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will cause damage to the eyes of humans and animals. The normal use of a
bar code scanner is inherently very safe because (a) the laser is typically
aimed away from the person using the scanner, and (b) the beam oscillates
39 times per second over a 53 degree arc, making it impossible to stare into
the beam. Additionally, using the lower powered Class 1 laser makes it
even less likely that eye damage will occur. There are certain organizations
in Europe, in fact, that require a Class 1 laser in bar code scanners to meet
more stringent safety standards. The Socket CF Scan Card with Class 1
laser meets these European safety standards. Please refer to the Regulatory
Compliance section at the end of this User’s Guide for more detailed safety
information.
Conclusion
The Class 1 laser is suitable for most applications with expected scanning
distances of less than 20 inches and normal ambient light conditions. The
Class 1 laser may be required by certain European organizations to meet
more stringent safety standards.
When an application is likely to require more demanding scanning
capabilities, the Class 2 laser provides the assurance of maximum scanning
performance.
Note: People who use portable computers to gather and manage data at the
point of activity are typically very quick to learn how to use a laser bar code
scanner and realize the resulting gains in productivity. They are easily
discouraged, however, if time and effort are required to obtain a successful
scan – thus the decline in popularity of the much less expensive bar code
contact wands seen at most retail checkout counters during the 1980’s. The
higher cost of the Class 2 version of the CF Scan Card is easily justified if
the application requires higher scanning performance.
36 | APPENDIX C: BAR CODE LABEL SPECIFICATIONS