The Barcode Scanner Guide

If you found this page, chances are that you have at least an idea of what a barcode scanner is. If you don’t, allow me to clear that up. A barcode scanner, also known as a barcode reader, is a device used to read those little black and white tags on virtually every product; a sort of computerized price tag. Barcode scanners utilize the same concept as a flatbed scanner, the type on your average copy machine; they consist of a light, lense, and a sensor that takes the optical current and coverts it to electrical current, and then decodes it so that the computer can read it. You get the picture. You aim, click, and voila! The product name, price, and other information is at your fingertips.

Unless you are in the retail business, you may be unaware of the many different types of barcode readers there are. There is much confusion about the types of scanners out there,  but don’t worry, I will break it down for you. Generally speaking, barcode scanners can be broken down into four different groups, according to the technology used: Pen scanners, Laser scanners (inluding omni-directional scanners), LED scanners, & Camera scanners. However, if you’re like me, you are probably more interested in categorizing by the housing type; i.e. pen scanners, handheld scanners, fixed scanners, etc. Pen readers are small and pen-like and are swiped over the barcode in one, smooth motion. Handheld readers are the most common and are simply held in front of the barcode. And fixed readers, or stationary readers, are usually bigger, and are fixed in place so that the barcode is swiped over it, such as the scanners at the checkout stand at your local supermarket.

As for the guts of a barcode scanner, they vary according to the main purpose of the scanner. I won’t get into the technical details, as this guide is meant to inform readers and consumers of the various barcode scanners out there and the basic variations. Some scanners use photodiodes and light to decode the bars (such as pen scanners), others use lasers (very common with handheld or stationary scanners), and others use LED lights. There are more variations, but these are the most common.

Again, this site is not meant to be the end-all-be-all, definitive, one-stop, explicitly explanatory barcode scanner guide. It is, however, a simple guide for the average consumer, to help provide you with a better understanding of the various types of scanners and what they can be used for. Also, please note that the terms barcode scanner and barcode reader are virtually synonymous. So, with that in mind, please take a few minutes to browse the site and I hope it serves you well. Happy learning!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 at 5:45 am and is filed under The Barcode Basics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.