Exporting Tag Data with Universal Reader Assistant
Overview
This article will explain how to utilize the Universal Reader Assistant software by ThingMagic to export tag data via a TCP/IP port and HTTP POST method.
Downloads
Universal Reader Assistant Tool
What is Universal Reader Assistant?
Universal Reader Assistant (URA) is a cross-product demo tool created by ThingMagic for its various readers. This tool is utilized to interface with ThingMagic readers including the USB Pro, USB Plus, and Vega readers. Since URA is built completely using the Mercury API, developing a custom software solution similar to URA is relatively straightforward with some programming knowledge. For more information on connecting your reader and using URA, please see Using Universal Reader Assistant.
Exporting Tag Data with URA
URA offers two methods of exporting tag data from the host computer to another endpoint: streaming the data to a TCP/IP port and sending the data to a remote server via the HTTP POST protocol. Both of these options can be found in the Settings/Status menu in URA, under the submenu titled Data Extensions.
Streaming Tags to TCP/IP Port
First, you will need to know the IP address of the computer hosting the URA application in order to initiate a connection.
The easiest way to find the IP address of the host device is to open the Command Prompt in Windows and enter the command "ipconfig". This will show the network configuration of the device, as shown in the example below. You will need to know the IPv4 Address of the host device.
In URA, under the Data Extensions submenu, select the checkbox for "EnableDataExtensions" and select the "Stream to TCP port" radio button. In the text box next to the radio button, be sure that the port listed is port 9055.
To collect the tag data using Windows, you will need a telnet client software like PuTTY, which can be downloaded from the link above. Once PuTTY is launched, select the "Raw" connection option and enter the host device's IP address and port number 9055. Select "Open" to open the connection.
Once the connection is made, select the "Read" button in URA to begin sending tag data to the TCP/IP port.
To receive the data in a Linux terminal, simply enter the command (without the quotes and brackets):
"telnet [insert host IP address here] 9055"
Streaming Tags to a Server Using HTTP POST
URA provides a HTTP POST method for streaming tag data to a remote server. This option requires a little more expertise for handling the data once it is sent to a server. For example, a server-side script will need to be used in order to parse the data correctly. For this example, a test server will be used in order to show a visual of the data.
In URA, under the Data Extensions submenu, select the HTTP POST radio button to enable this extension. In the text fields below the radio button, locate the box labeled "URL" and enter in the URL of the server to which the data will be sent. Set the desired reader name and update interval time in their respective boxes, and select "Read" to begin reading tags.
The tag data will now be sent to the specified URL via the HTTP POST protocol. The image below shows this data after is has been parsed by the test server.
If you have any additional questions regarding the functionality of URA, please contact our support team at support@atlasRFIDstore.com.