How does a barcode scanner read a barcode?
- A barcode is a series of dark and light parallel lines of varying thickness.
- The barcode scanner can produce light, red laser or red RED.
- The light is shined on the barcode when a barcode scanner is used to scan a barcode.
- The light is reflected back off the barcode. The dark area reflects no or little light and the white area reflects much more light. This allows the bar to be read.
- The reflected light is read by the sensors (photoelectric cells).
- The pattern of lines is then converted into digital data.
- This allows the computer to which the barcode is attached to understand the barcode.
Most commonly, we see a cashier using a barcode scanner to scan the barcode on the package of the stuff that you buy and then the description of the item and the price are shown on the screen. The item is identified by the numbers under the barcode. The cashier can enter the number to computer but that is tedious and error-prone. Using the barcode scanner makes it faster an error-proofing. What does the computer do after a barcode is scanned? It's another story. I'll talk about it in another blog at https://blog.csdn.net/zhangxingping/article/details/116348529?spm=1001.2014.3001.5501.