Information about Barcode Symbologies - FAMETECH INC. (TYSSO)

Introduction

Code 39:
The name code 39 is both a descriptor of its original character set of 39 characters, (currently it can be coded with more than 50 characters) The strong self-checking property of Code39 provides a high level of data security. With properly designed barcode scanner and excellent quality symbol printing, you can expect only one substitution error out of 70 million characters scanned.

UPC/EAN:
UPC was established for the benefit of the POS/Retail industry to facilitate automatic scanning of item numbers with associate price look-up at the Point-of-Sale. Most of the super markets in the world are using UPC/EAN. UPC symbols are now found on CD disc liquor, and many nonfood items sold in supermarket. A primary criterion was to enable packaging companies to print the UPC symbol directly on grocery packages along with text and promotional materials without increasing the printing cost.

INDUSTRIAL 2 of 5 & Interleaved 2 of 5:
The 2 of 5 Code was developed by Gerry Woolf of Identicon Corp. in 1968. It is principally used for warehouse inventory handling, identification of photofinishing envelopes, airline ticketing and baggage and cargo handling. The 2/5 Code is simple and straightforward. All information is contained in the width of the bars, with the spaces serving only to separate the individual bars. Bars can be either wide or narrow, and the wide bars are conventionally three times the widths of the narrow bars. Spaces may be any reasonable width but are typically equal to the narrow bars. Narrow bars are identified as zero bits and wide bars as one bits. In 1972 the one of the most popular barcode scanner manufacturer in the world - Intermec proposed certain barcode printing equipment to Computer Identics. In this context a problem arose over the low density of 2 of 5 Code, coupled with a limitation on bar height imposed by the printing equipment. The use of 2 of 5 Code would have resulted in a long, slender barcode symbol, which was deemed unsuitable for laser scanning in a warehouse. As a solution to this problem, Dr. David Allais of Intermec proposed the Interleaved 2 of 5 symbology. Interleaved 2 of 5 is most commonly used with a check digit and with scanners that anticipate the exact number of digits in each symbol. If scanners were programmed to read variable length Interleaved 2/5 messages and no check digit were used, it would be possible for a partial scan to be interpreted as a valid shorter message.

Codabar
Codabar is a discrete, self-checking code with each character represented by a standalone group of four bars and three intervening spaces. FedEX employs an 11-digit Codabar symbol on each of their airway bills and process over 900,000 packages each night, using the Codabar symbol. Codabar has been widely accepted by libraries and the medical industry. It has also been extensively used on photofinishing envelopes.

Plessey Code
Pleassey Code and its variants all find their origins in the pulse width modulated code developed by Plessey Company Limited of Dorset, England. It is widely used for shelf markings in grocery stores.

Code 11
code 11 was developed by Intermec in early 1977 to satisfy specialized requirements for very high density, discrete numeric barcodes. The most extensive application of Code 11 has been the labeling of telecommunications components and equipment by AT&T.

Code 93
Among the industrial barcodes, Code 39 is the preeminent symbology. The main technical limitation of Code 39 is that each character consumes 13 to 16 units of width. Such coding density can cause problems in some applications. The introduction of Code 93 by Intermec provided a higher density alphanumeric symbology designed to supplement Code 39. The set of data characters in Code 93 is identical to that of Code 39. Code 93 uses two check characters and is claimed by its supporters to be the highest density alphanumeric barcode.

Code 128
Code 128 was introduced in 1981 by Computer Identics in response to the need for a compact alphanumeric bar code symbol that could be used to encode complex product identification. The fundamental requirement called for a symbology capable of being printed by existing data processing printers which produce daily work-in-progress, job and product traceability documents. The ability to print identification messages between 10 and 32 characters long on existing forms and labels was deemed and important requirement. Code 128 uniquely addresses this need with the claim as the most compact, complete, alphanumeric symbology available, despite more than 20 years has been passed since the Code 128 was developed, there are many barcode applications nowadays are still prefer to use Code 128 symbology because of the above said features. Code 128 encodes the complete set of 128 ASCII characters without adding extra symbol elements. code 128 is designed to be a variable length symbology and has the ability to link one message to another for composite message transmission.

ISBN
The ISBN is a unique machine-readable identification number, which marks any book unmistakably. For 30 years the ISBN has revolutionized the international book-trade. 159 countries and territories are officially ISBN members. For more information, please visit : www.isbn.org

Barcode Scanner Manufacturer Index:

TYSSO Product Links:

Most Common Barcode Symbologies Home > Products > Barcode Scanner > Introduction

Most Common Barcode Symbologies
Home > Products > Barcode Scanner > Introduction