Accu-sort Bar Code Reader

M

Thread Starter

Michael Griffin

We have a number of Accu-sort Model 20 laser line scan bar code readers used to read and verify (readable plus also the correct label) bar code labels on parts we manufacture. We have had problems with several of these bar code readers losing their programs during power-down/power-up
cycles (the majority have done this at least once). This happens only very occasionally, but it causes down time when it does occur.

I have a few questions:
1) Have other people been experiencing this problem?
2) Would anyone care to recommend a different brand of bar code reader as being particularly reliable?

The characteristics I am looking for are:
- laser line scanner.
- range 50mm to 250mm.
- digital input for read command.
- RS-232 output (most applications).
- digital output for "good read" (some applications).
- able to read the common bar codes used in the automotive industry (including code 39).
- flexible in configuration.
- 24VDC powered.
- small size.

I believe I can find several readers which will work according the the specs, but given our experience with the brand we are currently using I am looking for recommendations with regards to long term reliability.
I am considering using Sick CLV410 readers on future projects, and possibly replacing the existing ones we have if we decide we cannot tolerate the down time in future. Any comments on this model would be particularly
appreciated.


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Michael Griffin
London, Ont. Canada
[email protected]
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I have a lot of experience with Accu-sort Model 20 scanners and have also had a long history of problems with them "locking up" or failing to respond to polls. They seem to retain their program but don't always respond even after powering off and back on as a reset. Accu-sort has fessed up to power supply problems (ours have been replaced) and power supply connector problems.

We use them in an automotive application for tracking of parts configured in multidrop. I feel misled by Accu-sort as they represented the product as commonly used in RS485 multidrop
configration but when I got down to the programming end of the project there was no driver and no help.

We ended up writing our communications controls from scratch in VB and now have an OCX for communicating to 1-32 scanners on a network with error checked poll and read transactions updating at about 10mS per scanner. The barcode information is written to a PLC where tracking is done. Production assembly results are added to the barcode as status information that moves with the barcode as the product moves through the system. Barcode and status for specific positions is read back from the PLC using another OCX then serially transmitted as an ASCII string to a
clunky Ingres database.

If I were doing another job, Sick would be my first choice for a scanner or Datalogic as a second.

Good luck

Rob
 
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