How To Choose The Best Mobile Barcode Scanner For Your Needs

Mobile barcode scanners are a relatively recent innovation in the point of sale (POS) scanning market, and they allow you to instantly access specific files that you have located in a database. These gadgets come outfitted with a light sensor, a light source and a lens which is responsible for converting the optical impulses it scans into electrical impulses. After flashing the light on the barcode image, the scanner translates it and sends its interpretation to an output center, which is usually a cash register or a computer screen.

Some of the most popular mobile barcode scanner brands are Wasp, Metrologic, Symbol, Adesso, PSC, TS, CK1, CCD, Trakker, Intermec, Standard, Datalogic and Informatics. Because there is such a wide variety of brands from which to choose, you will generally be able to find scanners that differ quite a bit from one another.

The weight of each scanner will vary somewhat between the lightweight options that are around 9 ounces, to the bulkier ones that can weigh up to 3 lbs. The smaller ones can be quite thin when compared to the larger scanners. You will also be able to choose between scanners that connect by wire through a USB port and wireless ones that use Bluetooth.

Wireless mobile barcode scanners are powered through a battery. A fully charged battery is able to scan up to 20,000 times and will last as long as 30 hours. The standard range for them is approximately 160 feet. However, for some models you can still store information by going beyond that boundary a bit (usually 1 to 12 inches farther out) by switching to memory mode.

The wired models that need to be connected to a station hub will generally cover a range of up to 5 feet with the extension cord. They are also most often outfitted with a plug and play feature through a USB port. This will allow you to immediately use the scanner after connecting it to a port station, since it obviates the need to install any software.

If you are thinking about buying a mobile barcode scanner, there are a few things you will want to take into account first. First of all, you obviously need to know what it is exactly you want to accomplish in order to select the right product. That will involve the kinds of bar codes you will be scanning. There are two different types -- one dimensional and two dimensional barcodes.

One dimensional barcodes are the most common. They appear as a series of vertical bars with varying densities and form a rectangle. Two dimensional barcodes can contain more information and look distinctly different. They might appear similar to a small pattern or a boxed image.

Another thing to think about is how you will be scanning the orientation of the barcode. The most common mobile barcode scanner has linear beams, which only makes it possible to scan a barcode when it is positioned perpendicular to it. An omni-directional scanner is able to scan barcodes from any position, whether it is diagonal, horizontal or vertical.