Ask a Question

Post a question, I’ll find the answer. Make comments, or even feel free to answer someone elses question. Let’s start a discussion! If you don’t want to share your question, feel free to contact me at mmclean@barcode.com

126 Responses to “Ask a Question”

Mark says:

March 4, 2009 at 8:16 am

Thanks for the answer.
I got a fancy stand with it. Is the stand supposed to hold the trigger tight, or is there more to it than that?

Answer
Mark, I would think there would be more to it than that, but contact the manufacturer for more details.
Anthony McNinch says:

March 19, 2009 at 9:31 am

I am working at a small private owned mfg company. They are currently scanning barcode labels via a Symbol scanner into Microsoft word. The code appears in word as a alpha-numeric code, which is fine. But there is no separation between codes they just show up in a “jumbled paragraph” of numbers and letters. My task is to create a Excel form for these codes to be scanned into. My question is…For the sake of time is there a way to set up a macro so after each code is scanned excel automatical enters the next code in the next available cell? This was I wouldnm’t have to press enter after each code. We scan up to 100 labels at one time. This would save alot of time and create less error. Or can you recommend a software program that could do this?

Answer
Hi Anthony,
You can program the scanner to have the carriage return after each scan.The user manual has a configuration guide that will allow them to configure the scanner to do carriage returns. If you have further questions, I would contact the manufacturer or whomever you purchased the scanner from, as procedures vary from scanner to scanner.
Mandy says:

April 19, 2009 at 10:21 am

Hi we have started a grocery store. I have already bought the usb scanner and Quickbooks software and brother all in one printer MCF5490cn for the inventory.
I already put vendors names in quick books. Now how do I set up to work my scanner with cash register.
And what software should I use to scan all the receipts from the vendors into quickbooks to keep all the records and get organized.
Do I have to buy is or I can download it?
And will my regular brother all in one printer scanner work?
What should be my steps to get organized.
thanks

Answer
Hi Mandy, congrats on starting the grocery store! I would recommend purchasing professional barcoding software. The brother all in one printer scanner is ok, but probably isn’t good for fast scanning and may not last as long as other industrial scanners. Most grocers use separate Symbol/Motorola scanners. Check out these solutions from Barcoding Inc.
LifeResort says:

April 29, 2009 at 4:20 am

Hi,

I am looking for a barcode that can link to SAP system in such a way so that when a particular item is moved out of the warehouse, the SAP system can be automatically updated with as little manual work as possible.
Do you know where I can get such solution?

Thanks

Answer
Hi there! You can check out SAP solutions here. I think this is what you are looking for.
Karen says:

April 29, 2009 at 3:18 pm

Thanks for this informative site. I am trying to find the scan recognition rate – also called a first pass read rate, I believe – for barcoding technology. Let me know if there is a valid statistic for this. Thanks.

Answer
Hi Karen,
Thanks for your question. The scan read rate differs for every scanner, depending on the type of scanner, brand, etc. The faster the read rate, the faster you can scan. If you have a specific scanner you were interested in learning about, I would consult the manual.
Joe renzi says:

May 7, 2009 at 9:09 am

we issue bar code stickers to patients and they get wet or rubbed off. We would like to buy bar code preprinted plastic sheets of small perforated cards to break off 1 at a time and give to a patient and scann the code and assign it to them. where do I get the preprinted plastic cards?

Answer
Hi Joe, thanks for your question. You have a couple different options. One, would be to simply use barcode labels built for extreme conditions, such as those used in the outdoors. Another option would be to give each patient an ID plastic card, which you would need a special printer for. If you would like more information on either solution, please contact Barcoding Inc.
anum khan says:

May 8, 2009 at 7:31 am

i hav been assigned a project to create a database of people entering or leaving our university in a way that a person on the gate will hav his id card(wid barcodes imprinted beforehand)checkd through a barcode scanner.what do u suggest is the most efficient and suitable barcode reading hardware that ought to b used.

Answer
Hi Anum,
For the most efficient way to do this, I would recommend using RFID technology. This will prevent lines from forming as people wait to have their barcodes scanned. Instead, as long as people are carrying their RFID ID card when they walk through the reader, the database can automatically be updated. You can learn more about RFID solutions here.
Kalrav says:

May 20, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Hi!

