Updated: March 5, 2024 1:36pm

iOS Guide (Apple Devices)

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Tablets like the iPad and other iOS devices have transformed the retail experience due to the mobility and convenience they provide. The RP Prism app, available for free download from the Apple App Store, enables iOS devices to connect to a RP Prism server and function as complete, full-featured retail workstations.
Basic Steps
1.    Make sure "auto updates" are disabled on the device.
2.    On each iPad, download the RP Prism app from the Apple or iTunes store.
3.    When the download is complete, open the app and go through the onboarding process.
4.    When onboarding is complete, exit all screens. Launch the app and perform transactions.

Supported Hardware Devices
Supported iOS Devices (iOS 9.0 and above): iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad Mini, iPad, iPad Pro
Supported Barcode Scanners: Infinea, Captuvo
Supported MSR Devices: Infinea, Captuvo
Supported Printer Types: Bluetooth (Epson), Airprint (Brother)

Download and Onboard the Prism App
Go to the Apple Store. In the Search field, enter "retail pro international". A list of matching results is displayed. Navigate to the RP Prism panel. Tap the Download icon.  When the download finishes, tap the Open button.

RP Prism app in Apple Store
download prism app in app store

 

Onboarding the Prism App
When you open the app the first time, you are prompted to go through the onboarding process.
Screen 1: Click the Start button.
Onboard start

Screen 2: Enter the server name (FQDN or IP Address) You must enter a value to proceed.
 Onboard screen 2
Screen 3: Enter the server's port number. By default, Prism uses port 8080.
onboard screen 3

Screen 4:
Enable SSL: Select this option if the server has an SSL certificate installed.  (Note: If you enable SSL and then try to connect to a server without a cert, you will be prompted to disable SSL and try again. The app itself does not delete any previously installed certificates.)
Don't use SSL: Select this option if there is no SSL certificate on the server.
onboard screen 4, enable ssl


Screen 5: Test the connection to the Prism server. Testing will alert you to any errors. If no errors are found, you will continue to the next screen upon success.
onboard screen 5 test connection


Screen 6: Click Done.
onboard screen 6 finish screen

Enabling Full Trust for Root Certificates
After installing the certificate, go into the Settings > General area. In the Certificate Trust Settings area, enable Full Trust for root certificates.

Prism Launcher Home Screen
When the App is launched, a home screen is displayed, showing the current active server details with links to connect, change server and view additional settings.

  • Change Server - Will take user to the Server Configuration screen
  • Additional Settings - Will take user to the Settings screen
  • Connect - Attempts to connect to the user's configured Prism Server

To exit RP Prism
Tap the Retail Pro button in the lower-left and select Exit POS.
"Page Failed to Load" Error Message
If you see a "Page Failed to Load" error message when you launch RP Prism, it means you have some extra pages open. To fix the problem, double-click the Home button, remove extra pages and then start RP Prism again.
Using Prism on iOS device
Once you log in to Prism, you can use the program just as you would on a Windows desktop.  Two special UI elements are the Options and Camera buttons. The Options button is a gear-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. When you tap the Options icon, you will see a menu with selections to reload the page, view settings, or change the server. The Camera is located in the Item Lookup field and is used for scanning items.

Disable Automatic Downloads (Auto Updates)
The "auto updates" feature should be disabled. If auto updates are on, the Prism app may be updated before the Prism server is updated. This, in turn, could cause a loss of functionality. After an app has been updated, you can't revert the app to a previous version, so make sure auto updates are disabled. The screenshot below shows automatic downloads for Apps and Updates are turned off. Make sure both are off.
Settings > iTunes & App Stores
disable auto updates

Options and Camera Buttons
The Options and Camera buttons are frequently used buttons when using Prism on iOS devices. The Options button always defaults in the upper right corner but can be dragged. The Camera button displays when the Item Lookup field  is active (keyboard is open). Clicking the button launches the user's camera to scan for barcodes.

Camera Barcode Scanner
The Camera Barcode Scanner appears when the Camera Button is clicked. On first use, the user will have to grant the App access to the camera. When access has been granted, the App will display the camera's view and begin to scan for barcodes. There will be a flashing blue and white frame displayed on top, which is the active area being scanned.
Note 1: The default camera is the device's back camera. If a back camera is not available (such as with an older iPod Touch) then it will use the front-facing camera.
Note 2: If camera access is denied, it can be re-established by opening the device's Settings app, going to Retail Pro Prism and enabling the Camera option.

