White Papers

The Scan2Net^® Difference

The question remains: Is there a fundamental difference in architecture between Image Access scanners and traditional scanners? The answer is yes. Scan2Net^® technology provides a code-free client via any modern Web browser and across the fastest common, nonproprietary inter-device connection: Ethernet. Scan2Net frees the host PC from all image related and time critical tasks. At the scanner´s heart is a Linux based operating system that is dedicated to scanner specific imaging and mechanical control tasks, maximizing scanning performance. All communication is performed through a standard network connection using TCP/IP protocols.

Traditional scanners rely heavily on the scanner driver which runs inside the PC. The scanner´s A/D converters may have produced up to 48bits of data but the data is truncated to 24bits before it traverses the USB or FireWire connection into the PC. After some necessary corrections are performed, including gamma correction, only 18bits of data may remain, although this is invisible at first glance because it is stored as 24 bit data.

Connecting Scan2Net^® scanners is a snap. Simply connect power and an Ethernet cable directly to a PC or to your organization´s network. Then, assign a valid IP address to your newly acquired Scan2Net^® scanner, start your browser and scan. It´s as easy as that! An intuitive menu leads the user quickly to their desired feature, whether operating your scanner from the touchscreen or your favorite browser. Select document size and file format, image orientation, output mode, color mode; press the start button and scan. If the settings aren´t exactly what you wanted, many of them can be modified for optimal results without needing to rescan the document.

Although Scan2Net^® scanners are sophisticated optoelectronic devices, there is no need for stringent maintenance plans and costly onsite service calls. If a unit is no longer delivering the desired results; it can be connected to the Internet for remote diagnosis and in most cases, a quick solution to the problem. At Image Access, our support technicians not only respond to service inquiries but actually spend more time educating operators in the optimal use of our products, which enables customers to use their scanners more effectively.

Advantages Provided by Scan2Net^®:

• Fast and simple integration into existing network structures without software installation.
• The scanning application comes from “inside” the scanner – an integral part of the Scan2Net technology
• Integration and remote access via Internet.
• Only an IP address is required to identify the S2N device.
• Operating system independent, scan using any browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Mozilla, Opera or Safari in the Apple world)
• Touchscreen operation enables simple to operate, true walk up scanning

In a Scan2Net® scanner, all corrections as well as gamma are performed inside the scanner at the full resolution of the camera subsystem, typically 36bits. Only the clean, compressed file is send to the PC via the network, not only reducing traffic but preserving much more resolution.