“Learn all the basic stuff you need to know about General Purpose Barcode Scanners, and how they optimize your business”
Barcodes have become very popular throughout different industries due to their ability to streamline AIDC operations. There are two components of these systems, namely – labels & scanners. With the variety in applications, there are a lot of different types of barcode scanners available in the market. One such, is the general purpose barcode scanner.
These are a little different than your everyday in-counter, ultra-rugged, etc. They are more simplistic & provide efficient functioning. So, let’s talk about how general purpose barcode scanners optimize your business operations.
What are General Purpose Barcode Scanners?
As the name suggests, these are scanners that are not designed for a particular industry or operational need. Unlike rugged scanners, inn-counter scanners, etc., that are tailor-made for a specific purpose. These scanners are made to be more generalized/spread out in their intended fields of operation.
These scanners are made from high-quality materials and can operate easily in harsh environments without breaking down.
Benefits of General Purpose Barcode Scanners that Optimize Your Operations
Barcodes are a type of AIDC technology that allows businesses to conduct asset identification and tracking. These general purpose scanners are amazing at providing improved efficiency and productivity in running a business.
Let’s see how they help you optimize your operations.
(A). Durability
General purpose barcode scanners are made using high-quality materials like engineering-grade plastic and impact cushioning material. These scanners are IP rated to survive falls and tumbles, and protect against the elements like water and dust.
The protective outer shell and the insulated electronics also allow these scanners to operate in high temperatures without malfunction. Due to the extremely protective designs, these scanners can remain functional for a long time, meaning a reduction in cost for repair or replacement. Allowing businesses to invest the money elsewhere.
(B). Compatibility
Due to the simplistic design and ergonomics that these scanners offer, users can employ them in a variety of fields. Making these scanners compatible with multiple applications. These scanners are easy to use and dynamic, therefore, reducing the cost of specialized equipment.
(C). Portable
Unlike in-counter scanners that require a special place to dock, these scanners are handy and portable. They are generally shaped like a gun to allow for easy gripping and use. They also don’t require to be connected to a system with capable, limiting their range. They can use wireless networks like Wi-Fi, Cellular Data, or Bluetooth to transmit information to the system.
Portability allows the users to cover more ground, and rather than create a moving line for the assets, just scan assets while moving through the facility. This helps greatly in industries like warehouses.
(D). Scanning & Tracking
Asset identification & tracking is an essential part of running a physical asset or product-based business. Having clear visibility over your operations allows you to easily manage the movement of your items and control the activities. It also helps in improving the accuracy of data collection & brings a measure of automation in your business.
Additional Features Available in General Purpose Barcode Scanners
As they are designed to be generalized and used by businesses of all types and sizes, they are affordable. Not only that, but they are very popular and produced in large numbers. Both of these things allow a third essential practice to take place, that is important for any field of technology.
That aspect is testing and including new features and technology into existing ones. General Purpose Barcode Scanners serve as the testbed for exciting new features in the barcode scanner field. Let’s take a look at some popular ones:
(A). Battery Free
Any portable electronic device requires an integrated source of power. For most electronics, these generally come in the form of batteries. However, the problem with batteries is that they are cumbersome and require a long time to charge. General purpose scanners instead have started shifting to supercapacitors for their power needs.
Supercapacitors provide a high-power storage medium, much more than conventional batteries. They also take significantly less time to charge completely. For example, in a barcode scanner, the supercapacitor will take approximately 2 minutes to charge fully, reducing the downtime severely. In addition, supercapacitors have unlimited charge cycles, meaning they are charge & disperse energy again and again, without reduction to their capacity.
(B). Bluetooth Compatibility
Bluetooth technology has been around for decades, facilitating low-range wireless communication in all sorts of devices. Using this technology allows devices to have increased mobility by removing the need for cords to connect handheld components and other systems.
Many barcode scanners utilize Bluetooth technology, allowing the scanners to become more lightweight and easy to use.
(C). Ingress Protection
The biggest issue for any electronic device can be environmental elements like dust and moisture. That is why industries have a standard know and IP (Ingress Protection) rating, that represents the standard of protection a specific device has against these elements.
(D). Multiple HSI
This refers to Host System Interface, meaning the hardware interface that is required for the scanner to attach to the system. To clarify, this means the type of connector that allows the scanner system to communicate with the computer.
General purpose scanners are compatible with a variety of HSI like USB, RS-485, KBW, RS-232, etc. Making them compatible with a variety of different systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the purpose of a barcode scanner?
The purpose of a barcode scanner is to quickly identify items/assets/products with their respective product group by reading the data printed on the label. They significantly reduce the time spent on identifying& tracking items, maintaining a manifest & inventory, etc.
Q2. What are the main types of barcode scanners?
There are various classification standards for barcode scanners like type of technology, size, compatibility, etc. However, the most proper classification is usually don’t based on the technology a device uses to perform its function.
Based on this, there are three types of barcode scanners, namely – LED Scanners, Laser Scanner, and Area-Imaging Scanner.
Q3. What is the barcode number?
A barcode number is the data that is represented by the code. A barcode requires a combination of different colored bars (usually black and white) to store data in binary format. This data is used to represent a number that can help users identify the product group and other important details of an item.
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