Access Management Handheld
Troubleshooting
Learning Center Series
Linda Thompson
August 13, 2014
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Today's Agenda
● Handhelds Scanners
o Care
o Use
o Troubleshooting
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Test!
Always check and test your equipment early!
● Find and fix issues before EVERY game/event
● Repairs take time – plan ahead
● TEST TEST TEST!!!
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Test!
Should you find you need repairs:
● Call Customer Support or open a case online
● Include in the description the Scanner Serial Number
and the issue (ie: won’t boot, broken display)
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Scanners
The serial number for Symbol scanners is found here,
under the battery
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Scanners
The serial number for Janam scanners is also found under
the battery
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Scanners
Handheld Scanners - Overview
● Between event uses:
o Keep handhelds in charging cradles
o Keep spare batteries charged
o Use proper carrying cases when transporting scanners
● Before each event:
o
o
o
o
Check battery covers
Hard (Cold) Boot each device
Soft boot each device at it’s gate
Check venue profile where applicable
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Scanners
Handheld Scanners - Overview
● Test a handheld by scanning a ticket!
o Test both Boca tickets AND Print At Home style barcodes AND
QR codes
● Scanning mobile tickets is easier to do in the shade than in
direct sunlight
● Scanners are water resistant, not water proof!
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Scanners
The primary difference between Paciolan mobile tickets vs.
traditional paper tickets and Print-At-Home tickets is the
type of barcode displayed.
Mobile tickets are presented using a 2D barcode type
called “QR code”. For example, both the barcodes below
decode to 12345678901234:
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Scanners
Example Mobile Tickets
Paciolan mobile tickets will have a slightly different style
layout on mobile phone screens depending upon the
device.
Regardless of the layout style, the QR Code is always used
and is the aiming target for ticket-takers to scan.
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Scanners
Handheld Scanners - Overview
● Identify bad batteries
o Won’t hold a charge
o Bulging battery
o Leaking
● Check lanyards and hand straps
● Remove MagStripe Reader (MSR) from scanners as
infrequently as possible
o Constant attachment and removal of the MSR will cause premature
wear to the MSR
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Scanners
Handheld Scanners - Overview
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Scanners
Handheld Scanners
● Rebooting Symbol scanners.
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Rebooting the scanners
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Scanners
Handheld Scanners
● Rebooting Scanners
o A “Soft Boot” of a scanner will allow the hand held device to connect to
the closest access point (strongest signal)
o A “Hard Boot” or “Cold Boot” resets and clears the scanner and should
be done once a week.
• The same way a reboot clears and resets your pc, a Hard Boot is strongly
recommended for the scanners on a weekly basis.
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Scanners
Checking Venue Profiles
• If Network Venue Profiles
[WLAN] are used [right] ensure
the correct one is chosen and
configured
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Scanners
Checking Venue Profiles
• If Network Venue Profiles
are not used, check to see if
the correct venue is chosen
by going to
‘Tools > Venue Profile’
and see if the correct
‘Profile’ is selected
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Scanners
Checking Venue Profiles
● Once in the Venue Profile
screen, you will be able to
select the appropriate facility.
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Scanners
Common Test Errors
● Not Found
o Verify AM Monitor is up and running – did you balance your barcodes?
o Verify AM Transfer is in Immediate Mode
● Invalid Location
o Verify that the profile is correct and that AM Monitor (facility code) is set up
correctly
● Invalid Date
o Check the begin and end date of the event in back office and AM Monitor
● Invalid Time
o Verify Scanning times in AM Monitor
• if set too long, may allow evening scanning for afternoon show
• if set too short, may not allow late arrivals to be scanned or stub scanning
after the fact
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Scanners
Common Test Errors
Not Found
● Ensure everything is
transferred to the AM Server
o Are Barcodes Balanced?
o Is Printing in Immediate
Mode?
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Scanners
Common Test Errors
● File > Ticket Reservations >
Maintenance > System >
System Setup : Print Defaults
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Scanners
Common Test Errors
Invalid Date
● Make sure that the event’s
start and end date are the
same
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Scanners
Card-Swipe Readers
● Set Card Reader
configuration options in
AM Handheld
Section and track information is
unique to each customer and
their card setup.
Contact Customer Support for
information on your individual
requirement.
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Scanners
Scanning Tips:
● 1. Hold the barcode 4”-5” from the scanner.
