Scanner Hardware

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Scanner Hardware

A separate scanner hardware unit is required to digitize paper target images. Orion’s Auto-Score technology communicates with the scanner through its TWAIN drivers. TWAIN is an industrial standard interface for scanners. The scanner’s TWAIN drivers must be installed on the computer. The minimum requirements for a scanner are listed table below. Even if a scanner meets these requirements it may still not work with Orion.

 

Specification

Requirement

Resolution

300 dots per inch (DPI)

Color

24 bit color

Paper Size

A4 and Letter

Image Format

Lossless JPEG

Paper Thickness

200gsm

Drivers

TWAIN Compliant

 

Most flat-bed scanners will meet these requirements. The reference color is the color of the bullet hole when scanned. It must either be black or white. A shade of gray or another color will not work. A4 paper size is part of the International Standard (ISO) 216 specification and is approximately 8.3 x 11.7 inches. Letter size paper is 8.5 x 11 inches. Paper thickness, sometimes referred to as media type, is a measurement as to how thick the paper can be while scanned.

When using a scanner with an automatic document feeder (ADF) it is important to verify the ADF meets or exceeds the paper thickness requirements. Most ADFs are only designed to handle traditional “copier” style paper. Target paper is much heavier weighing 200gsm (grams per square meter). Using an ADF that does not support at least 200gsm paper weight may cause undesired operation and void warranty service. The Canon P-208, DR-C225, DR-C240, DR-M160ii, and DR-6010C meet this requirement. Shooter’s Technology cannot accept responsibility for damage to scanners or voided warranties resulting from use of improper ADF units.

Most scanning software by default will try to compress scanned images when saved to disk. While compressed images take up less space, they will not provide sufficient detail to score accurately. Be sure to set a scanner to be used with Orion to save the target image file to the highest available quality.

Some scanning software will try to perform image enhancement on the scanned in image prior to saving it as a file (for example edge enhancements). In almost all cases image enhancements should be disabled when scanning for Orion.

Different models of scanner function differently. Consult the individual scanner’s documentation to learn how to scan and create images at the listed specifications. It is the user’s responsibility to own, correctly understand and operate the scanner and scanner software. Shooter’s Technology can not provide technical assistance for any scanner other than those listed as a supported scanner.