By Len Ott, Chief Technology Officer
Are you a developer who would like to integrate support for Socket Mobile barcode scanners into apps for the iPhone 5, third generation iPad or other Apple device running iOS 6?
Socket Mobile updated our SocketScan 10 Software Development Kit (SDK) to not only support iOS 6, but also add new features including multiple scanner support and more sample apps to demonstrate what can be done with the SDK. We've already heard back from some beta testers, and the updated SDK works great!
Registered Developers: Download the latest SDK free from the Developer Portal!
Not in our Developer Program? Register Now to download the SDK ($19.95/year).
What's New in SocketScan 10 SDK for Apple iOS
| Benefit | Feature |
|---|---|
|
Compatibility with iOS 6 devices:
|
Added support for iOS 6 and iOS 6.1 SDK to compile with Xcode 4.5 |
| Greater productivity and streamlined data collection | Full support of multiple CHS and/or CRS scanners to a single host device |
| Easier to understand APIs and coding practices |
Added more sample apps, including a simple app for scanning barcodes |
| SoftScan camera-based barcode scanning support for Apple iOS 6 |
Added support for latest version of RedLaser |
New Sample Apps
We added more sample apps to the SDK in response to requests to developers, including a very simple barcode scanning app which makes it easier for developers to learn the APIs:
Fix for iPad Reconnection Errors
We received reports of errors on iPads running the latest iOS version, when either the CHS or iPad "went to sleep," and after both were reawakened, the CHS wouldn't reconnect to the iOS app. ScanAPI would throw errors -27 or -21. The latest SDK (10.0.9.10132) corrects this problem, so the CHS should reliably reconnect to an iPad after it goes to sleep.
Please note: If you are using the CHS 7Xi or 7XiRx, Socket Mobile strongly recommends that you also update your firmware to revision "G" or later (revision build 7812). Upgrading your CHS 7Xi or 7XiRx to "G" must be done at the factory. To get yours updated, contact Socket Mobile support and request an RMA.
(There is a revision "H" starting to ship, which also fixes a very rare condition, where scanning a Data Matrix barcode with a required symbology identifier resulted in data getting truncated because the length of barcode data was miscalculated.)
Another new feature of revision "G" firmware is the ability to do firmware updates over the air via Bluetooth. A Windows PC with Bluetooth and an updater program from Socket Mobile is all you need to update firmware in the field. Of course, sending the CHS to Socket Mobile as an RMA is still an option.
Sign up for our Beta Tests!
We are already working on our next SocketScan 10 SDK release for Android, Windows and BlackBerry, which will include new data editing features. Contact us if you would like to be a beta tester!
Socket Mobile will do our best to keep up with the latest Apple iOS releases, and we try to test the beta releases as soon as we get them from Apple. Please check with us whenever Apple releases updated software — either iOS or Xcode — or when new platforms come out!
By the way, if you plan to distribute your application on the Apple App Store, make sure your app is Apple MFi approved before you submit it to the App Store! Read our blog to learn the details (Hint: Socket Mobile needs to submit the MFi request for you.)