Wireless Help Index
Wireless! ™     Help

Wireless.exe and tadostsr.exe are Windows and DOS pop-ups.  They are also called TSRs for Terminate and Stay Resident.

Both will allow you to:

1.	Charge your time as a professional timeslip.
2.	Accept your badge and charge numbers, and clock you in or out, and charge your time.
Both will accept hot scans from a keyboard wedge scanner.  Thus bar codes can be used to reduce the function points to enter a badge or a charge number.

The real value of these pop ups is to:

1.	Reduce the function points (keystrokes or mouseclicks) needed to record time to an absolute minimum, saving you time.
2.	Run in a small memory space and not interfere with your other programs, but pop up and be available at an instant.  Further saving you time.
3.	Run on a local area network and support multi-tasking and a central database, so no additional processing is needed.

Finally, the most important feature is that your information flows into and through a time accounting engine to arrive at the right costs, labor, and numbers.  Consequently you have the Clock-IN! 96 time engine to provide Back room services.

And both the DOS and Windows TSR pop-ups support our Bar Code Hot Scan technology.   So both professional and hourly workers can key or scan on any PC to Clock-IN! in or out, or charge time.  Hot scanning means never having to touch the keyboard.  Some workers are on the clock, some are not, but the stigma of the clock is removed while retaining time and attendance on the hourly staff.

Wireless.exe is your Windows TSR (terminate and stay resident or multi-tasking program that grabs your badge scans and charges).  It is not actually a TSR, but it is multi-tasking and hot key enabled.  So it will grab control of Windows for you.  DOS TSR is also explained BELOW.

Tadostsr.exe is your DOS version that terminates and stays resident.  See the help at the end of this file for information on this DOS version.

Clock-IN! Windows Wireless TSR (terminate and stay resident)

There are several very popular ways to operate the Wireless program:

1.	LAN Users Clock-IN! and Out at their Stations-once a day.  The program is put in their startup group and shuts down afterlog in and also exit at the end of  the day.
2.	A PC is set up as a Wedge Scanner or Serial port scanner station near the entrance and takes the bulk of the input.
3.	Each LAN user keeps Wireless hanging around all day and hot keys his charge numbers with or without a scanner.
4.	A portable computer with scanner is taken to events to record attendance.
LAN Users at their Own PCs can Clock-IN! and Out at Stations:

In F)ile setup for Scanning, you can select the two options, [x] Require a password, and [x] Shutdown after first entry.  Also, elect to only record the badge scan, not charges.

After you install wireless on each workstation (using the Clock-IN! 3 disk set), you can delete all the other icons, except wireless.  When installing Clock-IN! on each station, you should always specify the same network directory path and Clock-IN! will skip the disks you dont need at that station.  The client side software is installed.

You have to run F)ile, S)etup at each station from within Wireless.

Now drag the wireless.exe icon into that work-stations startup group.

When the station boots up, the person will enter their badge, then enter their password, and Wireless will accept it and quit running.

At the end of the day, the user runs the Wireless and follows the same easy step.

Wireless is fast, and records very little memory.

Employees Using Wedge Scanners as High Speed Clocks for T&A

Keyboard Buffer Overruns

You are responsible for supplying fast enough PCs and network connections ( if running on a local area network  ).  If your network or PC is extremely old and slow, you may lose badge scans when you use keyboard wedge scanners, although this is highly unlikely.

Our performance statistics are predicated on the following:

1. 	We buffer up to 64 badge/time scans to memory, if DOS is busy or the network is busy and the data can not be immediately written to disk.

2. 	Sound and the display of the data to give visual and audio confirmation are kept to a bare minimum for speed.

3. 	Both the DOS and Windows TSR can accept badge scans to network drives as fast as you can scan them on the oldest PCs we can find (486/33).

