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Worst Mistakes To Make When Choosing A Barcode Scanner And Tips On How To Avoid Them!

Hi, I am Tim Sawyer. I am the manager for CipherLab in Australia and i wanted to let you in on a few secrets about our industry and also hope to open up some of its mysticism to you.

It still never ceases to amaze me how there is still so much confusion within our industry with data capture and integration of barcode scanners. Choosing the right barcode scanner for your budget and your application can be for many, a task that can be fraught with many perils and dangers. But it really should not!

It also certainly doesn't help that some barcode experts in the industry, confuse it even more and create an almost black magic about barcode scanners and data capture. Well let me tell you.....it's not black magic and it's not rocket science either. Admittingly, there are a few variables involved but if a guy like me, who has never been the sharpest tool in the shed can get his head around this, i am sure you will too!

With so many choices out there, and so many ways to scan barcodes, for some It can all get very overwhelming and end up being very expensive and end up still with the wrong type of scanner for their application. Or the scanner they get has all the whistles and bells that they do not need. Hopefully after reading this guide, I can save you a few dollars on your investment and you can be on your way to making better decisions when you choose which is the right barcode scanner for your application.

Map Of Choices For Barcode Scanners

When customers call me and ask me which is the best scanner for their application?...... in my mind, I use a map to identify and help them choose which barcode scanner is best suited for them and their budget. Obviously this path can take a few different directions so it is also followed by a number of questions to help me get to the final answer.

Below the map are some of the most frequent mistakes often made when choosing a barcode scanner. With this map and a more detailed explanation of how to avoid these mistakes, it should hopefully assist you in your decision making!

Mistake 1 - Scenario 1 - I bought a cabled scanner that needed to be used in a shop for point of sale. I later realised after I bought it that i wish it was cordless as i need to scan heavy items that you cannot get on the counter.

Scenario 2 - I bought a cordless scanner and was told i could also do stocktakes with it as it had a memory capability. When I went to do my stocktake, i could scan the item # but not enter the quantity.

These are very typical mistakes. Whenever you are considering barcode scanners, consider the application you wish to use it for. Perhaps there are multiple applications you have in mind. Think of all the scenarios you will need it to do.

Understanding how barcode scanners work will also avoid scenario 2. As the map above shows.....you can easily break barcode scanners up into two distinct categories.....Barcode Scanners & Mobile Computers & under them will be sub-categories. Let's look at barcode scanners first.

Barcode Scanners: Typically are designed to only scan and collect the barcode number or item # only. This is only one field of information that it can collect for each item that it scans. It sends back to your P.C. Barcode scanners are as simple as it gets. Not much too them really. Plug and play stuff. You plug them into your P.C. You scan the barcode and it takes the number of the barcode and places it wherever your cursor is active in the application that you have open.

Barcode scanners can be broken up into 3 sub categories, Cabled, Cordless & Presentation Scanners.

Cabled Barcode Scanners - Usually have a cable (1.5-2m long) that is connected from the scanner to the P.C. Have interfaces such as USB, Serial and Keyboard Wedge. Scanning Engines found are CCD, Linear Imager, Laser and 2D (see below for further info on scanning engines). Cabled scanners vary in cost, size and robustness depending on the environment.

Cordless Barcode Scanners - Work exactly the same as a cabled scanner except they do not have the restriction of a cable. Will use a base station or some type of receiver that plugs into your P.C. and collects the information sent from the cordless scanner and sends it into the P.C. Usually transmit from the scanner to the base by either Radio Frequencies of 2.4 MHz or 433MHz and or by Bluetooth.

Range will also vary. Many of the Bluetooth cordless scanners will transmit at 2.4 MHz and have classifications of different Bluetooth classes. Classes usually signify 1 has usually a range of 100m+. Class 2 will be from 30-100m. And Class 3 will anywhere between 3-10m. Most cordless Bluetooth scanners in the market will have a range of between 10m-30m. Advantage of a Bluetooth cordless scanner over a RF cordless scanner is that you can connect up to 7 cordless Bluetooth scanners to one base. With a RF scanner, you can only have one scanner/base station.

