2D / RFID Scanners

What is a 2D/RFID Scanner? 2D/RFID scanner is a device that can read both 2D barcodes and RFID tags. Here's what you need to know:2D Barcode Scanner:- Reads: 2D barcodes like QR codes and Data Matrix codes.- Used For: Inventory management, checkout systems, and ticket scanning.RFID Scanner:- Reads: RFID tags using radio waves.- Used For: Tracking items in supply chains, managing assets, and controlling access.Combined 2D/RFID Scanner:- Function: Combines the ability to read both 2D barcodes and RFID tags in one device.- Benefits:- Versatile: Handles both barcode and RFID scanning.- Efficient: Eliminates the need for separate devices.

2D Barcode Scanners

Two-dimensional imaging scanners are the newest type of barcode reader. They use a use small video cameras with the same CCD technology as in a CCD barcode reader except that instead of having a single row of sensors, a video camera has hundreds of rows of sensors arranged in a two dimensional array so that they can generate an image.

CCD / CMOS Barcode Scanners

CCD (charge-coupled device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) scanners use a stationary flood of light, usually LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), to reflect the symbol image back to an array of photosensors, which is extremely small and because there are hundreds of sensors lined up in a row, a voltage pattern identical to the pattern in a barcode is generated in the scanner by sequentially measuring the voltages across each sensor in the row.

Check Digit / Checksum

A Check Digit, also known as a Checksum character, is the number located on the far right side of a barcode. The purpose of a Check Digit is to verify the information of the barcode which has been entered correctly. The decoder of barcode scanner calculates the checksum by performing a series of mathematical operations on the digits preceding the Check Digit, and comparing the result of the calculation to the value of the Check Digit.

Code ID / Symbology Identifier

Symbology Identifier or Code ID is a set of characters preceding the barcode data, which indicates the type of barcode being read. Code ID can also be user-defined. The most commonly used Code ID in the world is AIM ID, issued by the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility.

D.O.F. (Depth of Field)

The distance between the closest and farthest point at which a barcode can be scanned by the barcode scanner.

Fixed-mount Barcode Scanners

Fixed-mount scanners use either moving-beam laser or CCD technology. Laser fixed-mount scanners are most familiar at grocery checkout. They are also used widely in work-in-process (WIP) manufacturing applications and in warehousing and distribution, sortation, and shipping applications. Very small fixed-mount scanners are commonly used in laboratory and process control applications.

Keyboard Wedge Connection

With the popularity of the PC and its standard keyboard interface, it became ever easier to connect physical hardware to a PC and so there was commercial demand similarly to reduce the complexity of the associated software. "Keyboard wedge" hardware plugged between the PC and its normal keyboard, with characters from the barcode scanner appearing exactly as if they had been typed at the keyboard.

Laser Barcode Scanners

Laser scanners employ a beam created by a laser diode that is spread into a horizontal arc by means of a rapidly moving mirror. Though the light sweeps at about 100 scans per second, it appears as a single line. As with the pen-type reader, a photodiode is used to measure the intensity of the light reflected back from the bar code. In both pen readers and laser scanners, the light emitted by the reader is rapidly varied in brightness with a data pattern and the photodiode receive circuitry is designed to detect only signals with the same modulated pattern.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)

What is OCR (Optical Character Recognition)? OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a technology that converts printed text into machine-readable digital text. It allows computers to interpret and process text from physical documents or images, enabling tasks such as document digitization, data entry automation, and accessibility solutions for visually impaired individuals.

Operation Method

1. At power-up, the microprocessor sends the POWER-UP signals over Buzzer & LED (a long beep & a flash) as an indication that the barcode scanner is ready for operation.
2. The barcode scanner, which is in Trigger Mode by default, once triggered by either hardware or software method, will emit a narrow, horizontal slab of light, which is aligned with the sensor’s field of view.
3. The optical sensor captures the linear image and produces an analog waveform. It is later converted into a digital signal by an A/D converter
4.The digital signal is sampled and analyzed by the decoder firmware running on the microprocessor.
5. Upon a successful barcode read, the microprocessor turns off the illumination LEDs, sends the GOOD READ signals (a short beep & a flash) over Buzzer & LED and transmits the ASCII data to the host.

Pen / Wand Barcode Scanners

Pen barcode scanners consist of a light source and photodiode that are placed next to each other in the tip of a pen or wand. The photodiode measures the intensity of the light reflected back from the light source as the tip crosses each bar and space in the printed code. Pen barcode scanners were some of the earliest barcode scanners and require some practice to achieve the proper degree of tilt and correct motion speed for a successful read. Wand scanners are not very common in the marketplace today.

