Piccolink

[Russellj]

Has/is anyone using a piccolink, if so was it easy to set-up and what can you actually do once you have one attached to your system?

Thanks in advance for any input.

[Natalie]

Hi Julian,

Here is some information about piccolink:

The handheld terminal is a bar code scanner, keypad and a clear computer display in one compact, lightweight unit. The handheld terminal uses a wireless connection to communicate directly with the EPOS system, enabling you to scan barcodes, display and edit product prices, enter and update information directly into the EPOS database, whilst moving around the shop and stockroom.

Basically, anywhere within EPOS, where you see the picco button, you will have access to the piccolink features available.

Hope that helps.

[party_pete]

We often walk round the shop with customers, for example taking orders for a large event;

Would Piccolink enable us to scan the items & quantities as a purchase as we walked round and then the customer could go to the till and pay for what had been scanned in?

[Natalie]

Hi Pete,

You can do what you have stated with the piccolink but it would tie the till up whilst you're walking around, entering the order into the piccolink. This would mean no one else would be able to use the same till whilst creating the piccolink order.

[Russellj]

I am a little confused now, can the piccolink be used whilst the till is in use?

If you have to press the piccolink button for example when in the product screen then surely this means the till cannot be being used at the same time for sales?

[dmalani]

I am a little confused now, can the piccolink be used whilst the till is in use?

No, you can't use the till at the same time while you are creating piccolink orders.

If you have to press the piccolink button for example when in the product screen then surely this means the till cannot be being used at the same time for sales?

Yes, as mentioned by Natalie earlier when you make a piccolink order it ties up the till so you cannot make any sales order.

[wermy]

Do i really need a serial port on my computer to use a piccolink is there anyway around the issue, I have been speaking with tech support, and have tried using a usb to serial adapter from maplins but, I'm starting to get frustrated over the issue.

Might try and take my computer to bits to see if i can hardwire a comm port straight into the main board.

Help please...

[I-CC]

You do need a serial port, and whilst gender changers exist for many devices, in my experience few of them work out as well as you might expect. For example, if you have the printer port deskeys but no printer port on your pc, then a printer port to usb changer would sound ideal, but the deskey does not work when going through the changer.

Personally I would suggest getting a Windows tablet PC with wireless built in that is equipped with a USB port (for the USB deskey) and connect it to your network via a standard wireless network, as this will not tie up any till that the picco might need to take over, and you get a fully functioning EPOS addition.

However, all assumes you are using Network as opposed to the single usage of course, but an idea if a picco has not already been sourced.