High-resolution reflective optical sensor? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2019, 11:26:23 am
content: In an older product, we use a reflective sensor from HP (and then Agilent, Avago...) as a barcode reader. It's a simple LED + photodiode arrangement, plus an optional amplification transistor -- but with a rather small spot size, 0.17mm at a distance of approx. 4mm from the package's front.https://datasheet.octopart.com/HBCS-1100-Avago-datasheet-8726666.pdfThe part has been discontinued several years ago, and we have struggled to find a replacement with similar spot size. There are plenty of reflective optical sensors, but due to inferior optics they can't resolve the barcodes. We can't transition to a different type of barcode reader (camera based) due to space constraints and software limitations.Is anybody aware of current optical sensors with similar specs? A different wavelength would be fine, and we don't need the internal transistor; it's really the spot size which is important, and the package should not be orders of magnitude larger than the old one. Many thanks!

author: Conrad Hoffman
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2019, 05:46:21 pm
content: Tough one. I used to work for a company that made something similar, but the costs were high and it was discontinued decades ago. You might have to come up with an auxiliary lens to better focus a cruder device. You only need to focus the detector, or I suppose, the source, not both.

author: tomato
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2019, 05:52:54 pm
content: https://www.aeri.com/pn/HEWLETT-PACKARD/hbcs1100/Maybe?

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2019, 09:25:31 pm
content: Thank you both, Conrad and tomato!If this were for a small batch or hobby project, I would bite the bullet and buy some old stock parts. (Although they have become painfully expensive, at $40 and more.) But I am working for a fairly large company with strict processes. We are looking for parts with guaranteed origin and quality, and for a long-term solution.Finding a modern replacement has been challenging indeed. Yes, we may have to try and roll our own. But that is not easy either - the commercial solutions (both HP's old one, and the more recent ones) use split lenses to iage the source and detector to the same spot and obtain the compact form factor.Still hoping that someone knows about a current niche product -- thanks!

author: mikerj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2019, 12:38:44 pm
content: Have a look at the VCSEL based sensors from Finisar, they may have something suitable for your application.

author: ajb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2019, 03:14:01 pm
content: What sort of quantities? If you're in the thousands or higher a custom lens for a more conventional sensor may be a reasonable way to go.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 30, 2019, 03:19:05 pm
content: A couple 100 per year. Not quite enough for a custom part, I‘m afraid. I will look at the Finisar parts once I am back home, thanks for the hint!