Barcoding today with tomorrow's technology! Barcode Scanners   Laser Scanners Linear Imager Scanners Tethered Cordless Omni Directional Tethered Cordless       Wands, Verifiers, et. al. Area Imagers Scanners Wands Verifiers Slot Mag Stripe Tethered Cordless                                    Industry Definitions Laser Scanner Laser scanners use a low energy osculating laser light beam (which requires a Class II safety warning) to illuminate the barcode. The laser scanner can decode barcodes at a scan rate of 40 to 100 reads per second, at ranges from a few inches to 10 feet or more.  They are the most effective barcode reader for use on curved, oddly shaped packages and labels that are located behind stretch wrap or where extra long distance scanning is required. The Laser scanners are very effective barcode reader for use with labels on flat, rough or even curved packages.   CCD Scanner The CCD barcode scanners use diodes to flood the barcode with light and scan the barcode at a rate of 40 to 80 reads per second.   They tend to be more rugged than laser scanners because they have no moving parts.  New technology enables some CCD scanners to read barcodes at distances exceeding 20". The new generation long range CCD barcode scanners can compete with many laser scanners in performance and are considerably less expensive.  CCD scanners come in two basic types, Touch CCD Scanners, which can scan a barcode from contact up to an inch way and Long Range CCD Scanners that can scan barcodes at distances up to 22 inches and more. The CCD scanners are very effective barcode reader for use with labels on flat, rough or even curved packages.   Imager Imagers combine the flexibility to read 2 dimensional (2D) symbologies such as the PDF417, Datamatrix and Maxicode, along with standard linear type barcodes. The versatile reading capability of barcode imagers allows fast and easy decoding for retail, office and light industrial applications. Imagers are very effective reader for use with labels on flat, rough, curved packages and even damaged barcodes.   Wands Low cost wand scanners are best suited for scanning barcodes on flat clean surfaces.   Barcode wand readers are not forgiving and require the user to pay attention to certain details when scanning, because you get one scan, one read.  If you scan the barcode too fast, too slow, at the wrong angle or don't keep the scanner tip on the barcode, you will have to repeat the scan process again. High print quality labels are critical when using wand type barcode reader.  Wands are not recommended for curved, rough or oddly shaped packages or for locations where dirt or dust exists. The barcode wand scanner is older technology.   back to top

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