In the world of retail there can’t be many products more revolutionary than the portable barcode scanner. The beauty of this type of scanner is that it is very easy to use. Just point it at the barcode, press the trigger and the job is done. And because it’s all done by hand, anyone using one of these pieces of equipment is less likely to make a mistake.
Strictly speaking, handheld barcode scanners are connected to the computer via a cable. There are portable devices that connect wirelessly. There is no cable that restricts the distance between the scanner and the computer; the only limit is the range of the wireless signal. They can be small enough to fit in a pocket. Purists do not classify these scanners as portable, instead using the term “wireless barcode scanner.” But these scanners offer the same ease of use as the portable variety.
The handheld scanners that most people will use will use one of two scanning technologies, lasers and LEDs. Lasers continue to be the most popular, despite the introduction of LED scanning technology in recent years.
With laser scanning technology, the scanning unit contains a laser diode. The laser diode generates a point that becomes the beam of light when projected onto a vibrating mirror. The light beam is then scanned along the barcode.
LED is a newer type of scanning technology, and handheld barcode readers that incorporate it tend to be more durable. Additionally, the LED is much more versatile in the type of barcode it can read: it can be used to scan horizontal barcodes as well as the more typical vertical ones. The sensor then captures the reflected light and the data is converted to ASCII text.
A decision that anyone considering using a portable unit in their business makes is whether to stick with the conventional 1D type of scanner or the newer 2D units. 2D scanners are becoming more popular as they offer more, especially of course the ability to read the new 2D barcodes such as data matrix. These barcodes can contain much more information than the 1D type, which obviously makes them attractive to use. However, 2D handheld scanners cost much more than 1D units. Obviously, if your business can handle the 1D barcode capacity constraints, then there’s no real need to upgrade. Of course the reverse is also true and many more companies are now turning to the higher spec drives.