Malnad Development Foundation®

Lal Bahadur Arts, Science and S. B. Solabanna

Shetty Commerce College (Autonomous)
Sagar – 577401

Seminar on
Barcode Technology

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Date:19/03/2018

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CONTENTS:

1. History…………………………………………………………………..3

2. Introduction…………………………………………………………..4

3. What is Barcode……………………………………………………..4

4. Importance of Barcode……………………………………………5-6

5. Anatomy of Barcode……………………………………………….6-7

6. Types of Barcode……………………………………………………8-12

7. Barcode Reader…………………………………………………….13

8. Working of barcode Reader……………………………………..13-14

9. Types of Barcode Reader………………………………………..15-16

10. Advantages………………………………………………….............17

11. Disadvantage……………………………………………………….18

12. Applications………………………………………………………..19

13. Future scope of Barcode………………………………………19

14. Conclusion………………………………………………………….20

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 HISTORY

 In 1930 the grocery industry was growing at rapid pace. With this growth there
was a need to have an accurate tracking system for inventory. In 1948 a
supermarket executive came to Drexel University to asking the dean of
engineering if the university could determine how to capture product
information automatically at checkout.

 The dean turned down the request but this university graduate student Bernard
Silver was interested to solve this problem. He was talk with another fellow
student Norman Joseph Woodland for making a solution in this case. Then they
started working on some preliminary ideas, Woodland was persuaded that they
could create a viable product.

 Woodland took some stock market earnings, quit his teaching job and moved to
his grandfather apartment. While at the beach woodland again considered the
problem, recalling, from his Boy Scout training, how Morse code dots and
dashes are used to send information electronically.

 He drew dots and dashes in the sand similar to the shapes used in Morse code.
After pulling them downward with his fingers, producing thin lines resulting
from the dots and thick lines from the dashes, he came up with the concept of a
two-dimensional, linear Morse code, and after sharing it with Silver and
adapting optical sound film technology, they applied for a patent on October 20,
1949, receiving U.S. Patent 2,612,994 Classifying Apparatus and Method on
October 7, 1952, covering both linear and circular bulls-eye printing designs.

 After RCA interested the National Association of Food Chains in 1969 in the
idea, and they formed the U.S. Supermarket Ad Hoc Committee on a Uniform
Grocery Product Code, rival IBM became involved in 1971, finding out about
Woodland's work and transferring him to their North Carolina facilities, where
he played a key role in developing the most important version of the technology,
the Universal Product Code (UPC), beating RCA in a competition.

 The first item scanned was a packet of chewing gum in an Ohio supermarket in
1974.The first barcode was only four lines.

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 INTRODUCTION

The first Barcode

A barcode is a machine-readable strip of data printed in parallel lines, used to represent

a multitude of information. Traditionally, a barcode scanner is used by retailers to keep
track of inventory and speed up data entry.

Due to their Heavy commercial and industrial sector usage, barcode scanning
applications have been producer-centric, focusing on improving the efficiency,
accuracy, and productivity of supply management.

What is Barcode?

So what exactly is a barcode? The technical definition for a barcode is a machine

readable form of information on a scannable, visual surface. They are also often known
as UPC codes.

 The barcode is read by using a special scanner that reads the information directly
off of it. The information is then transmitted into a database where it can be
logged and tracked. Merchandisers and other companies must pay an annual fee
to an organization called The UCC, or Uniform Code Council, who then
generates special barcodes specific to that particular company.

 Each number on a barcode has a special meaning, and often these numbers are
added, multiplied, and divided in some formula that gives them each their own
special individuality. Barcodes are very useful for maintaining accurate
information about inventory, pricing, and other important business-related data.

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 IMPORTANCE OF BARCODE:
Barcodes are often overlooked as a method for cutting costs and saving time.
A valuable and viable choice for businesses looking to improve efficiency
and reduce overhead, barcodes are both cost-effective and reliable.

 Operating barcode system is very easy.

