One thing that I’ve been searching for is a simple handheld RFID reader that can perform simple tasks without costing a fortune.

As part of this search, I recently had the chance to check out the Tracient Reader which looked as though it might fit the bill.

Contained in the box is the reader, a USB cable and a CD that has the documentation and some applications to get started.

The reader itself couldn’t be simpler. It’s a black plastic paddle shape with just one button and a couple of LEDs. It has a single USB port for connecting to a computer, which also charges the battery.

After unpacking everything, I plugged in the USB to get charging and installed the software. There are 3 applications on the CD – RFID Control Panel, RFID Sync and RFID Wedge. Of these I only really used the Control Panel to allow some setting of my reader.

The Sync app is intended to downloaded saved reads from the reader to a host computer and the Wedge app is to allow use on a PDA or mobile computer. I found that I could connect to my LXE Tecton device quite happily without needing to use this.

I tested the Tracient Reader by connecting to both the LXE mobile computer and to a lap using Bluetooth. I had to go into the Control Panel app to switch on Bluetooth and I was ready to go.

With the LXE Tecton, I simply activated Bluetooth and the Tecton could see the reader right away. I had the option to pair as a scanner and having done this, was ready to start collecting RFID data.

Pressing the big button on the Reader sets it off looking for tags and any that are found are sent right to the Tecton – in this case I was simply capturing the data in WordPad. There are various settings in the Control Panel App that can allow the user how to handle and format the RFID data.

The performance of the Reader was quite impressive. I could read RFID tags over about the same distances as I could with my Symbol 9060 reader (that costs a heck of a lot more) and with both the laptop and Tecton, the Bluetooth connection was fine for at least 15 feet.

For someone looking for a tough industrial RFID to use all day, the Tracient probably isn’t the device to use – you’d be better off with something like the Symbol MC3090Z or 9090. However, if you need to be able to capture RFID data from time to time, without the cost and bulk of a dedicated reader, this might be the way to go.

Tracient Padl-R Reader

Pros

• Lightweight design
• Simple to use
• Easy to connect to devices
• Pretty good read range
• Made in New Zealand (I thought this was cool anyway!)

Cons

• Not industrial toughness

Would I buy it? For the right application, yes, I would!

What about you? If you have a need to RFID enable some of your devices, this might be a good solution. Give me a call at 603-598-1553 x237 and let’s talk!

Intermec SR61 Hands-on Review

When it comes to barcode scanners, I’d be the first to admit that I usually turn to Symbol. Whether the low cost laser scanners for linear barcodes or cordless scanners, I’ve always found the Symbol products to be really nicely thought out – and basically just work.

Anyway, just for a change I have an Intermec SR61 on my desk so I thought I’d try it out.

The SR61 is a robust design and competes with the LS3478 or LS3578 in the Symbol range.

The SR61 is basically a nicely designed handheld scanner – the balance is good for anyone working in a scan intensive environments. It isn’t tethered to a computer, instead it uses Bluetooth wireless technology to allow the operator more freedom of movement – up to about 100 feet away from the host.

Intermec sell the SR61 with a choice of their scan units, linear imager, area imager and the sexy EX25 imager for both long and short range.

Personally, I don’t like linear imagers, I’m a laser guy when it comes to linear barcodes. I therefore wouldn’t consider the linear version of the SR61, I’d go with the Symbol LS3578 if I only had to scan linear barcodes.

I reviewed the EX25 scanner from Intermec here and I think it matches up very well against Symbol’s Lorax long range scanner – especially since it can read both linear and 2D barcodes.

The SR61 on my desk has Intermec’s standard style area imager and I’m not a fan. The much better EX25 imager has a really accurate aiming mark, whereas the imager in this scanner really has no accurate way to aim it at the barcode. This is OK if there is only one barcode in the field of view, but this isn’t always the case. Why can’t the area imager have an aiming point like the EX25, the Symbol scanners or (best of all) the Cognex 750 series?

How a barcode scanner connects with the user’s computer system is obviously very important. The Symbol cordless scanners are simple enough – each uses a Bluetooth base station that is connected to the host PC via a cable – usually USB these days.

Intermec has taken a different approach – the SR61 comes with a familiar looking cradle, but there is no wireless connectivity. Instead the scanner comes with a little USB Bluetooth adaptor to plug into the host PC.

After sticking the adaptor into a USB port I had no difficulty pairing with the scanner. This however is about as far as I could get. Out of the box, the Intermec system doesn’t provide keyboard input into applications on the PC. The only way I could find to scan into applications such as Excel would be to buy Intermec SmartWedge software which retails at $140. All in all, a painful process to achieve functionality that comes out of the box with the Symbol and most other brand scanners.

But wait – you might think I’m giving up on the SR61, but I haven’t just yet. There is another Intermec workaround for this issue – the SD61 Bluetooth base station. There is one with my name on it on the FedEx van today.

