TYPES OF BARCODE SCANNERS

We can classify barcode scanners in three big groups. First of all we have the fixed scanners, called that way because they work at the same location at all times. Additionally, they are always attached to a computer terminal where data read is going to be processed immediately. The computer systems will think the data read by the barcode scanners is entered by very fast people, practically making no distinction between the machine and the human. Normally, fixed scanners are plugged into electrical outlets to receive the power they need to operate continuously.

The second group of barcode scanners is the one called portable batch. This type of hardware normally has a software program installed inside the scanner. This program will process the information as it is read. The main difference is that the scanner won’t send the information to a computer server immediately. Instead it will store the data inside its internal memory. After the lecture process finishes, the scanner is connected via a cable to a computer system to unload all the data. This kind of barcode scanners needs to have long lasting batteries in order to work all day without the need to unload the data at every moment. Also they need a large memory capacity to store the data.

Finally, the last and most powerful type of barcode scanners is the wireless group. These scanners also have powerful batteries to remain active for many hours. But they are different from their batch counterparts in that they transmit the information on the fly. They are connected to computer servers using wireless protocols suitable for this kind of operations. Wireless hardware is useful when the scanning area is far away from any computer terminal. This is the most expensive group of scanners available today in the market.