Check and also make sure that the Bluetooth version is not less than 1.2. Reliable Bluetooth versions are and should be between 1.2-2.0+.

Because of the 2.4 MHz operating frequencies of cordless scanners, try and keep them atleast a few metres away from cordless phones as this has been known to cause problems for the scanners.

Have interfaces such as USB, Serial and Keyboard Wedge. Scanning Engines found are Linear Imager, Laser and 2D (see below for further info on scanning engines). Cabled scanners vary in cost, size and robustness depending on the environment.

Presentation Scanners - Most commonly seen in point of sale stores where hands free scanning and speed are essential.

Mistake 2 - Laser Scanning Engine is the best option for scanning when choosing a barcode scanner.

There are a number of options to take other than Laser. While it is true that a laser scanning engine is superior in certain environments and conditions, a CCD or Linear Imager can be a very good alternative and in some cases, a much more cost effective solution. Here is a detailed explanation of the different types of engines

CCD - Contact Scanner -

CCD stands for Charged Coupled Device. CCD technology works the same way that a camera works. The barcode is photographed & digitised and electronically sent back into the application. CCD barcode scanners are low cost, durable, low power and maintenance. Because CCD scanners have no moving parts, they are generally more rugged then laser scanners.

CCD Scanners are a touch scanner so the proximity of range between the scanner and the barcode is very close, sometimes touching. CCD readers reading range is from about 0 - 2cm and the reading mouth is from 67mm - 90mm in width. If you look at the light emitted from the CCD barcode scanner, it will be a red bar about 0.5cm-1.0cm in height. As mentioned above, if the barcode in less than 1.0cm in height, some CCDs will have trouble reading this.

CCD scanners are a great choice if the barcode is no wider than the width of the scanner. If you need to scan shipping barcodes that are greater in width than 9cm, CCDs are not a good choice. They are not a good choice when you need to scan high density barcodes - (Very small in English. The type you see in jewellery stores).

They are also not a good choice if you have a lot of traffic that you need to scan. For example....in a point of sale application such as Woolworths where the operator needs to be hands free and needs to scan items very quickly. Linear Imagers, Laser and Omni Directional scanners are best for this application.

There are many CCD scanners on the market. And like everything, there are good and bad ones. Be sure to ask what kind of warranty they have. The good ones will have up to 5yr warranties.

A couple of features to look out for are:

1. Depth of field (D.O.F.)- min and max reading distance of a barcode

2. Resolution - Smallest barcodes it can read. Generally 4-5 mil is the smallest.

3. Drop rating - how robust it is. Look for 1.2-1.5m +

4. Warranties - Good ones are up to 5yrs.

Click link To View Video Performance of CCD Scanner In Operation.

Linear Imager Scanner

Linear Imager Scanners are also referred to as CCD Scanners. However, this CCD scanner is no touch scanner. Produces a beam of about 0.5-1cm in width across the barcode. It is a long distance CCD scanner which we refer to as a Linear Imager. They have a distance of reading barcodes of up to 35cm. Because they have no moving parts, they are quite durable and rugged with drop rating of up to 2 metres.

There is a perception in the market place that Laser Scanners are considered to be more superior in every aspect of scanning performance compared to Linear Imagers. This may have been the case a few years ago but not so anymore. Linear Imagers have vastly improved and have closed the gap on performance. One Linear Imager is CipherLab's 1500 scanner which competes head to head in many features that a Laser Scanner will give you and in most cases, give a superior performance and possibly a more cost effective option. It can read much smaller barcodes (down to 3mil) and can even read in direct sunlight like laser scanners.

Point of note - for scanning standard retail barcodes, indoors, there is negligible difference in performance between a Linear Imager and Laser.

