IBM DC Connect has been at the core of enterprise data collection solutions for over a decade. The platform was designed to provide general purpose hardware connectivity for tracking labor and inventory using barcodes and RF tags and badges. Since it's inception it has been used in thousands of data collection solutions throughout the world. It's simple and intuitive design has made it easy for IT personnel to bring sophisticated data collection solutions on-line quickly.

Standard interfaces exist for the popular ERP systems such as; MAPICS, JDE, SAP,  and others. Development tools exist to rapidly create custom templates. These templates feed the ERP system. Complete applications exist to providing solutions such as time & attendance, labor tracking/costing, production control/monitoring , inventory warehouse management, automatic on-line conveyor scanning, scale weight collection,  on-demand barcode and label printing, security access, bell control and more. 

The DC Connect client has been adapted to a number of fixed and RF terminals. Terminals from many different manufacturers are supported. Newer CE devices can be integrated using DCNet.

IBM 7526

Symbol 6846

Intermec 2835

Telxon 960SL

IBM DC Connect for Windows XP provides the software connection between the plant floor and management. The software is an open platform designed to communicate with IBM 7526 data collection terminals and Symbol 6846 and Intermec 2435 RF handhelds. RTG's DCNet extends the terminals offering to include virtual any CE device.

DC Connect Client allows the user one common interface independent of terminal type.  The data collection programs can be standardized across different terminals. Once the data collection program is created they are stored in a folder and can be graphically attached to the terminal function keys. Since the programs are downloaded to the terminal, reliable real time data collection is distributed and not dependent on the network. The user can create their own set of transaction programs using the IBM development tool kit or choose from an existing library of pre-built templates.

Plant Floor Connectivity has never been easier with IBM DC Connection. Network administration terminal program management and host connectivity are greatly simplified.  You don't have to be a programmer or network certified to manage plant floor information with DC Connect. Existing legacy host software need not be modified. ERP Bridge provides bi-directional keystroke mapping to your existing AS-400 application. "So if you can type it in, ERP Bridge can activate the process without modification to the existing host software." For Windows XP applications, DC Connect is ODBC compliant, so data can be exchanged through Microsoft compliant application payroll interfaces.

The configuration screens  provide a graphical intuitive environment for development of the prompts and data input associated with each transaction. Each transaction is linked to a function key. Templates are created by mapping the operation of each function key.  The templates are downloaded to each device. Loading the templates on each device reduces network traffic and system reliability.

Network and terminal management are designed for easy use. An intuitive graphical operator interface is provided. The terminal network is portrayed using graphical icons. To configure the network devices, a user need only select the appropriate adapters, communication lines, and terminal types and then drop them into the appropriate schematic.

Terminals that use the same templates and  perform identical tasks are group together. This simplifies configuration by reducing the interaction from each terminal to each group of terminals. Selecting the group allows all changes to be adopted by each terminal in the folder. Grouping organizes the terminals into manageable clusters of devices.

The data is placed in a data mail box to be exported to the host or network application. The data that is collected is routed to a corresponding mailbox. Data collected in each mailbox is linked to an application. Data can be passed to multiple applications across the network.