Hardware - Barcode Readers and Printers
RP Prism users can configure hardware within the Settings area of the iOS Launcher app and enable or disable individual devices or features.
Currently the iOS Launcher supports the Infinea and Captuvo SL62 peripheral devices to support credit card reading and (for the latter two) barcode scanning.  Support for these devices is enabled at application startup.
The following are the device types that can be used with iOS devices:

  • Infinea: Can be used with credit card transactions only as well as scan bar codes. Debit and gift cards are not supported.
  • Honeywell Captuvo SL62: Can be used with credit cards as well as scan bar codes. Debit and gift cards are not supported.

Infinea Barcode Reader
Retailers running RP Prism on an iOS device can use the Infinea Barcode Reader to swipe credit cards and scan bar codes. The Infinea Barcode Reader is a handheld reader with a small footprint of less than 5 oz., making it well suited to use with mobile devices like the iPad.
No configuration is necessary. The Infinea is ready to use as soon as it is plugged into the iPad.
IDTech Encryption Chip
The Infinea device works with Cayan transport using IDTech encryption. This has two important ramifications:

  • The Infinea can only be used with credit cards. It cannot be used with gift cards
  • The Associate must use the web form (rather than the Genius CED) for performing credit card transactions

For Gift Card transactions, you must enter the number manually, or use a Genius device (redemptions only)
Honeywell Captuvo SL62
The Honeywell Captuvo SL62 sled encases the popular iPad mini, transforming it into a full-fledged POS workstation complete with a bar code scanner and card swipe.  The Captuvo SL62 sled is a rugged device that protects all versions of the iPad mini against wear and tear. Importantly, the unit can be held with one hand as items are scanned. Battery power to the iPad mini is additionally supported by the SL62 to reduce downtime and maximize productivity. The unit is easy to hold with one hand. The Honeywell Captuvo relies on the same IDTech encryption technology as the Infinea. This means that the Honeywell Captuvo SL62 can only be used with credit card transactions and users must use the Web Form for the transactions (or the Genius device, if available).
Cash Drawers, Line Displays, Printers
Each iPad connected to the Prism server will show up as a workstation in the RP Prism Administration Console. You can configure Workstation Preferences for the iPad so that the iPad can send commands to open a cash drawer, print a receipt, or use a line (pole) display that is connected to the Proxy machine. When configuring Workstation Preferences, you select the appropriate Proxy as the HAL and then configure Printer, Line Display and Cash Drawer settings as needed.
Bluetooth Printers
Prism includes support for printing to a Bluetooth printer from an iOS device. This enables retailers to pair an iPad or iPod Touch with a mobile receipt printer for mobility and flexibility at POS.
Limitations/Requirements

  • Only available from iOS devices
  • Requires Epson mobile receipt printers with Bluetooth support (Epson TM-P20 and TM-P60ii have been tested).
  • Only one Bluetooth printer per device is supported (pairing two or more Bluetooth printers to a device is allowed in iOS, but is an invalid configuration in Prism)

Basic Steps for Bluetooth Printers

  1. Make sure the Bluetooth printer is turned on, within range of the device and not paired with any other iOS device.
  2. Navigate to the Settings area for the iOS device and assign an available Epson printer to the device.
  3. When the printer's name appears in the Devices list, select it to begin pairing. When pairing is complete, the printer will report "Connected". (If pairing fails, try again until it succeeds).
  4. When Bluetooth pairing is complete, open the Prism iOS Launcher. When the Prism iOS Launcher starts up, it will discover the paired Bluetooth printer during hardware discovery.  This is similar to the way the Prism Proxy discovers local hardware on a Windows workstation. Note: The iOS Launcher will check the version of Prism running on the server at login and will alert the user if the Prism version is incorrect)
  5. Login to Prism. The Launcher registers printers to the Prism server upon login.  If connecting directly to the Prism server, only the Bluetooth printer will be registered; if connecting through the Prism Proxy, both Bluetooth and Windows printers will be registered.
  6. The Bluetooth printer should now be available for printing receipts from Prism.  If the Launcher is running through the Prism Proxy, Windows network printers will also be available for printing.

AirPrint

  1. Make sure the printer can be accessed on the same WiFi network that the iOS device is using. (Contact your network administrator to accomplish this.)
  2. Open the Prism iOS Launcher and login to Prism.
  3. The Launcher registers a generic "AirPrint" resource to the Prism server upon login.  In addition, if a Bluetooth printer is paired with the device, this Bluetooth printer will also be registered.  If connecting through the Prism Proxy, Windows printers will also be registered.
  4. Create a document to be printed from Prism. From the print menu, select "AirPrint".
  5. This opens Apple's AirPrint dialog box, which is built into iOS.  From there the user may select the printer from the WiFi network, and the number of copies to be printed. Once printing is complete, the AirPrint dialog box will close and control returns to Prism.