I’m helping manage a college vehicle fleet of about 100 vehicles.
We have our own gas pump, and would like to introduce a bar code system instead of our manual entry system.
Is there anyway the gas pump could work in tandem with the barcode reader so that it dispenses gas once the barcode has been successfully read, and records the volume of fuel purchased. Would it be pushing it too far to hope that the bar code reader can collect the odometer reading as well?
Thanks.

Answer
For something of this nature, you will need mobile computers equipped with barcode scanners, and customizable software. Check out this solution from CaptureSoft: http://www.barcoding.com/capturesoft/express/index.shtml
Irfan says:

May 27, 2009 at 6:57 am

Hi, I am new to barcodes so bear with me. I have a database of products which have associated comments on them. However, we are planning on developing some hardware whereby someone could scan a product and have our information presented to them alongside the product. However, what I don’t know is that is there a global database which contains all the barcodes which my product can reference or would I have to go to each supplier e.g. Kellogs and ask for their barcode and place this into my database. This would be a very time consuming process. How do big companies like Walmart do it and also smaller shops? Shurly they don’t ask for the barcode for each product directly from the supplier? Your help would be great. Thanks.

Answer
Try this site.
Scott says:

June 8, 2009 at 6:18 pm

Is there technology out there that helps prevent unauthorized replication of barcodes?

Answer
To prevent barcode replication, you will need a reader with an infared option, such as this one.
Mark says:

July 6, 2009 at 3:51 pm

I work at a camp that is required to be able to report the location of any camper at any time. I think barcode scanners at key locations will do the trick. I need real-time information, I have wi-fi through some of the camp, and I’m on a tight budget. Is there a cheap DIY solution for this?

Answer
Hi Mark,
In order to be able to track their location at any time, you would need to use RFID technology. If you used barcodes, you would have to rely on the campers to scan themselves. I think the best way to do this would be to have a bracelet with an rfid chip inside, and rfid readers throughout the campgrounds. I don’t think there is a DIY solution for this, but if you simply google “rfid bracelets for children” you can shop around, and probably get a discount for ordering in bulk. Goodluck!
karen says:

September 23, 2009 at 7:39 pm

Can you recommend a reputable reseller, as we only need the barcoding for 1 product. Thanks.

Answer
Hi Karen,
I’m so glad you asked this question. It’s so hard to find a reseller you can trust, and also one that will actually help you implement the products once purchanced. I have personally dealt a lot with Barcoding Inc. and they are great at getting you what you need at a fair price with lots of great customer service. Their website is http://www.barcoding.com
mena says:

November 29, 2009 at 6:39 am

hi i need to learn more about barcodes

…
thanks

Hi Mena,

Aside from this blog, there are many great resources out there to learn more about barcodes. I highly suggest you first start by visiting the GS1 website to get the basics, then peruse other articles on this blog for more specific information. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at mmclean@barcoding.com
Mark says:

December 23, 2009 at 7:55 pm

Hi All

Can anyone tell me if it’s possible to set the Timed Release mode on the Motorola 9090G? The application we are using doesn’t allow this to be configured (or anything else). Is there a way I can get to the scanners settings a nd set this?

Thanks

Mark
Bob says:

February 6, 2010 at 1:41 pm

Hi,
In our distribution environment we use barcode technology. During normal processing, several large retailers expect us to create their unique barcodes and place them in specific locations upon our cases when we ship to them. Unfortunately we have other, internal use bar codes that we need to disable to complete this. Currently we use a mixture of black marker and china pen to cross off the code. This takes way too much time.
Is there a simple, fast, single swipe material that I can use to disable the codes? I envision a liquid paper dispenser or something similar that will allow me to pass across the code once to disable it.
Any direction or advice would be great!
kendra says:

March 10, 2010 at 4:40 pm

I have greatly enjoyed playing with all the phone apps (iphone) that allow me to scan the barcodes of various consumer products, record their prices, and receive immediate price comparisons. Along a similar line, I have been looking for an app that will scan the barcodes of my 100s of clipped coupons and add them to a database with some organizational capabilities (such as product, product category, discount, and exp. date). Do you know of any such software?

