Transcript Bar Codes Fundamentals

USS-TSS
Unattended Scanning Systems
Technical Support & Services
Barcodes and 2D codes
Place - DD/MM/YYYY - Session XX
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Datalogic Automation
Agenda
Datalogic Automation
 When:
Day DD/MM/YYYY
 Where:
Place
 Who:
Speaker / Professional qualification
 What:
Bar Codes Fundamental
 Duration:
HH:MM hours
 Level:
Basic
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
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Module’s Contents
 Main Bar Code Characteristics
 Code 2 of 5 Interleaved
 Code 39
 Code 128
 Code EAN128 and Application Identifiers (AI)
 A Comparison Between Codes 2/5, 39, 128
 EAN/UPC/JAN Family
 Other codes
 Summary
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Bar Code Principles (1/2)
Datalogic Automation
 Element or Module  Bar or Space
 Bar Count  number of Bars and Spaces
 Start/Stop  fixed patterns used to detect bar code
 Resolution  X  module size  width of the narrowest element in mm
(mils in USA)
 Aspect Ratio  Bar’s height to symbol’s length
 Quiet Zone  White margins
 Overflow  Quiet Zone time duration)
Usually the Quiet Zone width must be 10 times X
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Bar Code Principles (2/2)
Start pattern
Stop pattern
Quiet Zone
Quiet Zone
123456
Scan Line
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Bar Code Types: Levels
 2 Levels Bar Codes (Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 39, Codabar …):
 Elements can assume only two different widths:
1X (Narrow), 2X (Wide)
 N = Printing Ratio = ratio between the wide and the narrow element
 The range of N is from 2 : 1 to 3 : 1
 4 Levels Bar Codes (Code 128, EAN 128, EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E,
JAN …):
 Elements can assume only four different widths:
1X, 2X, 3X, 4X
 Printing Ratio N does not apply
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
Bar Code Types: Continuous/Discrete
 Continuous: all spaces within the symbol
are parts of characters.
Examples: IL2/5, 128, EAN128, EAN-8,
EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E …
Edge of
next
character
Character Character
1
2
Character
3
 Discrete: the spaces between the
characters (Inter Characters Gap) are not
part of the characters.
Examples: code 39, Codabar …
Inter Character
gaps
Character Character Character
1
2
3
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Bar Code Types: Self-check
 Self-Checking: a single printing defect will not cause a character to be
transposed into another valid character in the same symbology
 Non Self-Checking: without self checking feature
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Bar Code Families
 Most used in Transportation & Logistics
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Code Interleaved 2 of 5
Code 39
Code 128 and EAN-128
Codabar (NW-7 in Japan)
 Other common Bar Code families (Retail)
 EAN/UPC family (EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A, UPC-E with or without ADD-ON 2 and
ADD-ON 5)
 Other older or uncommon Bar Code families:
 Code 93
 2 of 5 Compressed, Industrial, 5 Bars, 3 Bars Matrix, BCD Matrix, 11 Matrix, 3
bars Datalogic
 Plessey
 MSI
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 Interleaved (1/5)
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2 levels bar code
Numeric only
Continuous
Self-checking
Optional check digit (modulo 10)
Variable length, but always with an even number of digits
Use of the check digit with an even number of digits is possible by adding
a leading “0”
 Each digit is represented by 5 elements (all bars OR all spaces), 2 of
which are wide (2 of 5)
 Odd digits are coded by bars while even digits are coded by spaces
 Bars of the odd digits are interlaced (Interleaved) with the spaces of the
even digits
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Code 2 of 5 Interleaved (2/5)
Datalogic Automation
9
1
8
9
Bar Codes Fundamentals
7
0
6
2
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 Interleaved (3/5)
 START pattern is made up of 2 narrow bars and 2 narrow spaces
 STOP pattern is made up of one wide bar, one narrow space and one
narrow bar
 Left and Right Quiet Zones width must be at least 10 times the module
size X
 The wide elements are N times the narrow ones
 N is the Printing Ratio and can range:
 from 2 : 1 to 3 : 1 for X >= 0.508 mm (20 mils)
 from 2.2 : 1 to 3 : 1 for X < 0.508 mm (20 mils)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 Interleaved (4/5)
 quite compact, but …
 ... not extremely safe
 Start and Stop pattern can
easily be found inside a code
 Variable length should be avoided (possible truncations using code
reconstruction)
 Use of check digit only reduces but does not eliminate the risk of
