Application Notes

RFID+
FileMaker RFID Reader Application
for iOS mobile devices
Contents
RFID+ FileMaker RFID Reader Application
page
1. Notice of Copyright
2. Revision History
3. Application Overview
4. - 9. Application Details
10. Company Information
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
1
Notice of Copyright
The RFID+ FileMaker RFID Reader Application is designed and developed exclusively by Neo Code
Software Ltd. and is protected by all applicable international Copyright Laws.

The Application Notes for the RFID+ FileMaker RFID Reader Application are produced by Neo Code
Software Ltd. and protected by all applicable international Copyright Laws.
The FileMaker fle called RFIDPlus_demo.fmp12, referred to in this documentation, that
demonstrates how FileMaker interacts with the RFID+ Reader Application, is designed and
developed exclusively by Neo Code Software Ltd. and is protected by all applicable international
Copyright Laws.
Every efort has been made for the scope of this document to be comprehensive and for the
information contained herein to be accurate.
Neo Code Software Ltd. is not responsible for any omissions, errors or updates to the information
in this document.
2014 Neo Code Software Ltd. All rights reserved.
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
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Revision History
Version Date Changes
01 2014-07-23 RFID+ FileMaker RFID Reader Application released
02 2014-09-19 RFID+ App available on iTunes
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
3
Application Overview
The RFID+ FileMaker RFID Reader Application developed by Neo Code Software Ltd. allows the
scanning of RFID ( radio-frequency identifcation ) tags and subsequent retrieval of the coded
information in these tags for use in a custom-built FileMaker database.
A FileMaker 13 Go database solution can be custom-built to interact with the RFID+ Application
using the Open URL script step with callback function to return information encoded on RFID
tags directly and seamlessly back into the database to be used in records, calculations, scripts, etc.
using only scripts and functions initiated within the FileMaker Go database itself.
No intermediate interaction with the RFID+ Application is required to scan information from RFID
tags using a custom-built FileMaker Go database. Following is detailed description of this process.
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
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Application Details
The RFID+ Application is installed on an iOS mobile device ( iPhone, iPad ), identitifed on your
device after installation by the teal icon. ( fg. 1 )
fg 1. RFID+ Reader Application icon
The RFID+ Application interacts with a hardware device called the ARETE POP. ( fg.1a )
fg 1a. The ARETE POP RFID reader
This device is what actually scans and reads the RFID tag and retrieves the information ( a string
of numbers and letters ) encoded on the RFID tag. The ARETE POP is inserted into the headphone
jack of the iOS device being used, such as an iPhone or iPad.
( cont )

RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application

5
Application Details (cont)
After scanning an RFID tag using the Scan function, the RFID+ Application returns the encoded
information on the tag back into the application for viewing. ( fg. 2 )
fg 2. The RFID+ Application returns fg 3. Enabling RFID+ Simulation mode
a scan result
The RFID+ Application also has a Simulation mode. ( fg. 3 ) When not actually scanning with the ARETE
POP device, enable Simulation mode to return simulated codes back into the application.
These simulated codes can also be returned directly back into the FileMaker Go database that is
interacting with the RFID+ Application; this is useful for testing purposes.
After the RFID+ Application is installed on an iOS device, a custom-built FileMaker Go database can
interact with the application to either return live data from actual RFID tags with the ARETE POP device
or using Simulation mode to return simulated codes.
( cont )
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
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Application Details (cont)
The encoded information, once retrieved, can then be stored in the database as a normal string of
letters and numbers and used accordingly, in felds, scripts, variables, calculations, etc.
The method through which the FileMaker Go database can initiate a scan through the RFID+ Application
and return encoded RFID tag information back into itself is by using the Open URL script step with a
particular ordered scheme of information that is known as a callback.
The Open URL script step can be commonly used to open a URL in a users browser, by referring to the
specifc URL in the function in a script.
Additionally, this function can also be confgured to interact with and issue a command to particular
applications to return data back to a FileMaker database by initiating a script within the database using
the information retrieved as the parameter. This is referred to as a callback. ( The function calls back to
another script within a FileMaker database. )
The FileMaker database itself can be either locally stored on the iOS device, or accessed remotely, both
through FileMaker Go, with no diference in usage.
The callback functionality already has widespread use, specifcally with barcode scanner applications,
that are able to use the mobile devices camera to scan and retrieve barcode information.
The order of operations is thus:
1. In FileMaker, initiate scan through a script that contains the callback command.
2. Perform the actual scan.
3. The called back script is run, performing the set actions, using the scan result as parameter.
For scanning RFID tags and retrieving the information into a FileMaker database using the RFID+
Application and ARETE POP, the exact same callback functionality is used, with a customized command
that the RFID+ Application knows how to interpret.
Following is an explanation of how the RFID+ Application uses the OpenURL callback in FileMaker.
( cont )
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
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Application Details (cont)
For the purposes of demonstration, Neo Code Software Ltd. has developed a FileMaker fle called
RFIDPlus_demo.fmp12 that uses the Open URL callback scheme specifcally designed to interact with
the RFID+ Application to return scan results, using either the ARETE POP hardware and RFID tags, or
using the RFID+ Application in Simulation mode.
Pictured is the iPhone screen of the RFIDPlus_demo.fmp12 fle. ( fg. 6 )
fg 6. RFIDPlus_demo.fmp12 FileMaker demo fg 7. RFID+ Application, entering a
fle with sample scan result code in Simulation mode
To run the demonstration, with the RFID+ Application set in either live or Simulation mode, we simply
press the Scan button in the FileMaker fle.
This will open the RFID+ Reader Application on the screen. In live mode with the ARETE POP device,
then scan the RFID tag, by placing the ARETE POP in close proximity to the RFID tag. In Simulation
mode ( fg. 7 ), enter any letter/number string using the keyboard.
Once the scan is complete, the result is returned back into FileMaker automatically. In our demo, this
creates a new record and writes the result in the top feld, along with date and time stamp.
( fg. 6 )
( cont )
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
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Application Details (cont)
The Scan button activates a script in FileMaker called scan button which contains the Open URL script
step containing the callback. ( fg. 8 )
fg 8. The scan button script containing the callback in the Open URL script step.
The command follows the same general syntax as the pic2shop callback, but contains a prefx (rfd://)
that the RFID+ Application is specifcally designed to use.
Remember that the URL needs to be encoded to handle certain characters. For example, the $ sign is
replaced with %24.
Of special note is that, in the callback is a) the script that will be run, when the scan is complete (what
script is called back ) and b) where the parameter is set that the script will run with.
In the callback shown:
a) the script is Scan, in the string %3Fscript%#DScan
b) the parameter is in the string %26param%#DEAN. EAN is a placeholder that the RFID+ Application
uses to return the scan result as the actual parameter.
Note: In future releases, the EAN string in b) can be set as a variable to tell the RFID+ Application which
type of data to return that is encoded on a RFID tag, as there are multiple types.

( cont )
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
9
Application Details (cont)
Once the scan is complete, as previously described, the script called Scan is run within the FileMaker
fle, as activated by the callback. ( fg. 9 )
fg 9. The Scan script that is called back after scanning
This script simply creates a new record; The Get ( ScriptParameter ) script step retrieves the scan result
that was passed in with the callback and scan, then used to set the scan_result feld.
To review, please see the following graphic ( fg. 10 ) to show the entire sequence.
fg 10. The entire sequence of scan activation to return to FileMaker.
RFID+ Filemaker RFID Reader Application
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Company Information
To buy hardware and software visit:
https://store.neocodesoftware.com/products/RFID.html
Providing for all your FileMaker needs: hosting, templates, plugins, and prebuilt solutions.
To get FileMaker Go from the App Store visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/flemaker-go-13/id675292600?mt=8
To get the RFID+ application by Neo Code Software Ltd. from the App Store visit:
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/rfd+/id900717506?mt=8
To download the RFIDPlus_demo.fmp12 fle referred to in these notes as zip archive, visit:
http://felice.neocodesoftware.com/RFIDPlus/RFIDPlus_demo.zip
NEO CODE SOFTWARE LTD.
Phone: ( 604 ) 638-0668
Fax: ( 888 ) 748-0986
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.neocodesoftware.com
Address
Neo Code Software Ltd.
#540 - 425 Carrall Street
Vancouver, BC, V6B 6E3