Types of mobile or fixed input devices, kiosks, interactive devices for your applications

Types of mobile or fixed input devices, kiosks, interactive devices for your applications

Author: William Piedfort

One of the added values we bring to your traceability project: a single application for your entire fleet, from the possible reuse of your current computers, smartphones and tablets to the choice of a new rugged terminal tailored to your specific business needs.

There are two types of terminals

  • those with an integrated barcode reader (‘imager’), which are only available on Android
  • others with various operating systems (Windows, Apple, Linux, Android), a category that includes smartphones, commercial tablets and desktop computers in general. These ‘others’ can read barcodes using their camera or a handheld scanner, which may be wired or wireless depending on the model.

We started our business with imagers (Android) and developed ’native’ applications for them. In response to demand for the others, we developed applications that we call ‘universal’ and which also work on certain imagers.

Typical ruggedized mobile barcode scanning terminals (Android with imager)

These terminals with integrated scanner/imager (commonly referred to as “zapettes”) are available from all manufacturers, with a wide range of features: with hardened touchscreens of various sizes, with or without physical keyboard, with stand, in “gun” or “palm” mode (in the hand, flat), tilted reading head, all now running Android, in Wifi mode and some with 4G/5G in addition, light, heavy, close or distant reading (some up to 12 meters)…

On the subject of reading distance, the size of the printed barcode must also be taken into account see barcode reading principle

We’ll do the research based on your desired ergonomics, your application, your budget and your operating environment.

Possible Android mobile applications: :

Supported brands with integrated imager

  • for universal Web applications: (in alphabetical order)

    • CipherLab
    • Datalogic
    • Honeywell
    • Newland
    • Zebra
    • (For other manufacturers, please contact us for advice and qualification application)
  • for NATIVE applications

Terminals FOR retail, light industry

These mobile terminals are designed for standard, multi-purpose use, with sophisticated ergonomics and communications, while retaining the advantages of ease of use, durability and price. Our applications are thus ideally suited to the development of new functions for synchronous or asynchronous mobile applications.

Mobile terminals for industry and transport

These professional notebooks are semi-hardened to ultra-hardened: i.e., depending on their specifications, they can fall on the ground, get caught in the rain, “dive” a little under water: >= IP64 in technical terms. For the most part, they can exchange data via 3/4/5G or Wifi and Bluetooth, and act as a telephone and PDA as well as a scanner.

One typical application in transport : Geolocation application for parcel drop-off points

Ruggedised Android tablets with integrated scanner

Preliminary note: with our fast camera barcode reading drivers, we can use standard or ruggedised tablets without scanners with our software by reading via the camera.

We have several rugged tablets with built-in scanners/imagers: 8" or 10" and a few Atex 3. We are developing on these. There are several levels of ruggedness: drops of 1.2m or 1.80m onto concrete.

Others: smartphones, tablets without scanners, computers with handheld scanners or hands-free mobile rings: iOS, Android, Windows

This category includes: barcode terminals worn on the arm or wrist for logistics and picking that leave the hands free, with a finger pointer (ring), or computers with webcams (Linux, Windows, Apple) or computers with handheld laser scanners via USB or Bluetooth.

Usefulness of hands-free mobile scanning terminals:

The “hands-free” mobile scanning terminal provides speed, productivity and error reduction for order pickers who have a list of orders to prepare in record time. The terminal is constantly available to remind the operator of the next parcel to be loaded on the pallet, and enables him to scan the barcode of the picked product with his fingertip, and enter the quantity on the keyboard, or select the batch of the picked product.

The second advantage lies in the fact that customers who already have Android devices without integrated scanners can add this function with these Bluetooth rings. All they need to do is find covers or holders to place the smartphones on the operators’ forearms.

Typical order picking and receiving applications for these hands-free terminals

Adding and integrating applications to hands-free terminals The terminal itself has all the elements of an on-board computer, enabling it to communicate with servers and databases.

Of course, the terminal itself has all the elements of an on-board computer and can communicate with servers and databases, but it needs to be enhanced with applications to respond as closely as possible to the process requested of the operator.

We can now add voice guidance and voice acknowledgements (option).

We can integrate these hands-free terminals into your projects using our customized applications.

Hands-free terminal modelSpecificationsFeatures
HoneywellDolphin 75Ewith kit, lightweight, more powerful, NFC, suitable screen, Windows Iot or Android
ZebraWT6000Android, voice-ready, fast BT, hands-free in teams
UnitechWD200Qualcomm® 660 110g with 2050mAh battery under Android 10, industrial resistance: 1.5m drop, IP67 ,4G, WiFi, NFC+ BT4, rechargeable, 3.1" screen, 13MP+flash photo

And for bar code scan rings:

