ASP Microcomputers - Could You Get By Without Barcode Scanners?

Could You Get By Without Barcode Scanners?

Take a look around where you are sitting right now. If you're at a desk, you can probably see a phone, a computer, a lamp, and a book or two. Now think about how many times each of those items may have passed through a barcode scanner. The chances are very good that each of them passed a scanner at least half a dozen times. If you look behind and underneath any one of those items, you will probably find a UPC (Universal Product Code) sticker. In the case of the computer, you will find multiple stickers — the monitor, the back of the CPU and inside the case. Add to that the UPC codes that were on the boxes these items were shipped in, and you've got a lot of scanning.

A barcode scanner simply reads the information that is encoded on the UPC symbol, converts the code to a digital signal and then transmits that to a computer database that hold information about the item. That goes for every part that is coded and every box that is shipped.

Prior to the introduction of barcode scanners in the 1970s, all of that tracking was done manually. Individuals made notes and information was recorded in file after file. The most sophisticated operations may have had access to large mainframe computers that were used to help keep track of the information, but in most cases it was all done by hand. At the time of their introduction, barcode scanners were expensive and not completely accurate. As computer technology matured and scanning technology became more affordable and accessible, it took off. By the 1980s, barcode scanners were becoming more widely adopted. Today there isn't a part of our lives that isn't impacted by barcode scanner technology.

The simplest barcode readers are the small pencil or wand-style which use LED light to read the data. These are becoming less popular as many users move to CCD and laser technology. The large sophisticated systems that you find in big retail stores and warehouses are laser driven. Whether LED, CCD or laser, the process is the same, the light reads the code and the code is transmitted to the database. Of course, that is an over simplification of the process since software is required to drive the database, but that's essentially how it works. Systems may be hardwired or wireless and they may be handheld or stationary. Which set up is used will depend on the type of industry and the needs of the operation.

It is hard to imagine what life would be like without barcode technology. It touches nearly every item and product we use - from the foods in our pantry to the books and magazines we read. There is no question that it has made goods more accessible and likely more affordable. They ship to us faster and we can find what we need when we want it. As technology continues to advance, barcode scanning will continue to improve. One thing is certain, barcode readers will not go away anytime soon.

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