SANE Scanner Access Now Easy sane-bh(5)
NAME
sane-bh - SANE backend for Bell]Howell Copiscan I series
document scanners
DESCRIPTION
The sane-bh library implements a SANE (Scanner Access Now
Easy) backend that provides access to Bell]Howell Copiscan
I series document scanners. The Copiscan I 6338 has been
the primary scanner model used during development and test-
ing, but since the programming interface for the entire
series is consistent the backend should work for the follow-
ing scanner models.
COPISCAN I 6338 Duplex Scanner with ACE
COPISCAN I 2135 Simplex Scanner
COPISCAN I 2137(A) Simplex Scanner (with ACE)
COPISCAN I 2138A Simplex Scanner with ACE
COPISCAN I 3238 Simplex Scanner
COPISCAN I 3338(A) Simplex Scanner (with ACE)
If you have a Bell]Howell scanner and are able to test it
with this backend, please contact sane-
devel@lists.alioth.debian.org with the model number and
testing results. Have a look at http:/www.sane-
project.org/mailing-lists.html concerning subscription to
sane-devel. Additionally, the author is curious as to the
likelihood of using this backend with the newer 4000 and
8000 series scanners. If you have such a beast, please let
me know.
The Bell]Howell Copiscan I series document scanners are
high volume, high throughput scanners designed for document
scanning applications. As such, they are lineart/grayscale
scanners supporting a fixed number of fairly low resolutions
(e.g. 200/240/300dpi). However, they do have a number of
interesting and useful features suited to needs of document
imaging applications. This backend attempts to support as
many of these features as possible.
The main technical reference used in writing this backend is
the Bell and Howell Copiscan I Remote Technical Manual Ver-
sion 1.5. The Linux SCSI programming HOWTO, the SANE API
documentation, and SANE source code were also extremely
valuable resources.
The latest backend release, additional information and help-
ful hints are available from the backend homepage:
http:/www.martoneconsulting.com/sane-bh.html
DEVICE NAMES
This backend expects device names of the form:
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special
Where special is the path-name for the special device that
corresponds to a SCSI scanner. For SCSI scanners, the spe-
cial device name must be a generic SCSI device or a symlink
to such a device. Under Linux, such a device name takes a
format such as /dev/sga or /dev/sg0, for example. See
sane-scsi(5) for details.
CONFIGURATION
The contents of the bh.conf file is a list of device names
that correspond to Bell]Howell scanners. See sane-scsi(5)
on details of what constitutes a valid device name. Addi-
tionally, options can be specified; these lines begin with
the word "option". Each option is described in detail below.
Empty lines and lines starting with a hash mark (#) are
ignored.
OPTIONS
The following options can be specified in the bh.conf file.
disable-optional-frames
This option prevents the backend from sending any
optional frames. This option may be useful when deal-
ing with frontends which do not support these optional
frames. When this option is in effect, the data is
sent in a SANEFRAMEGRAY frame. The optional frames
sent by this backend are: SANEFRAMEG31D,
SANEFRAMEG32D, SANEFRAMEG42D and SANEFRAMETEXT.
These frames are generated based on the compression and
barcode options. These frames are never sent in pre-
view mode.
fake-inquiry
This option is used for debugging purposes and its use
is not encouraged. Essentially, it allows the backend
to initialize in the absence of a scanner. This is
useful for development and not much else. This option
must be specified earlier in the configuration file
than the devices which are to be "faked".
FILES
/etc/sane.d/bh.conf
The backend configuration file (see also description of
SANECONFIGDIR below).
/usr/lib/sane/libsane-bh.a
The static library implementing this backend.
/usr/lib/sane/libsane-bh.so
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The shared library implementing this backend (present
on systems that support dynamic loading).
ENVIRONMENT
SANECONFIGDIR
This environment variable specifies the list of direc-
tories that may contain the configuration file. Under
UNIX, the directories are separated by a colon (`:'),
under OS/2, they are separated by a semi-colon (`;').
If this variable is not set, the configuration file is
searched in two default directories: first, the current
working directory (".") and then in /etc/sane.d. If
the value of the environment variable ends with the
directory separator character, then the default direc-
tories are searched after the explicitly specified
directories. For example, setting SANECONFIGDIR to
"/tmp/config:" would result in directories
"tmp/config", ".", and "/etc/sane.d" being searched (in
this order).