 The data can be scalable to business purpose or needs of organization.
 The barcode technology is improving day by day
 Barcodes can be affixed to just about any surface you need them to adhere
 Barcode is better than handwriting. Barcoding reduces human error,
recognition errors and transcription errors. Handwriting is a drudgery and is
susceptible to legibility problems.
 Across many industries, barcodes offer automatic product identification,
extremely fast recognition and implementation of data. Which improve
productivity and save time.
 Barcodes provide asset & security tracking, theft deterrence, peace of mind,
and a demonstrable reduction in loss/liability
 Barcodes provide better data. Since one barcode can be used for inventory
and pricing information, it is possible to quickly obtain data on both.

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ANATOMY OF BARCODE

This number is a UPC (Universal Product Number) system number that characterizes
specific types of barcodes. In a UPC barcode it is normally on the left of the barcode.

Barcodes can be quite long and that's because they have to represent three different
types of information.

o The first part of a barcode tells you the country where it was issued.
o The next part reveals the manufacturer of the product.
o The final part of the barcode identifies the product itself.
Different types of the same basic product (for example, four-packs of Coca-Cola bottles
and six-packs of Coca-Cola cans) have totally different barcode numbers.

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CODES OF THE NUMBER SYSTEM CHARACTER:

• 0 - Standard UPC number.

• 1 - Reserved.
• 2 - Random weight items like fruits, vegetables, and meats, etc.
• 3 - Pharmaceuticals
• 4 - In-store code for retailers.
• 5 - Coupons
• 6 - Standard UPC number.
• 7 - Standard UPC number.
• 8 - Reserved.
• 9 - Reserved

HOW BARCODE REPRESENT THE NUMBER 0-9

Barcode gives every item its unique number and then simply the print the number on
the item so electronic scanning device can read it. If human, try to print those number
itself then it will easily get trouble with those decimal numbers that easy to confuse.

Each digit in the product number is given the same amount of horizontal space exactly 7
units. Then, to represent any of the numbers from zero to nine.
it is colored to those seven units with a different pattern of black and white stripes.

Thus, the number one is represented by coloring in two white stripes, two black stripes,
two white stripes, and one black stripe, while the number two is represented by two
white stripes, one black stripe, two white stripes, and two final black stripes.

Each digit in a barcode is represented by seven equal-sized vertical blocks. If it turns

upside down, it cannot be confused with any other.

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  TYPES OF BARCODE:
a. Linear or One Dimensional
b. Two Dimensional (2D Barcodes)

LINEAR OR ONE DIMENSIONAL:

The 1-dimensional barcode is the oldest and the most commonly used due to its
simplicity and low technology needs. It can be read by all of the barcode readers. There
are many variations of one-dimensional (1-D) barcodes, including the length of the
barcode, the amount of data that can be stored, the decoding scheme and the height.

How does One Dimensional Barcode Work:

Linear barcodes are created by translating the supported characters that should be
displayed into combination of narrow and wide bars which are combined into a barcode.
To identify the start and end of a barcode special "guard" patterns are used to indicate
to the scanner that the barcode starts and also identify what type of symbology is used.

Understanding Linear barcode or 1D barcodes

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 Types of One Dimensional Barcode:

 Code 25: Code 25 is a very simple numeric code which is able to display digits
from 0 to 9. The code is primary used in industry and is also known as Code 2 of 5 or
Code 25 Industrial.

Code 25 has no built in check digit. The code is some years old and it takes up so
much space that today it is not often used.

Code 25 Interleaved is only valid if there is an even number of digits. To display an

odd number of digits you have to add a zero to the beginning (123 becomes 0123) or
you may use your own check digit.

Code25 is easy to understand and each character is encoded with 5 black elements
with spaces in between, 2 wide and three narrow elements, hence the name 2 of 5 (or
25). Some barcode symbolizes also add a check digit at the end of the data. This check
digit (or digits) is used to verify that the interpreted data has been read correctly.

 UPC Code:
Universal Product Code (UPC), which is used on grocery items to encode a 10-digit
number.

A UPC code actually has 12 digits, but for simplicity we ignore the first digit, which
identifies the type of item, and the last digit, which is a check digit.

The first 5 digits are the manufacturer's number.

The last 5 digits are the product number, as assigned by the manufacturer.

The encoding for the 10 digits are given in the table.

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 Color encoding of UPC Code

The encoding is not the standard binary, but rather a prescribed set of 7 bits.

