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AIM
Automatic Identification Manufacturers organization
supported by manufactures and suppliers of automatic
identification products and services.
ANSI
American National Standard Institute is a non-governmental
organization responsible for the development of standards
such as manufacturing.
ASCII
Character set for the American Standard Code for Information
Exchange encoding 7-bit characters (8 bit with parity).
Aspect Ratio
The ratio of bar height to symbol length.
Autodiscrimination
Capability of reading and decoding more than one bar
code symbology in a single piece of equipment.
Background
Area surrounding a bar code including quiet zone and
spaces.
Bar
The darker (black) element of a bar code symbol.
Bar Code
An array of parallel bars and spaces encoding information.
Also see Symbol.
Bar Length
The bar dimension perpendicular to the bar width
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.
CCD
A Charge Coupled Device is a bar code scanner which
senses the light and dark areas of a symbol.
Check Digit
A character included within a symbol which used to perform
a mathematical check to ensure the accuracy of the scanned
data.
Codabar
A numeric only bar code consisting of seven black and
white bars. Two bars are wide (Code 27).
Code 39
A full alphanumeric bar code consisting of nine black
and white bars. Three bars are wide (Code 3 of 9). Code
39 is the most frequently used symbology in industrial
bar code systems today.
Code 128
A full alphanumeric bar code capable of encoding all
128 ASCII characters.
Code 16K
Multi-row (stacked) code in which each symbol can have
between two and sixteen rows or stacks. >Each row is
separated by a one module separator bar, and consists
of 18 bars and 17 spaces. >The code is analogous to sentences
in a paragraph.
Coercivity
Value of the opposing magnetic intensity that must be
applied to a material to remove the residual magnetism
when it has been magnetized to saturation.
CPS
Characters per second.
CRT
Cathode Ray Tube. Also called a terminal or monitor.
Data Matrix
Variable size two dimensional matrix symbology that
is inherently omnidirectional. Data Matrix has a high
degree error correction capability and is used primarily
for part marking and tracking.
Decoder
A software or hardware means of translating bar codes
into alphanumeric data. A bar code reader is required
to scan the information into the decoder.
Density
The term used to designate the compactness of a bar
code which measures the narrowest element (usually in
mils) of that bar code.
Depth of Field
The distance between the maximum and minimum plane in
which a bar code reader is capable of reading symbols.
Direct Thermal
A process in which a set of pins on a printhead are
selectively heated onto heat-sensitive paper (or label
stock). In turn, the paper turns dark and a bar code
is formed. Over time, a Direct Thermal image will eventually
fade. Also known as Thermal Printing.
DPI
Dots per inch.
EAN
EAN is a voluntary, non-profit standards development
association active in numbering, bar coding, and EDI
messages for products, services, utilities, and transport
units and locations. The EAN system is fully compatible
with the Universal Product Code (UPC).
FCC
Federal Communication Commission.
First Read
Rate
The ratio of the number of successful reads to the number
of attempts.
FFO
Fixed Focus Optics technology utilizes a small aperture
and non-moving lenses to digitize an image over a wider
range of distance than the traditional CCD reader.
Font
A specific size and type of printable character.
GUI
Graphical User Interface. The visual design of a software
application.
IAN
Industrial Article Numbering. See EAN.
Infrared Laser
Diode
An invisible light beam used in some bar code readers
to scan a bar code that is invisible to the human eye.
This technology is used specifically to prohibit people
from visually reading the bar code. Analogous to night
vision goggles.
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 character. Interleaved 2 of 5 A numeric only
bar code consisting of five bars. Two bars are wide,
three are narrow. Used generally in industrial and master
carton labeling.
Laser Scanner
An optical bar code reading device using a low-energy
laser light beam for scanning.
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display.
LED
Light Emitting Diode.
LPM
Lines per minute.
MaxiCode
Fixed size two dimensional symbology having elements
arranged around a unique circular finder pattern. MaxiCode
is omnidirectional and is primarily used for freight
sortation and tracking.
MICR
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition style printing on
the bottom of personal and bank checks.
Mil
1/1000th (0.001) of an inch or approximately 0.0254
millimeter. Bar code densities are commonly referred
to as number of mils (i.e. 10 mils).
Misread
A condition which occurs when the data output of a bar
code reader does not correspond with the data encoded
in the bar code symbol.
Module
The narrowest nominal unit of measure in a bar code.
