Barcode reader
![A handheld barcode scanner](/Images/godic/202501/22/Barcode-scanner5140.jpg")
![A stationary barcode scanner for a conveyor line](/Images/godic/202501/22/Auto_Sorting_Packages5140.jpg")
![A large multifunction barcode scanner being used to monitor the transportation of packages of radioactive pharmaceuticals.](/Images/godic/202501/22/Package_tracking_barcode_scanner_35140.jpg"){kind=tracking}
A barcode reader (or barcode scanner) is an electronic device that can read and output printed barcodes to a computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers contain decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image data provided by the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.