# Getting data from a barcode scanner into a Raspberry Pi (without using a dashboard)
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/getting-data-from-a-barcode-scanner-into-a-raspberry-pi-without-using-a-dashboard/93512
**Category:** Industrial
**Created:** [27 November 2024 11:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/getting-data-from-a-barcode-scanner-into-a-raspberry-pi-without-using-a-dashboard/93512 "2024-11-27T11:43:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@OriolFM](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/OriolFM)
#### Post date: [27 November 2024 11:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/getting-data-from-a-barcode-scanner-into-a-raspberry-pi-without-using-a-dashboard/93512/1 "2024-11-27T11:43:09Z")
Looking for an alternative to outrageously expensive industrial-grade barcode scanners for tracking start/end batch times in some of the old production lines (you know, the ones controlled by analog relays and timers, without PLC), I decided to give a try to a few Raspberry Pis (model 3B) that IT had lying around in a corner.
The idea was to get a regular, inexpensive 1D barcode scanner to use with the work order sheets (they have a barcode printed along that I can scan to get the details of the order).
I'd 3D print a DIn rail mount for the PI, and the barcode readers would be installed next to the input and output ports of the production line. The idea is to have just a pair of LEDs (green for successful read, red for error) and the barcode reader connected to the Pi. No screen, no dashboard to speak of.
Now, I installed @gdziuba/node-red-usbhid (which was updated 11 months ago, as opposed to the node-red-contrib-usbhid which hasn't updated in years). The instructions for both seem to be identical.
I followed the instructions to the letter, but I get an error, [as I described in the nodes github issues](https://github.com/gdziuba/node-red-contrib-usbhid/issues/9#issuecomment-2503408205).
now, this seems to be an issue with the permissions, but I added the standard user to an input group exactly as the instructions describe, and I haven't been able to get it working.
Any ideas to solve this, or any working alternative?
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [27 November 2024 12:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/getting-data-from-a-barcode-scanner-into-a-raspberry-pi-without-using-a-dashboard/93512/2 "2024-11-27T12:48:07Z")
Did you also try the default node-red-node-pi-gpio nodes that have a pi-keyboard node that may provide key codes as if it was a keyboard ? Worth a try maybe.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [26 January 2025 12:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/getting-data-from-a-barcode-scanner-into-a-raspberry-pi-without-using-a-dashboard/93512/3 "2025-01-26T12:48:45Z")
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