Alphanumeric - The character set that contains letters,
numbers, and usually other characters such as punctuation marks.
ANSI - The American National Standards Institute, a
nongovernmental organization responsible for the development of
voluntary standards.
Aperture - The opening in an optical system that establishes
the field of view.
ASCII - The character set and code described in American
National Standard Code for Information Interchange, ANSI X3.4-1977.
Each ASCII character is encoded with seven bits. The ASCII character
set is used for information interchange among data processing systems,
communication systems, and associated equipment. The ASCII set
consists of both control and printing characters.
Aspect Ratio - In a bar code symbol, the ratio of bar height
to symbol length.
Bar - The darker element of a printed bar code symbol.
Bar Code - An automatic identification technology that
encodes information into an array of adjacent varying width parallel
rectangular bars and spaces.
Bar Code Character - A single group of bars and spaces that
represents a specific number (often one) of numbers, letters,
punctuation marks, or other symbols. This is the smallest subset of a
bar code symbol that contains data.
Bar Code Density - The number of data characters that can be
represented in a linear unit of measure. Bar code density is often
expressed in characters per inch.
Bar Code Label - A label that carries a bar code symbol and
is suitable to be affixed to an article.
Bar Code Reader - A device used to read a bar code
symbol.
Bar Length - The bar dimension perpendicular to the bar
width. Also called bar height. Scanning is performed in an axis
perpendicular to the bar length.
Bar Width - The thickness of a bar measured from the edge
closest to the symbol start character to the trailing edge of the same
bar.
Bi-directional - A bar code symbol capable of being read
successfully independent of scanning direction.
Check Character - A character included within a string of
data whose value is used for the purpose of performing a mathematical
check to ensure the accuracy of that data.
Check Digit - A check digit serves the same purpose as a
check character, but it may assume numeric values only.
Concatenation - The ability of a reading system to join
together the data from multiple symbols and interpret it as a single
message.
Decoder - As part of a bar code reading system, the
electronic package that receives the signals from the scanner,
performs the algorithm to interpret the signals into meaningful data,
and provides the interface to other devices.
Depth of Field - The distance between the maximum and
minimum plane in which a code reader is capable of reading symbols of
a specified X dimension.
EAN - European Article Numbering system, the international
standard bar code for retail food packages.
Film Master - A photographic film representation of a
specific bar code or OCR symbol from which a printing plate is
produced.
First Read Rate - The ratio of the number of successful
reads on the first scanning attempt to the number of attempts.
Commonly expressed as a percentage. Abbreviated as FRR.
Font - A specific size and style of printer's type.
HIBCC - The Health Industry Business Communications
Council.
Input Device - That portion of a bar code reading
system that employs electro-optical techniques to determine the
localized reflectivity of a symbol.
Intercharacter Gap - The space between two adjacent bar code
characters in a discrete code - for example, the space between two
characters in Code 39.
Interleaved Bar Code - A bar code in which characters are
paired together using bars to represent the first character and spaces
to represent the second, e.g., Interleaved 2 of 5.
Laser Scanner - An optical bar code reading device using a
low energy laser light beam as its source of illumination.
LED - Light emitting diode. A semiconductor that produces
light at a wavelength determined by its chemical composition. The
light source often used in light pens.
Light Pen - In a bar code system, a handheld scanning wand
that is used as a contact bar code reader held in the hand. See Wand
Scanner.
Mil - One one-thousandth of an inch (0.001").
Misread - A condition that occurs when the data output of a
reader does not agree with the data encoded in the bar code
symbol.
Module - The narrowest nominal width unit of measure in a
bar code.
Barcode Solutions - A bar code systems integration
company representing the world's best manufacturers of related
equipment and supplies at the lowest prices anywhere.
Multidrop - A network topology in which multiple devices,
each with a unique address, are connected to a common set of data
communication lines.
Nominal - The exact (or ideal) intended value for a
specified parameter. Tolerances are specified as positive and negative
deviations from this value.
Numeric - A character set that includes only the
numbers.
OCR-A - An abbreviation commonly applied to the character
set contained in ANSI Standard X3.17-1981. A stylized font choice used
for Traditional OCR printing.
OCR-B - An abbreviation commonly applied to the character
set contained in ANSI Standard X3.49-1975. A stylized font choice used
for Traditional OCR printing.
Orientation - The alignment of a bar code symbol with
respect to horizontal. Two possible orientations are horizontal with
vertical bars and spaces (picket fence) and vertical with horizontal
bars and spaces (ladder).
PDF417 - 2-Dimensional barcode. More info here.
Port Concentrator - A piece of data communication equipment
that allows several different connected devices to transmit data to or
receive data from a single master communication port.
POS - Point of sale.
Postnet Code - A symbology used primarily by the U.S. Postal
Service for mail sortation. All bars and spaces are the same width.
ZIP Code information is encoded into the particular arrangement of
tall and short bars. This is a ``height modulated" symbology.
Pre-Printed Symbol - A symbol that is printed in advance of
application either on a label or on the article to be identified.
Print Quality - The measure of compliance of a bar code
symbol to the requirements of dimensional tolerance, edge roughness,
spots, voids, reflectance, PCS, quiet zone, and encodation.
Quiet Zone - A clear space, containing no dark marks, that
precedes the start character of a bar code symbol and follows the stop
characters. Sometimes called the ``clear area."
Reflectance - The ratio of the amount of light of a
specified wavelength or series of wavelengths reflected from a test
surface to the amount of light reflected from a barium oxide or
magnesium oxide standard under similar illumination conditions.
Resolution - In a bar code system, the narrowest element
dimension that can be distinguished by a particular reading device or
printed with a particular device or method.
RFDC - Radio Frequency Data Collection. Manufacturers of
RFDC equipment include Teklogix and Symbol.
Scanner - An electronic device that electro-optically
converts optical information into electrical signals.
Self-Checking - A symbology is termed self-checking if a
single printing defect will not cause a character to be transposed
into another valid character in the same symbology.
Space - The lighter element of a bar code usually formed by
the background between bars.
Symbol - A combination of bar code characters (including
start/stop characters, quiet zones, data characters, and check
characters required by a particular symbology), that forms a complete,
scannable entity.
Traditional OCR - The first form of two-dimensional OCR
developed, using the stylized OCR-A and OCR-B fonts.
Uniform Container Symbol (UCS).
Uniform Code Council (UCC) - Previously the Uniform Product
Code Council; the organization that administers the UPC and other
retail standards.
Universal Product Code (UPC) - The standard bar code symbol
for retail food packages in the United States.
UPC-A - A UPC symbol encoding a number system character, 10
digits of data, and a check digit.
UPC-E - A UPC symbol encoding six digits of data in an
arrangement that occupies less area than a UPC-A symbol. Also called a
``zero-suppressed" symbol because a 10-digit UPC-A code can be
compressed to a six-digit UPC-E format by suppressing redundant
zeros.
Uniform Symbol Specification (USS) - The current series of
symbology specifications published by AIM; they now include
USS-Interleaved 2 of 5, USS-39, USS-93, USS-Codabar, USS-128, USS-49,
and USS-16K.
Wand Scanner - A handheld scanning device used as a contact
bar code or OCR reader.
X Dimension - The nominal width dimension of the narrow bars
and spaces in a bar code symbol.
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