SANEDEBUGBH
If the library was compiled with debug support enabled,
this environment variable controls the debug level for
this backend. E.g., a value of 255 requests all debug
output to be printed. Smaller levels reduce verbosity.
SUPORTED FEATURES
ADF support
With document scanners, automatic document feeder (ADF)
support is a key feature. The backend supports the ADF
by default and returns SANESTATUSNODOCS when the
out-of-paper condition is detected. The SANE frontend
scanadf is a command line frontend that supports
multi-page scans. It has been used successfully with
this backend. The SANE frontend xsane is an improved
GUI frontend by Oliver Rauch. Support for multi-page
scans is included in xsane version 0.35 and above.
Duplex scanning
Some models, such as the COPISCAN I 6338, support
duplex scanning. That is, they scan both sides of the
document during a single pass through the scanner (the
scanner has two cameras). This backend supports duplex
scanning (with the --duplex option). The front and
back page images are delivered consecutively as if they
were separately scanned pages.
Hardware compression
The scanner is capable of compressing the data into
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several industry standard formats (CIT G3, CIT G3-
2D, CIT G4). This results in increased performance
as less data is passed from the scanner to the host
over the SCSI bus. The backend supports these compres-
sion formats via the --g31d, --g32d, --g42d options,
respectively. Many SANE frontends are not equipped to
deal with these formats, however. The SANE frontend
scanadf supports these optional frame formats. The
compressed image data is written directly to a file and
can then be processed by a scan-script using the --
scan-script option. Examples of this are given on the
scanadf homepage.
Automatic Border Detection
The scanner can automatically detect the paper size and
adjust the scanning window geometry appropriately. The
backend supports this useful feature with the --
autoborder option. It is enabled by default.
Batch Mode Scanning
The batch scan mode allows for maximum throughput. The
Set Window parameters must remain constant during the
entire batch.
Icon Generation
The Icon function generates a thumbnail of the full
page image, that can be transferred as if it were a
separate page. This allows the host to quickly display
a thumbnail representation during the scanning opera-
tion. Perhaps this would be a great way of implement-
ing a preview scan, but since a normal scan is so
quick, it might not be worth the trouble.
Multiple Sections
Multiple sections (scanning sub-windows) can be defined
for the front and back pages. Each section can have
different characteristics (e.g. geometry, compression).
The sections are returned as if they were separately
scanned images. Additionally sections can be used to
greatly enhance the accuracy and efficiency of the
barcode/patchcode decoding process by limiting the
search area to a small subset of the page. Most Copis-
can I series scanners support up to 8 user-defined
sections.
Support Barcode/Patchcode Decoding
The RSC unit can recognize Bar and Patch Codes of
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various types embedded in the scanned image. The codes
are decoded and the data is returned to the frontend as
a text frame. The text is encoded in xml and contains
a great deal of information about the decoded data such
as the location where it was found, its orientation,
and the time it took to find. Further information on
the content of this text frame as well as some barcode
decoding examples can be found on the backend homepage.
LIMITATIONS
Decoding a single barcode type per
The RSC unit can search for up to six different barcode
types at a time. While the code generally supports
this as well, the --barcode-search-bar option only
allows the user to specify a single barcode type.
Perhaps another option which allows a comma separated
list of barcode type codes could be added to address
this.
Scanning a fixed number of pages
The separation of front and back end functionality in
SANE presents a problem in supporting the 'cancel
batch' functionality in the scanner. In batch mode,
the scanner is always a page ahead of the host. The
host, knowing ahead of time which page will be the
last, can cancel batch mode prior to initiating the
last scan command. Currently, there is no mechanism
available for the frontend to pass this knowledge to
the backend. If batch mode is enabled and the --end-
count terminates a scanadf session, an extra page will
be pulled through the scanner, but is neither read nor
delivered to the frontend. The issue can be avoided by
specifying --batch=no when scanning a fixed number of
pages.
Revision 1.2 Patch detector
There is an enhanced patchcode detection algorithm
available in the RSC with revision 1.2 or higher that
is faster and more reliable than the standard Bar/Patch
code decoder. This is not currently supported.
