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Barcodes and barcode scanners

by Chris Woodford. Last updated: June 14, .

Blip! Blip! Blip! Buying things at a grocery store has never been easier or quicker thanks to barcode technology. You must have seen the black-and-white zebra stripes on everything from cornflake packets to library books and the laser wands that are used to read them. But have you ever stopped to think how they work?

Photo: An electronic zebra? A barcode represents the line of numbers printed underneath it with a pattern of black and white bars. Barcodes are designed for computers to read quickly by scanning red LED or laser light across them.

What are barcodes used for?

Photo: Barcodes can be used for all kinds of inventory/stocktaking work, but they're probably most familiar to us as identification codes printed on grocery store products.

If you run a busy store, you need to keep track of all the things you sell so you can make sure the ones your customers want to buy are always in stock. The simplest way of doing that is to walk around the shelves looking for empty spaces and simply refilling where you need to. Alternatively, you could write down what people buy at the checkout, compile a list of all the purchases, and then simply use that to reorder your stock. That's fine for a small store, but what if you're running a giant branch of Wal-Mart with thousands of items on sale? There are many other difficulties of running shops smoothly. If you mark all your items with their prices, and you need to change the prices before you sell the goods, you have to reprice everything. And what about shoplifting? If you see a lot of whisky bottles missing from the shelves, can you really be certain you've sold them all? How do you know if some have been stolen?

Using barcode technology in stores can help to solve all these problems. It lets you keep a centralized record on a computer system that tracks products, prices, and stock levels. You can change prices as often as you like, without having to put new price tags on all your bottles and boxes. You can instantly see when stock levels of certain items are running low and reorder. Because barcode technology is so accurate, you can be reasonably confident that any items that are missing (and don't appear to have been sold) have probably been stolen&#;and maybe move them to a more secure part of your store or protect them with RFID tags.

A barcode-based stock system like this has three main parts. First, there's a central computer running a database (record system) that keeps a tally of all the products you're selling, who makes it, what each one costs, and how many you have in stock. Second, there are the barcodes printed on all the products. Finally, there's one or more checkout scanners that can read the barcodes.

How barcodes represent the numbers 0&#;9

A barcode is a really simple idea: give every item that you want to classify its own, unique number and then simply print the number on the item so an electronic scanning device can read it. We could simply print the number itself, but the trouble with decimal numbers is that they're easy to confuse (a misprinted eight could look like a three to a computer, while six is identical to nine if you turn it upside down&#;which could cause all sorts of chaos at the checkout if you scanned your cornflakes the wrong way up). What we really need is a completely reliable way of printing numbers so that they can be read very accurately at high speeds. That's the problem that barcodes solve.

Photo: Each digit in a barcode is represented by seven equal-sized vertical blocks. These are colored in either black or white to represent the decimal numbers 0&#;9. Every number ultimately consists of four fat or thin black and white stripes and its pattern is designed so that, even if you turn it upside down, it can't be confused with any other number.

If you look at a barcode, you probably can't make head or tail of it: you don't know where one number ends and another one begins. But it's simple really. Each digit in the product number is given the same amount of horizontal space: exactly 7 units. Then, to represent any of the numbers from zero through nine, we simply color those seven units with a different pattern of black and white stripes. Thus, the number one is represented by coloring in two white stripes, two black stripes, two white stripes, and one black stripe, while the number two is represented by two white stripes, one black stripe, two white stripes, and two final black stripes.

You've probably noticed that barcodes can be quite long and that's because they have to represent three different types of information. The first part of a barcode tells you the country where it was issued. The next part reveals the manufacturer of the product. The final part of the barcode identifies the product itself. Different types of the same basic product (for example, four-packs of Coca-Cola bottles and six-packs of Coca-Cola cans) have totally different barcode numbers.

Most products carry a simple barcode known as the UPC (universal product code)&#;a line of vertical stripes with a set of numbers printed underneath it (so someone can manually key in the product number if the barcode is misprinted or damaged in the store and won't scan through the barcode reader). There is another kind of barcode that is becoming increasingly common and its stores much more information. It's called a 2D (two-dimensional) barcode) and you sometimes see it on things like self-printed postage stamps.

