How To Choose a Bar Code Scanner
Product barcodes are read by barcode scanners in more everyday situations than most of us realize. One of the most familiar uses of this technology is with barcodes on product packages at grocery stores. When we buy something a bar code scanner scans and reads the barcodes on each package. Product information such as product name and unit cost is automatically read and processed by the stock control system. A short description and the amount of each item is automatically added to your bill as each new item is scanned.
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.
Consider a practical example of using this system. Suppose you own a small business, and are tracking inventory manually. You would typically total up your sales at the end of the day and update your records. This is a time-consuming and unreliable process. The use of a bar code system allows you to automatically update your stock control database each time an item is added or removed.
It is important that each item has its own unique bar code. Items that don't already have a bar code can have a unique one generated for them by the stock control software. You then use a bar code printer to print out the code which can then be attached to the item.
The three most prevalent kinds of bar code scanners available now are:
1. The Wand Scanner - The most basic type of bar code scanner is the "wand". This is a pen-type scanner that needs to be kept in contact with the bar code when scanning it. The wand emits a light which is reflected off the bar code and then decoded by the system to identify the item.
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.
But wand scanners have their limitations. In order to get an accurate scan the wand must be held at a fairly precise angle relative to the bar code. It must also be slid across the bar code at a speed that is neither too fast nor too slow. And all wand bar code scanners have a resolution limit. If a bar code has a resolution that is significantly finer than the wand scanner, the scanner will not be able to read it correctly. For example, a 10 mil wand cannot read a 5 mil bar code. It is important to keep this in mind when purchasing a wand scanner.
2. The CCD Scanner - CCD (charged coupled device) technology is the next least expensive bar code scanning system. Like the wand scanner, CCD readers must be in direct contact with the bar code label in order to read it. But unlike the wand, there is no need to move the device across the label. The operator simply presses the reader against the label and pulls the trigger. The bar code is then photographed, digitized and decoded by the system.
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 new barcode technology similar to CCD is called FFO (Fixed Focus Optics). And FFO scnner is a non-contact reader which can read barcodes from as much as 20" away. They are also able to read two-dimensional barcodes which are going to become more widely used in the future.
3. Laser Scanners - A beam of light is used by a laser scanner in order to scan the bar code label. Instead of moving the scanner you move the bar code across the scanner. The scanner does not have to actually touch the bar code label in order to read it. The scanner will automatically read the scan whenever a bar code is held in front of it.
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.
Article Source: http://www.search-raven.com
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