Scanner w/ EPDM?

Sam,

What a specialized task!

Any flatbed or document feeder scanner would be more trouble than it's worth.

However, I.R.I.S. makes an interesting pen scanner that might do exactly what you want. It isn't something I would use for multiple lines of text, but to scan a single string of numbers it might do the trick.

Although it brings text directly into many types of document programs, there's no way to know from the tech info if scanned text will automatically pop up in the EPDM search block. But it might.

At worst, you could have a simple text file open and copy/paste that into the search card. It would still beat hand typing.

The pen is called IRISPen Express 6. Here is a link:

http://www.irislink.com/c2-1692-189/IRISPen-6--Overview.aspx#01

Add a bar code to your drawing that is the part number.  A bar code scanner can read the number.  Then maybe a custom macro to hook between the bar code reader output and a custom EPDM search.

I need to ask our QC people the program we use to capture inspection data from our measurement equipment (micrometers, calipers, etc) and have it place directly into our SPC program.  It intercepts the read out and places it in the text box that has focus in a program.  In our case that would be Infinity QS.

You can use a bar code font to apply a bar code note to your drawing.

Cheers,

Anna