The adventure continues …

OK, the SD61 arrived safely. It is a rather cheap and cheerful plastic box with a USB connector and (hidden under a little plastic door) a non-standard D-type connector as well. The sad thing is that there is no USB cable to plug into the port.

Much hunting around and I find an Intermec USB cable, not sure if the correct one though. The scanner pairs with the SD61 easily enough, by scanning the barcode on the box and I went to the trouble to download the Intermec EasySet software to configure everything.

Everything done and ready to scan. Seems to be working but no data is transferred to my PC. The USB cable I’m using is not the same part number as the one suggested in the manual so I’m wondering if I need to invest in the correct one.

Thanks to our friend Gerry, our helpful Intermec guy, I finally get the proper cable and (after a firmware update and getting some setup files from tech support) the SD61 is up and running.

Pricing

The list pricing for the SR61 is very similar to that of the equivalent Symbol scanner.

For example, for someone needing to be able to read linear barcodes only, a Symbol LS3578 has a list price of $1,028 for a kit containing the scanner, base station, power supply and USB cable. The SR61 with linear imager lists at $1,055 for its kit of scanner, cradle, power supply and Bluetooth dongle. If you need to get the scanner talking to your Windows apps, you’ll need either the SmartWedge software (list $145) or the SD61 base station (list $450)

Conclusion

I’m not really sure what to make of the SR61. I don’t understand why a product would be released that is so difficult to set up, especially when competitors devices work right out of the box.

As much as I like the dual range EX25 scan engine that is available, I don’t believe the other two (the linear imager and the area imager) are in same class.

I also am not at all sure about the connectivity. I’m sure this is because I’m so used to the Symbol (and the old PSC Powerscan RF) way of doing things with a dedicated base station/cradle for each scanner. I don’t like having to buy additional software or another base station to get the scanner capable of doing simple tasks.

I’ve tried to get my head around this product and why it works the way it does without success. One feature with the SD61 base station for example is that up to 7 scanners can be paired with it at one time. Very interesting, but why? I can see that this would reduce the cost by allowing scanners to share a base station, but having numerous scanners all sending data to the same PC doesn’t seem like a good idea to me!

The EX25 scan head is so good, that if I needed very long range scanning, I’d consider the SR61 – even with all the drawbacks. The perfect application would be for a warehousing job needing long and short range scanning where the scanner would be communicating with a Bluetooth enabled Intermec vehicle mounted computer, rather than with a desktop PC.

For more routine scanning jobs, I’d be buying elsewhere – the SR61/SD61 combo is too much hassle. It makes no sense for a VAR to have this system drop shipped to a client, unless the customer already knows how to make it work. I recently purchased another, eight months after the first and the system still does not work with USB out of the box.

Have you used the Intermec SR61 scanner with SD61 base station? How do you like it? Am I totally missing something here? I’d love to get your thoughts.

Intermec 3240 – the retro label printer

The Intermec website says: “ In addition to printing on small or oddly shaped labels, the 3240 is perfect for printing on a variety of substrates that are difficult to print on, such as Kapton or ultra-smooth polyesters and synthetics”

Since we produce and print a lot of very small Kapton and polyester labels, this seems to be a printer model that we should pay some attention to.

I’ve used the 3240 on a couple of jobs over the last few days and thought it would be a good idea to share some thoughts.

First, the 3240 is one of the only label printers specially designed to handle very small labels. It is a design from the old 3400 series of Intermec printers and, unlike all the other Intermec products, missed out on later design refreshes. I assume this is because this is a product with limited sales so the redesign investment didn’t make sense.

Having said that, a lot of Intermec users still prefer the 3400 design over the newer models so many would appreciate the 3240’s origins.

Where the standard in label printers has been for a 4 inch print width, the 3240 is limited to a maximum of 2.5 inches. This is a good thing since printing narrow label webs on a 4 inch printer causes all kinds of wrinkling issues with the thermal transfer ribbon.

Intermec’s other claim is that the 3240 holds label registration more accurately than other printer models. From what I’ve experienced, this is indeed the case – the print position shows almost zero variation throughout a print run. A really nice feature is to be able to fine tune the position of the print on the label just by pressing a switch. I wish more printers had this ability because it really helps with reducing change over time.

So despite having been designed back when Thomas Jefferson was President, the 3240 seems to still do the job it was intended for. There are a few things in need of improvement though.

First, it seems odd to me that a printer intended to be used for very small labels is limited to 400 DPI. Sure, 400 DPI is nice in that it can print the 7.5 mil barcode size, but I struggled to get really good print quality with tiny fonts. I think 600 DPI would really help with print clarity with small labels and fonts. As far as I’m aware, Intermec has never produced a 600 DPI printer of any type.