misreading
 AIM IL 2/5 Uniform Symbology Specification says:
“… There is no guarantee that a partial scan of the symbol will not produce
a valid read for an embedded symbol having fewer characters. It is
strongly recommended that USS I 2/5 should not be used in an application
where the number of characters can vary …”
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Code 2 of 5 Interleaved (5/5)
Length of the Start: 4X
Length of a Character:
3X + 2NX
Length of the Stop:
2X + NX
Total Code Length : 4X + D(3 X+2NX) + 2X + NX =
X (6 + N) + DX(3 + 2N) =
X [6 + N + D(3 + 2N)]
 The number of Digits can be easily calculated as follows:
D = (Bar Count - 7) / 5
or
D = (Number of Wide Bars – 1)
(where 7 are the elements of the Start and the Stop patterns
and 5 are the elements which represent each single digit)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 IL: ITF Codes (1/3)
 A particular code Interleaved 2 of 5 is referred to as ITF-14 (EAN
specifications)
 It is very common on carton boxes for large distribution
 The same code can assume other names:
 DUN-14 (Delivered Unit Number)
 TUN-14 (Traded Unit Number)
 ITF-6 is similar but with 6 digits instead of 14
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 IL: ITF Codes (2/3)
 As per EAN specifications, the dimensions in the picture are related to
Magnification Factor 1, where X = 1.016 mm (40 mils) and H = 31.8 mm
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 IL: ITF Codes (3/3)
ITF Magnification Factors and dimensions table (EAN specifications)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Code 2 of 5 IL: IATA Codes (1/3)
 A particular code Interleaved 2 of 5 is referred to as IATA Code and it is
used in airport applications(IATA Resolution 740)
 It is a 10 digits 2 of 5 IL code with the following characteristics
 X = 0.5 mm
 N=2:1
 H min = 48 mm
 2 possible layouts:
 “T” type label
 “Linear” or “Single” type label
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO
CMH
0000 XB 123456
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO XC 2418
CMH XB 1018
XB 1018
VIA
XC 2418
TO
MCO
XC 2418
VIA
CMH
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO
ORLANDO/FLA
CMH
0000 XB 123456
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO XC 2418
CMH XB 1018
XB 1018
VIA
XC 2418
TO
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
PRNTR-999999
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
0000 XB 123456
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO
TO
CMH
XB 1018
0000 XB 123456
XC 2418
VIA
TO
0000 XB 123456
0000 XB 123456
XB 1018
0000 XB 123456
Bar Codes Fundamentals
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
PRNTR-999999
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
0000 XB 123456
Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 IL: IATA Codes (2/3)
 Code 2 of 5 IL IATA “T” Type: the same code is repeated in orthogonal
positions
Confidential Documentation
ORLANDO/FLA
CMH
0000 XB 123456
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO XC 2418
CMH XB 1018
XB 1018
VIA
XC 2418
MCO
ORLANDO/FLA
TO
MCO
XC 2418
VIA
CMH
XB 1018
0000 XB 123456
0000 XB 123456
TO
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO
ORLANDO/FLA
CMH
0000 XB 123456
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
ORLANDO/FLA
MCO XC 2418
CMH XB 1018
XB 1018
VIA
XC 2418
TO
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
PRNTR-999999
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
0000 XB 123456
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
PRNTR-999999
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
0000 XB 123456
TO
MCO
XC 2418
VIA
CMH
XB 1018
0000 XB 123456
0000 XB 123456
Bar Codes Fundamentals
XB AIRLINES
SAMPLE/JOHN
PRNTR-999999
XY 163 P
PIT-ATO/C922 APR 93
0000 XB 123456
Datalogic Automation
Code 2 of 5 IL: IATA Codes (3/3)
 Code 2 of 5 IL IATA “Linear” Type: the code is printed only in one direction
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 39 (1/4)
 2 levels bar code
 Self-checking
 Full Alphanumeric
(numbers and upper case letters)
and 7 special characters (- . Space $ / + %)
 Discrete (Intercharacter Gap)
 Optional Check Digit (Modulo 43)
 Variable length
 Each digit is represented by 9 elements (5 bars and 4 intervening spaces),
3 of which are wide (3 of 9)
 Each digit is separated from the following by a space called Intercharacter
Gap (ICG)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Code 39 (2/4)
Datalogic Automation
*
Bar Codes Fundamentals
B
A
R
*
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 39 (3/4)
 START and STOP patterns are both made up of 9 elements and represent
the asterisk character (often included in the human readable part)
 Left and Right Quiet Zones width must be at least 10 times the module size
