News about Barcode Scanners

[22/05/2010] Methods of connection

According to the way the barcode scanners connect to a computer or other devices, they are divided into:

Serial interface barcode scanners connect to serial ports on the computer; back in the day this was the universal and the most technologically advanced connection.
Various propriety interfaces were used by some not so common barcode scanners; most of them weren’t using a computer, but rather a dedicated device, which was used to interpret the signals sent from the reader.
Barcode scanner that are using keyboard wedges. The keyboard wedge is either hardware or software, although in the case of barcode readers it was almost always a hardware, which reads the signals from the reader and inputs them to the computer, just like the signals, sent from the keyboard. This made possible the integration of barcode readings into some already existing software programs.
Barcode readers with USB connection. As the USB technology was replacing the serial and parallel ports on the computers, USB barcode readers were manufactured to take advantage of the newer, faster and more reliable technology.
Wireless barcode scanners are utilizing the latest in wireless technology and have great advantages to all other models since they are more mobile and just as reliable. These scanners use either Bluetooth or WLAN technology and their only disadvantage is that need to have their batteries recharged regularly.