The barcode scanner is an input device that collects information from 2D Barcodes. The information can be anything, depending on the type of barcode and the type of application used to decode the barcode. The most common use for a 2D barcode scanner is scanning UPC codes found in retail stores for later retrieval to build market reports or analyze sales data.
2D Barcode scanner is unique to each manufacturer, but they typically come in two flavors: 1-D (linear) and 2-D (in matrices like QR code). In addition, each brand has its system for encoding data into their codes which means it might not always be possible to scan one type of code with another manufacturer’s reader – unless you’ve built your proprietary system.
What is a 1D (linear) barcode?
A linear (1D) barcode consists of lines, each line having 3 or more black and white squares that can be read by a scanner. Each sequence of black and white squares forms the digits that represent the number encoded in this barcode. The most common use for these barcodes is inventory tracking, such as scanning grocery items via Universal Product Code (UPC).
What is a 2D (matrix) barcode?
A matrix code consists of square/rectangular shapes with numbers and letters embedded within them. These codes can be made up of many different-sized rectangles, making them hard to break apart quickly, so you’ll need to use specially designed software for decoding them. The most common use of these barcodes is contact information or QR codes scanned by smartphones/tablets.
What are 1D & 2D Barcode scanners used for?
2D barcodes can hold more data than their 1-dimensional counterparts because they are larger (the total surface area). When 1d codes were first developed, it was assumed that there would never be enough data needed to fill up a whole code. However, as technology has improved & storage space has become less expensive, people have found much more innovative ways to use 2D barcodes. In addition, the speed of data transfer is improved because the scanners have a larger field of view that allows them to scan more data in less time.
1d barcodes are primarily found on product packaging and price tags, while 2d codes are typically embedded into a webpage/document, which can be read by smartphones/tablets using special apps & QR code readers. An example of where you might see a 1d or a 2d barcode scanner in use today would be grocery stores, warehouses, or airports checking inventory against their databases for purchase orders. Companies might also use these scanners directly with their customers to create database entries after an interaction has been had – such as scanning Codes presented on business cards during a networking event.