X
 The wide elements are N times the narrow ones
 N is the Printing Ratio and can range:
 from 2:1 to 3:1 for X >= 0.508 mm (20 mils)
 from 2.2:1 to 3:1 for X < 0.508 mm (20 mils)
 The nominal width of the Intercharacter Gap should be:
 minimum: X
 maximum: 5.3X for X < 0.25 mm or 3X or 1.35mm whichever is greater for X >=
0.25mm
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
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Code 39 (4/4)
Length of the Start:
6 X + 3 N X + ICG
Length of a Character:
6 X + 3 N X + ICG
Length of the stop: 6 X + 3 N X
Total Code Length: 6X+3NX + D(6X+3NX) + 6X + 3NX + (D+1) ICG =
X[12+6N+D(6+3N)] + (D+1) ICG
if ICG = X 
X[13+6N+7D+3DN]
 the number of characters can be easily calculated as follows:
D = (Bar Count - 19) / 10
(where 19 are the elements of the Start and the Stop patterns plus one
Intercharacter Gap and 10 are the elements which represent each single digit
plus the Intercharacter Gap)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Code 39: Full ASCII
 Code 39 “FULL ASCII” feature:
it is possible to encode the
entire ASCII 128 character
set by using two-characters
sequences made up of one
of the standard code 39
symbols ($ + % /) followed
by one of the 26 letters
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
Code 128 (1/6)
 4 levels bar code
 Self-checking
 Continuous
 Variable length
 Alphanumeric (128 ASCII characters)
 Check Digit is always included (Modulo 103)
 3 alternate character sets A, B and C are available
 Each characters set has its own start pattern
 It is possible to switch from one set to another inside a code by the use of
the shift character
 The stop pattern is always the same
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 128 (2/6)
START
Set A
STOP
START
Set B
STOP
START
Set C
STOP
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
Code 128 (3/6)
 The Start pattern, each Character and the Check Digit are represented by 6
elements with a width of 11 modules
 The Stop pattern is represented by 7 elements with a width of 13 modules
 A very important parameter is the Bar Count (BC).
From the value of the Bar Count it is possible to calculate the real number
of characters inside the code as follows:
D = (BC - 19) / 6
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Code 128 (4/6)
Datalogic Automation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 10 11 12 13
START
CHAR
CHECK
STOP
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Bar Codes Fundamentals
Code 128 (5/6)
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Code 128 (6/6)
 Length of the Start (A,B,C):
11 X
 Length of a Character:
11 X
 Length of the Check Digit: 11 X
 Length of the Stop:
13 X
 Total Code Length:
L = X (35 + 11 D)
 From the total bar code length L (quite zones not included) the Module
Size (X) can be easily calculated as follows:
X = L / (35 + 11 D)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN 128
 Same as Code 128, but with FNC1 as first character
 Can use AI (Application Identifiers)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN 128: Application Identifiers (1/5)
 Application Identifier (AI) specifies
particular meanings to
be assigned to the code content
 AI are coded as the 2-4 first digits into
the code and there is no separators
between the AI and
the field content
Legenda
N Numeric only
AN Alphanumeric
F
Fixed Length
V
Variable Length
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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EAN 128: Application Identifiers (2/5)
 Some of the most used Application Identifiers (AI) are:
SSCC-18
SSCC-14
 Codes EAN128 with Application Identifier 00 (SSCC) are also known as
128 Case Codes
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
EAN 128: Application Identifiers (3/5)
 It is possible to concatenate two or more AI fields in the same bar code:
 Some rules for concatenation:
 Each field must be separated from the previous by a FNC1 character
 In the output message the FNC1 character will be converted to a GS (Group
Separator) ASCII character (29 decimal)
 It is possible to avoid the FNC1 character separator if the previous field is a
fixed length one or, if variable, the maximum number of characters were used
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN 128: Application Identifiers (4/5)
+
+
Bar Codes Fundamentals
=
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN 128: Application Identifiers (5/5)
EAN 128 Application Identifiers warnings:
 Please remember that the scanners make no check about the correct use
of Application Identifiers or their concatenation
 An evaluation of the quality of the code made only by naked eyes can
reserve a lot of (bad) surprises!
