About GateKeeper and Barcode Scanners

Gym Assistant is designed to allow members to check-in without requiring intervention from the front-desk staff.  This is a feature we call “unattended check-in.”

A tone will indicate the member’s status (either OK or Not OK), and the member’s visit (either an “allowed” entry or a “denied” entry) will be recorded automatically.

GateKeeper is an add-on application (included with Gym Assistant) that works with Gym Assistant to handle barcode scans and background check-ins.

• When GateKeeper receives a barcode number from the scanner it searches the Gym Assistant membership database to find a match and then handles the check-in automatically.
• If Gym Assistant is displaying the main View Member Info window then that member’s information automatically appears to display the member’s check-in status.
• With GateKeeper you can monitor up to 8 scanners (called “access points”) independently.
• You can specify when the entrance is enabled, what members are allowed entry, and what actions to take when a card is scanned.
• In addition to barcode scanners, GateKeeper can also interface with numeric keypads, proximity card scanners, magnetic stripe (credit card) scanners and fingerprint scanners.

Why Use a Serial Interface Barcode Scanner?

Most barcode scanners have a USB or keyboard interface, and they act like a keyboard device – when a barcode is scanned, it appears as if the barcode number was typed on the keyboard and the “Enter” key was pressed.  This is great if the cursor is sitting in a field that is waiting for someone to type in a number and the “Enter” button is hit, but it just does not work if the User is trying to use other programs on the computer.  For example, if you are writing a Word document and a member scans his card the numbers will appear in the Word document.

With a Serial Interface (RS232) scanner an application can listen for input from the scanner and handle that input in the background, independently of what is happening on the screen.  The Serial (RS232) port is an older technology, but that old technology is the best and only way to handle barcode scans in the background.

Most new computers do not include built-in serial ports, so you will probably need to add one or more USB/Serial Adapters.  A USB/Serial adapter allows you to connect any Serial device to a USB port.  You can purchase USB/Serial Adapters direct from www.GymAssistant.com/store.

Notes:

Access Control applications require a slightly different adapter, so contact Gym Assistant if you have any questions.

Some higher-end USB barcode scanners have a built-in USB/Serial adapter that must be properly configured before use. Please refer to your barcode scanner’s User’s Guide for more information.