This does not mean that you cannot use old PCs to employ as wedge scanning stations.  On the contrary, this is an excellent use of such PCs.  It simply means that you should benchmark each PC and determine which type of wedge scanning support it supports. The  Fastest to the Slowest (with RAM required) are in order:

Unixcode.exe, 30K, Foreground Application in Unix or in DOS. (512k PC)

Tadostsr.exe, 6K TSR, in DOS. (640K PC)

Wireless.exe, 100k in Windows (3 Meg PC)

Clock-IN! on screen Windows Clocks, Pictures, Touchscreen, 1 Megabyte. (4 Meg PC)

In a PC, scanned characters go through the PCs keyboard buffer and get processed by the PC main CPU.  The manufacturers of PCs did not expect that you would type as fast as characters get scanned, when you use a keyboard wedge scanner (about 20000 words per minute).  However, we intercept the interrupts and process them quickly, regardless.

It is best if you can make sure your PC/LAN is fast enough to handle each type of Scanner program that you want to use, by benchmarking.  If the response is not fast enough, then use a different PC or hardware. In most cases, you will find it works.  Here is how to benchmark your hardware with scanners:

MESSAGE AREA

The Message Area consists of:

  [Message ][Time]

In [Message]  you will see one of

1.	Clock-IN!(tm) or ScanCount nn, which indicates the totalWritten scans to the file, since the program booted.
2.	No Access ! , which indicates that someone or thing has removed the rights again from writing to the network file and so the transaction is being discarded, and you know the rights removal occured AFTER tadostsr.exe already booted.
3.	Clock-IN!(nn), which indicates the scan was accepted and queued to memory and that their are nn transactions waiting in memory to be written to disk.  IF YOU SEE THIS CONDITION and more than a few are queued in memory, keep in mind that only 64 can be queued in memory.  If you have memory, you may have a pending NO Acess problem about to happen.
Benchmark to Insure No Scanner Overruns

You should benchmark each PC to make sure it can keep up with scans with the program you want to use for scanning on that station.

E.g.  Set up TADOSTSR with the network path you want to use where Clock-IN!! is loaded, say p:\clockin.   Load TADOSTSR and your foreground network application.  Wait for a period of heavy LAN usage.  Now scan repeatedly AS FAST AS YOU CAN for ten scans in succession.  Now, go back to DOS, and enter the command

type p:\clockin\queue.txt

You should still see all ten scans entered into the queue.txt file.  If you do not, this PC/LAN is too slow.  If you do see all ten, then this PC will work as a Time and Attendance scanning station.

Follow the same test logic for Windows Wireless.exe.  In Windows, you also have a larger keyboard buffer than in DOS.  And you can speed acceptance of the scans by selecting the checkbox in Wireless.exe Slow PC for Scans.  This turns off displaying the scan, until the scan is completed.  You man not need this, so test first. This is needed on 486/66s or less and maybe on some faster units.

To see if you need the Slow PC option,  go into another Windows application, after you start Wireless running.  Then can type the scan manually, e.g.   %C10000/, then %B100000/ and watch the characters as Wireless pops up and the transaction is processed, followed by the return of your cursor to your application.

Now scan two badges with these characters ( use quickbar.exe ) to create the bar codes.  If it keeps up, then you may not need this option checked.  Now, go into DOS and delete the queue.txt file.  Also, set the Wireless.exe option to send output to queue.txt.  Now conduct the ten scan test, at 1 second intervals to benchmark this version.  Are there 10 scans in queue.txt?

All programs except Clock-IN! only save the scan to your hard drive or network, where they are queued for processing in the Clock-IN! time engine.  Clock-IN! actually processes the scan through the time engine.

All programs have been optimized for speed, buffering in memory when the OS or file system is busy, and saving the scan.

