Battery Free Bluetooth Barcode Scanner
By: POSGuys - 2/18/2015

![enter image description here][1][300][]

Honeywell just recently pre-released a new bluetooth barcode scanner the [Honeywell 1020g-bf][2] that boasts that it is **battery free**.  While most electronics do require a power source of some sort whether that is by plugging it into the wall, using a battery, or creating energy with a crank of some sort, there does need to be electricity of some sort.  In this case instead of using a battery to power the unit they are using super capacitors.

To quote Honeywell:

> Battery-free wireless technology completely eliminates the battery,
> replacing it with a super-capacitor capable of achieving full-charge
> in less than 20 seconds, and providing enough wireless power to last
> at least 100 scans.

There are a lot of advantages to using capacitors instead of batteries.  One it charges quicker (20 seconds in this case), the battery doesn't use a chemical reaction so there isn't a decaying "battery memory" and the capacitor can be charged thousands of times before showing any drop off, the capacitor isn't as sensitive to temperature, climate, or physical drops making it more robust, and it also is better on the environment when disposed of.  ([MIT Energy Research][3])

For a bluetooth barcode scanner this is quite a good match.  The scanners themselves don't require a lot of power to generate the beam and read the barcode, they only need the radio connection when sending data, and normally can be placed back into the cradle after use to recharge.

Overall when looking at a wireless keyboard emulating scanner for retail or asset tracking applications this is a wonderful fit.

For those that will be using the scanner intensively (more then 100 scans between charges) over an extended period of time, or are trying to take the scanner with them and use it directly paired to a mobile device, then a traditional batter powered unit would be more appropriate like the [Honeywell Voyager 1202g][4] or a keychain scanner like the soon to be released [Honeywell 1602 Pocket Scanner][5]

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<b>NERDY FUN FACT:</b> POSGuys.com listed the battery-free 1202g-bf scanner on the Birthday of Alessandro Volta. Volta created the first battery and his research began what would later become the field of electrochemistry. Source: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Volta" title="Read about the creator of the battery on Wikipedia.">Alessandro Volta - Wikipedia</a>

[1]: https://posguys.blob.core.windows.net/content/images/blog/33/voyager1202g_bf_01_large.png
  [2]: https://posguys.com/barcode-reader-scanner_3/Honeywell-Voyager-1202g-bf_2423/
  [3]: http://web.mit.edu/erc/spotlights/ultracapacitor.html
  [4]: https://posguys.com/barcode-reader-scanner_3/Honeywell-Voyager-1202g_1197/
  [5]: https://www.honeywellaidc.com/en-US/Pages/Product.aspx?category=wireless-barcode-scanner&cat=HSM&pid=voyager1602g

Battery Free Bluetooth Barcode Scanner By: POSGuys - 2/18/2015

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Battery Free Bluetooth Barcode Scanner
By: POSGuys - 2/18/2015