Overview:
The Bar Code Book has been one of automatic identification industry's
best-selling textbooks since it was first published in 1989. The Fifth Edition
has been completely updated and expanded to reflect current and emerging
technology. Previous editions of this book have been used by college educators,
MIS departments, equipment manufacturers, government agencies, and individuals.
The book describes the many different forms of 1-D and 2-D bar code symbols,
explains how they work, compares their attributes, and provides detailed
reference information. Equipment used for printing, reading, and evaluating bar
code symbols is reviewed, and extensive information is provided about the
applicable industry standards. The emerging fields of Direct Part Marking and
image-based scanning is reviewed, and the issue of patents is presented. Many
applications of the technology are described.
This book covers more than just conventional bar code technology - all forms
of machine-readable symbols are reviewed. This is truly a comprehensive textbook
that deserves to be on the bookshelf of anyone working in or around the field of
Automatic Identification.
About the Author:
Roger C. Palmer, P.Eng. was born in England, but spent most of his early
years in Canada. He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree (McMaster
University) and an MBA (University of Washington). Over the years, Roger has
co-founded three companies involved in developing and manufacturing electronic
test equipment for the communications industry.
He became involved in Automatic Identification when he joined INTERMEC
Corporation (a manufacturer of bar code products and systems) in 1978. He held
several high level positions at Intermec, eventually becoming Vice President,
Technology. In 1994 Roger and his family decided that the lifestyle offered in
British Columbia was so attractive that it overshadowed the security of having a
regular job, so he announced an early retirement from Intermec and moved to
Victoria, B.C. Since then he has operated a small consulting company called
Palmer Technologies Inc., which provides services to a number of clients
involved in different "High-Tech" technical fields, and he has been involved as
an expert witness in several patent litigations and contract disputes.
Roger is intimately familiar with bar code technology and equipment. He has
served as chairman of AIM's Technical Symbology Committee and also as chairman
of the HIBCC's Technical Committee. He was an active member of the ANSI
committee that developed the first bar code standards. He has several patents
and has been a frequent publisher and speaker on all aspects of bar code
technology. He is a member of the IEEE, APEGBC, ARRL, EAA, and the Institute of
Navigation.
Apart from the Automatic Identification industry, Roger remains current in many
other high-tech fields, and he has assisted companies in evaluating technical
trends, developing business strategic plans, or refining product designs.
Outside of work, his interests include flying, yacht racing, cruising,
computers, electronics, and amateur radio. He is a registered Professional
Engineer in the Province of British Columbia.
Roger and his family live next to the harbor in Victoria, British Columbia,
Canada.
Table of Contents:
Preface
History of The Bar Code Book
Acknowledgements
1 -Introduction
2 -Data Entry Techniques
2.2 Automatic Methods
2.3 Choice of Data Entry Technology
3 -History of Bar Code
4 -Introduction To Symbologies
4.1 Symbology Configurations
4.2 Characteristics of a Symbology
5 -Non-Retail Symbologies
5.1 Width-Modulated Linear Symbologies
5.2 Height-Modulated Linear Symbologies
5.3 2-D Stacked Symbologies
5.4 2-D Matrix Symbologies
5.5 Composite Symbologies
5.6 Other Symbologies
6 -Retail Symbologies
6.1 The EAN.UCC Coding System
6.2 UPC
6.3 EAN
6.4 Reduced Space Symbology (RSS)
7 -Symbology Comparison
7.1 Symbology Efficiencies
8 -Bar Code Standards
8.1 Symbology Standards
8.2 Application Standards
8.3 Data Identifiers
8.4 Print Quality Standards
9 -Fundamentals of Bar Code Reading
9.1 Electro-Optical System
9.2 Analog-To-Digital Converter
9.3 Wavelength
9.4 Specular Reflections
9.5 Resolution
9.6 Depth of Field
9.7 Processor
10 -Attended Bar Code Scanners
10.1 Light Pens or Wands
10.2 Handheld Laser Scanners
10.3 CCD Scanners
10.4 Card Scanners
10.5 Terminals
10.6 Interfacing Readers
10.7 Retail POS Scanning
11 -Conveyor Bar Code Scanners
11.1 Orientation-Dependent Laser Scanner
11.2 Omnidirectional Laser Scanning
12 -Image-Based Scanning
12.1 Hand Held Imagers
12.2 Fixed Mount Imaging Scanners
13 -Printing Bar Code Symbols
13.1 Off-Site Printing Techniques
13.2 On-Site Printing Techniques
13.3 Accessories for On-Site Printers
13.4 Special Printing Techniques
13.5 Media
14 -Printing Specifications and Symbol Quality
14.1 Traditional Verification
14.2 The ANSI And ISO/IEC Guidelines for Bar Code Print Quality
14.3 Print Quality of 2-Dimensional Stacked Symbologies
14.4 Print Quality Of 2-Dimensional Matrix Symbologies
15 -Direct Part Marking
15.1 Introduction To Direct Part Marking (DPM)
15.2 DPM Standards
15.3 Marking Techniques For DPM
15.4 Reading Techniques For DPM
15.5 Verification Techniques For DPM
16 -Data Security
16.1 Linear Symbology Data Security
16.2 Symbology Performance Tests
16.3 Effect of Print Quality
16.4 Use of Check Characters
16.5 Error Correction
17 -Data Communications
17.1 ISO Model
17.2 Signaling
17.3 Synchronous Communication
17.4 Error Protection
17.5 Installation
17.6 Local Area Networks
17.7 Trends
18 -Wireless Data Networks
18.1 Introduction to Radio Frequency Communication
18.2 RF Data Transmission
18.3 Spread Spectrum
18.4 Wide Area Radio Frequency Networks
19 -Systems Design
19.1 Definition Phase
19.2 Analysis and Design Phases
19.3 Implementation
19.4 Open Vs. Closed Systems
20 -Applications
20.1 Library Applications
20.2 Inventory Control
20.3 Work-in-Process Tracking
20.4 MRP and MRP II Applications
20.5 Flexible Manufacturing
20.6 Receiving Applications
20.7 Shipping Applications
20.8 Route Accounting
20.9 Electronic Data Interchange
20.10 Retail Applications
20.11 Tester Configuration
20.12 Warehousing
20.13 Health Care Applications
20.14 Postal Applications
20.15 Package Delivery
20.16 Airline Applications
20.17 Electronic Business
20.18 Cashless Gambling
20.19 Virtual Tickets
20.20 Cellular Telephone Applications
21 -Is Bar Code Obsolete?
22 -Legal Aspects
Appendices
A -Interleaved 2 of 5 Specification
B -Rationalized Codabar Specification
C -Code 39 Specification
D -Code 128 Specification
E -Code 93 Specification
F -93i Specification
G -Code 49 Specification
H -Code 16K Specification
I -PDF417 Specification
J -MicroPDF417 Specification Summary
K -Code One Specification
L -Data Matrix Specification
M -MaxiCode Specification
N -QR Code
O -AZTEC CODE
P -Postnet Specification
Q -Four State Code Specification
R -Code 39 Printing Tolerance Derivation
S -Code 39 Error Rate Derivation
T -Data Identifiers & Application identifiers
U -Data Carrier Identifiers
V -GS1 Prefix Identifiers
W -Sources of Symbology Standards and Information
X -Relevant U.S. Patents
Y -Glossary of Terms
Index
