Intermec's new ScanPlus-Vista™ beats lasers on performance and price

Citation

(2001), "Intermec's new ScanPlus-Vista™ beats lasers on performance and price", Sensor Review, Vol. 21 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.2001.08721aaf.008

Intermec's new ScanPlus-Vista™ beats lasers on performance and price

Intermec's new ScanPlus-Vista™ beats lasers on performance and price

New bar code scanner incorporates advanced CCD scanning engine for superior performance at reduced cost

Intermec Technologies has introduced the ScanPlus-Vista™ (see Plate 7) barcode scanner, the first scanner based on charge-coupled-device (CCD) technology to deliver the same scanning range as standard laser scanners with better performance and higher reliability at a lower price. Combining lightweight design with superior scanning performance, the ScanPlus-Vista meets the needs of retail, healthcare, parcel carrier and light industrial customers.

Plate 7 Intermec's new Scanplus-Vista™

CCD technology is not new to the market, but applications, until now, have been limited due to a scanning range of only a few inches. The new Vista-powered engine in the ScanPlus-Vista family makes it possible to aggressively scan barcodes up to 19 in. away – comparable with standard-range lasers, which constitute 80 per cent of the scanner market. The ScanPlus-Vista also has a faster scan rate than lasers (225 vs 40 scans-per-second) and a dedicated custom ASIC chip for advanced decoding, enabling it to read a variety of barcodes.

For example, the ScanPlus-Vista can read high resolution codes as small as 2mil and as large as 100mil. Traditionally, multiple lasers would be needed to scan that variety of codes. It can also read codes on curved surfaces, as well as poor quality, damaged or over-laminated codes that lasers are again incapable of reading.

"The ScanPlus-Vista is a breakthrough product that meets the needs of the majority of our scanner customers", said John Klinker, General Manager of Intermec Technologies. "The Vista-powered scan engine delivers much better performance than comparable laser scanners at about 40 per cent less cost, and if you couple that with its lightweight you have the perfect scanner for most retail front-of-store and light industrial applications. While this is the first scanner to use our newly developed Vista-powered scan engine, plans are already in place to incorporate the engine into Intermec's family of industrial and fixed-position scanners later this year, thereby ensuring that users have access to the most up-to-date technology available."

With its CCD technology, the new scanner is significantly more reliable than laser scanners where oscillating mirrors automatically move the beam back and forth across the symbol. In contrast, CCD scanners have no moving parts, thereby substantially reducing failures. User productivity is also enhanced thanks to the interchangeable technology in the ScanPlus series which reduces the time and effort required to configure or reconfigure a scanner for a specific task.

For further information visit the Web site at: www.intermec.com