Scales and barcodes — Paloma365 Classic (Windows POS)
This article covers Paloma365 Classic, the Windows POS application. The POS works with label-printing electronic scales: products are uploaded to the scale, the scale weighs an item and prints a label with a weight barcode, and the cashier scans it at the register — the item lands in the receipt with the exact weight.
Supported scales
Scales are configured in the POS settings window ("Настройки Paloma365 - фронт офис"), on the Equipment ("Оборудование") tab, with dedicated sections for Massa-K and Rongta (plus Shtrih and Mertech).
- Massa-K — pick your model line (old, new, Driver 100, or Driver R). Connection is via COM port or IP address (Driver R uses IP). The "Тест подключения" button checks the link.
- Rongta — connects over the network: fill in the "IP-адреса весов" (scale IP addresses) list; several scales can be added. In the upload window each row also has a "Коэффициент" (ratio) and a "Драйвер" (driver) column — "Старый" (Old) or "Новый" (New), by scale generation.
- Mertech — also networked: each row lists the scale's IP address, port and password.
- SHTRIH — label-printing SHTRIH-PRINT scales have their own upload window with "Прогрузить весы" (upload), "Очистить весы" (clear the scale memory) and "Печать PLU кодов" (saves the PLU list to a PLU_CODES.xlsx file). The exchange runs over the network; the ports are set in the same window.
What different scales can do:
| Scales | PLU upload | Reading the weight at the POS |
|---|---|---|
| SHTRIH | yes (SHTRIH-PRINT) | yes (SHTRIH-Slim) |
| Massa-K | yes | yes — old/new line and Driver 100; Driver R does not report weight |
| Rongta | yes | no |
| Mertech | yes | no |
Uploading products to the scale (PLU)
A scale only prints labels for products loaded into it, so re-upload after adding products or changing prices. Only products with a PLU code on the item card (in the dashboard) are uploaded.
To upload manually, press "Прогрузить PLU" in the scale section, review the product list and price type, then press "Прогрузить весы". For Massa-K, the success message "Товары выгружены" (items uploaded) is shown only with the Driver R option; with the other Massa-K options the upload is performed by a separate scale-exchange program and the POS does not report the result — check that the scale prints labels with the new prices. Enable "Автоматически выгружать PLU товаров" to let the POS re-upload in the background whenever items or prices change.
Selling weighted items
- The item is weighed on the scale, which prints a barcode label.
- The cashier scans it into the item barcode field ("ШК товара").
- The POS decodes the label: the first two digits are the weight prefix (usually 22), then the product code (PLU), then the weight — the item is added with the correct weight automatically. Piece items from the scale use prefix 21 (quantity instead of weight).
Prefixes and the label search mode (by code and PLU / by PLU / by code) live in the barcode format settings and must match how products were uploaded. Adding a weighted item without a label opens a weight entry window. The warehouse packing window can also print weight-barcode labels itself, pulling the weight straight from a connected scale.
Reading the weight at the POS: the weight/quantity entry windows have a "Get from scales" button — the POS requests the weight directly from the scale. This works with SHTRIH-Slim and Massa-K scales (except the Driver R option); Rongta and Mertech do not report weight to the POS — they only print labels. Possible messages: "Weight is unstable!" (wait for the scale to settle and retry), "Failed to connect to scales", "Error while trying to get the weight value from scales", and a driver-load error for SHTRIH-Slim (the scale driver is not installed on the computer).
Barcode scanner at the register
Factory barcodes are scanned into the same field: the POS finds the product by the barcode from its item card. If nothing matches, it shows "Товар не найден" (item not found).
The barcode field behavior is configurable in the POS settings:
- ""Barcode" field for customer search" — the sale-screen field turns into "Customer code": scanning a card finds the customer instead of a product.
- "Allow selling pieced items only by barcode" — a piece item that has a barcode cannot be added from a menu tile: the POS answers "Given item can only be sold by scanning the bardcode". Protects against mix-ups — the cashier must scan the actual product.
- "Field "Barcode" contains 30 symbols" — for scanners and labels that emit a long 30-character code: the POS extracts the standard 13-digit barcode from it and searches by that.
Common problems
- Scale not responding — check power, IP address, and that the scale is on the same network as the POS (or the right COM port); repeat the connection test or upload.
- Product missing on the scale — usually the PLU code is empty on the item card; items are also skipped with a zero price (when hidden) or, for Rongta, a PLU longer than 6 digits. Fix the card and upload again.
- Barcode not found — the product has no barcode assigned. Assign it on the item card in the dashboard and wait for the POS to sync; for scale labels check the search mode and prefixes.
FAQ
Do I need to re-upload after a price change?
Yes, otherwise labels keep the old price. Press "Прогрузить PLU" or enable automatic upload.
Where do I assign a barcode and PLU to a product?
On the item card in the dashboard; after syncing, re-upload the scales.