OPTIONS
Scan Mode Options:
--preview[=(yesno)] [no]
Request a preview-quality scan. When preview is set to
yes image compression is disabled and the image is
delivered in a SANEFRAMEGRAY frame.
--mode linearthalftone [lineart]
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Selects the scan mode (e.g., lineart,monochrome, or
color).
--resolution 200240300dpi [200]
Sets the resolution of the scanned image. Each scanner
model supports a list of standard resolutions; only
these resolutions can be used.
--compression noneg31dg32dg42d [none]
Sets the compression mode of the scanner. Determines
the type of data returned from the scanner. Values
are:
none - uncompressed data - delivered in a
SANEFRAMEGRAY frame
g31d - CIT G3 1 dimension (MH) - delivered in a
SANEFRAMEG31D frame
g32d - CIT G3 2 dimensions (MR, K=4) - delivered in a
SANEFRAMEG32D frame
g42d - CIT G4 (MR) - delivered in a SANEFRAMEG42D
frame
NOTE: The use of g31d, g32d, and g42d compression
values causes the backend to generate optional frame
formats which may not be supported by all SANE fron-
tends.
Geometry Options:
--autoborder[=(yesno)] [yes]
Enable/Disable automatic image border detection. When
enabled, the RSC unit automatically detects the image
area and sets the window geometry to match.
--paper-size CustomLetterLegalA3A4A5A6B4B5 [Custom]
Specify the scan window geometry by specifying the
paper size of the documents to be scanned.
--tl-x 0..297.18mm [0]
Top-left x position of scan area.
--tl-y 0..431.8mm [0]
Top-left y position of scan area.
--br-x 0..297.18mm [297.18]
Bottom-right x position of scan area.
--br-y 0..431.8mm [431.8]
Bottom-right y position of scan area.
Feeder Options:
--source Automatic Document FeederManual Feed Tray
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Selects the scan source (such as a document feeder).
This option is provided to allow multiple image scans
with xsane; it has no other purpose.
--batch[=(yesno)] [no]
Enable/disable batch mode scanning. Batch mode allows
scanning at maximum throughput by buffering within the
RSC unit. This option is recommended when performing
multiple pages scans until the feeder is emptied.
--duplex[=(yesno)] [no]
Enable duplex (dual-sided) scanning. The scanner takes
an image of each side of the document during a single
pass through the scanner. The front page is delivered
followed by the back page. Most options, such as
compression, affect both the front and back pages.
--timeout-adf 0..255 [0]
Sets the timeout in seconds for the automatic document
feeder (ADF). The value 0 specifies the hardware
default value which varies based on the scanner model.
--timeout-manual 0..255 [0]
Sets the timeout in seconds for semi-automatic feeder.
The value 0 specifies the hardware default value which
varies based on the scanner model.
--check-adf[=(yesno)] [no]
Check ADF Status prior to starting scan using the
OBJECT POSITION command. Note that this feature
requires RSC firmware level 1.5 or higher and dip
switch 4 must be in the on position. NOTE: This option
has not been tested extensively and may produce
undesirable results.
Enhancement:
--control-panel[=(yesno)] [yes]
Enables the scanner's control panel for selecting image
enhancement parameters. When the option is set to no
the following options are used to control image
enhancement. See the Bell]Howell scanner users' guide
for complete information on ACE functionality.
--ace-function -4..4 [3]
Specify the Automatic Contrast Enhancement (ACE) Func-
tion.
--ace-sensitivity 0..9 [5]
Specify the Automatic Contrast Enhancement (ACE) Sensi-
tivity.
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--brightness 0..255 [0]
Controls the brightness of the acquired image. Ignored
for ACE capable scanners.
--threshold 0..255 [0]
Select minimum-brightness to get a white point.
Ignored for ACE capable scanners.
--contrast 0..255 [inactive]
Controls the contrast of the acquired image. This
option is not currently used by the scanner (and
perhaps never will be).
--negative[=(yesno)] [no]
Swap black and white, yielding a reverse-video image.
Icon:
--icon-width 0..3600pel (in steps of 8)
Width of icon (thumbnail) image in pixels.
