This post details the first way that the Employee List Interface of Time Clock MTS can be used with some sort of data reader (such as a barcode scanner, magnetic card reader, or RFID reader). This method relies on badges, bar codes, or RFID fobs being encoded with the employee name and a couple of other characters.
Badge Format
You must be able to print your barcodes, or encode your magnetic cards or RFID badges to a standard format for them to function with Time Clock MTS while it is operating with the Employee List Interface. The required format begins with the standard = character, is followed by each letter of the employee’s full name set on the Employee Information screen, and then concluded with the + character.
Thus, an employee with the name Hardy, Frank would need to be encoded as:
=Hardy, Frank+
While an employee with the full name Bob Jones would need to be encoded as:
=Bob Jones+
Clocking In and Out
Clocking in and out is simply a matter of encoding your barcode, magnetic cards, or RFID fob or badges as described above for each employee in Time Clock MTS. Once you’ve done that, plug the device into your computer and ensure it’s working correctly. You’ll need to make sure it’s either plugged into the keyboard port on the PC or in the case of a USB device make sure your “software wedge” is installed. To test if things are working correctly start up Windows Notepad and make sure it is the active Windows application. Scan your properly encoded employee barcode, card, or RFID badge and some text should appear in Windows Notepad that looks something like what we talked about earlier, =Bob Jones+ where Bob Jones is the Time Clock MTS employee name.
Once you’ve verified that the badges are working correctly start up Time Clock MTS and make sure it’s the active Windows application. Scan one of the employee badges and you should see that employee either clocked in or out. The software will clock someone in who is clocked out, and vice versa for someone who is clocked out.
