Scanner Setup

When scanning professional DataMatrix codes (e.g., from manufacturers like Würth, Texas Instruments, or distributors like Mouser), the data fields (MPN, SKU, Quantity) are separated by a special invisible control character called the Group Separator (GS), technically known as \x1D (ASCII 29).

⚠️ The Problem with Keyboard Emulation (HID)

By default, most barcode scanners (including the Netum L8BL Pro) operate in "Keyboard Wedge" mode. Standard operating systems (Windows/Linux/Mac) treat the scanner as a physical keyboard. Because \x1D is a control character and not a printable key, the OS swallows it, making it invisible to InvenTree.

If the GS character is missing, this plugin cannot cleanly tokenize the fields and has to rely on a fallback heuristic engine to "guess" the data structure, which is slower and less reliable.

Solution: Character Replacement

To fix this, you must configure your hardware scanner to intercept the invisible \x1D character inside its internal firmware and convert it into a printable character before transmitting it to the PC.

This plugin natively supports the Tilde (~) as a substitute for the GS character.

🔧 Step-by-Step Configuration (Netum Scanners)

If you are using a Netum L8BL Pro (which I used) or any compatible Netum barcode scanner, follow these steps using the official Netum Plugin configuration:

1. Open the Netum configuration documentation for character replacement: Netum Edit - Replace Plugin Docs.
2. Scan the required setup barcodes to enable the "Character Replace" feature.
3. Configure the scanner with the following parameters:
   • Target Character (HEX): \x1D (The invisible Group Separator)
   • Replacement Character (HEX): ~ (The printable Tilde character)
4. Save the settings on your scanner.

🧪 Verifying your Setup

You don't need external tools to check if your configuration worked. I have integrated a Hardware Scanner Testing Utility directly into the SmartParts plugin dashboard.

1. Navigate to the SmartParts Dashboard page in InvenTree.
2. Open the API Settings.
3. Scan a component with the Scanner Diagnostic Tool.
4. If configured correctly, you should explicitly see the ~ characters splitting up the vendor data strings in the test log. Once verified, the primary high-speed parsing engine will automatically handle all your inputs perfectly!