The old design presents some headaches as well. I hate having to use a printer without a keypad and display to help with setting up. In addition, for those of us spoiled by having modern machines with lots of connectivity, the 3240 has to be ordered with the specific type of port that is needed.

I was also frustrated by the fact the 3240 has a rather small max ribbon roll diameter. Having to strip ribbon to get the roll small enough to fit on the machine is not a good use of time.

The printer is expensive as well. It costs more than getting a more versatile 600 DPI printer from other manufactures or indeed Intermec’s own 400 DPI PM4i.

So I wonder if Intermec intends to refresh the 3240 at some point. I firmly believe that there is a market for a small footprint, high resolution printer that can efficiently handle very small labels.

Would I buy one?

If the 3240 was 600 DPI, I’d be tempted to say yes. As things stand today, it is hard to justify – even though there are undoubtedly some unique features. My search for the perfect printer for small labels continues!

Do you need to print very small labels for your business? What is your printer of choice for this job?

Patient Identification – the new standard

There has been a lot of attention given to patient safety of late and being able to quickly and accurately identify patients is the starting point of any patient safety (and billing) system.

Using wristbands as a form of patient identification has been around for a long time – a lot of hospitals buy these on sheets and print them on laser printers in the admissions area. The wristbands are usually barcoded, enabling patient ID data to be captured automatically.

Much of the labeling in the modern hospital has moved from laser to thermal printers. There are many advantages of thermal printing technology, especially in applications where just a single label is needed – much easier to print one label on a thermal printer than having to use a whole sheet of laser labels.

A problem has been that traditional desktop thermal printers are designed for printing labels and do not make the idea solution for wristband printing.

Our friends at Zebra Technologies, have come up with a solution to this problem – the HC100 Patient ID printer.

One of the biggest challenges for wristband printing is the fact that in the admissions area, different patients need different wristbands. There is a need for different sizes and color coding – based on the size of the patient and the reason they are there. When using traditional thermal printers, the admissions staff either needs to have multiple printers – each with its own size/type of wristband – or to change the roll of wristband material; on a bad day for just about every arriving patient.

Zebra’s amazingly elegant solution was to design the HC100 to accept cassettes of wristbands rather than have to constantly change rolls. To change to another size, the admissions person, just presses one button to eject the current cassette, puts the new one in place and prints – this has to be the fastest changeover thermal printer ever designed!

Each of the cassettes has a small RFID tag that tells the printer what type of wristband is inside. This instantly calibrates the printer so it is ready to print right away with not a single wristband wasted – very impressive.

The Zebra people have kindly loaned me one of these little printers to check out and to demo to some potential clients.

We’ve always referred to the HC100 as “The Toaster” and getting it out of the box it is clear that this is a very apt name. The printer is a rectangular plastic box with a big slot (big enough for bagels) in the top.
The printer is a robust heavy metal thing, like Zebra’s industrial printers – it is made of decent quality plastic; after all, it is designed to sit on a desk, not be used in a warehouse!

The rear of the printer has serial, USB and Ethernet ports – plenty of connectivity. A nice touch is that there is a little rubber cover for the Ethernet port. Wireless networking is also available if needed.

Zebra claims the HC100 is compatible with most of the hospital software systems such as Cerner and Meditech. Needless to say, I don’t have any of those systems here in the office, so I installed the Seagull driver so I can send print jobs to the printer via my trusty BarTender installation.

I have to say, operating this little printer is just so simple. After spending a few minutes to design print formats for a couple of wristband sizes, I dropped in the first cassette. Just a couple of seconds later, the printer is ready to print.

Change to another size and the same thing – the printer is ready to go in just a second or so. The printer starts printing with hardly anydelay after I click on the print button and the print quality on the Zebra wristband material is excellent. The printhead is 300 DPI so can produce nice crisp barcodes and text.

I have to admit I’ve enjoyed using a new product that is a result of some clever out of the box thinking. I can’t remember the last time there was something really innovative in the thermal printing world.

The HC100 is a great solution for a problem that has never been addressed before. I’d suggest that anyone responsible for a hospital admissions area check it out. Not only does the HC100 offer some nice benefits, the pricing for the hardware and the wristband cassettes is in the same ballpark as less efficient systems.

Highly recommended!

Want to learn more? Just give me a call at 603-598-1553 x237. I have some good resources including the instructions on how to use the printer in a Meditech environment.

Oh – was that toast or bagels for you?

Portability, wireless, RFID, mobility have all been popular buzz words.  Here Zebra put them all together in an interesting new printer – the RP4T.

The new RP4T is unique in two respects. It is the only mobile printer that allows for thermal transfer printing – making it a great option for printing asset labels and for other applications that need something more durable than direct thermal labels.

In addition, the RP4T is the only mobile RFID printer on the market.

