Article on Barcode Technology
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Article on Barcode Technology Barcode is a way of encoding numbers and letters in a sequence of varying width of bars and spaces so the information can be read quickly and accurately by a computer. Barcode Technology: Barcode technology works of off a principle called symbologies. Symbology at its basic form is what defines the barcode; it determines the mapping and interpretation of the encoded information or data. This encoding allows the scanning device to know when a digit or character starts and when it stops, similar to a binary representation. We recognize barcodes as an array of parallel lines alternating between white and black lines. Barcode technology provides a simple and inexpensive method of recording data or information in a number of applications. The symbologies of the barcode technology can be arranged or mapped in a variety of ways. Continuous symbologies is marked by the characters beginning with a black line and ending with a white line or space, while discreet symbologies have characters encoded as a black line a space and then another black line. This takes care of the characters and how each individual number or letter is read. The lines of a barcode also have variances in encoding the widths of the lines. Some barcode technology systems use two separate widths to determine the character while others use multiple width lines. The use of any of these encoding styles depends, of course, on the application for which the barcode technology is being used. Different Types of Barcodes. A Barcode Symbology defines the technical details of a particular type of barcode: the width of the bars, character set, method of encoding, checksum specifications, etc. Most users are more interested in the general capabilities of a particular symbologies (how much and what kind of data can it hold, what are its common uses, etc) than in the excruciating technical details. Following are the various types of Barcodes. 1. Numeric-only barcodes a. Codabar : Older code often used in library systems, sometimes in blood banks b. Code 11 : Used primarily for labeling telecommunications equipment c. EAN-13 : European Article Numbering international retail product code d. EAN-8 : Compressed version of EAN code for use on small products e. Industrial 2 of 5 : Older code not in common use f. Interleaved 2 of 5 : Compact numeric code, widely used in industry, air cargo g. MSI : Variation of the Plessey code commonly used in USA h. Plessey : Older code commonly used for retail shelf marking i. PostNet : Used by U.S. Postal Service for automated mail sorting j. UPC-A : Universal product code seen on almost all retail products in the USA and Canada k. Standard 2 of 5 : Older code not in common use l. UPC-E : Compressed version of UPC code for use on small products 2. Alpha-numeric barcodes a. Code 128 : Very capable code, excellent density, high reliability; in very wide use world-wide b. Code 39 : General-purpose code in very wide use world-wide c. Code 93 : Compact code similar to Code 39 d. LOGMARS : Same as Code 39, this is the U.S. Government specification 3. 2-Dimensional barcodes a. PDF417 : Excellent for encoding large amounts of data b. DataMatrix : Can hold large amounts of data, especially suited for making very small codes c. Maxicode : Fixed length, used by United Parcel Service for automated package sorting d. QR Code : Used for material control and order confirmation e. Data Code f. Code 49 g. 16K 4. Industry Standards for Barcodes and Labels a. Bookland EAN encodes ISBN numbers, used internationally to mark books b. ISSN and the SISAC Barcode : International Standard Serial Numbering c. OPC : Optical Industry Association barcode for marking retail optical products d. UCC/EAN-128: Widely used data formatting model for Code 128 e. UPC Shipping Container Symbol : ITF-14 Barcode Printer Barcode printer is a computer peripheral for printing barcode labels or tags that can be attached to physical objects. Barcode printers are commonly used to label cartons before shipment, or to label retail items with UPCs or EANs. The most common barcode printers employ one of two different printing technologies. Direct thermal printers use a print head to generate heat that causes a chemical reaction in specially designed paper that turns the paper black. Thermal transfer printers also use heat, but instead of reacting the paper, the heat melts a waxy or resin substance on a ribbon that runs over the label or tag material. The heat transfers ink from the ribbon to the paper. Direct thermal printers are generally less expensive, but they produce labels that can become illegible if exposed to heat, direct sunlight, or chemical vapors. Barcode printers are designed for different markets. Industrial barcode printers are used in large warehouses and manufacturing facilities. They have large paper capacities, operate faster and have a longer service life. For retail and office environments, desktop barcode printers are most common. Barcode Scanner: Barcode Scanner is an electronic device for reading printed barcodes. It consists of a light source, a lens and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly all barcode readers contain decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image data provided by the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port. Benefit of Barcoding system. Barcodes eliminate the possibility of human error. The occurrence of errors for manually entered data is significantly higher than that of barcodes. A barcode scan is fast and reliable, and takes infinitely less time than entering data by hand. Using a barcode system reduces employee training time. It takes only minutes to master the hand-held scanner for reading barcodes. Furthermore, employees do not have to gain familiarity with an entire inventory or pricing procedure. This also makes employee training less expensive, since they do not have to be paid for extra training time, and another employee does not have to be compensated for training them. Barcodes are inexpensive to design and print. Generally they cost mere pennies, regardless of their purpose, or where they will be affixed. They can be customized economically, in a variety of finishes and materials. Barcodes are extremely versatile. They can be used for any kind of necessary data collection. This could include pricing or inventory information. Additionally, because barcodes can be attached to just about any surface, they can be used to track not only the products themselves, but also outgoing shipments and even equipment. Inventory control improves. Because barcodes make it possible to track inventory so precisely, inventory levels can be reduced. This translates into a lower overheard. The location of equipment can also be tracked, reducing the time spent searching for it, and the money spent replacing equipment that is presumed lost. Barcodes provide better data. Since one barcode can be used for inventory and pricing information, it is possible to quickly obtain data on both. Furthermore, barcodes can be customized to contain other relevant information as needed. They provide fast, reliable data for a wide variety of applications. Data obtained through barcodes is available rapidly. Since the information is scanned directly into the central computer, it is ready almost instantaneously. This quick turnaround ensures that time will not be wasted on data entry or retrieval. Barcodes promote better decision making. Because data is obtained rapidly and accurately, it is possible to make more informed decisions. Better decision making ultimately saves both time and money. Both inexpensive and user-friendly, barcodes provide an indispensable tool for tracking a variety of data, from pricing to inventory. The ultimate result of a comprehensive barcoding system is reduction in overhead. For more Information and support you can contact M/s Falcon Exim Pvt Ltd.