Options in Wireless Setup

Type of Input	Time and Attendance only-you will only scan badge reads. Time and Attendance with Charges-you will scan the badge for in/out, and the charge, then badge for intra day charge time. Time and Attendance with user time entry-you will key your badge and key the time into Time, then the system will take that as an In or Out. Text boxes are User [ ] and Time [ ].   Enter the time as hh:mm:ss or as decimal, e.g. 7.1 will become 07:06:00. You will be keying/scanning professional time slips into the two text boxes, Charge, and Hours.  You should your ID into location on this setup screen. Timeslips with your ID, charge, and hours are generated.
Require Password	If professional LAN users are simply using their own PC to clock in or out, then turn this option on and it will check their password in Clock-IN!
Shutdown After Entry	If professional LAN users are simply using their own PC to clock in or out, then they want Wireless.exe to disappear after clocking In.  Make sure wireless.exe is in their startup group, so they can clock in when they boot their PC each day.
Field Prefiixes	If scanning or you want to type to force focus to text box 1 or 2, enter the prefixes here. B for badge, X for call time, etc.
Invisible Main Window	Check this if you want the main window invisible except when the pop up is occurring.
Charge is ComboBox	If using type of input = Prof Timeslips, you can enter comma separated charge numbers and convert this text box to a pull down combo box.
Save Timeshares	Indicate where to put each transaction on your local PC or network.  If running remote locations you can force data to files that can be unloaded to your home location and processed through Clock-IN! Central.
Path to Files	Indicate where Clock-IN! is installed.  E.g. p:\clockin on your LAN, or c:\clockin on your stand-a-lone PC.
Location Code	Enter the 2 character code unique to this location.  Only relevant if you have checked the llmmddyy.db option.
Class Mtg or User Name	Enter something to identity this as a unique station or user name.  If using off site, enter the name of this class or meeting.
Supervisor Password	Enter a password to prevent access to this setup screen for this PC only.
Keep Files Back	If you elect to create individual files name for each day, this parameter will cause older files to be deleted past ___ days.
Store Prefix with Data	The answer to this is yes for most Clock-IN! time engine processing features, such as call time.
Pop Back	Checking this option causes the Window before the scan to be popped back to.  Otherwise, the Wireless window stays in the foreground, after popping up.
Allow pop % operation.	You can uncheck this to turn off wedge scanning if you dont want the pop up operation via the  % … / characters.
Hot Scans

A hot scan is a bar code or typed entry with the following characters in order:

%

P

number

/

The leading % character effects the popup.  Type %% to pass through a % to the application you are using and not popup wireless or tadostsr.   The P is a prefix character which causes the focus to jump to either text box.  The trailing / character depresses the enter key.

Always wand or scan charges first. Then the badge.  This is how it knows that the scan is not an IN or OUT, but a charge.   All bar codes you scan should have a hotkey scan character embedded as the first character in the code, this character is the per cent character %. The bar code should end with with a "/" slash character.

e.g. to charge job C2000, operation 20 create this bar code:

%C2000-20/

e.g. for badge B100, create this bar code:

%B100/

When you scan the charge, the charge will stay in the text box.  After you scan the badge, the / will automatically depress the [OK] button.

If you are just keying the characters, % POPS it UP, / Pops it Back.

Professional Time Scanning

Check the setup option, TSL, not CSL.  This means all scans or typed entries are job charges and the username is to be taken from the Station name field in setup.

You do not have to use bar codes to scan but can type.  The % and / and prefix keys can still be used for fast entry.  The return or enter key acts just like /.

e.g. Field labels on screen will change into Charge and Hours.

You can elect to have the Charge field be a pull down list.  Just enter a comma separated list of values like 1950,2000,2100 etc. in the scroll box that follows to build that list of charge numbers.

If you are using both tadostsr.exe and wireless.exe set the path to the network directory and select the wireless option for queue.txt.  When invoked from many stations, each must point to the shared network Clock-IN! directory.

Time and Attendance Scanning

Just scan your badge on the portable PC scanner when you come and go to work.  Clock-IN! Wireless will pop up and take your scan, assign the time and date and store the transaction in "tsmmddyy.db," a database or to queue.db the shared network file or to queue.txt a shared network text file..  mmddyy is the month, day, and year of the transaction.

