ScannerBenchBY SMARTFACTFREE KEYBOARD-SCANNER CHECKS
Updated
Scanner prefixes and suffixes are extra characters sent before or after a barcode's value. ScannerBench, free in your browser, shows every character that arrives from a scanner that types like a keyboard, names invisible ones such as a trailing space or a group separator, and tests a comparison rule without changing the original capture.
Free to use. No account, email address or installation. Your scans stay in this browser tab.
Scan a barcode whose value you know. What arrived is shown in quotes, with hidden characters shown as codes, so a space at the end shows up where an ordinary text view hides it. The character list names each character with its code point.
Enter and Tab can end a capture without becoming part of the text; the result says how the scan ended, and the event log lists the keys. A control character that does arrive in the text, such as a group separator, is named in the character list. A Ctrl+] key event on its own does not show that a group separator reached the field.
Yes. Add a comparison rule: remove a literal prefix or suffix, trim outer ASCII spaces or convert CRLF to LF. A rule changes a copy of the received text. The original capture and the exact comparison stay visible, so a match with rules never hides the real difference.
Yes. Rules apply in the order you set. If a value has a leading space and a prefix, removing the prefix before trimming the space fails, because the space comes first. Move the trimming rule back to the top and the match returns, with the original capture unchanged.
It does not change scanner settings or fix the receiving application: a comparison rule changes only what ScannerBench compares. It does not parse or validate GS1 element strings, and it shows what reached the browser, which can differ from the scanner's original bytes.
For developers and support teams matching scanner input to order numbers, location codes or known test payloads.
A USEFUL STARTING POINT
An exact mismatch is evidence. ScannerBench shows it even when a configured comparison rule produces a match. You can remove a literal prefix or suffix, trim outer ASCII spaces or convert CRLF to LF in the comparison view. Rules apply in the order you select, only to the selected observation.
FROM QUESTION TO EVIDENCE
Start with a barcode whose encoded text is independently known. Inspect the escaped text and Unicode character list before adding any transformation.
Look at received characters and the event log separately. Enter and Tab may finish capture without becoming text. A Ctrl+] event alone does not establish that U+001D reached the field.
Add only the rule you want to investigate. Compare the original exact result and the configured result, then include the observation in a reviewed report.
The strings ABC-0017 and ABC-0017 followed by U+0020 are different. An outer-space rule can demonstrate that the space explains a mismatch, while the original capture remains unchanged. This does not change the scanner or fix the receiving application.
USED IN PRODUCTION
ScannerBench shows exactly what one scanner sends. Two SmartFACT services put that same keyboard-scanner input to work at the bench. Both are in early access, with scope agreed at onboarding.
Free tierScan-to-verify kits at the bench. Approved rules build each kit’s component plan from its order options, and the KitProof station checks every scan against the expected parts and quantities. A scanner that sends exactly the expected value is where that check starts.
Free tierJob travellers that start with a scan. At a WorkSteps station, the operator scans or types a traveller code or unit ID to open that unit’s traveller, with the steps and evidence that approved rules selected for it. The station has its own scanner test.
BEFORE YOU START
If the browser field receives U+001D, the inspector names it as GS. Literal backslash-u text is a different value. ScannerBench does not parse or validate GS1 element strings.
Browser textareas normalise line endings. Available paste-event text is retained separately from field text, and imported expectations retain their strings. Choose the observation carefully when comparing line endings.
No. Comparison rules do not rewrite stored captures or program the scanner. Exact and configured outcomes stay separate.
ScannerBench shows exactly what reaches the browser, so check your own scanner, operating system and browser together. Model selection provides reviewed manual references for two Zebra USB models; it does not detect, configure or certify a scanner. Raw HID, serial input, camera scanning, barcode decoding and GS1 interpretation are outside its scope. A session holds up to 50 captures and ends when the tab is reloaded or closed.
Scan values, expectations and device notes are processed in browser memory. No account or upload is required. Reloading loses the session. Reports are redacted by default and downloaded only after review. Hosting may log ordinary page requests; suite links are plain product addresses and never carry a scan, report or device value. Google Analytics is optional and loads only after you accept. Use Analytics settings to change your choice. Analytics cookies and the stored consent choice are separate from your working data; see /privacy/.
ONE SMALL JOB, DONE WELL
Open the free tool and start with one known example.