Hand Held barcode scanners

Hand Held Products (formerly HHP) manufactures a range of data collection and communication products designed for mobile, on-site, and transaction processing applications
Welch Allyn Data Collection was formed in 1972 as a subsidiary of Welch Allyn, headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, New York, and by the 1990's was manufacturing a complete line of handheld bar code readers.

Barcode Software

Barcode Software Offers Special Features by Tony Kwenns4


In its simplest form, barcode software allows a user to input information and then facilitates the printing of a barcode label. However, today's high-quality barcode software does that and much, much more. Consider some of the special features offered by some of the better barcode software:

Compliance assistance.

Label compliance is an issue of growing concern among those who label their products. Many industries are moving toward rigorous labelling standards and many large-volume trade partners insist on compliance with various label standards. Good barcode software assists the user in creating labels that will withstand high levels of compliance scrutiny. The downside associated with noncompliant labelling is significant, and good barcode software can be worth its weight in gold when it staves off compliance issues and complaints.

Printer compatibility.

The best pieces of barcode software are compliant with all frequently encountered label printers. Upgrading one aspect of your overall labelling system should not require you to invest in all new technology. Compatibility with existing printers holds down expenses and makes transitions easier. The better barcode software tools feature wide-ranging compliance and flexibility.

Label customization.

Your barcode labels may be nothing more than a simple rectangle used for pricing. In other cases, they may actually forma significant portion of your products packaging information. Some items feature only a barcode label that is also responsible for imparting additional key information and even marketing material. A good barcode software package will allow the user to create labels that match unique needs. A good program will not force you to use one of only a few templates. You will be able to create the particular label you need.

Top-notch barcode software can make life a lot easier for almost any business. By offering "extras" like compliance assistance, printer compatibility and complete user customization of labels, barcode software can become a very valuable business tool.


About the Author
For information, technical support and purchase information about Labelview or barcode software, visit www.labelview.co.uk

Barcode Scanners - Types of Connectors

Most barcode readers use a PS/2 or USB cable for output: PS/2 cables are connected to the host computer in a Y formation, the PS/2 keyboard port with its first end, to the keyboard with its second, and to the barcode reader with its third end. The barcode characters are then received by the host computer as if they came from its keyboard decoded and converted to keyboard input within the scanner housing. Many readers can also be equipped with an RS-232 output port so that the decoded characters arrive at the computer via one of its RS-232 connectors. USB is supported by many newer scanners, in many cases a choice of USB interface types (HID, CDC) are provided.

There are a few other less common interfaces. The proprietary IBM interfaces (port 5B, port 9B and port 17) that use an SDL type connector and are based on an RS485 protocol. OCIA is sometimes still found, mostly used on older stand alone cash registers with a wide variety of connector types. Undecoded interface is an amplified output of the raw wave received back from the barcode and requires a decoder to be built into the terminal that the scanner connects to which is more common on industrial terminals. Wand emulation is another output type that takes the raw wave and decodes it, normalizing the output so it can be easily decoded by the host device. Wand emulation can also convert symbologies that may not be recognized by the host device into another symbology (typically Code 39) that can be easily dec