A couple of features to look out for are:

1. Depth of field - min and max reading distance of a barcode

2. Resolution - Smallest barcodes it can read. Generally 3 mil is the smallest.

3. Drop rating - how robust it is. Look for 1.5m +

4. Warranties - Good ones are up to 5yrs.

Click link To View Video Performance of Linear Imager In Operation.

Laser Barcode Scanner

Laser scanners use a laser beam as the light source and typically employ either a reciprocating mirror or a rotating prism to scan the laser beam back and forth across the bar code. A photodiode is used to measure the intensity of the light reflected back from the barcode. The light emitted by the reader is tuned to a specific frequency and the photodiode is designed to detect only this modulated light of the same frequency.

Laser Barcode Scanners have generally considered being the best performance compared to CCD and Linear Imagers and in certain conditions, this is still the case. The market still tends to always lean towards Laser with mobile computers as they maybe scanning in direct sunlight. Laser can also be sometimes a little more responsive when trying to scan damaged barcodes. However, they are generally more expensive and can be more prone to breakdown. They have moving parts (mirrors) where the CCDs / Linear Imagers have no moving parts. In applications, where the barcodes are larger than 30cm in width or you need to scan In direct sunlight, Laser Barcode Scanners are generally the best option. Lasers are also often preferred when the barcodes are a high density of around 3mil. Which are in English...very small barcodes. But as mentioned above, the 1500 Linear Imager is one linear Imager that will also read 3mil barcodes.

1. Depth of field - min and max reading distance of a barcode

2. Resolution - Smallest barcodes it can read. Generally 3mil is the smallest.

3. Drop rating - how robust it is. Look for 1.5m +

4. Warranties - Good ones are up to 5yrs.

Click on article for more information on Laser vs CCD

2D Barcode Scanner -

2D means two dimensional - that is, information is encoded vertically as well as horizontally. Conventional barcodes just get wider as more data is encoded, while 2D barcodes can also make use of the vertical dimension to pack more data in. 2D barcode scanners are becoming more frequently used in applications where the barcode needs to store much more information than just an Item #.

As you can see above, 2D barcodes do not look like a linear 1D barcode. They are often squarish with many vertical and horizontal lines with no real formation of patterns. Like 1D barcodes, there are also a number of barcoding symbologies that are available....ie;- TLC-39 (TCIF Linked Code 39); Code 11; PDF417; MicroPDF417; Data Matrix; Maxicode; QR Code; US Postnet; US Planet; UK Postal; Japan Postal; Australian Postal; Dutch Postal; Composite Code

Mistake 3 - The scanner we bought will not plug into our computers.

There are a couple of interfaces that you can buy with most barcode scanners. They are USB, Keyboard Wedge and Serial.

Most new computers only have USB ports. This is reflected in our sales as 90% of the scanners we sell are for USB (HID) interface.

For more information on interfaces, click this link.

Mistake 4 - We bought a scanner but it is always breaking down.

Too many times a customer will choose a scanner because it was a little bit cheaper than other options. If you are using a scanner or mobile computer in applications such as warehousing, job tracking, field applications, work sites or anywhere where there is dust, dirt, water, oil, then you need to think about impact resistance and IP ratings. IP ratings of 30 and up to 65 will give you protection against all these factors. The higher the IP rating, the higher the protection will be given. For mobile computers, IP ratings should be at a minimum of IP54 for warehousing. In the field, look for IP64/65 as a minimum.

Also look for what drop ratings the scanner can handle as well. Since most scanners are used at around waist level, then minimum drop level should be 1.2m. Obviously the higher the drop rating, the more robust the scanner.

Cables will also eventually breakdown from the continuous bending and pulling when using a cabled scanner. Not a lot you can do here other than replace it with a new cable. Most manufacturers do not given anymore than 3-6 months warranty on cables.

Mistake 5 - We bought a scanner but it cannot read the barcodes.

