AIM
Automatic Identification Manufacturers organization is the global trade association for the Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) industry.

ANSI
American National Standard Institute is a premier source for timely, relevant, actionable information on national, regional, international standards and conformity assessment issues.

FCC
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable

UCC
Uniform Code Council is an organization which administers the UPC and other retail standards.

Aspect Ratio

The ratio of bar height to symbol length.

Bar

The darker (black) element of a barcode symbol.

An array of parallel bars and spaces encoding information. Also see Symbol.

Barcode Length

The bar dimension perpendicular to the barcode width

Barcode Width

The thickness of a bar measured from the edge closest to the symbol start character to the trailing edge of the same barcode.

CCD Barcode Scanner

A Charge Coupled Device is a barcode scanner which senses the light and dark areas of a symbol.

An optical barcode reading device using a low-energy laser light beam for scanning.

A software or hardware means of translating barcodes into alphanumeric data. A barcode scanner is required to scan the information into the decoder.

The term used to designate the compactness of a barcode which measures the narrowest element (usually in mils) of that barcode.

Depth of Field

The distance between the maximum and minimum plane in which a barcode scanner is capable of reading symbols.

Code 39

A full alphanumeric barcode 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 barcode scanning systems today.

Code 128

A full alphanumeric barcode capable of encoding all 128 ASCII characters.

MaxiCode

Fixed size two-dimensional barcode symbology having elements arranged around a unique circular finder pattern. MaxiCode is omni-directional and is primarily used for freight sortation and tracking.

Mil

1/1000th (0.001) of an inch or approximately 0.0254 millimeter. Barcode densities are commonly referred to as number of mils (i.e. 10 mils).

PDF417

Two-dimensional barcode providing error correction, detection, and security used primarily in parcel tracking applications and hazardous material control.

Stack Code

Two-dimensional barcode where linear barcodes are stacked one upon another and are printed in a rectangular shape to achieve the most efficient use of barcode label area.

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.

2-Dimensional Barcode Scanner

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.  A 2-dimensional or 2D barcode scanner is required to read this type of barcode.

UPC

Universal Product Code is the standard barcode symbol for retail packaging in the United States

Wand Barcode Scanner

A pen-like scanning device used as a contact barcode reader.

Wedge

A hardware device or software program (Software Wedge) which uses a barcode 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. Most barcode scanners today have this technology integrated within the device.