Code reader having replaceable optics assemblies supporting multiple illuminators

A code reader utilized by a user to read optical indicia on a target surface, said code reader comprising:

• a first type of illuminator for illuminating optical indicia located within a first range from said code reader;
• a second type of illuminator for illuminating optical indicia located within a second range from said code reader, the first and second tries of illuminators utilizing different illumination technologies;
• at least one detector that receives light reflected by optical indicia located within either one of the first and second ranges and originating from either one of said first and second types of illuminators and that provides signals indicative thereof;
• a processor coupled to said first and second types of illuminators and said at least one detector;
• and
• said processor selecting said first type of illuminator to illuminate the optical indicia located within the first range and decoding said signals from the at least one detector to conduct read attempts for optical indicia located within the first range, and selecting said second type of illuminator to illuminate the optical indicia located within the second range and decoding said signals from the at least one detector to conduct read attempts for optical indicia located within the second range.

A code reader utilized by a user to read optical indicia on a target surface, said code reader comprising:

• a first type of illuminator that simultaneously illuminates the entire optical indicia to enable reading the optical indicia;
• a second type of illuminator that illuminates the optical indicia over time while scanning the optical indicia to enable reading the optical indicia;
• at least one detector that receives light reflected by the optical indicia and originating from either one of said first and second types of illuminators;
• and
• a processors coupled to said at least one detector and to said first and second types of illuminators, that selects either one of said first and second types of illuminators to illuminate the optical indicia and that processes signals from said at least one detector.

A code reader for use as a terminal device and to read optical indicia on a target surface, said code reader comprising:

• a housing sized for portability having a display and input means disposed thereon;
• a battery power supply disposed within said housing;
• a control processing circuit disposed within said housing which interactively controls the display and input means;
• a detector circuit disposed within said housing which receives and processes reflections from optical indicia;
• a plurality of different types of illuminator assemblies utilizing different illumination technologies each of the illuminator assemblies having at least one type of illuminator disposed thereon;
• a connector disposed within said housing that receives and removeably couples any one of the plurality of different types of illuminator assemblies;
• and
• said connector communicatively coupling one of said plurality of different types of illuminator assemblies with said control processing circuit when said one of said plurality of different types of illuminator assemblies is removeably coupled to said connector.