Different Types Of Bar Code Scanners
Bar code scanners are used to read the bar codes found on products in a wide variety of situations. Most of us are familiar with bar codes found on packages at the grocery store. When you purchase an item, the bar code on the package is scanned by a bar code scanner. This automatically calls up the item particulars such as the item name and unit cost. The cost is then calculated automatically and added to your bill.
When you buy a product such as a can of soup or a box of cereal, it alerts the stock control system to the fact that the item was purchased. This allows the control system to maintain a current record of how many of each item is still available for purchase. As long as the entire inventory was entered correctly in the first place, this allows your inventory control to be automatic and constantly up to date.
The first step towards installing a stock control system is to install the software that is going to keep track of information about your inventory. You will use bar code scanners in order to get the information about your inventory into the system. Each time you scan an item it changes its count in the database.
A system like this one can generate different bar codes for items that need them. The software will create a one of a kind bar code for each new item. The bar code printer will then print the code label which is then placed on the item.
These are the top three kinds of bar code scanners that are used today:
1. The Wand Scanner - This is the simplest type of bar code scanner. A wand scanner is shaped like a pen and has to be touching the bar code to scan it. The light from the wand scanner is reflected off the bar code and then the system decodes this signal to recognize the product.
The wand system works very well most of the time, and is is the cheapest kind of bar code scanner. As far as cost is concerned, one of these wands will cost 1/10th as much as a laser gun, and about 1/5th as much as a CCD scanner.
There are limitations to wand scanners, however. The wand needs to be held at a fairly specific angle when pointed at the barcode in order for it to scan properly. Also, the speed with which it is moved across the barcode can’t be too fast or too slow. Additionally, there is a limit to the resolution of every barcode wand scanner. The scanner will not be able to read properly any barcode that has a resolution that is significantly smaller than the scanner itself. For example, a 5 mil barcode cannot be read using a 10 mil wand. When in the market for a wand scanner, it is important that this isn’t forgotten.
2. The CCD Scanner - The charged coupled device or CCD scanner is a significant step up from the wand scanner. Similar to the wand scanning device, a CCD reader needs to directly touch the barcode label for it to be able to register the information. Unlike the wand scanner, however, the user does not have to move the scanner across the label. The user merely puts the scanner next to the reader and engages it. The CCD scanner then takes a picture of the barcode, digitizes it, and decodes it.
Of all the different types of bar code scanners, CCD readers are considered the most straight-forward to use. They are manufactured in widths that start at about 2 and go up to 4 inches. A CCD reader is expensive compared to a wand (about four times the cost), but is a bargain compared to the laser scanner (about one third the cost).
A promising new technology similar to CCD is called FFO (Fixed Focus Optics). These scanners are non-contact readers, which means they can read bar codes from as much as 20″ away. They will also be able to read two-dimensional bar codes as they become more popular.
3. The Laser Scanner - More sophisticated high volume applications use laser scanners to read and record bar codes. The bar code label is scanned quickly by a laser scanner using a beam of light. This means that there is no need for the bar code label to touch the scanner, and the scanner isn’t portable. Since scanning occurs when the object is simply held in front of the scanner, item scanning is essentially automatic.
Such a system has benefits in a variety of situations. For instance, because the scans are accomplished with great speed, it is possible to embed laser scanners inside of conveyor systems. When items pass by rapidly, scanning takes place automatically. In a retail environment, the clerk merely moves each item over the glass to engage the scan. Such a system can easily keep pace with a clerk who simply moves objects from one side of the scanner to the other other. Laser systems are much more rapid and accurate than any other widely-used alternative.
Regardless of which scanning system is best for your business right now, be sure to purchase stock control software that lets you implement other scanning technologies as the need arises.
Learn how bar code scanners can benefit your business. Control company assets with the most productive stock control software and asset tracking systems - Article marketing programs.
- Howard Brule
:: Jul.01.2008 :: Business ::