Known issues
If this is the first time the iOS device is connecting to Prism, the device will register its name as the workstation name in Prism's Administration Console.  The AirPrint resource will not be created until a second login attempt.  This is already a requirement for use of the iPod Touch, because on first login it uses the Default layout, which is the wrong layout for this device.  The user must change the layout setting to Portrait and login again.  But for the iPad this second login is also required to register the AirPrint resource, even if no other configuration is required for the device.
Portrait Layout
iOS devices require a special layout due to the limited screen space available so you must set the workstation record to use the "Portrait" layout option. The Portrait layouts are optimized for use with devices with limited screen space.
Portrait Layout Limitations

  • Configurable at workstation-level only
  • Normal access to Admin Console not available
  • Structured Z-Out Reports not available
  • Pending Transaction not available
  • Returns not available

To use Portrait Layout

  1. Install RP Prism on the iPod as described in the RP Prism iOS Guide.    
  2. Log in to RP Prism on the iPod and then log out. This creates a workstation record for the iPod at the Prism server.
  3. Launch the Prism server and log in.    
  4. Select the Retail Pro button and then select Administration Console.    
  5. Select Preferences & Settings > Themes & Layouts.    
  6. Double-click the subsidiary to which the workstation belongs.    
  7. Double-click the store to which the workstation belongs.    
  8. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) for the desired workstation.    
  9. Navigate to the View Path setting and select "Portrait" from the drop-down.
  10. Touch or click the Save button.    
  11. Launch RP Prism on the iPod and log in. Portrait layouts will be enabled.    

Accessing Admin Console in Portrait Mode
There is no button to directly access the Administration Console when using RP Prism on an iPod. However, if you need to access the Admin Console from a workstation in portrait mode, you can do so by typing the following into the address bar:    /prism.shtml#/adminconsole

Settings
Click Settings to edit various settings for the device, including hardware devices.

Element Description
Workstation Name This setting enables you to set the iOS name for the iPad, independently of the Apple iPad name. This parameter has a maximum character length of 15 alpha numeric characters as well as '-' and .
Define Servers Allow user to configure up to 10 Prism servers (server name, port, default username and default password) to use to connect to Prism.
Automatically login Enable automatic login when default username and default password are set for the default server.
Infinea barcode scanners Enable use of Infinea barcode scanners
Captuvo barcode scanners. Enable use of Captuvo barcode scanners.
Auto Connect Sets the app to automatically try to connect to the default server
Prevent device from sleeping Sets the app to prevent the user's device from falling asleep / automatically locking
Lock on Suspend Normally when an iOS app such as RP Prism is closed or goes to sleep after a timeout, the app isn't terminated, but sent into the background and suspended. If the app is reopened, it resumes where it left off. When Lock on Suspend is enabled, any suspended RP Prism app will automatically log out the session when the app is reopened. This happens whether the user suspended the app deliberately, or the suspension was due to a timeout.
Hide Settings button This setting enables you to hide the settings button from users on the Prism UI
Enable device sounds Enables/disables device sounds including beeps when items are scanned
Convert UPC-E to UPC-A There are two variations of UPC: UPC-A and UPC-E. UPC-E is a shorter version of UPC-A. 
  • When enabled, scanned numbers in UPC-E format will be converted to UPC-A format by adding zeros. (applies to camera scanner only)
  • When disabled, numbers in UPC-E format will not be converted to UPC-A. 
Enabling this setting ensures UPCs scanned by the camera are in the desired format. 
About Tap this link to display information about the current version of the software.
Download Prism Companion App This setting enables you to go directly to the Apple Store to download the Prism Companion app

Sample iOS Settings screen:
ios Settings screen

Server Settings Screen
You can view the current default server as well as update any of the available server settings. If you change server settings, be sure to tap Save Settings and then Test Connection. Tap the ‘X' in the top left corner to exit the screen.

Element Description
Current Server Displays the user's default server information. Not selectable
Server Listing Displays 10 rows for server configurations and values for saved configurations.
Server User can enter Prism server name.
Port ser can enter Port to connect to server over.
Enable SSL ser can enable/disable SSL use when connecting to Prism.
Default Server User can enable/disable the configuration to be the default server
Test Connection Performs connection test to verify server
Save Server Saves the server configuration
Clear Server Clears the server configuration.

Disable Automatic Downloads (Auto Updates)
On the iOS device Settings screen, the "auto updates" feature should be disabled. If auto updates are on, the Prism app may be updated before the Prism server is updated. This, in turn, could cause a loss of functionality. After an app has been updated, you can't revert the app to a previous version, so make sure auto updates are disabled. The screenshot below shows automatic downloads for Apps and Updates are turned off. Make sure both are off.