Design and Development of Barcode Generating System

Barcode History A brief summary of barcode history. Barcode history has its roots in the Great Depression. It has evolved from a punch card system, designed to speed the purchasing process, to the modern barcodes we see on every product imaginable. The original punch cards proved to be too expensive and the idea was abandoned by its inventor. More than a decade later the barcode as we know it took shape in its simplest form. The original or prototype system used ultraviolet ink but it had a propensity for fading and therefore not feasible; it was also fairly expensive and not economically viable. The basic idea for the barcode came from Morse code but the dots where extended into lines that alternated black and white in a parallel fashion, and this is still the case today. The original method of scanning the barcode to identify the product was accomplished through high wattage light bulbs, 500 watts to start with, and was used in conjunction with a film industry photomultiplier. This increased the intensity of the light and made the scanning easier for the time being. As more and more companies needed to cut costs and wanted a system for inventory, more technology needed to be invented to make the system feasible. As the barcode history progressed, more ideas and innovations were developed and implemented. The parallel lines we recognize as barcodes were not the only form of identification used in the development of barcodes. These are categorized as 2D barcodes or a matrix code. These complex codes were represented in patterns of dots, circles, and a variety and blending of geometric shapes. The complexity of the shapes allows this system to contain more data in a code, but wasn't used nearly as much as linear barcodes or 1D barcodes. These kinds of barcodes can be found in cellular phone applications such as encoding URLs and images, as well as purchased ticket information for movies and sporting events on a cellular phone. It wasn't until the 1960s that barcodes were scanned with a laser, a helium neon laser to be exact. At first only a single laser was used to scan the barcode but soon the addition of other lasers at separate angles were added to make the process more efficient and easier to use. The laser interprets the width of the black lines; each number has its own specific width. The white spaces tell the laser were one number ends and the next begins. Any string of numbers in any order or length can be scanned against a database of information to account for inventory, sales and purchases. Today we use a standardized 11 digit code that identifies any unique product. This code is referred to as the UPC, or Universal Product Code. This was put into practice in 1973 as a test by the Kroger Corporation and it used a system of "bull's eye" patterns instead of the parallel line patterns we are used to. The system proved unusable as the printed codes were often smeared and could not be read. One year later the IBM system of barcode lines was adopted and the modern barcode history was born. These barcodes are now used for absolutely everything we purchase from virtually any industry from new cars to new computers - and from baseball tickets to surfing the web with our cellular phones and PDAs. There are few parts of our lives that are not touched by a barcode; they have become an integral part of our everyday lives. (customerservice@barcodesinc.com) Barcode Technology A short description on how barcode technology works. Barcode technology works of off a principle called symbology. 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. A continuous symbology 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. The line or linear barcode technology is sometimes referred to as 1D encoding. While we are most familiar with these barcodes, there are more complex codes that employ the use of dot matrixes to achieve a more complex encoding process that can store and identify far more information. These are referred to as 2D or, in some cases dataglyphs. They are comprised of miniature dots, like the old dot matrix printers, which create patterns that are read in the scanning process. They are not limited to this format and can be comprised of circular patterns or a collection of shapes and modules inserted into a specified image for a user. In order to read the data of barcode technology it needs to be scanned by a laser and then interpreted. The scanners, or lasers, used to read the barcodes measures the light reflected form the linear barcode technology and can distinguish between the white and black lines. Calibration of the laser and system needs to be done to ensure the proper interpretation of the code itself. This has to do with whether it is a continuous or discreet symbology, 1D or 2D images, and whether it uses two width or multiple width lines. The most common lasers used are helium neon lasers due to their low energy consumption and efficiency. The complex or 2D barcodes can not be read by a simple laser as the linear barcode technology can. The barcode needs an all encompassing reader as the full image needs to be read. Linear barcode technology only needs to be swept across to read it as the lines are the same regardless of the position of the laser. 