.)

You should have a 5” x 7” heavily laminated card with barcodes on it that was supplied from TLC to set the time or date on the portable. If you do not have the card, click to access a pdf file with the barcodes that you can print out and scan.

With the menu showing, scan the barcodes to set the time and date:
1. Scan the 12-hour format barcode. You will hear three quick beeps but nothing on the screen changes.
2. Scan the time barcode. The screen will flash to tell you to enter the time.
3. Enter the time, including seconds.
4. Press the "Alpha" key just above the "Enter" key.
5. Press the "A" or the "P" key for AM or PM.
6. Press the Enter key.
7. Press F4 key to return to the menu.

Do the same for the date, using the barcodes on the card or in the pdf file. Call or email the HelpDesk if you cannot get the time or date set.
pdf document for more information and time/date barcodes

Inputting data can be done with the light pen or gun-type scanner, or by the keypad. Study the keypad to note that keys can be used for either letters or numbers depending on whether the "Alpha" key is pressed. Keep in mind that entering numbers by the keypad will require pressing "Enter" for the scanner to accept the number. If you are scanning books, and one barcode will not scan, simply key in the number. As you type you will notice it is replacing each digit with the one you press. When you press "Enter", you will hear the beep and your number will have been "scanned".

TIP: If your Percon PT2000 portable scanner should happen to "freeze" (will do nothing, just has a blinking cursor, won't read any scans) here's a way to fix it.
Remove the batteries. Then while holding down both the Alpha and the Enter Keys, replace the batteries. It's not easy to maneuver replacing the batteries while continuing to hold the 2 keys down, but it can be done, and it will reset the portable. If you are simply getting a blinking message: “Program failed” on your portable, you can also try this "reboot" method.

B. Scanning:

After choosing which collection you will inventory, check the shelf position of the first item according to the "Shelf Order for Holdingscode" report. You want to scan first that item the program thinks should be first in the collection. Straighten the shelves in the collection, but items do not need to be in "perfect" order.

Start a manual log: include collection code, beginning call number and date. Each time you scan, you will want to record the first and last call numbers scanned and the date. You may prefer to highlight the call numbers and write the dates directly on the "Shelf Order for Holdingscode Report".

Scan the barcodes. (You can scan up to 5,000 items easily in the Percon scanner. However, it is best to only scan about 200-500 items at a time until you are comfortable with the scanner and you are sure the uploads are working well.

Remember to write down or highlight on your report the last call number scanned as you finish each scanning session so you will know where to start again. When you finish scanning, press F4 to return to the menu, then turn off your portable for the day or before plugging it into the computer for the upload.

C. Uploading, or offloading, the data to the computer:

1. Connect the portable scanner to the Percon cable that you left in the back of the computer.
2. Turn on the portable and press F4 to get to the offload menu.
3. The portable will now be asking you to press F1. Don't press it just yet.
4. On the computer desktop, open the offload program by clicking the Inventory Scanner Upload icon in the Library Folder. A window will open, waiting for the offload.

5. Now press the F1 on the portable. It will seem as if nothing is happening, on either the computer or the portable. The message "Waiting for Offload" stays on screen. But just wait.
After a few minutes, depending on the size of the file, you will see a message briefly flash on the portable that the Offload was successful. On the computer, the window will close automatically. Then it's done.
6. But if you get an error message on the computer screen, scan one more barcode (any one will do) and try again.

If the upload was successful, the file on the portable has been erased. You do not need to purge the data from the portable before beginning to scan another section.

If you are not sure if the upload worked, DO NOT TRY IT A SECOND TIME. CALL THE HelpDesk..

Each time a portable scanner file is uploaded it is named "upload.inv" and is placed in C:\Program Files\The Library Corporation\Library.Solution\Circ folder, and each file overwrites the previous one unless you rename it.

D. Processing the uploaded file:

Open L.S Inventory.

On the "Collection Processing" tab, click on "Select Upload File" button. The “Open” window should have the Circ folder showing in the “Look In” box. Locate and right-click on the upload.inv file and select "Rename" from the popup menu. Type in a new name (the collection code, for example). The extension will remain ".inv" whether or not you can see the extension. Press Enter to save that new name.

Then highlight the newly renamed file to have it appear in the “File Name” box at the bottom of the window. Click “Open”.
The new file name should now appear in the path window next to the “Select Upload File:” button. Yours should show the path: C:\Program Files\The Library Corporation\Library.Solution\Circ\[name].inv (whatever you named that file.)

Continue down the Collection Processing Tab screen to fill in all the information for processing.
Under “Upload File Type”, bullet “TLC Scanner File”.
Select the correct school location code and collection code that you are inventorying.

Select the “Call Number Type” of the call numbers you are inventorying. This information needs to match what is listed on the “Shelf Order for Holdings Code” report. Refer to the "Type" Column, the first column of the report: D=Dewey, L=LC, and X=Neither. This is a very important step, so if you are not sure about the Call number Type please call the HelpDesk. If the collection has more than one call number type, use the type of the first call number on the Shelf Order report.

In the “From” box, type in the first call number of the collection. Type the call number completely and exactly as it appears in the "Shelf Order Field" column of the “Shelf Order for Holdings Code” report. Ex: FIC AAR or 322.009 ACD (But do not include the Prefix.)

In the “To:” box, type in the last call number of the collection. Type it exactly as it appears in the "Shelf Order Field" column of the “Shelf Order for Holdings Code” report. If it takes you several uploads to completely scan a collection, type in the first and last call number of the entire collection each time. Keep that report close at hand!

Choose whether to put a check in the “Check shelf order” checkbox. See Inventory Shelving Sequence Errors for discussion on whether to check or not. Even if you do not check the box, you can still run the report later to see what items may be misshelved because they belong to another holdingscode.

Click the “Process Inventory Data” button at the lower left of the screen. Wait for it to process. A counter will tick off the number of the items as it processes. (If the counter does not tick off the numbers, contact Debbie to check the file.)

When the processing is completed, if you want to run the shelving errors report, open L.S Reports. Print the report “Inventory Job List”. You will need the job number for the process you just completed. Print the report “Inventory Shelving Errors” , using the job number. Find and reshelve the misshelved items as soon as possible.

Repeat the scanning, offloading, processing, (and running these 2 reports) as many times as needed to complete all of the chosen collection.

Step 3: Identifying Missing Items