A "0" represents a white bar of unit length and a "1" represents a black bar of unit
length. For example, the digit 3 is represented by "0111101", which means a white bar
of unit width, followed by a black bar of width four, then a unit width white bar, and
finally a unit width black bar.

 Code 128
Code128 provides excellent density for all-numeric data and good density for
alphanumeric data. It is often selected over Code 39 in new applications because
of its symbology density and because it offers a
much larger selection of characters.

The Code 128-character set includes the digits 0-9, the letters A-Z (upper and
lower case), and all standard ASCII symbols and control codes. The codes are
divided into three subsets A, B, and C.

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 There are three separate start codes to indicate which subset will be used; in
addition, each subset includes control characters to switch to another subset in
the middle of a barcode.
Subset A includes the standard ASCII symbols, digits, upper case letters, and
control codes. Subset B includes standard ASCII symbols, digits,
upper and lower case letters. Subset C compresses two numeric digits into each
character, providing excellent density.

 Interleaved 2 of 5:
It is Compact numeric code, widely used in industry, air cargo
The Interleaved 2 of 5 is a code that ONLY encodes the ten digits 0 through 9.

The name Interleaved 2 of 5 is derived from the method used to encode two
characters. The "Interleaved" part of the name comes from the fact that a digit is
encoded in the bars and the next digit is encoded in the spaces.
The encoded digits are merged together or "Interleaved”.

 Codabar:

It is an Older code often used in library systems, sometimes in blood banks.

The Codabar can encode the digits 0 through 9, six symbols (-:.$/+), and the
start/stop characters A, B, C, D. The start/stop characters must be used in pairs
and may not appear elsewhere in the barcode.
Codabar is used in libraries, blood banks, the overnight package delivery
industry, and a variety of other information processing applications.

There is no checksum defined as part of the Codabar standard, but some

industries (libraries, for example) have adopted their own checksum standards.

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TWO DIMENSIONAL (2D BARCODES):

Two-dimensional (2D) barcodes provide a means of embedding Web addresses, text

or other data in a camera-readable format. This enables users of modern mobile phones
to scan a 2D barcode with their form and be automatically directed to a Web page or
other data contained within the code. This simplifies having to remember or re-key
URLs to Web pages on printed or other physical collateral.

Types of 2D Barcodes: Generally, 2D barcodes is divided into two groups.

1. Stacked 2D Barcodes (Code-49)

2. Matrix 2D Barcodes (Data Matrix, QR Code)

 Pdf 417:
The PDF417 is a two-dimensional barcode which can store up to about 1,800
printable ASCII characters or 1,100 binary characters per symbol.
Every code word contains four bars and four spaces (where the 4 in the name
comes from). The total width of a code word is 17 times the width of the narrowest
allowed vertical bar (the X dimension). This is where the 17 in the name comes
from.

The symbol is rectangular; the shape of the symbol can be adjusted to some
extent by setting the width and allowing the height to grow with the data. The
capacity of PDF-417 can be helpful in applications where the data must travel
with the labelled item, where a host database is not always available for quick
look-up.

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  Data Matrix: It can hold large amounts of data, especially suited for making
very small codes.

Data Matrix is a two-dimensional barcode which can store from 1 to about 2,000
characters. The symbol is square and can range from 0.001 inch per side up to 14
inches per side.

 QR Barcode: Abbreviated from Quick Response Code. is the trademark for

a type of matrix barcode first designed for the automotive industry in Japan. It
can hold large amounts of data, especially suited for making very small codes

The code consists of black modules (square dots) arranged in a square grid on a
white background. Particularly used in promotional marketing and website
linkages.

BARCODE READER
A barcode reader (or barcode scanner) is an electronic device that can read and output
printed barcodes to a computer. Like a flatbed scanner, it consists of a light source, a lens
and a light sensor translating optical impulses into electrical ones. Additionally, nearly
all barcode readers contain decoder circuitry analyzing the barcode's image data
provided by the sensor and sending the barcode's content to the scanner's output port.

