At a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal, what is the handheld OCR/optical reading unit commonly called when used to scan printed codes or characters?

Introduction / Context:
Retail and POS environments use optical readers to capture product information quickly at checkout. Early and inexpensive devices were “wand” scanners—pen-like readers that you sweep across printed barcodes or specially formatted OCR characters. Recognizing the customary terminology helps distinguish among optical input devices used with terminals and kiosks.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The device is handheld and used at POS to read printed information.
• It uses optical sensing (reflected light) to decode patterns.
• Terminology focuses on common industry names.

Concept / Approach:
A wand scanner contains a light source and sensor; as it moves across a barcode or OCR line, it measures reflectance changes to reconstruct bars/spaces or character strokes. The terminal decodes the signal into digits or alphanumeric codes. By contrast, a light pen historically interacted with CRT screens by detecting the raster’s electron beam; a “cursor” is an on-screen pointer, not a hardware scanner; and modern “barcode imagers” are camera-based but not typically referred to as “OCR reading units” in legacy POS wording.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
POS equipment catalogs historically list “wand readers” for barcodes/OCR fonts (e.g., OCR-A/OCR-B on labels). Though modern 2D imagers are common today, the traditional name for the simple optical stick reader remains “wand.”

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Light pen: interacts with CRT displays, not printed codes on labels.
• Cursor: a software pointer; not hardware.
• All of the above: incorrect because only “wand” matches the POS OCR/barcode reading unit.
• Barcode imager: technically plausible modern device but not the classic OCR “wand” term used in the question’s context.

Common Pitfalls:
Assuming any optical input device at POS is a “light pen”; ignoring that the typical handheld legacy reader for printed codes is specifically called a “wand.”

Final Answer:
Wand