Files named "tsmmddyy.db,"  can be communicated these files "ts*.db" to the a PC running Clock-IN! (central).  Clock-IN! will import them in the correct order.

Clock-IN! plays a sound so you know it did the work.  Clock-IN! then pops the screen back to what you were working on.  (% POPS it UP, / POPS it Back)

Intra Day "Charges" Scanning

Always scan your charge number first.  Then scan your badge.  The badge scan "initiates" the transaction.  Again, you don't have to press any keys to use Clock-IN! wireless.

Clock-IN! Wireless will pop up and take your scan, assign the time and date and store the transaction in "tsmmddyy.db", a Paradox engine file.  mmddyy is the month, day, and year of the transaction.

Clock-IN! plays a sound so you know it did the work.  Clock-IN! then pops the screen back to what you were working on.

On Call Time "Charges" Scanning

The program also will take %Xnnnn/ as a bar code and then just save it to memory.  Then when you scan the badge right afterwards:

%bnnnn/, it creates an ATO like the following:

03/09/96,16:27:15,ATO,,B100,X3333,,,,,,,,,

This will then be interpreted by clockin to mean you are clocking back in after Call Time!  So on Friday, you clock out and take the beeper with you as usual.

On Monday, when you clock in, YOU SCAN the beeper bar code, then scan your Badge to Clock-IN!.  AFTER you are clocked in, Clock-IN! will go back and figure the time between your Friday out, and Monday in and award you the call time.

Any other character besides "X" will be interpreted as a prefix for a charge, and a CSL is generated.

Use Clock-IN! to generate the beeper and emloyee  badges.

Set-up Comm Port Scanning

If you elect to use Comm port scanning, only badge scans can be discerned.  No "charges" capability is available except in Clock-IN! PC.  When you select S)et-up W)ired, you can enter the Comm port set-up information and turn this feature on.  Badge scans are read from the comm port and a carriage return (ASCII 13) is used by the comm port scanner to delineate the end of a scan.  All other control characters from your scanner are thrown away.

Security

Leaving the password field blank in either Setup screen will allow anyone on the PC to get into the menus.  Setting the password installs a prompt for password before you can enter the menus.

Archiving

Setting the number of days for archiving will cause Wireless to purge older files automatically deleting all files of the form llmmddyy.db with dates older than today-archive days.

Startup Group

For best results, put Clock-IN! wireless in your startup group, and attach your scanner.  The full Clock-IN! product line includes data collection support  and time-clock support for:

PC Timeclocks:

-Support for comm port scanners, like Metrologic (background, multi-tasking support

-Support for keyboard wedges, pop-up TSR operation

-Multiple LAN PC Timeclocks

Time-Clocks:

-VeriFones Dial-up

-VeriFones Direct Connect

-VeriFones on a LAN

-Other brands

Bar Code Terminal Networks:

-Welch Allyn

-IBM 75xx

-Symbol Technologies

-Others

-Single Unit, Direct Connect, RS 485

Clock-IN! facilities integration with your existing hardware:

-Import/Export

-DDE Client or Server

-Client/Server

-ODBC, Crystal Reports Writer

Clock-IN! Handles Most Time Based Business Applications:

-Meetings and Conferences

-Time and Attendance

-Data Collection, Job Costing, Labor Distribution, General Charging

-Bar Code Layout and Design

The clockn.zip is in the forum, IBMAPPS, and includes the full 12 products.  8 megs to download.  All clockin files are also on our BBS at 810-247-7187.

Clock-IN! DOS TSR (terminate and stay resident)

To operate the program, first locate to your local or network drive, where Clock-IN! is installed.

e.g

h:

cd \clockin

then run the program

tadostsr

or

tadostsr -p

The -p option tells it to pass through all keys to the application beneath the TSR (terminate and stay resident) program.  This usage is appropriate for testing, or if you have a word processor that you want running and collecting the badge reads, too.

Then to unload it when it is in memory

tadostsr -r

You will probably run these commands out of your autoexec.bat file or from your network login script.