Photo: Two sets of very thin "guard bars" (which I've indicated in red) show where a barcode begins and ends, while a third set in the middle separates the product code (yellow) into two chunks of data ( and in this example). The guard bars make it easier for the scanner to detect a barcode, figure out which way up it is, and help to identify it when it's blurred (more about this down below).

Since its first implementation in , the basic function of the barcode has remained largely the same, with some updated features and capabilities. Almost every business, big and small, uses barcodes for SKU and UPC numbers, inventory management, and facilitating transactions. Thus, barcode scanners are a vital tool for business as they provide faster, more accurate, and more efficient data entry and POS processing. 

Barcode scanners work much like the human eye. They use light to decipher empty versus filled spaces on a barcode. This information is captured, then delivered into the processor. The processor converts it into a series of binary code that communicates with the software to relay what item it is representing. 

The technology used to capture these barcodes continues to evolve to respond to businesses demands and customer needs. While they use different types of sensors, cameras, and lasers to capture, they all perform the same basic task. But how exactly do barcode scanners work, and how can business owners determine which are the right ones for their needs? This blog will give you an overview of the basics and dive into some more common specific options for barcode scanners.

How Do Barcode Scanners Work?

Barcode scanners capture the reflected light and decode it into a numerical sequence of binary code. Traditionally, barcode scanners use laser or LCD light. By capturing the black and white pattern on a barcode, they process and relay that information back to the POS or computer connected to them.

Sophisticated types of scanners can read a whole barcode at once while more traditional and basic models have to be dragged across in order to physically scan the code. Today, we are seeing an increasing use of camera technology for barcode capture.  

These barcode scanners convert the shapes of lines, squares, and numbers into binary code which can then drop data directly into Excel, Accel, and POS software. Thus, they are a vital tool for both inventory management and executing sales.

What Are The Components of a Barcode Scanner

The scanner itself has a three part system that facilitates the capturing and transferring of the information within the barcode:

Illumination System

In order to read the code and relay the image back to be processed, the barcode must be illuminated. This used to be done using traditional lamps. Now barcode scanners will have built-in LED or lasers that act as illuminators. 

Sensor or Lens

A light sensor called a &#;photodiode&#; takes the image that is collected and converts it into a corresponding electrical signal. It appears and functions almost as a reverse LED, capturing light and putting it into a wire. 

The Decoder

Many modern barcode scanners contain decoders built directly into the handle of the gun. These decoders take the binary code that is read by the scanner and convert it into a usable piece of information for whatever software you&#;re using. Some scanners will require the use of a &#;keyboard wedge,&#; which acts as an external decoder between the actual scanner hardware and the computer. 

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Handheld Barcode Reader.

Types of Barcode Scanners

Scanner capabilities and prices differ greatly. The cheapest pen scanners on eBay are less than $10, while some supermarket-style scanners can cost several thousand dollars. Generally, the more you pay for your scanner the more capable it will be to read imperfectly printed or displayed barcodes.

For example, if there are slight blemishes and misprints on a barcode, cheaper models might have problems reading the information. In addition, more basic models require closer contact and alignment and won&#;t be able to scan cell QR codes at all.

Here are some different types of scanners:

1D Linear Scanners or Laser Scanners

1D refers to a type of barcode. Using UPC and SKU numbers, they hold up to a few dozen characters, requiring more letters and numbers as more information is added. 1D linear scanners are often &#;gun&#;-shaped and have been in use since the mid-s. They require close proximity (a few inches to up to a few feet) to the barcode to successfully read them, using lasers as a light source to relay the image back into the scanner.  

1D Image Scanners

These use imaging technology instead of lasers to capture barcodes. This charge-centered device (CCD) uses hundreds of light sensors and functions similarly to a digital camera. They are technologically superior to linear scanners as they are faster, better at reading poorly printed or damaged barcodes, and require less direct distance for scanning. However, 1D scanners cannot read barcodes that are displayed on screens because they don&#;t reflect back the image.

2D Camera-Based Scanners

With two-dimensional reading capabilities, these scanners read 2D barcodes that are both horizontal and vertical. This allows them to contain more information &#; in this case, up to characters. They also implement shapes and patterns such as squares and hexagons. As such, 2D barcode scanner captures contain much more information, such as URLs, loyalty programs, images, voice recordings and more. 

