> > The 1700 supports 2D, but, unless Symbol changes their > minds, it is being > discontinued next month. > > Because the SPT18xx has replaced it. The SPT18xx can have the 2D scan > engine and isn't going anywhere for a while. > With the CF scanner at $600-$700 plus your hand held, for a > few hundred more > you can get a 1800. (plus the 1800 IP54 rated) >
Unless I am seriously in error, the SPT18xx *does not* support 2D. This has been confirmed by Symbol's Palm Product Manager and their Palm lead engineer. The problem is that, to support 2D on the 1800, you would need a different main PCB for it. The 1700 Main PCB contains a special ASIC for decoding the information from the 2D scan engine. This ASIC's functionality cannot be duplicated by the 33Mhz DragonBall VZ that's in the 1800 because there are not enough MIPS in the system to perform the task. If you know how to get the 18xx to support 2D, please let me know - I'll drop my translation of all of our products to the PocketPC (Symbol PPT2800) *immediately*! Symbol plans to have a version of the 1800 that will support PDF417, but they have not nailed down a date yet, reporting to us that it's still several months out. In the meantime, I need to find a 2D solution that will get our company from this December to sometime next year when the 1800 ships with 2D capabilities. As of this December, when the 1700 is discontinued, there is no advertised PalmOS platform that I know of for reading 2D PDF417 barcodes - except for a CF scanner in a Handera unit, which strikes me as experimental to say the least, and as you noted, not IP54 rated. Symbol has quoted us a price for custom-building an 1800 with a 2D scan engine (presumably with a version of the 1700's ASIC on a custom PCB) - about $275,000 in one-time development fees, and about a 6-9 month lag time. Please correct me if my facts are off on this, as it would save us several months of development and support of the PocketPC. - Tony -- For information on using the Palm Developer Forums, or to unsubscribe, please see http://www.palmos.com/dev/support/forums/
