1. Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen
July 8, 2013
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

2. The Issues
The Point of Sale is a Sandboxed Web Application
We need to work trough the browser API.
Not an easy task
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

3. Topics for Today
TouchScreens
Barcode Scanners
Printers
Scales, Cashbox, leds
OpenERP Proxy API
Point of Sale Debug Mode
Roadmap
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

4. Touchscreens Issues
Touchscreens don’t have hover events
Bad Touchscreens can only click, no drag and drop.
We can’t detect what kind of screen is used.
Not all OS provide keyboard emulation
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

5. Touchscreens Solutions
Don’t rely on hover events
Scrollbars that work without drag and drop
Provide onscreen keyboard.
Hope bad touchscreens go out of market
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

6. Barcode Scanners
Barcode Scanners are keyboards that type very fast
Hard to reliably differenciate from regular keyboard
The scanner needs to be perfectly configurated.
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

7. Barcode Scanner Configuration
Maximum interval between keys: 30ms
Must always output 13 numbers (EAN13)
The OS must be configured in QUERTY US
The Barcode scanner must output upper row numbers
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

8. Printers
The html print() API allows to print the current page
Prompts the user for confirmation
Not reliable in google-chrome
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

9. Printer Solutions
Use chrome kiosk mode with silent printing --kiosk
--kiosk-printing
Use OpenERP’s Proxy API instead
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

10. Scales, Cashbox, leds
No browser API.
How do we go around that ?
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

11. OpenERP Proxy API
Create a connection to a locally installed proxy OpenERP
server
Use the proxy server to control the devices
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

12. OpenERP Proxy API
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

13. OpenERP Proxy API
The proxy server implements the device drivers
The proxy is just a simple python file
point of sale/controllers/main.py
Communication between the Point of Sale and proxy
standardised by a simple api
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

14. OpenERP Proxy API: Scale
weighting start()
weighting read kg()
weighting end()
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

15. OpenERP Proxy API: User Interaction
help needed(self, request)
help canceled()
transaction start()
transaction end()
cashier mode activated()
cashier mode deactivated()
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

16. OpenERP Proxy API: Other Hardware
scan item success(ean)
scan item error unrecognized(ean)
open cashbox()
print receipt(receipt)
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

17. Point of Sale Debug Mode
Debug mode demo
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

18. POS Hardware Roadmap
Provide list of supported hardware and associated drivers.
Payment Services Integration
Improve tablet support
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale

19. Fin
Questions ?
Fr´ed´eric van der Essen Integrating Hardware with the Point of Sale