PCS (Print Contrast Scale)

Reflectance of Bars and Spaces. In a barcode, the bars represent the dark elements, and the spaces are the light elements. The reflectance of the bars (Rb) and the spaces (Rs) is determined by measuring the amount of light reflected from each region.

Pitch Angle / Roll Angle / Skew Angle

The angle through which a barcode is rotated around its horizontal / longitudinal / vertical axis.

Quiet Zone

Quiet zone is the blank margin on the either side of a barcode that's used to tell the barcode scanner where a barcode's symbol starts and stops. The purpose of a Quiet Zone is to prevent the scanner from picking up information that does not pertain to the barcode scanned. (The blank margin will not send a scanning signal hence it named "quiet".) As a rule, the Quiet Zone should be ten times the dimension of the narrowest element in the barcode (X dimension) or 1/4 inch, whichever is greater. An undersized Quiet Zone may render a barcode unreadable or readable only from one direction.

Resolution

Barcode Resolution is the width of the narrowest bar of a 1D barcode or the smallest square of a 2D barcode. It is often quantified in the unit of Mil (one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.0254 millimeters). The resolution of an ordinary commodity EAN/UPC barcode is 13 Mil and a high-density barcode can be 4 Mil or 3 Mil.
Scanner Resolution is the width of the narrowest bar of a 1D barcode or the smallest square of a 2D barcode that a barcode scanner is able to read. It is often quantified in the unit of Mil (one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.0254 millimeters). Scanner resolution is directly proportional to the number of pixels of the sensor built into the scanner.

RS232 Connection

Early barcode scanners, of all formats, almost universally used the then-common RS-232 serial interface. RS232 output scanners also normally require an AC adapter to supply power to the scanner because the RS232 port cannot supply enough power to run a barcode scanner.

Scan Rate

The scan rate of a barcode scanner refers to the speed at which the scanner can capture barcode image or signal. It is usually measured in scans per second (SPS) for 1D scanners or frames per second (FPS) for 2D scanners, and it indicates how quickly the scanner can process and interpret barcode data. A higher scan rate implies that the scanner can capture and decode barcodes more rapidly.
Different types of barcode scanners, such as laser scanners, 1D scanners, and 2D scanners, have varying scan rates based on their technology and capabilities. High-performance scanners can have scan rates ranging from hundreds to over a thousand scans per second.

Specular Dead Zone

The Specular Dead Zone is where the light reflecting directly back into the barcode scanner from the barcode that can make decoding difficult. The Specular Dead Zone is usually up to ± 5° depending on the distance of target barcode and the glossiness of substrate.

Start Character

Start Character is an additional character that marks the beginning (left edge) of a barcode symbol. In connection with the stop character that is how the readability in two directions and the identification of the barcode symbol made possible.

Stop Character

Stop Character is an additional character that marks the end (right edge) of a barcode symbol. In connection with the start character that is how the readability in two directions and the identification of the barcode symbol are made possible.

Symbology / Symbologies

Symbologies refer to the different types or formats of barcodes used to encode information. Each symbology defines the rules for how data is represented and the specific patterns of bars and spaces used to encode the information. Different symbologies are used for various applications based on factors like the amount of data to be encoded, the industry requirements, and the type of scanning technology being used.

USB Connection

Later barcode scanners began to use USB connectors rather than the keyboard port, as this became a more convenient hardware option. USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 are commonly used by the barcode scanner.

What does a Bluetooth barcode scanner do?

A Bluetooth barcode scanner is a device that reads and decodes barcodes and then transmits the information wirelessly to a connected device, such as a computer, tablet, or smartphone, using Bluetooth technology.

What is SBR Laser Scanners?

In the past there were only two types of barcode scanner: Laser and CCD barcode scanner. The laser barcode scanner has always been treated as more high class than the CCD barcode scanner, due to its elegant laser scan line which makes it easier to aim barcodes, enhancing reading accuracy for the user.

Wireless Network Connection

Battery-powered barcode scanners can be operated in wireless networks according to IEEE 802.15.1 (Bluetooth) or IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi).

W.O.F. (Width of Field)

The width of a barcode that can be read in one scanning operation.

Companion Scanner: Part 1

How to change barcode scanner settings?

Trigger Mode (Normal Mode): Press the trigger to read the barcode. The illumination LED will be ON when the trigger is pressed and OFF when it is released. There are six reading modes

No LED response after pressing trigger

Please make sure the barcode scanner is securely connected to the host.