The nice folks at Zebra have been kind enough to let us have one of these printers to check out for a while. When the printer arrived, I slung it over my shoulder using the enclosed carrying strap – it looks just like a fancy “man bag”; maybe it will become the latest fashion trend for the well dressed labeling guy.

The design of the printer gives easy access to load both labels and the little cassette with the thermal ribbon. The slider mechanism for hiding the ribbon location is nifty, I wonder how nicely it will slide after those big tough warehouse guys have beaten it up a bit though.  

The oddest thing with the printer is the battery charger that came with it. Rather than having an adaptor to plug into the DC input on the side of the printer, the charger needs to have the battery removed so that it can plug into a connector that is on the battery itself. This means I can’t have the printer set up and running on AC power on my desk while testing it out, which is what I prefer to do.

I’m not 100% sure if this is the standard setup because this particular unit came from Zebra’s demo pool. I’d like to think that if I purchased a new printer, it would come with a more conventional charging solution.

I’m thinking this new model is going to be a great addition to our line up of solutions. We’ve already sold some (thermal transfer, no RFID) to use in asset tracking applications and we will be featuring the RFID ability of the RP4T at our DoD Labeling Seminar next month. We also plan to check out Zebra’s recently introduced ability to print from a Blackberry smartphone as well, although I’m impatiently waiting for an iPhone Zebra app!

As soon as I can, I’ll be doing some performance testing to see how the RP4T compares with our demo Intermec PB50 mobile printer – should be fun.

So far, I admit to being impressed with the RP4T. Nothing else has that much functionality in such a small attractive package. To be honest the only thing I dislike is the Made in China label on the back!

What do you guys think? Do you see, or have a need for the unique features of this printer? What would make it a better solution for your applications?

Give me a call at 603.598.1553 if you want more info.

Barcoding is getting  more sophisticated and demanding all the time and this is clear in the rise of 2D barcodes. Along with the well known linear barcodes, 2D versions such as Datamatrix, QR Code and PDF417 are used much more than in the past – especially in the DoD labeling world where we do a lot of business.

Because of this it is important that we can offer our clients reliable barcode scanners that not only read all the linear codes, but the 2D ones as well.

For a few years our 2D scanner of choice has been the Symbol DS6708. This has been around in various versions for a while and it does a pretty good job. We have found however, that the Symbol scanner struggles to read codes at the DoD minimum size for UID (7.5 mil element size) and also the data formatting, using Symbol’s 123Scan software is not very flexible.

We have had a relationship with Cognex Corporation for a long time; indeed Cognex is a user of the World Famous Winco Labels. The Cognex Dataman 7500 series scanner is actually a favorite and is the only handheld UID verifier that could claim to work.

Recently, Cognex launched a new, lower cost range of scanners – the Dataman 700 series and I’ve been lucky enough to have a 750s model to evaluate for a while.

I have to say, I am really impressed with this device. The 750s is the lower end of the range and is intended to read linear and 2D barcodes on objects where there is pretty good contrast. The non-s version of the scanner is intended for use in direct part marking (DPM) applications where the codes can be much harder to read. As a result that version has more sophisticated lighting and a higher price tag to match.

For our label applications, the 750s has proven to be a really good option.

Cognex 750: Cognex 7500: Symbol DS6708

It is smaller and lighter than the Symbol scanner and the Dataman 7500, but still fells robust. The design is really well thought out and it is easy to hold and use for prolonged periods of time.

The thought put into the 750s shows in how easy it is to use. One of the big issues with 2D scanners is making sure you scan the correct barcode. The 750s makes this simple with a very nice laser aiming beam. When a good read is made, the light around the thumb switch turns green and the scanner can also be set to vibrate – good feature when using in noisy environments when the beep might not be heard.

Another aspect I like of this scanner is that it comes with Cognex’s Dataman software. This allows the scanner to be set up easily. For really sophisticated data manipulation, all kinds of rules can be set using Perl scripting. We have worked with the Cognex Engineers to come up with some really clever solutions for UID labeling applications.

Speaking of UID, the 750s can be used to validate for UID strings. While this doesn’t include the quality verification of the 7500 or our Microscan verifiers, it is still a good tool for checking that the structure of the UID mark is correct.

So the Cognex 750s is a great little scanner for just about every barcode application. We are using it as our default scanner for 2D and UID applications and are very pleased with it.

Cognex Dataman 750s
Barcode scanner for linear and 2D barcodes

The Good
Ergonomics
Performance
Software
Price

The Bad
Has to be tethered to PC; no wireless version available
Big price jump to DPM version
It seems that the cool UID validation feature only works on the more expensive model. That’s a shame!

Do you have to read 2D barcodes? What is your scanner of choice? Are you happy with the performance?

Feel free to call me to discuss your UID or 2D barcoding applications – 603-598-1553 x237

RFID Label Printers Compared

3 of the printers from our test

Since Winco ID is involved with helping our customers use labels and barcoding to improve their processes, we get to check out a lot of the latest products.