2D codes must be read or scanned by an image based scanner, similar to the scanners used at home or in offices to scan documents and images. They are more costly but supply more information and data. These are used in encoding URLs for cellular phone use and higher end applications. Types of Barcodes Various types of barcodes exist that are useful for the storage of important and useful data. Barcodes are useful in identifying an item or a product with a series of lines, spacing, numbers, images, or data arranged in a way that can be easily read by a mobile computer or barcode scanner that has been specially designed to read different types of barcodes. Where barcodes where once mainly a series of lines containing different widths, lengths, numerals, and spacing, many different styles and types of barcodes exist today. Barcodes can be designed in different ways with the most popular being either linear or two-dimensional (2D), the latter of which includes stacked barcodes. The Universal Product Code or UPC is an example of a linear barcode. Among the first types of barcode technology created, the UPC contains only numerals, spaces, and bars, all of which can be used to represent important inventory and pricing information about the item it is affixed to. Other examples of linear technology include the Plessey barcode, used primarily for marking retail inventory and for library books; the Pharmacode, useful for packing control in the pharmaceutical industry; and the European Article Numbering - Uniform Code Council (EAN - UCC), used largely in worldwide retail and electronic sales. The United States Post Office also uses a series of linearcodes such as the POSTNET code, which is useful in mail sorting as the data it contains helps to identify where mail is to be routed. Examples of two-dimensional or 2D types of barcodes include mathematical types such as the Aztec Code and EZ Code used in select mobile phone technologies. Data is encoded as a matrix in two dimensions on the barcode. This means that more data can fit in a small, two-dimensional space whereas with linear technology, the area for lines, numerals, and spaces must be made longer or wider in order to accommodate more data. A 2D code can look like a series of both horizontal and vertical dimensions, which is much different from a linear variety identified with the naked eye simply as a series of lines, spaces, and numerals. Stacked bar codes are another example of the 2D variety and are very similar to matrix codes, with the exception being that they are stacked or layered on top of another code. Whether stacked or a matrix, 2D codes are recognizable to the naked eye as a series of dots with a target or a bulls-eye that can be seen upon careful inspection. While a 2D variety, like most other barcodes, requires special technology to read the data it contains, the difference between a linear and a 2D type is easy to recognize upon sight. While bar code technology appears on practically every item purchased or cataloged on a store's shelf, the data that they individually contain varies. Different types of codes can be specially created or tailored for specific industries or businesses. Anyone interested in buying one for business use is advised to study what their current industry standard is and become educated on the different types of barcodes that exist, as well as how much data they can contain before deciding upon which style to use. Barcode Scanner We can help you find a scanner for use on any barcode symbology in any environment. BarcodesInc carries all types of barcode scanners: Laser, area imager, handheld, wand, counter-top, in-counter, industrial, USB, PS2 keyboard wedge, serial (RS232), cordless, wireless RF, WiFi 802.11b, raster, CCD, and more! Wireless Barcode Scanner Our handheld computers and portable data terminals function as multi-use tools for your advanced data capture and mobility needs. Choices include mobile computers with batch or wireless (802.11 b/g) data capture, Windows Mobile, Linux-based, or Palm OS operating systems, 1D/2D barcode scanning capabilities and more. Inventory Software We carry inventory software for control and tracking of warehouse or point of sale inventory. Bundle our software with barcode scanning hardware for a complete inventory management system solution. Download a free inventory software demo program for your computer. Barcode Printer Direct thermal and thermal transfer barcode printers from Zebra, Datamax, SATO, Intermec and more. Suitable for light or industrial printing needs. Barcode Label We carry a full line of direct thermal and thermal transfer barcode labels. We have 1000's of labels in-stock and available to ship today. Use our label selector or custom label quote request form to find labels that suit your needs. Wish you all the Best, Bashir Sarki Abdulqadir, +2348069130027, +2348098130027 Kano, Nigeria.