Bar Code Symbologies - Intermec 4630 User Manual

4630 and 4830 Bar Code Label Printers User's Manual

Bar Code Symbologies

This section lists and describes the available bar code symbologies.
Codabar Originally developed in 1972, Codabar is a numeric symbology most
commonly used in libraries, blood banks, and air parcel express applications.
Code 2 of 5 Code 2 of 5 is a straightforward numeric symbology developed in
the late 1960's. It has been used for warehouse sorting systems, photofinishing
envelope identification, and for tracking sequentially numbered airline tickets.
All information is contained in the width of the bars; the spaces do not contain
information.
Code 11 Code 11 was developed in early 1977 to satisfy requirements for a
very high density, discrete numeric bar code. The most extensive application of
Code 11 has been for labeling telecommunications equipment.
Code 39 Code 39 is the first alphanumeric symbology ever developed and is
the standard non-retail bar code. It is a discrete, self-checking symbology of
variable length and is used mostly by the automobile and medical industries.
Code 93
Code 39. With the correct reading equipment, the two alphanumeric codes may
be interchanged throughout a system without making any changes to software.
Code 128 Code 128 was introduced in 1981 as a very high density,
alphanumeric symbology. It is a variable length, continuous code that employs
multiple element widths.
EAN The European Article Numbering system (abbreviated as EAN) is a
numeric superset of UPC. EAN has both a version that uses 8 digits and a
version that uses 13 digits. The version with 13 digits encodes the same
number of bars as 12 digit UPC Version A, but the 13th digit is encoded into a
parity pattern at the left of the center guard bar.
Interleaved 2 of 5 Interleaved 2 of 5 is a high density, self-checking, continuous
numeric symbology, which has mainly been used in the distribution industry.
Interleaved 2 of 5 actually encodes two digits, one in the bars and one in the
spaces.
POSTNET The Postal Numeric Encoding Technique (POSTNET) uses binary
digits, represented as full bars and half bars, to provide a numeric bar code
symbology that is easily read and decoded by optical reading systems.
POSTNET provides both error detection and correction capabilities.
UPC Universal Product Code (UPC) is a subset of EAN. It is a fixed length,
numeric, continuous symbology employing four element widths. Two common
types of UPC are Version A, which encodes 12 digits, and Version E, which
encodes 6 digits. UPC has been used in the supermarket industry since 1973.
UPC supplemental code is intended for only periodical issue numbers.
A-10
Introduced in 1983, Code 93 was specially designed to complement