For example, I’ve been really lucky over the last few months to have the opportunity to work with 4 different RFID printers from 3 manufacturers; Zebra, Intermec and Datamax.

At one time we had all 4 printers in our lab at the same time so we were able to make a direct comparison of how these printers perform. One thing is for sure; all these companies make fine products. Having said that, for me there is no question as to which is the printer I’d buy. Read on – you might be surprised!

I thought I’d rate these different printers on a 0 -5 basis in a number of categories.

Overall design – a quick overview of the printer

Ease of loading media – let’s face it, some models are easier to load than others.

Menu and display – what we have to interact with every day.

Connectivity – the printers no good if I can’t communicate with it.

RFID setup & flexibility – is RFID easy to set? Will the machine work with different labels?

Let’s look at the contenders in turn:

Zebra R110Xi

Zebra R110Xi

 
Total Score: 15

Overall design – 3
The Xi design from Zebra seems to have been around for ever and is starting to show its age. While some of the lower priced Zebra models have been through several design iterations, the Xi has not changed for a long time.

While I can understand Zebra taking a “why fix it if it’s not broken” approach, there are some areas that really do need attention – I always have problems with those printhead spring screwy things. I like the idea of having the adjustment available, but there should be a better way by now.

Ease of loading media – 2
The Zebra is the worst of the bunch in this category. Anyone who has had to thread the ribbon on an Xi series printer will know just what I mean.

Menu and display – 3
Zebra’s flagship product should have a much better display than the little LCD one that it currently has. Just about all the printer companies now have better options than this, even in printers costing a lot less.

I also have trouble with the one-level menu that causes a heck of a lot of key presses to get anywhere. Another part of the design in need of a revamp.

Connectivity – 4
The R110 comes with the core set of connections; serial, parallel and USB. Ethernet and wireless can be added as options if needed.

RFID Setup and Flexibility – 3
The Thing Magic reader that Zebra uses does a good job and the printer works find with RFID tags that are made right to the correct spec. We did find that the printer wasn’t very forgiving of labels that were just outside of the Zebra RFID spec. Indeed some of the labels we used in our testing couldn’t be encoded at all.

Overall – 15/25
The R110Xi is a workhorse printer built on a well proven design. While I believe it has some shortcomings, if the owner makes sure to buy the RFID labels that meet the Zebra spec it will do a good job.

I’d really like to see a new Xi printer before too long. A few years ago, Zebra owned the market for industrial printers – I feel that this is no longer the case.

It’s a shame that network connectivity isn’t a standard feature – it should be on the top model in the line-up. Being able to communicate with the printer via a browser would help offset the poor display and menu.

Intermec PM4i

Intermec PM4i RFID
Total Score: 16

Overall design – 4
The PM4i is one of the new Intermec models that was introduced to the market quite recently. While not as robust as the Zebra, the PM4i is certainly able to take on a lot of demanding labeling jobs. (The Intermec PX4 is the model that would usually be compared with the Zebra anyway).

The PM4i has some very nice features such as the ability to use ribbon wound in either orientation, self aligning (and very quick change) printheads.

Ease of loading media – 3
Loading the printing media onto the Intermec is easier than with the Zebra. I like the way that I can run any roll of ribbon on the machine – nice touch.

Menu and display – 3
This is probably the worst feature of the machine and one I can’t understand. For a model that is still quite new to the market, the display and associated keypad are pretty poor quality. I can only assume that this was a cost cutting measure, but making giving the operator a poor experience in this key area of interaction is not good.

Connectivity – 3
The connectivity options with the Intermec are quite disappointing. As standard the PM4i comes with Serial and USB connections. Anything else is optional.

RFID Setup and Flexibility – 3
As with the Zebra, the Intermec seems to be fine with labels that completely meet their specification, but struggles otherwise. We could get our various 4×6 labels working OK, but had no success with 4×2 even with help from the Intermec guys.

Overall – 16/25
I like the PM4i printer, but it is let down by the poor display and lack of RFID flexibility. I wouldn’t rule out buying one, but anyone doing so needs to be very careful with media selection.

As with the Zebra, it is disappointing that network connectivity isn’t provided as standard.

Datamax H-Class

Datamax H-Class
Total Score 21

Overall design – 4
Datamax really needed a new model when the H-Class was released. Although the company had a solid installed base of legacy models, the workhorse I-Class was not hugely inspiring. The arrival of the H-Class changed things dramatically and gave Zebra some good competition at the top end of the market.

Ease of loading media – 3
The previous generation I-Class was simple to load with labels and ribbons and that has been continued with the H. The little plastic label guide is cheap and cheerful, but otherwise handing of both labels and ribbons is really good.

Menu and display – 4
The H-Class display and menu system is the best of any printer I’ve used. The only thing I’d like to see is more of a graphical interface maybe with a touch screen.

