A Rundown of the Types of Barcode Scanners

The electronic device, the barcode scanners can read and output ‘printed barcodes’ to a computer. It has a light sensor, light source, and a lens. The ‘light sensor’ translates ‘optical impulses’ to ‘electrical impulses’. They contain ‘decoder circuitry’ which analyses the ‘barcode’s’ image data offered by the sensor as well as sending the ‘barcode’s content’ to the scanner’s ‘output port’.

The Barcode Scanner Can be Classified Based on Technology

• Pen-Type Barcode Scanners: The ‘pen-type’ scanners consist of the light source and the photodiode which is placed on the pen’s or wand’s tip. The photodiode of the scanner measures the intensity of light which is reflected from the source of light when the tip of the barcode crosses space in each of the bars as well as the printed code.

• Laser Barcode Scanners: The laser-type barcode scanners work on the same principle as that of the pen scanners with the difference that it uses the ‘laser beam’ as the ‘light source’. This type of scanners uses the ‘reciprocating mirror’ or ‘rotating prism’  for scanning of the laser beam back and forth across barcodes.

• LED Scanners: The CCD readers or the LED scanners use tiny light sensors which line-up in the reader’s head in one row. Each sensor calculates the intensity of light in front of it.

• Omnidirectional Scanners: The omnidirectional barcode readers use the straight or curved scanning lines in the form of ‘starburst’ in various forms. Unlike the single-line laser barcode readers, they generate various orientations of beam patterns that allow them to read the barcodes offered to them from different angles. These barcode scanners use the ‘rotating single’ polygonal mirror or a ‘mirror cluster’ for producing the complicated ‘scan patterns’. These barcode readers help in reading the poorly printed, wrinkled and the torn barcodes.

• ‘Cell Phone’ Cameras: The ‘cell-phone cameras’ without the feature of ‘auto-focus’ are not ideal for ‘barcode format’ reading. The ‘2D barcodes’ are cellphone optimized.  With cellphone cameras, the clients can play MP3 and book the catalogs.

Going through the above-mentioned barcode scanners would give you a summary of the various types of barcode scanners and their use in the different sectors. For more details, call our pos expert @  0800112970