Microscan Announces the World’s First Browser-Based Barcode Reading Interface

Microscan announces the invention of the world’s first-ever web-browser-based barcode reading interface, WebLink. Released alongside the company’s new MicroHAWK barcode reader platform, the WebLink interface offers the most intuitive configuration utility for barcode reader setup and control on the market.

WebLink allows users to command their barcode readers from any web-enabled device. To begin, an operator simply enters the IP address of a local MicroHAWK reader into the web browser of his or her choice to gain access to the reader’s settings, enable real-time adjustments, and monitor live decode results. WebLink connects to MicroHAWK readers over pervasive web protocols (HTTP), so there is no need for specialized knowledge of equipment or industrial protocols to set up a reader in an industrial setting. Users are able to control MicroHAWK using whatever equipment is most familiar to them.

Barcode reader job files can also be saved from the reader to external devices, allowing users to transfer predefined decode settings from one MicroHAWK reader to another. Factory operators and technicians therefore have no limits when it comes to choosing a control device or MicroHAWK reader for their application. There is no pre-configuration of equipment, no need to worry about upgrading equipment to new software versions in the future, no equipment compatibility obstacles, and no effort or specialized experience required to set up and control a MicroHAWK reader.

Using basic information about a barcode reading job, (barcode type, application type, number of symbols to decode, etc.), the WebLink interface offers an assisted setup function that automatically adjusts the settings of the connected MicroHAWK reader to train and optimize for the expected codes and reading conditions. Through a live feed of images from the MicroHAWK reader, users can see the effects of reader setting adjustments – such as the gain, exposure, area of interest, and more – in real time to check read performance under various conditions. WebLink seamlessly adjusts to single, multiple, static, moving, omnidirectional, printed, or direct-part-marked codes, and can even be trained to use the ideal combination of decode parameters for the target symbol to boost reading power, or optimized to limit processes run by the reader and increase decode speeds.