ManufacturerScan ring modelSpecifications
CipherlabWR30Bluetooth rugged ring
DatalogicHandScanner HS7500reads 1D and 2D, connected to the terminal via Bluetooth BLE, the smallest on the market at Nov 2020 - 2 distances: see below
Honeywell8620reads 1D and 2D with its fingertips and is connected to the terminal by a wire
Honeywell8670reads 1D and 2D at your fingertips and is connected to the wireless terminal (BT)
NewlandNWear WD2 or WD4reads 1D and 2D from the hand top (WD2), or at your fingertips (WD4) and are connected to the wireless terminal (BT)
UnitechMS652+1D, 2D, BT pairing (classic v2.1+BLE 4.2) + NFC, IP42, 2-finger mounting, compatible with all Android >=5 and iOS tablets, 13h battery
ZebraRS5000same as RS6000 but with wire
ZebraRS6000scans at fingertips via Bluetooth reads in 1D and 2D (imager) has LEDs whose color can be programmed (from 6) to avoid looking at the screen when checking, for example - 2 models: standard distance + medium distance, depending on codes up to 2.6m

The HandScanner HS7500 is available in 2 versions:

  1. near “Standard range”: between 10 and 80 cm / 3.9 to 31.5 inch, for Manufacturing, sales and medical applications
  2. “Mid-range” scans between 30 and 150 cm / 11.8 to 59-inch, perfect for Transport & Logistics: warehouses, docks.

All BT rings can be used with Android, iOS (Apple) or Windows (7, 10, 11, IoT) smartphones or tablets available to the general public: the application will differ depending on the operating system:

Terminal operating systemstypes of applications
Android- Customised or off-the-shelf universal applications ou Customised native applications or off-the-shelf applications
Android, iOS, Windows, Linux- Customised native applications or off-the-shelf applications

Note: As part of the sale of application software that allows you to recover your old computers, we can also sell you handheld scanners with USB or wireless (Bluetooth) connectivity in 1D or 2D.

Kiosks for verification (Android)

Wall-mounted or integrated touch-screen POS graphic terminals with hands-free barcode and Rfid scanners for Android-based workshops, stores and distribution: medical, information, price verification or access control.

We had already produced an Android price-checking app: it was withdrawn from the standard catalog due to infrequent sales, so it could be a ‘made-to-measure’ development by assembling our existing modules.

Kiosk applications:

  • Self-service kiosks: characteristic information, price verification, concierges, POS (Point of Sales), DLUO or batch number, images, videos, music and sound, for consumers or operators.
  • Web to store" offers with mobile applications that we know how to develop,
  • Authenticity verification,
  • Personal entry and exit, security control, access control,
  • Data capture: M.E.S (Manufacturing Execution System), event, time, quality and work-in-process tracking.

Highly adaptable kiosks:

  • to scan barcodes (all fonts, configurable scanner) and display multimedia content such as text information, video, sound and music (headphones or speakers can be plugged into one of the USB ports)
  • link to databases: via the Wifi connection, it can fetch or write information from database servers in relation to the barcodes and Rfid identifiers supplied, and display this information: DLUO, description, image, photo, video, soundtrack.

Kiosk market offer

ManufacturerModel name
ClientronPT6000
NewlandNQuire
PanasonicJS970
PosLabEcoplus
PosLabEcoplusMini
UnitechPC88
ZebraCC600
ZebraCC6000

Quick demonstration of Newland’s kiosk

RFID terminals

Frequency ranges and standards at a glance:

First, a table of standards, layers and frequency ranges to talk about the same thing in RFID: see portfolio table.

Important note!

These terminals are to be integrated and validated on a case-by-case basis: as there is no “wedge” supplied with the terminal (=direct reading), it will therefore be chosen according to what will be required in the application.

BF / LF Mobile Terminals (low frequencies)

Frequency range:125.5 and 134.2 KHz

Applications:

  • close metal identification
  • trees, forestry
  • animal tracking, veterinary.

HF (high frequency) mobile terminals

Frequency range: 13.56 MHz 3 Possible protocols / other names: distinguish between sub-categories in HF Rfid chips:

  1. Mifare ISO 14443 Type A (for use in transport, security, identification, ticketing, payment, etc.)

  2. NFC (Near Field Comm.: very close reading: 1cm): ISO 18092 , ISO 21481, (ISO15693, Mifare Classic and Ultralight)= read and written by Kal, ECMA (European Computer Manufacturer Association) 340 NFC IP-1, ECMA 352 NFC IP-2+, ISO/IEC 14443-A compatible, FeliCa - we won’t list them below, because virtually all the Android terminals (except guns) we sell are equipped with them and are supported by our developments and software.

    Example of a recent app: Parcel depot geolocation app

  3. HF ‘classic’ (library use, industry: reading between 10 and 50 cm depending on reader) : ISO15693

  4. UHF Mobile Terminals (Ultra High Frequencies) Frequency range : ETSI (EU) 865.6 - 867.6 MHz or FCC/IC (US): 902 - 928 MHz Standards : ISO 18000-6C (EPC Class 1 Gen 2) Applications: Distribution, industry, real estate inventory; Many offers are in the form of “sleds”: guns with antennas that can be added to your existing equipment and communicate via Bluetooth: development is thus different and simplified from a driver point of view.

If you have tags and do not know their frequency range, send us a sample for qualification testing.

New or refurbished, second-hand?

We only sell new Android terminals as part of our solutions.

We provide handheld and finger scanners and testing apps on loan so that you can evaluate (mandatory evaluation) the refurbishment of your Windows (7, 10, 11), Apple, Android, iOS or Windows (10, 11, IoT) tablets, or other iOS or Android smartphones.