--icon-length 0..3600pel (in steps of 8)
Length of icon (thumbnail) image in pixels.
Barcode Options:
--barcode-search-bar [none]
Specifies the barcode type to search for. If this
option is not specified, or specified with a value of
none, then the barcode decoding feature is completely
disabled. The valid barcode type are:
none
ean-8
ean-13
reserved-ean-add
code39
code2-5-interleaved
code2-5-3lines-matrix
code2-5-3lines-datalogic
code2-5-5lines-industrial
patchcode
codabar
codabar-with-start-stop
code39ascii
code128
code2-5-5lines-iata
--barcode-search-count 1..7 [3]
Number of times that the RSC performs the decoding
algorithm. Specify the smallest number possible to
increase performance. If you are having trouble recog-
nizing barcodes, it is suggested that you increase this
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option to its maximum value (7).
--barcode-search-mode [horiz-vert]
Chooses the orientation of barcodes to be searched.
The valid orientations are:
horiz-vert
horizontal
vertical
vert-horiz
--barcode-hmin 0..1660mm [5]
Sets the barcode minimum height in millimeters (larger
values increase recognition speed). Of course the
actual barcodes in the document must be of sufficient
size.
--barcode-search-timeout 20..65535us [10000]
Sets the timeout for barcode searching in milliseconds.
When the timeout expires, the decoder will stop trying
to decode barcodes.
--section []
Specifies a series of image sections. A section can be
used to gather a subset image or to provide a small
area for barcode decoding. Each section is specified in
the following format (units are in millimeters):
x]][:functioncode...]
Multiple sections can be specified by separating them with
commas.
For example 76.2x25.4]50.8]0:frontbar identifies an area 3
inches wide and 1 inch high with a top left corner at the
top of the page two inches from the left hand edge of the
page. This section will be used for barcode decoding on the
front page only.
For example 50.8x25.4]25.4]0:frontbar:front:g42d identifies
an area 2 inches wide and 1 inch high with a top left corner
at the top of the page one inch from the left hand edge of
the page. This section will be used for barcode decoding on
the front page as well as generating an image compressed in
g42d format.
Ordinarily barcodes are searched in the entire image. How-
ever, when you specify sections all barcode searching is
done within the specific sections identified. This can sig-
nificantly speed up the decoding process.
The following functioncodes are available:
front - generate an image for the front page section
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back - generate an image for the back page section
frontbar - perform barcode search in front page section
backbar - perform barcode search in back page section
frontpatch - perform patchcode search in front page
section
backpatch - perform patchcode search in back page sec-
tion
none - use no image compression
g31d - use Group 3 1 dimension image compression
g32d - use Group 3 2 dimensions image compression
g42d - use Group 4 2 dimensions image compression
If you omit a compression functioncode, the full page
compression setting is used. If you specify multiple
compression functioncodes, only the last one is used.
--barcode-relmax 0..255 [0]
Specifies the maximum relation from the widest to the
smallest bar.
--barcode-barmin 0..255 [0]
Specifies the minimum number of bars in Bar/Patch code.
--barcode-barmax 0..255 [0]
Specifies the maximum number of bars in a Bar/Patch
code.
--barcode-contrast 0..6 [3]
Specifies the image contrast used in decoding. Use
higher values when there are more white pixels in the
code.
--barcode-patchmode 0..1 [0]
Controls Patch Code detection.
BUGS
This is a new backend; detailed bug reports are welcome --
and expected ;)
If you have found something that you think is a bug, please
attempt to recreate it with the SANEDEBUGBH environment
variable set to 255, and send a report detailing the condi-
tions surrounding the bug to sane-
devel@lists.alioth.debian.org.
SEE ALSO
sane(7), sane-scsi(5), scanimage(1), scanadf(1)
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AUTHOR
The sane-bh backend was written by Tom Martone, based on the
sane-ricoh backend by Feico W. Dillema and the bnhscan pro-
gram by Sean Reifschneider of tummy.com ltd. Some 8000
enhancements added by Mark Temple.
ATRIBUTES
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attri-
butes:
ATRIBUTE TYPE ATRIBUTE VALUE
Availability SUNWsane-backend
Interface Stability Uncommitted
NOTES
Source for SANE is available on http:/opensolaris.org.
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