Using the U-Prox Desktop USB reader as a “virtual keyboard”

Using the U-Prox Desktop USB reader as a “virtual keyboard” involves sending the read code to the cursor location in Windows.

See below for the required settings.

Two options are possible – “Block A” and “Block B.”

Block A (USB reader + using our software)

Block A – Part I. – Operation via RS232 – COM port
Description of the U-Prox Desktop USB reader’s operation over the RS232 protocol – link to file – RS232Proto_3_ua.pdf

Note the reading of identifier codes – pages 7 and 8, text format, binary and HEX formats.

• command bb – switch to binary format
• command bt – switch to text format (default)
• command bx – switch to HEX format

Block A – Part II. – “Virtual keyboard” configuration
Universal method – use the U-Prox Desktop USB reader as a virtual keyboard, suitable for any software.
– this is when U-Prox Desktop outputs the presented card’s code at the cursor position.

For “virtual keyboard” mode, you can use U-Prox Desktop USB readers released from summer 2017, which have serial numbers GID 00:4E:FE:… and 00:32:00:…

Download the U-Prox software installation disc (also “U-Prox IP” or “U-Prox WEB”) from our website’s Downloads → Software and Manuals page, or just the installer, and install the U-Prox Desktop Server component, or use one of the links below:

If the OS does not find drivers when connecting to the U-Prox Desktop USB reader, install them from our website or via Windows auto-update:

• for older OS versions (up to Windows 7, including server editions)
• for current OS versions (Windows 8 and above)

In Device Manager (“Start” → “Run” → devmgmt.msc), it typically appears as COM3.

To enable use of U-Prox Desktop as a virtual keyboard, after installing the “U-Prox Desktop Server” component, perform the following actions:

1. After installation, stop the service “U-Prox IP Desktop Service” (UProxIPDesktopService) and disable its automatic startup.
   • Open the Windows Services console (Start → Run → services.msc).

2. In the OS processes, in the Task Manager, select “End Task” for the processes “Acs.DesktopService.exe” or “Acs.DesktopService.Admin.exe”;

3. enter the necessary data into the OS register (see below for a description of this data);

4. If not already connected, connect the reader to USB so that the “Silicon Labs CP210x…” port appears.

5. Run the file “Acs.DesktopService.exe” or “Acs.DesktopService.Admin.exe” from the directory “C:\Program Files (x86)\A2SoftIn\UProxIP\” as a program with additional privileges as “run as administrator” so that it appears in the processes in the Task Manager.
– You can place a shortcut to this file on your desktop for easy access after booting up your PC, or add this shortcut to the OS startup folder to automatically launch the program after booting up your PC (with the appropriate privileges).

After this, the card code presented to the reader will appear at the cursor position—provided nothing is blocking the reader’s port.

Recommended settings for the U-Prox Desktop USB reader:

• Must operate in Wiegand 42 format
• Connect to the U-Prox Desktop USB reader via Bluetooth from the mobile U-Prox Config configurator, and verify/set the Wiegand 42 operating mode
• Download and install the mobile U-Prox Config configurator from the PlayMarket/AppStore or from our website in the firmware archive

Function for outputting identifier codes via the keyboard buffer (at cursor position).

The identifier format is set in the Windows registry:

• Open the registry editor (“Start” → “Run” → regedit.exe)

For x32: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\A2SoftIn\UProxIP\2.00]
for x64 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\A2SoftIn\UProxIP\2.00]
“SendKeysFormat”=”hex8”

The value "SendKeysFormat"="" disables output of identifier codes via the keyboard buffer.

A decoration of the card code—converted according to "SendKeysFormat" and sent to the keyboard buffer—is applied per the string value "SendKeysDecorator" in the registry.
The format of "SendKeysDecorator" follows the .NET String.Format syntax.

For example, to add a newline (carriage return) after a 10-character hexadecimal card code, set in the registry:

For x32: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\A2SoftIn\UProxIP\2.00]
For x64: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\A2SoftIn\UProxIP\2.00]
“SendKeysFormat”=”Hex5”
“SendKeysDecorator”=”{0:U}\r” – display identifier codes in UPPERCASE, and carriage return
“SendKeysDecorator”=”{0:L}\r” – display identifier codes in lowercase, and carriage return

Here, {0:U} and {0:L} specify uppercase and lowercase formatting, and \r is a carriage return.

Download the archive of values for the registry (*.reg files) at this link.

Valid values (regardless of case):

Examples
Using two cards as an example – “0102894862” and “0500CF42B7” – HEX codes generated by the Wiegand 42 format:

 
Additional formats “Dec3nz” and “Dec4nz”, corresponding to formats “Dec3” and “Dec4”, but without leading zeros, for example:

FEATURES:

The Desktop Service has a peculiarity – if the PC has COM ports (for example, Bluetooth COM ports) that respond slowly, then the auto-search for ports takes a long time, and registration/reading does not start.

To avoid this, in the registry (under the specified key) you should specify a fixed COM port
(by manually creating a value with the name below, and setting its data to the USB reader’s COM port number – see Device Manager for the port number):

Example:
– x32  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\A2SoftIn\UProxIP\2.00]
– х64  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\A2SoftIn\UProxIP\2.00]
“LocalReaderSerialPort”=”COM4”
 
Example in the registry (a String value whose data is the COM-port number):

After that, you must terminate the process and restart the program Acs.DesktopService.exe.

Block B (USB reader + third-party software)

Set the USB reader to HEX operating mode, and do NOT use our U-Prox Desktop Server software—simply read data from the COM port.

FOR EXAMPLE – sample reading in text mode (use command bt) and in HEX mode (use command bx):

USB driver – must be MANDATORY.

And the program that polls the COM port is chosen by the user; the USB reader outputs to the COM port, and something must consume that data.

• either this is done by your software,
• or this is performed by the component of our software – U-Prox Desktop Server in console mode as a virtual keyboard,
• or, for example, “sybink systems keyboard emulator” – one of the download links: https://sybink-systems-keyboard-emulator.software.informer.com/

Recommended configuration (COM port may vary) for “sybink systems keyboard emulator”:

also under these settings “ini” file (link below):

KeyboardEmulate
INI