Photo's of the inside of a cheap red laser line barcode scanner

[Alaskan]

Here's some cheap laser entertainment, a fifteen dollar barcode scanner:

Opened up:

Scanning:

The unit will run off of any USB wall wart power cube too and doesn't require software. Only one problem, the laser beam will time out after a few seconds each time you pull the switch.

Here's a movie:

MOV 19 of 19, IR, LED and Laser Project

Cheap on ebay $15 new: High Quality Black USB Handheld Laser Barcode Bar Code Scan Reader Scanner | eBay

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[APEX1]

Re: Inside a cheap red laser line barcode scanner

ever since I have gotten into this hobby, I always wanted to buy one and take it apart to see what was inside lol cool video dude

 

[Alaskan]

Re: Inside a cheap red laser line barcode scanner

The swinging mirror assembly is made from plastic with aluminum plated on it which swings back and forth from the interaction of a low frequency oscillator fed magnetic coil pushing and pulling through the EM field against a very small magnet embedded in the plastic arm opposite the mirror on the other side of the pivot point. That's a long sentence explaining how part of it works.

 

[APEX1]

Re: Inside a cheap red laser line barcode scanner

The swinging mirror assembly is made from plastic with aluminum plated on it which swings back and forth from the interaction of a low frequency oscillator fed magnetic coil pushing and pulling through the EM field against a very small magnet embedded in the plastic arm opposite the mirror on the other side of the pivot point. That's a long sentence explaining how part of it works.

That's some pretty cool stuff right there. You never truly realize how much stuff uses laser tech until you actually stop to think about it. And even then its used in more electronics then one could think of lol

 

[Alaskan]

Re: Inside a cheap red laser line barcode scanner

Measured the output power, it's close to 2.2 milliwatts when the pot which controls the output power is turned all the way up. The second pot towards the front out output side adjusts the amount of sweep for the mirror, adjusted all the way down the swing is reduced to about a 12 inch wide red bar on the wall six feet away.