OSCAR (optical scanning device) from Databar

[+davidcalgary29]

I've seen a few of these floating around, and was thinking about picking one up. Does anyone know if "scanned" program listings were ever published (and are still available)... or would I be reduced to running package labels through the thing?

[Gunstar]

Is this that device that scanned barcode and there were supposed to be some program listings available that were in barcode and you used this device to scan them into the Atari? Or is this a "scanner" like 'Easy-Scan' that plugged into the cartridge port and was used for scanning in anything; pictures, print, barcode, -whatever, and they were put into micro illistrator format for use with that program and others...

[Nukey Shay]

If you really only wanted to scan in program listings, you could just use a flatbed scanner (to capture the pages) and a text decoding program to translate it into Ascii. The resulting text can be imported into Atari800win by using the hard drive function, or converted into disk form.

[+Allan]

I've seen a few of these floating around, and was thinking about picking one up. Does anyone know if "scanned" program listings were ever published (and are still available)... or would I be reduced to running package labels through the thing?

 

I have one of these. I never used it. I've had it for a couple of years now and have never seen any magazines or anything with any of these bar code programs. All I ever see is just the readers themselves.

 

Allan

[Callipygous]

I don't think the whole program scanning idea ever got off the ground. It would be interesting to see if anything could be done with a user written program. Is there any documentation for the device?

[Chuck Gill]

The only bar code program I ever saw was the sample program that was packed with it.

 

-Chuck

[Bill Lange]

I write barcode scanning software for DOS, PalmOS and Win CE scanners. It it so boooorrrrrinnnnng.!

 

WRL

[badbrad]

When I was a kid, we got Family Computing magazine.

There were type-in programs, and also cut-out strips of those programs for the scanner.

 

Brad

[Savetz]

This software is from "Databar - The Monthly Bar Code Software Magazine" which was published in 1983, and turned out to only have one issue published, so it wasn't very monthly after all.

These programs were to be scanned in from barcodes using a special barcode reader that attached to the Atari.

Only 13 Atari programs were ever published in this format, and they are all on this disk.

You can see the original articles with barcodes here: https://archive.org/details/@allan52?and[]=databar

Thanks to Allan Bushman for scanning the magazine, @doegox on Twitter for writing the python script to decode the barcodes without the scanner, and @travisgoodspeed for the PoC||GTFO 'zine, which was instrumental in bringing the pieces together.

For more background on the format, see wiki.yobi.be/wiki/Databar_decoding and github.com/doegox/Oscar

Interviews with folks from Databar will be published in ANTIC The Atari 8-Bit Podcast, but I haven't edited them yet.

databar.atr

[Savetz]

The raw output from the barcode reader, and a permanent backup of the .ATR file, are available in the ZIP file here: https://archive.org/details/AtariDatabarOSCARSoftware

[+davidcalgary29]

Very cool!

 

I'd forgotten all about this thread.

[achtbits]

It's amazing which gems Kevin keeps digging out. I love it!

[Savetz]

The podcast episode all about Databar OSCAR is published today.

This episode contains three interviews and took more than a year to put together, including a small team of people to recover the magazine software for three computing platforms.

http://ataripodcast.libsyn.com/antic-interview-321-databar-oscar

-Kevin

[Lynxpro]

Well, Kevin will have outdone himself if he interviews the chaps behind the Atari MindLink Controller and they hand over their program to read auras with the controller. Needless to say, Leonard Tramiel wasn't impressed with their demonstration...

[800_Rocks]

I acquired what appears to be a complete OSCAR Optical Scanning Reader by Databar Corp. that has never been used!  The box is in pretty good shape.  The device itself is still in the factory sealed plastic.  It includes a separate sealed plastic bag containing the RCA to Atari SIO plug.  Also, appears to have all the original paperwork and inserts including the 'Premier Issue' of 'DATABAR The Monthly Bar Code Software Magazine' (for Atari), the OSCAR User's Manual, a couple separate/individual programs for scanning, a 'Your Important First Step (For Atari)' guide and a plastic 'guide' that you place over the printed barcodes when you are using the scanner.  Pictures to follow. 

Edited August 7, 2020 by 800_Rocks

[Fierodoug5]

Nice find, funny I just listened to the antic podcast on databar last night

[800_Rocks]

On 8/6/2020 at 8:53 PM, 800_Rocks said:

I acquired what appears to be a complete OSCAR Optical Scanning Reader by Databar Corp. that has never been used!  The box is in pretty good shape.  The device itself is still in the factory sealed plastic.  It includes a separate sealed plastic bag containing the RCA to Atari SIO plug.  Also, appears to have all the original paperwork and inserts including the 'Premier Issue' of 'DATABAR The Monthly Bar Code Software Magazine' (for Atari), the OSCAR User's Manual, a couple separate/individual programs for scanning, a 'Your Important First Step (For Atari)' guide and a plastic 'guide' that you place over the printed barcodes when you are using the scanner.

FYI/Update - I sold this unit 9/2020