A barcode reader is an optical scanner that can read printed barcodes, decode the data contained in the barcode to a computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor for translating optical impulses into electrical signals. A barcode reader, also called a price scanner or point-of-sale (POS) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read information contained in a barcode. A barcode is a square or rectangular image consisting of a series of parallel black lines and white spaces of varying widths that can be read by a scanner. Barcodes are applied to products as a means of quick identification.
Among their many uses, barcodes are typically used in retail stores as a part of the purchasing process, in warehouses to track and manage inventory and on invoices to help with accounting. Scanners have many purposes which include copying, archiving, and sharing photos. The device captures images from print papers, photos, magazines, etc., and transfer them to the computer. Barcodes have no read/write capabilities; they do not contain any added information such as expiry date etc. They only contain the manufacturer and product. They are very labour intensive; as they must be scanned individually. Barcodes have less security than RFID; as they can be more easily reproduced or forged.
A barcode, consisting of bars and spaces, is a machine-readable representation of numerals and characters. Today, stripes as shown below on packages of products sold at supermarkets, convenience stores and other stores are ubiquitous. These are barcodes. A barcode scanner usually consists of three different parts including the illumination system, the sensor, and the decoder. In general, a barcode scanner “scans” the black and white elements of a barcode by illuminating the code with a red light, which is then converted into matching text.