But how does a 2D scanner work? They function like modern camera technology to capture the code, then decode it with an algorithm to relay the information back to the computer. Of course, 2D scanners can also read and function for 1D types of barcodes. 

Most importantly though, 2D image readers can capture barcodes from cell phones. This functionality is a massive asset for companies that use mobile ticketing or /SMS coupons.

Types of Additional Scanner Hardware

Different types of scanner hardware are available according to individual needs, such as mobile use durability, handheld scanners, stationary devices, price range, scanner range, and more.

Here are some types to think about:

Scanner pens

These are the most basic and least expensive barcode scanners. They look like oversized pens, and require direct contact with the actual barcode. Scanner pens can be plugged directly into a laptop USB device to function. 

While they are durable and less prone to environmental hazards like dust and dirt, they are much slower and are really only useful for very low scanning needs.

Portable Scanners

Portable wireless scanner guns can be very useful for situations that need mobility. Do you need to scan large heavy items like furniture? Do you need a scanner to use for inventory in a warehouse or large retail floor? Having the ability to move around with the scanner can be a huge advantage in these contexts. 

Rugged Scanners 

For warehouses and hardware stores there are rugged scanners that guarantee protection against drops and other forms of wear and tear. If you have employees moving around frequently and doing inventory in a more industrial environment then these types of rubberized scanners are a better fit, ensuring longer life and durability.

Presentation Scanners

These sit in place and require customers to make contact with the barcode to complete the capture of the information. Presentation scanners make more sense for places that have ticketing, smaller items, or cell QR codes. These also make it easier for employee use because they don&#;t have to aim and push a button every time a guest approaches the POS system. That&#;s why choosing the best POS system with barcode scanners is crucial to improve customer&#;s checkout experience.

In-Counter Scanners

The big glass laser scanners that you see at the supermarket are referred to as &#;in-counter scanners.&#; Built right into the cashier&#;s counter, they are best suited for conveyor belt situations in which a large number of items are being scanned in a row. 

Omnidirectional Scanners

Most of the presentation and in-counter models will have omnidirectional capabilities. This means that they use Lissajous curve lasers that read and process barcodes from any angle and direction.

The employee or self-checkout customer can simply wave the item barcode past the scanner without having to perfectly line it up.  Having this capability facilitates a much faster and easier scanning process and shorter checkout time.

Smart Scanners

The latest development in scanner technology are mini-computers that have camera capture capabilities along with memory, wifi, and inventory applications. These portable smart scanners can do end-of-day (EOD) batches and perform many functions that sync to your POS or inventory management system. 

They can also use LTE or memory storage to portably scan tickets outside of a concert venue, theme park, or vineyard far away from POS terminals.

KORONA POS is very user-friendly. You can customize the interface to conform to your business needs. Customer Service is in the United States, always accessible, and always awesome. We love that we can fit it into our scale of business and grow with it.

-Darlene P.

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Find The Right Barcode Scanner With KORONA POS

Barcode scanners are an integral part of your company&#;s POS system. Reach out to KORONA POS today, and we will work with you to optimize your inventory management and streamline your checkout processes with the best scanner for your business. 

FAQs: Barcode Scanners

When you scan a barcode what happens?

The scanner captures the barcode either by light reflection or by camera, binarizes the code and then decodes it into meaningful data for the software or POS it is connected to.

Do barcode scanners read the black or white bars?

Depending on the type and capability, barcode scanners read both traditional one-dimensional (1D) bars, and/or two-dimensional (2D) bars such as QR codes.

What method is used to read a barcode?

There are three main methods to barcode scanning: laser, CCD (charge-centered device), and camera-based. The most commonly used scanners are lasers that relay light back into the device to read the black and white spaces in the barcode. The CCD style is similar but uses a series of small LED lights. Finally, the newest technology uses digital camera algorithms to capture and analyze the barcode.

How do mobile barcode scanners work?

Mobile barcode scanners work similarly to wired scanners except that they either connect to a computer/POS via wifi or LTE. Some newer models operate like mini-computers that can store inventory and sales data on local memory disks.

Can barcode scanners read QR codes?

QR codes are two dimensional barcodes. Thus, 2D barcode scanners can read QR codes but 1D scanners cannot. Because they are camera based and don&#;t require an internal light source, 2D scanners can read QR codes both in print and on cell phones.

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