Advanced Configuration dialog

This dialog is accessed from the main window by entering CTRL+ALT+Z from the keyboard. It allows you to set additional parameters used for scanning. Advanced Configuration functions vary by scanner type.

NOTE: This function should only be used for diagnostic purposes under the supervision of Scantron Customer Support. It is NOT intended for general use by customers. Altering the Scantron default settings can impact the integrity of the data collected and it nullifies the published Scantron Scannable Documents Guarantee.

Use on-sheet processing

For OpScan Scanners Only: Use this check box to turn on-sheet processing on or off.

Take phantom clips

For Image Scanner Implementation Only: Use this check box to take or not take phantom clips.

Phantom clips are clips that are automatically taken to allow the data editor to highlight the row or column in a grid that is failing edit. Phantom clips do not contain any data and most commercially available TIFF readers will report a phantom clip as an error in the TIFF file. Turning off (no check in the check box) phantom clips prevents the editor from targeting the specific bubble responsible for an OMR edit condition, but will make the clip file smaller and slightly more portable.

If you are not using full-page clipping and phantom clips are not taken, the clip file will not contain any phantoms. If full page clipping is enabled, the OMR full grid clips will still exist as phantoms but the fragmentation into individual rows and columns is suppressed.

Phantom clips are not taken if the clip region has been modified (made larger or smaller) by the user or the clip region created while defining the grid extends beyond the grid boundaries. In that case, the clip region defined by the user appears in the post-scan editor.

Use scanner pre-pick

OpScan 15 and 21 Scanners Only: This configuration item applies ONLY to the OpScan 15 and 21 scanners. Use this check box to turn on or off pre-picking on an OpScan 15 or 21. Turning it Off will slow down scanning; but, if you have an error, you will have to rescan only one sheet.

Save/restore dialog settings

Use this check box to turn saving of dialog settings on or off. If this is On, the dialog box size and location is used every time it is accessed, even when you exit and later restart ScanTools software.

Use confirmations in Command Line Mode

Use this check box to turn confirmation messages in command-line mode on or off.

Show Diagnostics Menu

Use this check box to turn on or off the display of the Diagnostics menu item on the Main Window menu bar. When turned on, the Diagnostics menu appears between the Configure and Help items on the menu bar. The Diagnostics menu allows the selection of Advanced Configuration, Scanner Error Log, Sheet Image Diagnostic, Image Parameter Tuning, and Form Image Offsets.

NOTE: The Diagnostics Menu is NOT intended for customer use unless advised by Scantron Customer Support personnel.

Records shown on screen while scanning

The Scanning Progress dialog shows a number of records for documents that are scanned. Enter the number of records that you want this dialog to display at any one time. The valid range is from 1 to 30.

On slower computers you may get faster scanning performance by changing the number of records shown on the Scanning Progress dialog during scanning (Default is 6). Scanning throughput can be increased by lowering this number even further. Changing this value affects only the screen display and does not affect the data written to the file.

Hardware Bar Code Delay Timing for OpScan 10/15/21

Use this area to enter the number of milliseconds ScanTools software should wait following end of sheet, before asking for hardware bar code data. The bar code reader needs time to decode the scanned data. The default numbers appearing for the different bar code readers on the different scanners are set to handle a long delay, usually covering the worst case.

The default values are:

Hardware Bar Code Delay Timing for 5000i

NOTE: This option does not apply to 5000i scanners with speed upgrade.

CAUTION: Changing the default values of the Hardware Bar Code Delay and Bar Code Loop could negatively impact data integrity. Possible outcome includes incomplete bar code data being written to the data file if data transmission is cut short and/or bar code data being written to the wrong data record.

Bar Code Delay

Use this area to enter the number of milliseconds ScanTools software should wait before assuming there is no hardware bar code data on the present sheet.

Bar Code Loop Count

Use this area to enter the number of milliseconds ScanTools software should wait for the hardware bar code reader to complete sending the bar code data.

Label Towards Front

This button resets the Bar Code Delay to 10 milliseconds and the Bar Code Loop to 0 milliseconds. Use this button if there are 3 or fewer bar codes on a sheet or if the bar codes are toward the front of the sheet.

Label Towards End

This button resets the Bar Code Delay to 13 milliseconds and the Bar Code Loop to 3 milliseconds. Use this button if there are more than 3 bar codes on a sheet or if the bar codes are toward the end of the sheet. This setting will give the hardware bar code reader more time to do its work.