Many thanks for your time,
Kendra

Hi Kendra,
Barcode apps are such fun to play with! I’d check out Molo rewards or Cardstar for your purposes.
Ron says:

April 20, 2010 at 9:12 am

You really seem to be knowlegeable regarding barcoding so I would like to present this problem to you. I have been using a Symbol LS4004-i000 barcode scanner for many years without a problem. Recently upgraded a computer only to find the scanner won’t work. It provides a single beep(as usual), then three (seemingly louder) beeps, but will not read the barcode. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Answer
Hi Ron,
Thanks for your question. The LS4004 is an older scanner and it could be functioning poorly for a variety of reasons. The scanner may simply be broken, or more likely it is not compatible with the new computer and operating system. If it is connected via a serial or PS/2 cable you may have to download the drivers from Motorola.com. The best option may be to simply replace the scanner with a new USB scanner. Hope this helps!
Latoya says:

April 22, 2010 at 3:38 pm

I work for an association that is currently using the CS1504 Consumer Memory Scanner for our certification program. We would like to offer a new program to our members using this scanning device and the free barcode generator. However there are few unanswered questions we would like you to answer.

1.Would the free barcode generator be able to produce mass barcodes at a time?

2. It there a barcode program that would allow us to do something similar to a mail merge with an excel file and the barcode software?

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated:-)

Answer
Hi Latoya, thanks for your question! Unfortunately, the free barcode generator can only produce one at a time, but the software that you are looking for can also produce them. I recommend Nicelabel or Bartender, as both can generate barcodes in addition to excel merges and mass printer. Both links offer free trial versions, so you can check them out! Hope this helps and goodluck on your new program!
Joan says:

April 26, 2010 at 11:07 am

We are using Symbol barcode scanners and have been having reoccurring issues in our surgical gross area. We think the chemicals are getting into the scanners and causing them to defect. Are there any scanners that you could recommend that would better withstand the elements of a grossing station? Or are there any cover made for these scanners?

Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Joan

Answer
Hi Joan,
You should look for barcode scanners that feature an IP54 Enclosure, a tightly-sealed housing that provides protection against dust deposits, moisture and other harmful elements. Some scanners that have this are the MS-710 from Microscan and the Symbol LS3578-FZ Rugged Bar Code Scanner.
Vinod Bhatnagar says:

April 27, 2010 at 5:51 pm

I am pretty new to barcodes. Can you suggest some scanners that can read barcodes off mobile phones? I saw one from Denso but I guess it only reads QRcodes. I am specifically interested in AZTEC.

Thanks

Vinod
Daniel says:

May 20, 2010 at 10:08 am

On occasions I m experiencing additional characters being captured when I scan a barcode. I have not been successful try to recreate the error. The barcode label always scans correctly with out error. Is it possible to be scanning & push characters on the keyboard at the same time & have them appear in the label?

Answer
It is very possible that you accidentally hit the keypad while scanning the barcode. A barcode scanner is simply an input device and acts very much like a keyboard.
Carlos Llanos says:

May 28, 2010 at 2:24 pm

I am working on a project that involves iPad as the device and Citrix as the back-end. Does your iPad bar code scanner will let you use the virtual keyboard in the iPad?

If it does. Could we ask for a demo bar code scanner to test our application before commiting to the solution?
Duane Christensen says:

August 14, 2010 at 1:06 pm

am trying to program a Symbol ls-4004i so it will drop the last(far right) digit and add a digit in front(far left). Cannot find anything on google for instructions on how to do this. Any ideas?

Thanks
Melina says:

August 17, 2010 at 8:29 pm

Hi Duane,

Thanks for your question. This scanner has been out of service for a while, so there’s a good chance the user guide is no longer available, but the best place to check is Motorola’s website.

My recommendation to you would be to get a new scanner, as they
are much easier to program and with a few scans of a barcode you can accomplish what you are looking for.

Check out popular barcode scanners here.
Karen says:

September 3, 2010 at 6:44 pm

Hi,

Must I have individual bar codes for a line of magnets or greeting cards? Could I not create one bar code for a particular line of cards and add my own SKU for inventory purposes? Or, am I required that each item have its own barcode?

Thanks a lot!
Melina says:

September 7, 2010 at 2:39 pm

Hi Karen,

Great question. In order to comply with GS1 standards, each item with a sku must have a unique barcode. Hope this helps and goodluck with your line!