What is Barcode reader?
{{no sources|date=February 2024}} [[File:barcode-scanner.jpg|thumb|A handheld barcode scanner]] A barcode reader or barcode scanner is an [[Electronics|electronic]] [[input device]] which is able to scan and decode [[Barcode|barcodes]]. These devices use [[Optics|optical technology]] such as [[infrared]] [[light]]. Some readers use an integrated decoder, others have one unit for reading the barcode, and another one to decode the barcode. A barcode reader also called a price scanner or point-of-sale (POS) scanner, is a hand-held or stationary input device used to capture and read the information contained in a bar code. A barcode reader consists of a scanner, a decoder (either built-in or external), and a cable used to connect the reader with a computer. Because a barcode reader merely captures and translates the barcode into numbers and/or letters, the data must be sent to a computer so that a software application can make sense of the data. Barcode scanners can be connected to a computer through a [[serial port]], keyboard port, or an interface device called a wedge. A barcode reader works by directing a beam of light across the bar code and measuring the amount of light that is reflected back. The dark bars on a barcode reflect less light than the white spaces between them. The barcode scanner then converts the reflected light energy into electrical energy, which is converted into data by the decoder and forwarded to a computer. There are five basic barcode readers -- pen wands, slot scanners, Charge-Couple Device (CCD) scanners, image scanners, and [[laser]] scanners. A pen wand is the simplest barcode reader. It contains no moving parts and is known for its durability and low cost. A pen wand can present a challenge to the user, however, because it has to remain in direct contact with the bar code, must be held at a certain angle, and has to be moved over the bar code at a certain speed. A slot scanner remains stationary and the item with the bar code on it is pulled by hand through the slot. Slot scanner