Learning About The Data Collection Browser - Intermec 5020 User Manual

Chapter 1 — Getting Started

Learning About the Data Collection Browser

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The Intermec Data Collection Browser™ (dcBrowser™) provides a
HyperText Markup Language (HTML) application development
environment for Intermec data collection devices. Use dcBrowser to run
HTML applications in your data collection network and to send the
information to your enterprise information system.
Using the dcBrowser has many advantages:
• You can simplify application development by using state-of-the-art
tools.
• You can leverage access to legacy information through existing HTML
applications for your PC. You only need to develop new web pages for
the devices.
• You can use the same application for all your data collection devices,
since dcBrowser can reformat web pages for different screen sizes.
• You have reduced support costs. You can easily upgrade your
applications, since they reside in a central location on the web server.
• You reduce project risk by using web-based middleware servers. In other
words, you can deploy a data collection network and retain the
flexibility to change the back-end system.
• You use less bandwidth in your data collection network because the data
collection devices only provide the user interface, while the web server
provides all of the computational power.
You create applications using standard web technology software tools.
These applications reside on a web server. The dcBrowser gateway converts
standard web (HTML v3.2 syntax) pages received from web servers into
condensed ASCII and sends them to the dcBrowser client running on the
device.
This flow of data is illustrated on the next page:
1 A device running the dcBrowser client is turned on, and it requests a
web page.
2 If the device is configured for TCP/IP, the device connects directly to
the dcBrowser gateway. If the device is configured for UDP Plus or
WTP, the device connects to the dcBrowser gateway through the
Intermec Gateway.
3 The dcBrowser gateway identifies the web home page for this device.
The dcBrowser gateway requests this home page from the web server.
4 The web server sends the requested home page to the dcBrowser
gateway.
5 The dcBrowser gateway interprets the web home page, creates a
compressed data format, and sends it to the device.
Data Collection Browser User's Guide