Pi Gateway - data interface for printer and tracking system

LIS Connectivity for Pi Printers and Tracking system

The Pi Gateway provides the Pi Slide Printer and our tracking system with an interface to other computer systems (LIS).

It is a Windows application that is installed on a PC once installed it automatically looks for a selectable Pi Slide Printer or a Pi Hub.  Once found the connection is automatic.

The Pi Gateway can be setup to monitor a given folder or COM port on the PC for incoming data files.  As and when files are found they are sent via TCPIP network connection to the Pi Slide Printer or Hub.  The Printer or Hub uses a Translator to extract the required data and save it to the SQL database as a print record.

If used directly with a Pi Slide Printer incoming data is translated into print records and displayed on the printers display ready for printing.

If used with the Hub the data is stored in its SQL database. The user can go to any Pi Printer connected to the Hub and print any print record or sequence of print records in the SQL database.  The print record is updated to show it has been printed and saved back to the SQL database.

The print record can be configured so that individual or sequences of slides can be easily requested.  For example, the user could scan a request form ID (barcode) at any printer and the printer would request all unprinted print records with that ID.

The display would show the slides to be printed.  The user can then print, edit or delete slides as required.  The print record is updated accordingly to provide an audit trail.