HOW BARCODE READER’S WORKS

A barcode scanner is composed of three parts: the illuminator, the decoder, and the
sensor/convertor. The barcode scanner illuminates the barcode with red light using
the illuminator system. The sensor/convertor part of the scanner then detects the
reflected light. Once the light is detected, an analog signal is generated. This signal
contains varying voltage based on the intensities of the light reflection.

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The analog signal is converted by the sensor into a digital signal. The digital signal is then
interpreted by the decoder. The decoder then sends the information to the computer
attached to the scanner.

 ILLUMINATION SYSTEMS - The illumination system is the method by which

the bars and spaces on the barcode are illuminated. There are a variety of
illumination systems commonly used in barcode scanners:

 Single Point LED

This technology is exclusive to the barcode wand reader and the barcode slot
reader. The illumination of the barcode comes from either a single or pair of
LED's and is focused through a single ball-type opening. This technology
requires the ball to physically touch the barcode being scanned.

 Linear Multiple LED

Expanding on the single-point illumination system, placing multiple LED's in
a line give the ability to light the entire width of the barcode. This type of
illumination is used in CCD scanners and Linear Imagers.

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  SENSOR AND CONVERTER - A photo detector senses the reflected light and
generates an analog signal with varying voltage. The voltage fluctuates based on
whether the sensor sees the reflected light from the white spaces because the black
bars absorb the red light.

Reflected red light

TYPES OF BARCODE READERS

There are four primary types of barcode readers that are each designed to fulfill
specific information needs.

 Pen: Pen barcode readers resemble small wand-type sticks that resemble a
small pen. The pen-style barcode reader consists of an LED light and a photodiode
in its tip.

The user passes this tip over a barcode and the LED light illuminates the black
and white bars. The photodiode measures the reflection of light and is able to
determine width and color (white or black) of each bar. This information allows
for a digital reading of the barcode, and information is transmitted to another unit
for processing.

 Laser: More advanced than a pen scanner, a laser barcode scanner is capable
of more exact light readings which prevent false positives or scanner errors.
In a laser scanner, a laser beam is shot at a mirror inside the actual unit. This
mirror makes a movement so that the laser sweeps across the barcode in a
straight line

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 This light then reflects back to a diode, which measures the level of reflection.
This reflection is translated into a digital signal readout of the barcode. Laser
scanners can either be mounted in a scanning unit or be part of a handheld unit.

 CCD: A charge coupled device (CCD), also known as an LED scanner, features
hundreds of tiny LED lights arranged in one long row. These lights are shot
directly onto a barcode, and a sensor then measures not the reflection, but voltage
of the ambient light directly in front of each lightbulb.

This voltage measurement provides a digital snapshot of the barcode. CCD units
can be very expensive, but are highly accurate and versatile pieces of equipment.

 2D Camera: Some barcodes do not consist of white and black bars, but white
and black spaces in a two-dimensional (2D) target. These 2D barcodes cannot be
read by standard machinery, but they do allow for versatility of information
coding as they can hold and provide much more data than a standard barcode. To
read these barcodes, a 2D camera image scanner is necessary. This camera
consists of hundreds of tiny lights like the CCD scanner, but these are arranged in
multiple rows. The lights flash onto the barcode and take a digital picture of the
barcode, which is then sent to software as a digital signal. The software then
decodes the information.

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ADVANTAGES OF BARCODE:
1. Barcodes eliminate the possibility of human error. The occurrence of
errors for manually entered data is significantly higher than that of barcodes.
A barcode scan is fast and reliable, and takes infinitely less time than entering
data by hand.
2. Using a barcode system reduces employee training time. It takes only
minutes to master the hand-held scanner for reading barcodes. Furthermore,
employees do not have to gain familiarity with an entire inventory or pricing
procedure. This also makes employee training less expensive, since they do not
have to be paid for extra training time, and another employee does not have to
be compensated for training them.
3. Barcodes are inexpensive to design and print. Generally, they cost mere
pennies, regardless of their purpose, or where they will be affixed. They can be
customized economically, in a variety of finishes and materials.
4. Barcodes are extremely versatile. They can be used for any kind of
necessary data collection. This could include pricing or inventory information.
Additionally, because barcodes can be attached to just about any surface, they
can be used to track not only the products themselves, but also outgoing
shipments and even equipment.
5. Inventory control improves. Because barcodes make it possible to track
inventory so precisely, inventory levels can be reduced. This translates into a
lower overheard. The location of equipment can also be tracked, reducing the
time spent searching for it, and the money spent replacing equipment that is
presumed lost.
6. Barcodes provide better data. Since one barcode can be used for inventory
and pricing information, it is possible to quickly obtain data on both.
Furthermore, barcodes can be customized to contain other relevant
information as needed. They provide fast, reliable data for a wide variety of
applications.
7. Data obtained through barcodes is available rapidly. Since the information
is scanned directly into the central computer, it is ready almost
instantaneously. This quick turnaround ensures that time will not be wasted
on data entry or retrieval.
8. Barcodes promote better decision making. Because data is obtained rapidly
and accurately, it is possible to make more informed decisions. Better decision
making ultimately saves both time and money.