On a network with Multiple Stations using tadostsr, put the path, the station name, and the -p option if desired, e.g.:

tadostsr r:\clockin FRONTDESK -p

The network path to clockin is entered and FRONTDESK is the station name.

The hot key is the % key.  The first character after the hot key must be a B character (for badge), or any ASCII letter for a charge prefix.  In the same manner as wireless, if you scan a charge first, then a badge, a CSL charge since last transaction is created.  The hot key termination key is the / key.  If this character is not received within 17 characters after the start of the %, the scan is terminated and not processed.

% and / keys are Code 3 of 9 bar code compatible characters and can be embedded in your bar codes using Clock-IN! Bar Code IT!  Most other keys cannot.

If you scan charges, scan the charge first, using a prefix not equal to B, then scan the badge (including prefix B).

Whenever you enter Clock-IN! for Windows from the any network workstation (or the same local PC), Clock-IN! will process the queued transactions and bring the attendance up to date.  The file queue.txt is written and updated by multiple network stations and contains your punches in Clock-IN! universal format.  If this file exists when you load Clock-IN!, Clock-IN! will rename the file immediately, and process all punches.  Stations running the TSR can continue to operate.  Two beeps remind you when entering a charge, and one beep when you enter a scan.


Registration

   Dean L. Hiller, Mission Critical Software provides this program (Wireless or TADOSTSR) and licenses its use on a single personal computer for the shareware price of $29.95.  Each network workstation using this program is individually licensed.  Mission Critical Software, 14536 Island Drive, Sterling Heights, MI 48313.

TEL:	(810) 247-0394
FAX:	(810) 247-8444
BBS:	(810)-247-7187
Clock-IN! is a registered trademark.  Copyright 1993-1995 Dean L. Hiller.

Send your check for $29.95, plus $6 shipping and handling to register and receive the latest version of Wireless and TADOSTSR!  Print this help topic for a copy of the form.

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Support

  Mission Critical Software will provide support via fax at 810-247-8444 for a period of three months following purchase or Wireless/TADOSTSR! Or call 810-247-0394 with your support questions. Or send a mail message on Compuserve to user ID 73127,77.

Call and register today and get the latest version.  With registration you will also get information on our retail versions of Bar Code IT!, Clock-IN!, and other fine Windows products.  You'll also receive information on our customization services, including how to embed our bar coding technology in your Windows Applications.


License

  Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Individual programs differ on details - some request registration while others require it, some specify a maximum trial period.  With registration, you get anything from the simple right to continue using the software to an updated program with printed manual.

Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below.  Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group.  For example, some authors require written permission before a commercial disk vendor may copy their Shareware.

Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy.  Because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee - if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it.

DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT

Users of Wireless/TADOSTSR must accept this disclaimer of warranty:

Wireless/TADOSTSR! is supplied as is.  The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of Wireless/TADOSTSR!."

Wireless/TADOSTSR! is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation.  Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system.  The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products.  If you find this program useful and find that you are using Wireless/TADOSTSR! and continue to use Wireless/TADOSTSR! after a  reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of $29.95 to Mission Critical Software.  The $29.95 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time.  You must treat this software just like a book.  An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another.

Commercial users of Wireless/TADOSTSR! must register and pay for their copies of Wireless/TADOSTSR! within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn.  Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting Mission Critical Software.

Anyone distributing Wireless/TADOSTSR! for any kind of remuneration must first contact Mission Critical Software at the address below for authorization.  This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering Wireless/TADOSTSR! immediately (However, Mission Critical Software must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of Wireless/TADOSTSR!.).

You are encouraged to pass a copy of Wireless/TADOSTSR! along to your friends for evaluation.  Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it.  All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of the Wireless/TADOSTSR! system.

Call and register today and get the latest version.  With registration you will also get information on our retail versions of Bar Code IT!, Clock-IN!, and other fine Windows products.  You'll also receive information on our customization services.

"This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536 or by FAX to 616-788-2765 (USA)."