A software toolkit for radio frequency data terminals

Abstract

This thesis is concerned with the computer industry of "automatic identification.” Central to automatic identification is the use of barcodes and related technologies, including wireless computer networks and Radio Frequency Data Terminals (RFDTs) RFDTs are hand held computers incorporating a screen, barcode scanner, and radio transceiver. Programming of these devices is bespoke to each customer, hence this thesis' subject: producing a toolkit for economical development of RFDT software. The work reported in this thesis was developed in a joint project between Castle Auto I D. Solutions', a barcode systems integration company, and the University of Durham. This was enabled by a TCS Programme (^2), which places a university employee within the company for "technology transfer." The thesis begins with a study of the relevant hardware and technology in the automatic identification industry. The common software components of data collection systems are then identified, and a "toolkit" of reusable software components is proposed, implemented, and refined. Particular attention is paid to code re-use. In refining the toolkit, several commercial applications are developed and deployed into industry. The final case study is a commercially successful 802.1 1b wireless site survey system, developed using the toolkit.