Cognex Corp. has developed the next generation of its DataMan line of handheld industrial ID scanners. Designed for the factory floor, the rugged DataMan 8000 Series offers advanced code-reading using patented IDMax technology for reading 1D and 2D barcodes, regardless of size, quality, printing method or surface. The new products include two new innovations for an industrial handheld code reader: modular communications (including Ethernet) and liquid lens variable-focus technology. According to Cognex, the 8000 Series communicates easily with factory networks and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, resulting in real-time traceability. The automatic variable-focus feature enables operators to use the system close up for very small 2D Data Matrix direct part marks, and at a distance for longer 1D barcodes. The readers are the first to offer integrated liquid lens technology, Cognex claimed.
