BellHawk Mobile Data-Collection Device Support

Industrial mobile computers are truly amazing devices. They are essentially portable PCs with built-in barcode scanners that can withstand being dropped onto concrete and are dust and moisture sealed. They have a complete keyboard and color touch screen and have built–in  wireless LAN communications. They typically have rechargeable and swappable batteries that will last a whole shift and are ideal devices for use by mobile workers in an industrial or laboratory environment.

BellHawk Systems offers three approaches to support the use of mobile computers in capturing transactional data:

1. Web-Mobile Interface which uses a web-browser running on the mobile computer to capture the data and relay it to a website running on the BellHawk database server.

2. Wireless-mode BSAF which uses a store-and-forward technology to ensure uninterrupted data collection in those situations where reliable wireless communications is not available at all data collection locations. Data is collected in a local data base on the mobile device and automatically exchanged with the main BellHawk server whenever the unit is within communications range of the main BellHawk server.

3. Cradle-mode BSAF which also uses a store-and-forward technology but exchanges data with the server when the unit is placed in a cradle attached to a PC. This approach is typically used in situation where the use of wireless communications is precluded for security or cost reasons.

All three technologies can be used together in the same BellHawk system for transactional data collection, intermixed with data collection using thick client programs running on PCs attached over the local area network to the main BellHawk database server.

The Web-Mobile web-browser data collection technology can be used to collect data in remote facilities with wireless internet connectivity without needing a server in the remote facility. It can also be used over cell-phone data collection networks to collect data in the field. The Web-Mobile interface works on any device that supports a web browser with capabilities equivalent to those of Windows Internet Explorer 6 or later and that is equipped with a barcode scanner (internal or external) or a camera that can be used as a barcode scanner.

The BellHawk Store and Forward BSAF (pronounced be-safe) technology enables operation in difficult industrial environments without a major investment in wireless infrastructure. With wireless BSAF it is only necessary to have coverage in those areas where material handlers travel frequently, where data can be automatically exchanged. With cradle-mode BSAF there is no need for any wireless network.

BSAF also works in yards and other outdoor storage areas which do not have any wireless coverage. In these areas material handlers can collect data as if they were in an area with wireless coverage and have the data exchanged automatically as soon as they come back within a building with wireless communications coverage.