MRD
Minimum Reflectance Differential. A method that is used
to determine if there is an adequate difference between
absorbed and reflected light.
MSI Plessey
Modified Plessey Code is a pulse width modulated bar
code used primarily for marking retail shelving. Nominal
The ideal value for a specified parameter.
OCR
Optical Character Recognition is a technology designed
specifically to read certain stylized fonts (such as
OCR-A and OCR-B) containing the full alphanumeric character
set. The term OCR is also used when translating and inputting
other stylized fonts (such as Courier) or text found
in magazines and newspapers into a computer. This technology
is also referred to as Intelligent Character Recognition
(ICR).
OCR-A
Character set used for optical character recognition
and described in ANSI Standard X3.17-1981.
OCR-B
Character set used for optical character recognition
and described in ANSI Standard X3.49-1975.
PCS
Print Contrast Signal is the measurement of the ratio
of the reflectivities between the bars and spaces of
a symbol.
PDF417
Two-dimensional bar code providing error correction,
detection, and security used primarily in parcel tracking
applications and hazardous material control.
PDT
Portable Data Terminal. Hand-held terminal capable of
storing and recording data that is captured remotely
and later transmitted into a computer.
Pitch
Rotation of a bar code symbol about an axis parallel
to the direction of the bars.
PostNet
Postal Numeric Encoding Technique used to encode ZIP
code information on letter mail. PostNet utilizes redundant
information within a compact bar code format to provide
error detection capability and a significant degree of
error correction capability.
Printhead
The device on a direct thermal or thermal transfer printer
containing the heating element that causes an image to
be transferred to the facestock.
Quite Zone
A clear space, containing no dark marks preceding the
start character of a symbol and following the stop character.
RF
Radio Frequency. Wireless communication technology using
electromagnetic waves to transmit and receive data. RF
provides real-time access to a host computer.
Ribbon
Material used with thermal transfer printers producing
visible marks on a label (or substrate). A printhead
is heated and the ribbon is burned onto the label stock
producing the bar code.
Reflectance
The light which is reflected back from the white spaces
of a bar code during scanning. Resolution See Density.
RS-232
The most common communication interface (e.g. serial
(COM) port) standard using a DTE (Data Terminal Equipment)
and DCE (Data Communications Equipment) interface. Also
known as serial communication.
RS-422
The second most common communication interface standard
which extends beyond the 100 feet limitation of RS-232
data communication supporting a maximum distance of 4000
feet.
Serial Communication
See RS-232.
Scanner
A device that electro-optically converts bar codes into
electrical signals.
Stack Code
Two-dimensional bar code where linear bar codes are
stacked one upon another and are printed in a rectangular
shape to achieve the most efficient use of label area.
Standard
A set of rules, specifications, instructions, or
directions for printing, labeling, scanning, etc. bar coded
information.
Start-Stop Character
The left-most and right-most characters respectively
of a horizontal bar code that provides the scanner with
start and stop reading instructions as well as scanning
direction.
Substrate
The surface on which a bar code is printed.
Symbol
A set of characters and marks including start/stop,
quiet zones, data, and check characters required by a
particular symbology that form a integrated readable
(scannable) element.
Thermal
See Direct Thermal.
Thermal
Transfer
A process in which a set of pins on a printhead are
selectively heated onto a ribbon and the ink from the
ribbon is burned (transferred) onto the label stock.
Thermal transfer leaves a permanent image on the label.
2-Dimensional
Bar Code
Two dimensional symbology composed of rows of data arranged
in a rectangular or square pattern. The rows of data
are stacked onto each other to encode an array of data.
UCC
Uniform Code Council is an organization which administers
the UPC and other retail standards.
UPC
Universal Product Code is the standard bar code symbol
for retail packaging in the United States.
Visible Laser
Diode
Used in most hand held scanners to project a visible
red light for scanning human readable bar codes.
Verifier
A device which measures the characteristics of a bar
code including the contrast, reflectance, modulation,
and compliance with the parameters of the bar code symbology.
Wand
A pen-like scanning device used as a contact bar code
reader.
Wedge
A hardware device or software program (Software Wedge)
which uses a scanner for input and sends data directly
into an application by emulating a keyboard stroke. A
wedge (hardware wedge) is an external device and plugs
between the keyboard and terminal.
WYSIWYG
"What You See Is What You Get" is a term used to describe
the presentation of the printable output viewed as is
on the terminal.
X Dimension
The dimension of the narrowest bar in a bar code.
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