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A barcode reader / Scanner scan help you to perform your job better by managing your database in an organized manner, to manage your inventory, or to monitor all movements of stock.

Barcode readers are used in libraries, commercial establishments, Retail stores, factories or warehouses.

However, all barcode readers are not the same. So how do you go about choosing the right barcode reader for your organization?

First of all you should be aware of the reason for the requirement of a barcode reader. For instance, you can use a barcode reader to trace the movement of items to and from warehouse. It may also be used to track the movement of people within your premises. The choice of an appropriate barcode reader depends a lot on its usage.

Barcode readers, which are used in industrial areas such as warehouses, need to be tough enough to stand the working conditions. These types of rugged barcode readers are often encased in rubber to protect them from the inevitable knocks.

There are essentially three types of barcode readers:



Laser-based barcode reader

Charged coupled device barcode reader (CCD)

Camera-based barcode reader or Imager



To verify and identify the barcode of an item, the laser-based barcode reader uses the laser beam emitted from the barcode reader itself. An advantage of this type is that it can read the barcode from a distance. CCD-based barcode readers use light, which is emitted from light sensors present in the barcode and is used to identify the items. A camera-based barcode reader identifies items by taking a picture of the barcode.

When choosing a barcode reader, you need to know what type of barcode it should read and what connection type you require i.e. through Keyboard, USB or serial connection.

Various Styles of barcodes scanners are



Handheld

Desktop

Omnidirectional

Cordless scanner

Industrial Scanners

Pen scanners

Scale scanners

Slot readers



You can also choose to buy cordless scanner if items are heavy and cannot be brought close to the computer. Cordless scanner comes with a Cradle and Scanner Gun. Cradles are connected to computer and Gun could be moved freely within a distance of 10 meter to 100 meter depending upon which scanner you buy. It could be Bluetooth scanner or RF (Radio Frequency) scanner. When you scan barcode thru Gun it transmits the information to receiver (cradle) and cradle inputs the data into computer. Higher the distance higher the price of scanner would be.

Choose a reliable barcode reader company with a good past record. A good barcode reader should be able to serve your organization for a long time and be able to withstand heavy use if required.

Major brands of the barcode scanners are Motorola, Datalogic, Denso, Metrologic, and HHP.

Yet despite their presence, many people are still unfamiliar with how barcode scanning works and how to go about implementing it. Luckily, with advances and standardization in computing technology, it is significantly easier today than it was 20 years ago.

The two basic technologies involved in barcode scanning are the barcode itself and the barcode scanner (also known as barcode reader). Barcodes come in a range of symbologies which are really just different representations of a barcode. There are numeric-only barcodes like UPC-A and 2 of 5, alpha-numeric barcodes like Code 128, and Code 39, and 2-Dimensional barcodes like PDF417 and DataMatrix. All told, there are probably over 100 different symbologies and while this may seem daunting at times, the good news is they the most common barcode symbologies are relatively standardized and are typically handled automatically by the barcode scanners decoder unit.

The barcode reader or scanner can generally be broken into two types: 1-D Barcode readers and 2-D barcode readers. As you might guess, 1-D Barcode Readers are used for scanning 1-D barcodes and 2-D barcode readers are used for reading 2-D barcodes. In general, the 1D barcode readers can scan most of the common 1-D barcode symbologies whereas the 2-D barcode readers can scan both the 1-D and the 2-D barcodes. Historically, 1-D barcode readers utilized a laser scanner which is why you’ll often hear the term barcode laser scanner; today, many barcode scanners work by taking a picture of the barcode and then decoding that picture – which is why you are starting to see applications developed where you can scan a barcode with your cell phone. In fact, there is a price-shopping application available for the iPhone which allows you to scan a UPC barcode and then obtain product information about that item. This approach of decoding a picture is typically called imaging and you’ll sometimes here the term imager scanner for barcode readers that utilize this technology. It should be noted however that 2-D barcode scanning can be a little bit trickier than 1-D barcode scanning as a 2-D barcode scanner may not be able to scan the complete range of 2-d barcodes. Also, there are also basic 2-D barcode imagers referred to as linear imagers that can only handle linear 2-D barcodes.