Connectivity – 5
Datamax has excelled with connectivity. As standard, all H-Class printers come with serial, parallel, USB and network connections. The only options are coax (hardly mainstream these days) and wireless. Nice job DMX!

RFID Setup and Flexibility – 4
The H-Class also scores highly for its RFID abilities. In contrast to the I-Class (probably the worst attempt at an RFID printer ever), the H-Class is a serious RFID printer.

The performance is as solid as the other brands, but DMX have allowed for the greatest flexibility in tag position. The Calibrate RFID button sends the printer off to find the tag and make all the settings. As a result we’ve never come across a label that can’t be encoded – the only exception being those designed for use with the wacky I-Class. Fortunately, there were very few of these made so this isn’t a problem.
Overall – 21/25
The H-Class is an excellent choice for an RFID printer – especially if you need to encode labels from different manufacturers.

DMX needed a new model to compete in the top end industrial printer market and they finally have one.

Total score 20

Datamax M-Class Mk2

Datamax M-Class Mk2

Overall design – 4
The Mk2 version of the M-Class is the newest Datamax design and it shows. Not only has this model replaced the original M-Class it has also effectively made the I-Class obsolete. If DMX come up with high resolution version, they can stop building the I-Class tomorrow.

The new M-Class has about 90% of the goodness of the much bigger H-Class at a more competitive price.

Ease of loading media – 4
The M-Class is easily the easiest to keep supplied with labels and ribbons. It would actually score the maximum 5 points here if DMX would come up with a slightly different pivot for the printhead.

In any event, the simple design, with the ability to load the materials from the side makes it the winner in this category.

Menu and display – 4
This is the same as the small display used on the H-Class. I actually prefer the M-Class buttons too.

Connectivity – 4
The Mk2 M-Class has everything but Ethernet. Actually for our clients it has this as well, because I like to always sell with network connectivity. I would love DMX to include this in the basic spec – of course; this would make the Mk2 even more of an I-Class killer!

RFID Setup and Flexibility – 4
From our tests, the RFID works as well as the H-Class – that is very well.
Overall – 20/25
The M-Class is a great RFID printer in a small form factor at a competitive price. The Mk2 is a nice upgrade to the more expensive I-Class. Indeed, I never even attempt to sell an I-Class these days unless the client specifically asks for one.

David’s Conclusion

There is no doubt that the printer manufacturers have come a long way since RFID first appeared on the scene. Despite the fact that use of the technology has never reached the volume we once expected, there are some good printers available for the printing and encoding of RFID labels.

Which is the best? I think that depends on your application. For someone supplying the retail companies and needing a high volume printer, the choice would be between the Zebra and the Datamax H-Class. While the Zebra isn’t as flexible as the Datamax, this isn’t an issue when the machine doesn’t need to handle different manufacture’s labels.

In this part of the market, I’d prefer the H-Class because of the more modern design, better user interface and easier media loading. For someone already using Zebra equipment, there would be no need to switch, the R110 will be very familiar to your operators who are used to the Xi printers.

Having said that, most of our customers are DoD contractors who don’t need to produce huge volumes of printed and encoded labels. Of the machines I tested, I’d go with the M-Class as my first choice for these clients. A Mk2 M-Class (with network card of course) represents the best mix of design, ease of use, RFID flexibility and cost.

So what do I use?

Well, I no longer have the M-Class – that was a demo machine that went back to Datamax. My go to RFID printer is the H-Class. Overkill to a large extent, but very reliable for the jobs we do for our clients.

Do you have any RFID printers? Which brands do you prefer – maybe one I haven’t tested? Let me know if you think I’ve got it wrong!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been complaining about the high price of handheld RFID readers.

Our RFID clients are all in the DoD world and need to be able to show their DCMA QAR people that the RFID labels they are sticking to their boxes, crates and pallets actually work and have been encoded with the proper information. Until recently, the only way to do this this has been to use something like the Symborola MC9090 or the Intermec CK3 mobile computers. These are great devices, but for this application are both way overkill both technically and financially.

Because of the low sales volume for such handheld RFID devices, I was resigned to never getting my hands on a more cost effective solution. Imagine my surprise when I learned of a new low cost RFID reader from my friends at Tharo Systems.

The device in question (the PR100) is able to read EPC Gen2 tags and actually does it reasonably well. For a shade under $1,000 (less than a quarter the price of competing systems) the reader also comes with software for PC that allows the tags that have been read to be saved to a CSV file.

So what are my impressions?

Looks and Ergonomics.

This thing looks like no RFID Reader I’ve ever seen – more like an electronic frying pan than anything else. You wouldn’t want to use it for any length of time – the design makes it very unbalanced. Of course, if your people are reading RFID tags all day, you’d be using one of the Windows based devices anyway – this reader is intended for occasional use.