There could be a number of reasons for this. Perhaps the barcodes are not a true barcode font. Print quality is not good. Faded or damaged. This will go back to the printer. Especially if it is not a dedicated barcode label printer.

The scanner has not been programmed to read the barcode symbology. Many barcode scanners will have a default setting and it is just a matter of using the data editing program that comes with the scanners to be setup to recognise the barcode symbology.

Or a very common one is they have bought a CCD scanner or Linear Imager and are trying to scan a barcode that is outside its range. Either too wide (shipping barcodes) or too small (3mil).

Mistake 6 - We bought a scanner but it does not work with our software package.

Most cabled and cordless scanners (which scan only the Item #) will be plug and play. Which means that they are pretty dumb in that they only replicate keyboard strokes. So wherever your application is open and your cursor is active, the barcode scanner will scan the barcode and place the numbers of that barcode in the cell where your cursor is active. All pretty simple stuff!

However, scanning with Mobile Computers and getting the data to dump directly into your software is not so simple. We are now talking about collecting multiple fields of data such as Item #, Qty, time and date, location, serial #..etc etc. If you look at our map of Mobile Computers, they take a few paths. For Dos Text terminals, a program can be written for the terminals to dump directly into most databases but this is usually quite costly as there is no software you can buy off the shelf. It has to be developed which means it will be buggy and could take months to develop and get working correctly. In most cases, this something I would not recommend unless the project is quite large and there are good cost justifications.

The CipherLab range of Dos Text terminals offer a free data collection software called the Forge Application Generator. For collecting data in a batch/memory mode, 9 times out of ten, this is the best way to go. It will create your application in the format you require and dump it down as a text file. It will not dump directly into your database but it will dump the file into a excel spreadsheet or designated location or holding file. In some cases, you can set identifiers within your system to automatically retrieve this file back into your system. Or you can manually push this data into your system.

Always consult with your IT dept and or software vendor before you purchase any mobile computers. If you do not have any software yet, determine what software best suits your business first before you tackle the barcode scanning hardware. Not the other way around. And it would not hurt to ask the software vendor about the import/export facilities and if they can support mobile computers that handle barcode scanning.

For more information on integrating Cipherlab mobile computers into your system - Click this Link

Mistake 7 - We paid a programmer to develop software for our mobile computers to collect data and integrate it back into our system.

While there will always be a need for software developers, in many data collection applications, that are not that complex, you can use a variety of rapid development tools out in the market to help you create your application for your mobile computer and get the data back into your P.C. Some of them are even free. Just like CipherLab's Forge Application Generator. In a batch scenario, where the data is stored on the terminal and dumped back thru a cradle, the Forge A.G. software will be more than sufficient. If you only need to capture fields of data and get it down to your system as a text file, then this is perfect for any company. So not only is it free, you also do not need to be a software programmer.

For more information on the Forge Application Generator - Click this Link

In a application where you need to send information live from your terminal, then no, i would not use the Forge Application Generator. There are better tools such as the browser on windows O/S terminal. Telnet is another way and is still quite popular. Remote desktop application is also available but you would need to do some scripting to set the screen size. And writing an application for the mobile terminal that links directly to your database is very popular.

Certainly if the application is requiring information to be live and sent back to a server, the application is much more complex and some software is usually required to be written. With mobility, most developers are comfortable using Windows O/S terminals as their preference is programming in C++, .Net, Visual Studio and the SDKs that are available from Microsoft as well.

For more information on development tools click this link

Mistake 8 - We should be ok if we buy from an overseas company?

It always makes more sense if you can buy from a local company who can offer you both local support and service. Have heard of too many horror stories of companies buying from overseas and 6 months down the track, there is no support or service available. And if they do get support it is in different time zones and by email only. Make sure also that the hardware you buy is also serviced locally or atleast as a minimum, in your region and time zone. Also make sure they have the facilities to be able to service it and that it does not have to be sent back overseas to the manufacturer. This will extend the turn around times to well over a month before you get your hardware back.