● 2. The scanner is like a camera and takes a moment to focus.
o Do not jerk or shake the scanner around quickly.
● 3. Find the red laser dot or crosshairs that shoot out from your
scanner.
o Focus the dot or crosshairs right in the middle of the black barcode or
QR code
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Scanners
Scanning Tips:
● 4. Press and hold one of the scanning buttons to scan. Be sure to
press and hold one of the buttons while scanning. Pressing and
releasing will not help; you must press and hold.
● 5. If swiping (not scanning) student ID’s, be sure to swipe with a
smooth consistent motion. Be sure to bring the student ID through
the scanner’s magstripe reader from the outside. Don’t start swiping
when the student ID is already partially inserted into the magstripe
reader.
● 6. Scanning in the sun can be difficult. If possible, scan in the shade
or make shade with your body.
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Scanners
Scanning Tips:
● 7. Prepare for invalid scans – they will happen. Does your staff know
the official procedure to handle a ticket that scans as “Already
Used”, “Invalid Date”, “Reprinted”, “Voided”, etc.?
● 8. If you scan a ticket and the scanner says “Duplicate Scan”, let the
patron in. This just means you accidentally scanned the same ticket
twice, within a few seconds, which is OK. If the scanner says
“Already Used” or “Already In”, then you should follow the normal
procedures of your venue to handle this situation.
● 9. The scanner will scan as fast as you can. You do not need to wait
for the scanner to “clear” before scanning another ticket. Just scan
the next ticket and the scanner will give you a response for that
ticket.
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Scanners
Ticket Response Codes
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Scanners
Card Response Codes
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Scanners
Offline Scanning:
● Offline Scanning is designed to allow tickets to continue being
scanned for an event when an unforeseen network/power/server
outage occurs.
● Offline Scanning is not designed to be used “full time” for an event,
although it can often work that way if certain steps are taken ahead
of time.
● Offline Scanning validates tickets only against the validation mask
that is built-in to every Paciolan barcode.
● Offline Scanning will allow entry to any ticket to an event that was
once valid for the event (even if it was valid for only 1 second).
o This means that
Voided/Reprinted/Transferred/Exchanged/Returned tickets will
scan as valid when Offline Scanning.
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Scanners
Offline Scanning:
● Offline Scanning does have the ability to discriminate against tickets
to ensure they are for the days’ event, though. Meaning, valid
tickets to an event a week from now will not scan successfully if
Offline Scanning today.
● Furthermore, when Offline Scanning, the scanners do not talk to the
Access Management server or to the other scanners. Because of
this, if a ticket is scanned successfully on scanner number 001, that
ticket can then be scanned successfully on scanner number 002 and
003, etc. A ticket cannot be scanned valid multiple times on the
same scanner, though.
● Finally, a completely fraudulent ticket that somehow contains the
Paciolan validation mask would scan valid when Offline Scanning.
That is highly unlikely, but worth noting. Once the scanners come
back online, they will upload all their Offline scans to the AM server
for normal reporting and accounting purposes.
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Scanners
Offline Scanning:
● Usage:
● In order for Offline Scanning to be successful:
o The event in AM Monitor must have an acceptable scanning window set
for the date/time when scanning will occur.
o The event must also be set to the appropriate facility in AM Monitor.
o The scanners must be set to the same venue profile as the events’
facility in AM Monitor.
o The scanners must have come online at some point during the day in
order to successfully Offline Scan.
o The scanners download the days’ validation masks every time they
come online. Because of this, if a scanner was last online on Monday
and you are trying to Offline Scan on Tuesday, it will not work. This is
the most common cause of failure when Offline Scanning.
●
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Access Points
Wireless Signal Coverage
● Do a walk-around at the venue
site to confirm that coverage is
active from all wireless access
points
● Confirm that you handhelds can
achieve system “Online” state
at each scanning location
● On Paciolan provided AP units,
try power cycling APs first
should any problems occur
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Key Takeaways
● AM Server Side
o Keep it running
o Handhelds won’t communicate with the server if it’s down
o Balance your barcodes before each event
● Handhelds
o
o
o
o
Test Early!! Don’t wait until event day to find an issue!
Scan a ticket on each scanner to check communication
Scan mobile devices in shade
Make sure users take advantage of the safety devices (lanyards and
hand straps)
● Call us
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QUESTIONS
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Thank you!
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