What Customers Want: Automatic Data Capture

Many businesses—hotels, airlines, car rental agencies, and banks—search for scanners that can automatically capture traveler information from passports and populate data fields in their systems. The goal is to eliminate manual data entry, reduce errors, and speed up customer processing.

However, a key point often misunderstood: the scanner itself does not fill data into your system. The scanner captures the data and sends it as a stream of characters (like a keyboard typing). How that data is parsed, formatted, and inserted into your software fields is handled by your own application, not by XTIOT.

What XTIOT Scanners Do: Capture and Output Data

XTIOT passport scanners are hardware devices that:

• Capture the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) from passports, ID cards, and visas

• Decode the information into readable text

• Output the data via USB, TTL, or RS232 interfaces

The scanner behaves like a keyboard (in USB-HID mode) or sends data as a serial stream (in USB-VCOM or RS232 mode). When a passport is scanned, the data is transmitted as if typed by a keyboard—for example:

P<USADOE<<JOHN<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
A12345678USA8010101M2501011<<<<<<<<<<<<<<00

It is then up to your own software to:

• Parse the MRZ string into individual fields (name, document number, date of birth, expiry date, nationality)

• Map those fields to the appropriate input boxes in your system

• Add line breaks, tabs, or other formatting as needed

XTIOT Products for Passport Scanning

XT2010MRZ Fixed-Mount Passport Scanner

The XT2010MRZ is designed for reading Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) codes on passports, ID cards, and travel documents .

Key Specifications:

How It Works in Your System:

1. Scanner captures MRZ data

2. Scanner sends data as keyboard input (or serial stream)

3. Your application receives the data

4. Your software parses and populates fields

XT8002C Android PDA – Mobile Passport Scanner

The XT8002C is a rugged Android PDA that reads both MRZ and e-Passport RFID chips . It runs on Android 15 and supports custom application development via SDK.

Key Specifications:

How It Works in Your System:

1. Custom app on the XT8002C captures MRZ data

2. Your app parses the data and populates fields within the app

3. Data is then transmitted to your backend PMS, CRM, or ERP via WiFi or 4G

How Data Gets into Your System: The Development Process

Since XTIOT does not provide software to fill your data fields, you (or your developer) need to build a simple application that:

Step 1: Receive the Data

The scanner acts as a keyboard (USB-HID mode). When a passport is scanned, data appears as if typed:

P<USADOE<<JOHN<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
A12345678USA8010101M2501011<<<<<<<<<<<<<<00

Step 2: Parse the MRZ String

Your software must parse the raw MRZ into meaningful fields:

Step 3: Map to System Fields

Your software then maps parsed data to your system's input fields:

• Name → Guest Name field

• Passport Number → ID Document field

• Expiry Date → Document Expiry field

• Date of Birth → Date of Birth field

Step 4: Add Formatting (Line Breaks, Tabs, etc.)

Your application can insert:

• Tab characters to move between fields

• Enter/Return to submit forms

• Prefixes/Suffixes to match your data format

Note: XTIOT scanners do support basic prefix/suffix configuration (up to 10 characters) via programming barcodes, but complex field mapping and auto-population require custom software development.

Application Scenarios

Scenario 1: Hotel Check-in System

Your Setup: Hotel PMS running on a Windows PC at front desk.

How It Works:

1. Front desk staff places passport under XT2010MRZ scanner

2. Scanner sends MRZ data (as keyboard input) to the PC

3. Your custom hotel software (or a simple script) intercepts the data

4. Software parses MRZ, extracts guest name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, expiry date

5. Software automatically fills these fields in the PMS guest registration screen

6. Staff completes check-in in seconds

Development Required: Custom integration software or script that listens for scanner input, parses MRZ, and maps to PMS fields.

Scenario 2: Airport Check-in Kiosk

Your Setup: Self-service kiosk running Windows/Linux with airline check-in application.

How It Works:

1. Passenger places passport in the scanner slot

2. Scanner sends MRZ data to the kiosk

3. Airline application (with built-in MRZ parsing) receives the data

4. Application extracts passenger details and retrieves booking information

5. Passenger confirms details and proceeds to bag drop

Development Required: MRZ parsing module integrated into the airline check-in application.

Scenario 3: Mobile Check-in with Android PDA

Your Setup: Hotel staff using XT8002C Android PDA with custom check-in app.

How It Works:

1. Staff opens custom check-in app on XT8002C

2. Staff scans guest passport using integrated scanner

3. App captures MRZ data

4. App parses MRZ and populates guest profile fields within the app

5. App transmits data to hotel PMS via WiFi or 4G

6. Staff completes check-in at the guest's side—no front desk needed

Development Required: Custom Android application built using XTIOT SDK, with MRZ parsing and PMS API integration.

Scenario 4: Car Rental Counter

Your Setup: Rental counter with PC and XT2010MRZ scanner.

How It Works:

1. Customer presents driver's license and passport

2. Staff scans passport (or driver's license with PDF417 barcode)

3. Scanner sends data to PC

4. Your rental software parses the data

5. Software populates customer profile with name, license number, and ID details

6. Rental agreement generated in seconds

Development Required: Rental management software with MRZ/PDF417 parsing capability.

Summary: What XTIOT Provides vs. What You Build

Why Customers Choose XTIOT for Auto-Capture