Barcode scanner recommendation (high density codes)

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Barcode scanner recommendation (high density codes)

TechnoGuy001

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#280727 6-Jan-2021 20:03

Just wondering if anyone here scans allot of 1D barcodes, especially quite dense / small codes that have been badly printed, like the long CourierPost codes, "3333555555777701AKL005ON" (Code 128)

Like partly faded codes, or very very little spacing between the lines.

I currently use a CCD scanner from AliExpress (NETUM W6-X) which works 90% of the time, but when it doesn't it really slows me down.

Any recommendations? It's for indoor use, so doesn't need to be rugged, but would like wireless.

Honeywell and Zebra seem to be the leading companies from what I read, but there is a lot of marking talk on there sites so hard to tell which are actually good at scanning difficult to read codes.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2631344 6-Jan-2021 20:08

Not wireless, but I've never had an issue reading the tiny barcodes on hard drives using my Argox scanner (from PB, years ago). CourierPost labels are huge in comparison.

ST3500418AS
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TechnoGuy001

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#2631348 6-Jan-2021 20:19

Hmmm yeah mine can do those codes too, even other super small dense ones, but only if they've been generated / printed proper, the issue with the codes I scan mostly is that they've been badly generated and then sized wrong, so the lines don't all have the same spacing, an issue which is compounded a bit with a not the best thermal printer.

I could probably fix the issue with a new higher DPI printer, but they're even more expensive than scanners, so figured I'd start with the scanner.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2631349 6-Jan-2021 20:27

TechnoGuy001:

the issue with the codes I scan mostly is that they've been badly generated and then sized wrong, so the lines don't all have the same spacing, an issue which is compounded a bit with a not the best thermal printer.

I doubt a new scanner would resolve the issue. Since you're generating them, are there other steps in the process that could be causing issues?

E.g. I found that if I edit PDF documents in LibreOffice, barcodes won't be readable when the document is exported/printed. Seems to be doing a lossy conversion and losing detail.

Simply scaling shouldn't really cause issues for 1D barcodes, but I've found QR codes to be completely unreadable.

TechnoGuy001

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#2631357 6-Jan-2021 20:45

The issue is the codes are generated by the company I use to book the courier tickets, they give me a PDF with the address, service type etc, and barcode. While I have used PHP barcode generators to generate my own 128 code from the tracking number, and my code comes out less dense, and scans easy and seems to work fine through the courier network. But it's not so easy grab all the info in the PDF to automate the process of replacing the barcodes. Though it's on my todo list.

I've checked the barcode in the PDF and they are vector, as is everything else in the PDF which helps, but not enough. I don't do anything else to the PDF but print it at 100%. I can try print it a tad larger, but I think I've tried that it didn't seem to help.

Maybe I just need to bite the bullet and get a new thermal printer.

Goosey

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#2631429 7-Jan-2021 07:12

Im regularly (daily), use a device from "Socketmobile .com"

- Reads 1D

- Bluetooth (and battery life per charge aint too bad tbh)

Lately, It sometimes gets a bit jittery....my unscientific research into this points to RF interference from other really close proximity devices e.g. other peoples cellphones. (im talking within 30-90cm).

Id give it 9/10 for reliability...

edit: I see a few NZ local retailers sell these too...

MadEngineer

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#2631545 7-Jan-2021 10:22

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/BARLS2208/Zebra-LS2208-USB-kit-Corded-Black-wstand-Wired-Han

This. They are bullet proof, faultless, flawless and will scan so much as the smell of a barcode

Easy to program functions in such as CR suffix.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

TechnoGuy001

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#2631811 7-Jan-2021 15:37

Goosey:

Im regularly (daily), use a device from "Socketmobile .com"

- Reads 1D

- Bluetooth (and battery life per charge aint too bad tbh)

Lately, It sometimes gets a bit jittery....my unscientific research into this points to RF interference from other really close proximity devices e.g. other peoples cellphones. (im talking within 30-90cm).