Build Quality.

The reader is made of moulded plastic with little rubber bits stuck on to protect it. Several bits of rubber had fallen off from my demo unit when it arrived so some better glue would be in order. I also don’t expect Jim Danko at Tharo making any of those videos showing the device being dropped from high places and still working – you know like those Symborola and Intermec ones. I’m not going to do any drop testing because I have a feeling Jim will be sending me a bill if I break it.

Software.

The included RF Acquire software is a little on the clunky side, but does allow you to connect with the reader via USB and save the reports of the tags that have been read. For our clients, this is as good an out of the box solution as the Symbol and better than the Intermec.

Usage.

Like I say, the poor ergonomics mean that your wrist would be sore if you had to use this reader for any length of time. I must say though, when it comes to reading the tags, the PR100 does as good a job as its much more expensive competitors – I am pretty impressed with the performance.

Buy this device if:

• You need to be able to read RFID tags but have a limited budget
• Your DCMA QAR wants you to prove that your RFID labels really work
• Your volume of RFID is low
• You need to be able to capture the data from RFID tags and upload to Excel

Avoid this device if:

• You work in an evironment with a risk of the reader being damaged
• You need networking and Windows Mobile features
• You need a device to scan barcodes as well as read RFID
• Your operators are scannnig a lot of tags and labels.

The perfect user for this device is a DoD contractor, looking to ensure compliance with MIL-STD-129 in the most cost effective way. The PR100 isn’t a serious data collection device – you need an MC9090 for CK3 for that.

I really like the fact that Tharo includes everything needed right in the box – including a little multi-country power adaptor. To put together an Intermec CK3 for RFID reading, I have to order 13 line items which is a nightmare. I wish more companies would let me order just one item in the way Tharo does here.

The PR100 isn’t perfect. It is too big, has poor ergonomics and doesn’t seem to be too tough.For the right customer though, the  combination of low cost and good RFID reading is hard to beat!

Are you a DoD contractor? How do you show your DCMA QAR that your RFID labels are correct?

For more info or to purchase, use the contact form on the site or call me at 603-598-1553 x237

 In a warehouse environment, there is often a need to be able to scan barcodes over long distances. You might have to read a barcode that is suspended from a sign way up in the ceiling or on a label that is on a pallet that happens to be right on the top level of the racking. Of course, you also need to be able to read barcodes at close range as well. To  make matters worse, the label might have more than one barcode and you need to make sure you read the right one.

So to be useful in capturing data for warehouse management, a mobile computer must have great versatility for barcode scanning, and must also be robust enough to be able to survive in a tough industrial environment.

Luckily, some of the manufacturers of data collection equipment have proven to be up to this challenge and there are some really good scanning devices that can meet the needs of even the most demanding warehouse manager.

Until recently, my favorite was the Moto/Symbol MC9090 mobile computer which can be purchased with the company’s Lorax scan engine. This is a laser scanner and we have used it to read barcodes that are up to about 40 feet from the scanner. Pretty impressive!

With the arrival of the CK3 from Intermec, Moto now has some serious competition in the long range scanning business. We have had the chance to play with the new device and get some thoughts together.

First Impressions

The CK3 has a pretty stylish modern design. Compared to the MC9090, it feels lighter and less robust. This is also shown in the specs – the MC9090 is rated for 6 ft. drops and the CK3 for 5 ft. I’ve seen the Symbol dropped from much greater heights and be fine, not sure I’d want to try that with the Intermec. The Symbol has better environmental sealing as well – IP64 compared to the Intermec’s IP54.

Having said that, the CK3 is certainly tough enough for most light industrial applications.

The standard battery for the CK3 is tiny. We didn’t get to use it for long, but the Intermec guys assure us it is good for a full shift. In any case, the battery is quick to swap out and the usual range of chargers is available.

The unit we tested had a 51 key keypad, a numeric version is also available. I thought the keys were slightly small for those big tough industrial guys, but other than that the keypad was not a problem to use.

Operating System, Memory and Screen

The CK3 uses Windows Mobile Classic 6.1, which is the most up to date version. No surprises here, the choice of the classic version shows that the device is intended for use inside the facility (fine with me) since there is no support for GSM or CDMA networks.

Memory is the pretty standard 128MB RAM and 256MB ROM – again no surprises. Expansion is provided by the ability to use Micro SDIO cards. Call me a Luddite if you want, but these tiny cards seem a bit non-industrial to me.

The colour touch-screen is the usual 240 x 320 QVGA deal. Nothing special, but a nice display all the same. I often find myself wondering when the handheld manufacturers will start fitting proper VGA screens into these kinds of product.

Configuration

A really nice feature of the CK3 is that the pistol grip is detachable, so the same unit can be used as a “brick” or a “gun”. Even better, if the device needs to be able to read RFID tags, the reader is built into a pistol grip handle. This means that any CK3 can be upgraded to RFID if needed – much better tan having to go out and buy a complete new unit.