In selecting a barcode reader, you’ll need to know two basic things: 1) what type of barcode symbology you will be scanning and 2) how you are connecting the barcode scanner to a computer. Basically, for the first piece, you’ll want to know whether you will be scanning a 1-D barcode or a 2-D barcode; if it a 2-D barcode, you’ll want to know the exact type of 2-D barcode symbology you will be scanning. The most common ways to connect a barcode scanner to a computer is through your computers USB, Keyboard or Serial interface. Typically, it will be either the USB interface or the Keyboard Wedge Interface. The USB interface is pretty much “plug-and-play” today while the Keyboard Wedge may need some minimal configuration. A Keyboard Wedge configuration is pretty cool in that you utilize a “Y” cable to replace your current keyboard cable with the two inputs to the Y-Cable being the keyboard and the barcode scanner and the output connected to the keyboard input port of your computer. From your computers view, the input from the barcode scanner is no different than if you just typed it in from the keyboard.

If you’re not using barcode scanning today in your business, chances you are missing a great opportunity to make your business more competitive. With today’s technology and the maturation of the barcode, it is often very simple to implement barcode scanners into your everyday work process.

A barcode reader (barcode scanner), also called a price scanner or point-of-sale (POS) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a bar code. A barcode reader consists of a scanner, a decoder (either built-in or external), and a cable used to connect the reader with a computer.

There are five basic kinds of barcode readers each with its own unique advantage. Those are Pen wands, Slot Scanners, Charge-Couple Device (CCD) Scanners, Image Scanners, and Laser Scanners.

· A Pen Wand is a simple barcode reader which is known for its durability and low cost; does not contain any moving parts. It has to remain in direct contact with the bar code at a certain angle.

· A Slot Scanner remains stationary and the item with the bar code on it is pulled by hand through the slot. Slot scanners are typically used to scan bar codes on identification cards.

· A CCD Scanner often used in retail sales has a better read-range than the pen wand. A disadvantage of the CCD scanner is that it cannot read a bar code that is wider than its input face.

· An Image Scanner, also called as Camera reader, uses a small video camera to capture the image of the bar code and then uses sophisticated digital image processing techniques to decode the bar code.

· A Laser Scanner, either hand-held or stationary, does not have to be close to the bar code in order to do its job and can easily read a bar code up to 24 inches away. A laser scanning may perform up to 500 scans per second to reduce the possibility of errors.

Advantages of Barcodes: -

Barcode scanning systems provide an array of benefits, including operational efficiency, better customer service, and improved visibility of key business information to management.

A bar code label of twelve characters can be wanded in approximately the time it takes a keyboard operator to make two keystrokes.

Accuracy:

For every 1,000 characters typed by a keyboard operator, there are an average of ten keying errors. For an Optical Character Reader (OCR), there is one error in every 10,000 reads. With wands, barcode systems approach one error in every 3,000,000 characters, and with laser technology, they approach one error in 70 million entries.

Data Integrity:

When all the products or item data is Barcode scanned, it is free of human errors when data is entered. Barcode scanners works as a designed user interface that prevent the input of invalid data.

Probable number of substitution errors per 3,400,000 characters

Data Entry Meth — Errors

Keyboard Entry — 10,000

OCR Scanning — 300

Barcode scanning(Code 39) — 1



Ease of Implementation:

Operators of bar code scanners can learn to use the equipment effectively in less than 15 minutes. System costs are lower than other means of data entry because of the existence of interfacing hardware and software.

Cost Effectiveness:

Barcode systems have a demonstrated payback period of six to eighteen months, and they provide the highest level of reliability in a wide variety of data collection applications. Barcode systems create value not only by saving time, but also by preventing costly errors.

Information is the most valuable asset for any organization. Every organization should protect its operations data with reliable data management by ensuring data accuracy and availability. Barcode Scanners equipment helps firms in maintaining accurate supply chain and operations data management.

For over 20 years, System ID has provided automation solutions and barcoding equipment to a wide range of large and small companies in virtually every industry sector. System ID offers more than 10,000 brand name products and services such as Symbol Barcode Scanner and Symbol Scanners.