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A keyboard wedge is used when you are trying to get data from some type of measuring device into applications that cannot accept data from a serial port. A software keyboard wedge reads data from a serial port and passes this data to a PC application in such a manner that the application thinks the data is entered via the keyboard.
A keyboard wedge is a piece of hardware or software that translates native RS-232 serial or digital gage outputs into keystrokes that are interpreted by the computer as keyboard characters. The computer processes the MicroRidge keyboard wedge output as if it were coming from a regular keyboard. The hardware wedge output conforms to the USB Human Interface Device (HID) specification. Since applications and programs are designed to be manipulated by your mouse and keyboard, MicroRidge keyboard wedge output can enter data into any software.
Software wedges accomplish the same outcome but are applications installed on an operator’s computer. They read incoming serial port data (either physical [DB9] or virtual [USB]) and output the keystroke data. Set up requires the installation of the wedge software and any drivers required to utilize a virtual ComPort. The main benefits of utilizing a software wedge is the incorporation of features such as adding date/time stamps and parsing. Data parsing allows a document owner to set up conditional rules and parameters to modify the incoming data stream before being processed through the wedge. This lets a document owner remove unnecessary data, reorder values, perform basic calculations, and change the End of Packet (EOP) character.
Hardware wedges are quick and easy; they’re best suited for simple operations. Many of MicroRidge’s hardware wedges can be customized with our setup programs. Customization of multiple units can be done on a document owner’s (person in charge of data) computer and then deployed to the work cells. They do not require any software to be installed onto the operator’s computer and allow for true “plug-and-play” installations.
One of the key features in each of the MicroRidge Product Families is the ability to send gage data via a keyboard wedge output. The keyboard wedge output allows an operator (person taking measurements) to send gage data to any software including web/cloud-based programs, Microsoft Excel, and any internal/proprietary software at your manufacturing site.
MicroRidge offers native keyboard wedge output on the MobileCollect Wedge Base, GageWay KW, GageWay Pro Series, WedgeLink SP, and WedgeLink AT.
The WedgeLink AT is a user-configurable hardware keyboard wedge that accepts input from any RS-232 device. With the WedgeLink AT, you can transfer RS-232 data into any PC application that accepts keyboard input. Common applications that are used with the WedgeLink AT include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and Minitab.
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