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April 11, 2008
•White Paper: How To Choose The Best Data Capture Technology
In 1974 when Intermec invented Code 39, data capture technology was pretty simple: Print out a linear bar-code label and read it with a batch laser scanner.
As bar codes became commonplace, companies realized the advantage of carrying more data, leading to new symbologies such as PDF417 and matrix codes that convey far more information, and now radio frequency identification (RFID), which can serve as a portable, dynamic database attached to a pallet, case, or single item.
Along with the proliferation of new symbologies to convey data, there has been a significant change in scanning technologies. The workhorse laser scan engines have been supplemented with—and often surpassed by—new imaging scan engines. These linear and area imagers are more powerful and reliable than laser scanners. Add to that RFID interrogators and you have a much more complex data-capture landscape to navigate.
While it might be logical to ask which technology is best, the better question to ask is, "What is the optimal suite of data-capture technologies for my specific set of applications?" All scanning technologies are exceptionally good at what they do, as long as they're used for the proper application. With numerous applications in use, a combination of scanning technologies is needed.
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