Id give it 9/10 for reliability...

edit: I see a few NZ local retailers sell these too...

Hmm, not heard of them before, I see they're on Amazon too, might get one to try and return it if it's no good.

Which model did you get?

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Goosey

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#2634351 12-Jan-2021 15:35

Hi.

Work issue.... so no choice... it’s the S700

TechnoGuy001

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#2650328 9-Feb-2021 13:38

TLDR: If you use a Rollo thermal printer to print dense barcodes which are hard to scan, buy a better thermal printer, for me this was the Brother QL-1100.

Just an update incase others have a similar issue.

So turns out my barcode reader is fine. The issue was my thermal printer, I was using the Rollo thermal printer, which is great for the FastWay style barcodes (barcodes are in portrait), but not so great at all with landscape barcodes like CourierPost's, especially not the more dense CourierPost tracking codes which are like 24 characters long.

It doesn't help that most thermal printers are of a low DPI (a bad thing when printing barcodes), the rollo is 203 dpi, as most are, but I came across this 1 brother thermal printer (QL-1100) which is 300dpi, it's pretty close in price to the Rollo too, but labels are more expensive. (for comparison, my laser printer prints at 1200dpi)

Anyway, got a new thermal printer today and it prints a bit slower than the rollo, but the labels come out crystal clear! And the barcodes read 100% of the time, every time with my AliExpress NETUM W6-X barcode reader. You can even, half asleep wave the reader over the barcode and it scans it, this was unthinkable from CP labels printed on the rollo.

Of course there are many factors that also play a role in a clear thermal print, like good quality thermal paper, print speed, print darkness. Over the months I've tried allot different things on the rollo, just never got it all that good, just passable most of the time.

I also recently read somewhere that the thermal printers themselves might have specific font support, to print text clear with the low DPI, this may also include barcode interpretation, idk.

Also also, it seems every company/site selling anything related to shipping (labels, packing, courier booking etc) seem to sell their own imported old barcode printer. But they always seem like some unknown (to me) brand like TSC or SATO (I'm assuming they've got the highest margins), they often seem to have bad support for Mac computers too (because they're yeaaars old). But I'm assuming they must do something ok, as they're all 203dpi too, and some people must be using it to print CP labels with them.

Sorry for the long post, just hope it helps others starting down this journey, as there seems very little technical talk about barcode readers / thermal printers, just a lot of videos from someone selling on ebay saying, look it prints fast, labels stick, but not going into detail about how clear a label is printed (and if it scannable, and how well) or barcode reader they're using, and why they picked that model vs 100s of others.

Lastly, for testing barcodes, I've found the Android app "VinaSoft Barcode Scanner" to be the most helpful to test barcodes outside of a proper barcode scanner. It'll tell you the barcodes recognition quality, as well as narrow bar count, narrow bar size, and the barcode type, e.g. Code128), and ofcourse the barcode data.

MadEngineer

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#2650630 9-Feb-2021 20:23

Label printer? Zebra or bust.

For labels that need to last, thermal transfer.

You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

neb

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#2650840 10-Feb-2021 10:11

TechnoGuy001:
Also also, it seems every company/site selling anything related to shipping (labels, packing, courier booking etc) seem to sell their own imported old barcode printer. But they always seem like some unknown (to me) brand like TSC or SATO (I'm assuming they've got the highest margins), they often seem to have bad support for Mac computers too (because they're yeaaars old).

Another distinguishing feature of them is that they all look like they were pulled from the Computer History Museum or similar, steam-powered electromechanical devices assembled by tribes of dwarfs in caves in the Ramtops.

TechnoGuy001

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#2650848 10-Feb-2021 10:18

@neb, I didn't want to say that, but yes, I feel the same way. Seems there is little motivation for allot of these companies to make there machines a little easier on the eyes.

I know allot are used in warehouse settings, but still, no reason you have to be surrounded tech bought in 2021 that looks like it's from the dark ages.