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DISADVANTAGE OF BARCODE:
 Pricing Discrepancies and Scanning Problems:

When discounts apply to bar-coded merchandise, store employees may forget to code in
the discount price. This, in turn, can lead to confusion and delays at the checkout counter,
inconveniencing the customer, the checkout clerk, and other customers waiting in line.

 Label Damage:

Barcodes that are printed on a torn section of packaging, or that have been smeared,
smudged or otherwise damaged, will present additional scanning problems. If the
corresponding numeric code is also illegible due to damage, the checkout process can be
significantly delayed.

 Financial and Equipment Costs:

For businesses that are not already equipped for barcode checkout, the cost of the
equipment necessary to implement the new system can be prohibitive. Other delays can
occur in training employees to adapt to new equipment, and expensive printers must be
purchased to print coded labels for any merchandise that doesn't come prepackaged
with a barcode already on it.

 They Cost Money:

Companies that don't have a lot of inventory to manage, may find it cheaper to not invest
in barcode scanners and instead to employees manually enter information. However,
having employees manually enter in information costs a lot of money in the long run. In
the end, most companies find they simply cannot afford to not have barcode
scanners because manual work is about 10x less efficient than work with barcode
scanners.

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APPLICATION OF BARCODE:

HOSPITALS: Barcodes can allow for the organization of large amounts of data. They
are widely used in the healthcare and hospital settings, ranging from patient
identification (to access patient data, including medical history, drug allergies, etc.)
to medication management.

RETAIL: Speeding up checkouts and ordering.

OFFICE: Recording transactions.

HEALTH: Ensuring correct dosage and treatment.

TRAVEL: Making ticketing more efficient, ensuring safety and speedier

check in.

LIBRARIES: Logging borrowers and books

FUTURE SCOPE OF BARCODE:

Age verification: For businesses that are age restrictions (restaurant, bars, theaters,
etc.) can use barcode on a customer’s driver’s license which can be scanned to
confirm a customer’s age and avoid legal problems.
Opening customer accounts: By scanning barcodes of a customer’s driver’s license,
a retailer can collect information to open a customer account or fill out a credit
application very easily.
Product Stock control: Barcode technology facilitates users to control product stock
and gives accurate information of product stock detail for reordering.
Coupons: Retailers can email or text customers a coupon with a QR code that can be
scanned at the time of sale from the phone screen. Coupons can be tracked so easily
by using a unique code for each customer and promotion.
Tickets: You can eliminate the need for printed tickets by sending customers an
electronic ticket that can be scanned off a phone screen. This also reduces the
possibility of ticket fraud.
Fraud detection: In futures barcodes can be used for detecting fraud by scanning all
the relevant information. Authorization: The barcodes presents on the license can
also used to provide the authorization of something.
Quality measurement: Barcodes presents on a product can be used to provide the
quality factor of it.

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 CONCLUSION
Barcodes especially the UPC have slowly become an essential part of modern civilization.
Their use is widespread, and the technology behind barcodes is constantly improving.

Almost every item purchased from a grocery store, department store, and mass
merchandiser has a UPC barcode on it. This greatly helps in keeping track of a large
number of items in a store

Entertainment event tickets can have barcodes that need to be validated before allowing
the holder to enter cinemas, theatres, transportation etc.

This can allow the proprietor to identify duplicate or fraudulent tickets more easily

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