I really like being able to configure the device on the fly as needs evolve.

Wireless Connectivity

As already mentioned, the CK3 does not have any GSM or CDMA capability. It does however come with 802.11a/b/g and BlueTooth Class 2.

The WiFi comes with the full set of security one would expect, including 802.1x and is Cisco certified.

Scanner

I’ve left the barcode scanning until last, because this is the part I’m most excited about. Sure all the other features are nice, but at the end of the day most mobile computers have much the same specs.

The CK3 is available with three different scan engines:

Linear Imager – Boring – I prefer laser anyway.

2D Area Imager – Boring

EX25 Near Far Imager – Brilliant! This is the option that makes the CK3 a special device.

We have tested this scanner extensively and I’m just so impressed with how well it performs. It can read both linear and 2D barcodes and self focuses so that the target barcode can be anywhere from 6 inches to 50 ft.
I was skeptical at first, especially since the Symbol Lorax scanner had been my go-to tool for long distance scanning. What I found with the Intermec was that not only was the range as good (maybe slightly longer, but not by much), but it was easier to aim – very important if there are barcodes close together and you need to read the right one.

Add the fact that it can read 2D codes as well and the EX25 is my new long range scanner champ.

Conclusion

Pros
Stylish design – not that this is important to warehouse guys
The scanner
Being able to customize the device as needed

Cons
Not as rugged as the Symbol competition

The CK3 is a nicely designed mobile computer. Intermec have done a nice job of evolving their product line. Everything about the device puts it at the top end of the mobile computer world.

For me though, the stand out feature is that it is available with the super EX25 scanner. If I was running an operation that relied on serious barcode scanning, that feature alone would lead me to invest in the CK3 – best scanner I’ve ever used.

By the way, if anyone can find any rhyme or reason behind the Intermec product names, I’d love to know.

Need to improve your labeling and data collection? Give me a call – 603.598.1553 x237

Datamax MP Series – Hands on Preview

Our friends at Datamax recently dropped off one of their new MP printers – the MP Compact4 Mobile – for us to check out. A very interesting little device it is.

The MP printers were originally manufactured by Markprint, a Swedish maker of thermal printing systems. Over time Markprint was acquired my Image, a French business in the inkjet market. When Image was in turn purchased by Dover Corp, the printers from Markprint found their way into the Datamax range.

When I first saw these new MP printers, my thought was that here was my solution for a small, high quality printer to meet the need for distributed printing. A quick glance at the pricelist showed that this was not going to happen.

However, there is one version of the MP, the Compact4 Mobile that just might fill a need in the US market.

In many warehouses, there are a lot items that need to be identified, so most enterprises are using thermal printers to produce barcode labels. Currently there are two ways to do this – desktop printers, which force the operators to return to a print station to pick up labels and mobile printers that can be worn on a belt or mounted on a forktruck.

The problem with these mobile printers is that they are all designed for relatively low volume applications, not for the tough industrial warehouse world.

The Compact4 Mobile printer seems to address the problem nicely, industrial level construction combined with tiny footprint and the ability to work on voltages from 12-48 volts.

So what are my thoughts?

 My first impression was “Wow! This thing is heavy” Printer companies all like to boast about how beefy their products are, but there is a lot of heft to this machine, especially considering the tiny size. (The tiny size was my second impression).

The printer is designed to be mounted in just about any position, giving great flexibility in how it can be installed. On our test unit, the clip holding the printer to its bracket was way too stiff to operate, but that’s probably because it is a demo unit and been bashed around a lot.

Threading the labels (it takes 4 inch wide labels and rolls up to 4 inches in diameter) is simple; the idea is that a fork truck driver wearing gloves can thread the printer without difficulty.

So far everything looks good, but of course in real life there is always a problem or two.

The first is that the Compact4 Mobile uses a proprietary programming language. Most people writing applications for warehouse or logistics management are used to using the code for the US made printers, ZPL, DPL etc. Having to use something else is just a pain and is something Datamax need to address as soon as possible. These days most printers offer some kind of emulation that allows various programming languages to be used and I would expect this to be offered for the Compact4 Mobile before too long.

Another major issue is the lack of any wireless connectivity. I really don’t understand this at all, a mobile device without wireless? Since Datamax inherited this product it’s hardly their fault, but all the same, I’m hoping to see this remedied in the very near future. Until then, the only way to communicate with the printer is by having a computer mounted on the fork truck.

I really hope that Datamax addresses these issues (and perhaps devises a more customer friendly pricing program) because the Compact4 Mobile really does seem to fill a need in the market place. Tiny form factor, robust and simple to use – I can see this being used in a lot of tough warehouse applications.

If you would like to get more info, just call me at 603-598-1553 x237 or dholliday@wincoid.com