Intermec’s MEMS-Based EXCELerate Scans in a Flash

Intermec Technologies Corp., Everett, Wash., introduced a new bar code laser scanning technology last week.

Intermec says its new EXCELerate bar code laser scan engine is based on a technology known as Micro Electro Mechanical System or MEMS. Intermec’s first MEMS scanner engines, the EXCELerate EL10, will be offered as the integrated laser scanner in a number of Intermec handheld computer and scanner products that will be available in the second half of 2005.
The company says initial EXCELerate scan rates are five times faster than current mechanical motor-based laser scanners, with the capability to increase in future product generations to thousands of scans per second. This speed will allow precise high-speed scanning in two dimensions and will provide omni-directional reading of 1D and stacked bar-codes, as well as 2D raster scanning for matrix codes.
In its press release, Intermec calls the product “revolutionary” and claims it is more compact and reliable and offers longer product life than current bar code laser scan engines.
MEMS devices are manufactured using silicon semiconductor batch fabrication techniques similar to those used for integrated circuits, resulting in new levels of functionality, reliability and sophistication that can be placed on a small silicon chip.
The EXCELerate EL10 can be programmed to read a wide variety of bar code symbologies, including 1D, and PDF 417. Future versions of the family will be able to precisely scan in multiple directions to read 2D bar-codes.
For more information, visit www.intermec.com.