To integrate the HID Acura HexaPad-10 into your Point of Sale (POS) and Asset Management software—specifically to trigger a “Go to product viewer” dialog box when an item is scanned—you can choose between two main development paths: Autonomous Mode (Plug-and-Play) or Transparent Mode (Custom API Control).
Here is exactly how to set up both methods to launch your product viewer dialog dynamically. Option 1: Autonomous Mode (Keyboard Emulation)
This is the easiest, low-code route. In this mode, the HexaPad-10 mimics a regular computer keyboard. When an RFID tag or barcode is scanned, it types out the item ID automatically. Implementation Steps:
Configure the Reader: Use a standard terminal program (like PuTTY or Minicom) to connect via serial ASCII commands and set the reader to USB HID Keyboard Emulation Mode.
Add a Suffix Command: Configure the HexaPad-10 to automatically inject a specific key after transmitting the tag data. Set the suffix to a keystroke like Enter or a custom combination (e.g., Ctrl + Shift + V).
Build the Software Listener: Write a global event listener in your POS front-end application to capture the incoming string.
Trigger the Dialog: Once the reader types out the item ID and fires the suffix key (Enter), your UI captures the completed payload, stops further typing, and instantly pops up the “Product Viewer” modal with the scanned item’s data. Option 2: Transparent Mode (Mercury API Integration)
If your POS or Asset Management software needs advanced control—such as verifying the item, writing data back to the tag, or preventing unintended double-reads—you must use Transparent Mode. This mode bypasses keyboard simulation entirely and communicates over a Virtual COM port via the Mercury API. Implementation Steps:
Import the API: Integrate the Mercury SDK/API into your software architecture. It natively supports development in C, .NET (C#), and Java.
Open a Serial Connection: Establish a dedicated background worker thread in your application to listen to the HexaPad’s assigned USB Virtual COM port.
Handle Async Read Events: Write an asynchronous callback method that triggers anytime the reader reports a tag in its near-field zone. Programmatic Dialog Launch:
The reader fires an event containing the EPC (Electronic Product Code) or barcode string.
Your software references this ID against your asset database.
Your application executes a UI routine to immediately display the target product dialog frame. Quick Architecture Comparison Autonomous Mode (Keyboard) Transparent Mode (Mercury API) Development Effort Extremely Low (Minutes) Medium to High Code Requirements Simple UI keyboard listeners SDK integration & serial handling Software Focus UI cursor must be active/focused Runs completely in the background Tag Write Support No (Read-Only) Yes (Read & Write functionality) Best Used For Basic checkout / fast viewer popups Enterprise Asset Management systems
If you need help building out the exact logic, what programming language or framework (e.g., C#, React, Java, Python) is your POS system built on? I can provide a functional code snippet for the scanner listener. HexaPad-10 Barcode – Acura Technologies
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