ABOUT BARCODES
The Barcode is a technology that consists of a series of parallel, adjacent bars and spaces that allows for real-time data to be collected. The data in the barcode acts as a reference number that the computer uses to look up associated records in the database.
The width of each bar, or pattern, is designed to represent the actual data in the symbol. There are over 300 different types bar code symbologies today, each of which were originally developed to fulfill a specific need in a specific industry. These unique symbologies also have different capabilities for encoding data.
Barcodes can be used in a wide variety of applications from warehousing and inventory control to library or healthcare applications. The main purpose of a barcode is to improve performance, productivity, and ultimately profitability for all industries.
Bar code, composed of bars and spaces of varying width, provides a means of expression for human-readable characters in a form (bars and spaces) readable by machines.
Black and white stripes, such as those shown below, are often seen on packages of snacks, foodstuff, and sundries stacked on supermarket shelves or convenience stores - these are known as "Bar Code". The bar code can also be found on industrial products, or on delivery request forms for home and office deliveries - their uses are wide ranging.
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 symbology (how much and what kind of data can it hold, what are its common uses, etc) than in the excruciating technical details.
A bar code symbol typically consists of five parts: a quiet zone, a start character, data characters optional check a stop character, and another quiet zone.
A barcode reader is used to read the code. The reader uses a laser beam that is sensitive to the reflections from the line and space thickness and variation. The reader translates the reflected light into digital data that is transferred to a computer for immediate action or storage. They are also used to take inventory in retail stores; to check-out books from a library; to track manufacturing and shipping movement; to sign in on a job; to identify hospital patients; and to tabulate the results of direct mail marketing returns.
THERE ARE THREE BASIC TYPES OF BARCODES:
1. LINEAR BARCODES SYMBOLS
They are easily identified by their tall printed bars of varying widths.
2.TWO-DIMENSIONAL(2D)BARCODE SYMBOLS
They are broken into two major groups called Matrix symbologies and Stacked bar codes. Matrix symbologies look like a matrix of printed dots and stacked barcodes look like linear bar codes with very short bars stacked on top of each other.
3. COMPOSITE SYMBOLS
They are a category of bar codes that combine an interdependent linear and 2D symbol.
HOW DO BARCODES WORK
There are many different symbologies of barcodes, but the most common is UPC, the Universal Product Code.
Each digit is coded by two black and two white stripes. The stripes have widths of from 1 to 4 units, and the total width for each digit is always seven units.
WHAT DO THE UPC CODES MEAN
The UPC barcode is made up of 12 digits, in various groups. The first two show the country that issued the barcode. The next four digits indicate the manufacturer. Some countries have a three digit country code, so they only have three digits for the manufacturer code.