 A parcel sent to the “No Read” exit not necessarily means that the code
was not read by the scanners
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Bar Codes Fundamentals
IL 2 of 5/Code 39/Code 128 (1/2)
Confidential Documentation
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IL 2 of 5/Code 39/Code 128 (2/2)
Some considerations:
 With the same number of digits and the same module size, Code 128 Set C
is more compact than Interleaved 2 of 5
 Code 39 is the widest
 Code 128 already includes a check digit
 Code 128 is a 4 level bar code, thus requires more printing accuracy with
respect to I 2/5 and 39
 With variable length, Code 128 is more error proof than Interleaved 2 of 5
(truncations)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN/UPC Family
 UPC (Universal Product Code):
 UPC is a fixed length numeric symbology normally used in retail applications to
identify type of product, manufacturers code and the and specific product
 UPC numbers are assigned to specific products and manufacturers by the
Uniform Code Council (UCC)
 EAN (European Article Number)
 EAN is a European version of UPC family. It uses the same size requirements
and a similar encoding scheme as for UPC codes
 EAN bar code numbers are assigned to specific products and manufacturers by
an organization called ICOF in Belgium
 JAN (Japanese Article Number)
 JAN is a Japanese version of EAN family
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
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EAN-13 (1/8)
4 levels bar code
Numeric only
Continuous
Self-checking
Check Digit is always included
Fixed length : 13 (12+1) digits
Each of the 12 digits is represented by 4 elements for a total length of 7
modules
 An EAN-13 code can be printed with different Magnification Factors (MF)
 JAN (Japan Article Number) codes are similar to the EAN-13 codes, but
starting with 45 or 49
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
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Bar Codes Fundamentals
EAN-13 (2/8)
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN-13 (3/8)
 There are 2 Guard patterns on the left and on the right of 3 elements (3
modules Bar-Space-Bar)
 There is a Center pattern of 5 elements (5 modules Space-Bar-Space-BarSpace)
 Left Quiet Zone is 11 modules wide
 Right Quiet Zone is 7 modules wide
 Bar Count is fixed to 59 (BC = 3+5+3+4*12=59)
 The length of the code is: L = X*95 (without Quiet Zones)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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EAN-13 (4/8)
 An EAN-13 code can be printed with different Magnification Factor (MF)
 All Dimensions are defined by EAN for the MF = 1
 Module size for MF = 1 is X = 0.33 mm
 When printing the code with MF different from 1, ALL the dimensions
must be proportional to the MF used.
 Examples:
 if MF = 1
module size X = 0.33 mm, bars height = 22.85 mm
 if MF = 0.8
module size X = 0.26 mm, bars height = 18.28 mm
 if MF = 1.5
module size X = 0.50 mm, bars height = 34.28 mm
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN-13 (5/8)
Dimensions (mm) are referred to Magnification Factor 1 (X = 0.33 mm)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
EAN-13 (6/8)
Datalogic Automation
 MF can only range between 0.8 and 2
 An alternative way to define the code dimensions is by the SC factor, as
per the following cross reference table
SC Factor
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Magnification Factor
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.2
1.4
1.5
1.7
1.85
2.0
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN-13 (7/8)
 EAN-13 code structure:
 The first 6 digits on the left are coded with a variable sequence of Set A (Odd
parity) or Set B (Even parity) depending on the 13th digit of data
 The second 6 digits on the right are all coded with Set C (even parity). Odd or
Even parity of a set is given by the number of 1s in each digit
 The 13th digit defines the sequence of set A or set B used to code the 6 digits
on the left
 The first 2 or 3 digits represent the code country in which the EAN13 code was
requested or other particular use of the code (like ISSN or ISBN)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
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Bar Codes Fundamentals
EAN-13 (8/8)
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN-13 Supplemental
 EAN-13 has been adopted as the standard in the publishing industry for
encoding ISBN numbers on books and ISSN numbers on periodicals
 ISSN (International Standard Serial Number)
 Serial Publication and Periodicals
 Starts with 977
 ISBN (International Standard Book Number)
 Books (Bookland)
 Starts with 978 or 979
Bar Codes Fundamentals
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Datalogic Automation
EAN-8 (1/4)
 4 levels bar code
 Numeric only
 Continuous
 Self-checking
 Fixed length : 8 digits
 Check Digit is always included
 Each of the 8 digits is represented by 4 elements for a total length of 7
modules
 The left hand 4 digits are coded in set A (odd parity), while the right hand 4
digits are coded in set C (even parity)
 Dimensioning considerations are the same of EAN-13 code
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Bar Codes Fundamentals
EAN-8 (2/4)
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN-8 (3/4)
 There are 2 Guard patterns on the left and on the right of 3 elements (3
modules Bar-Space-Bar)
 There is Center pattern of 5 elements (5 modules Space-Bar-Space-BarSpace)
 Left Quiet Zone is 7 modules wide
 Right Quiet Zone is 7 modules wide
 Bar Count is fixed to 43 (BC=3+5+3+4*8=43)
 The length of the code is L=X*67 (without Quiet Zones)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
EAN-8 (4/4)
Dimensions (mm) are referred to Magnification Factor 1 (X = 0.33 mm)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
UPC-A (1/4)
 4 levels bar code
 Numeric only
 Continuous
 Self-checking
 Check Digit is always included
 Fixed length: 12 digits
 Each of the 12 digits is represented by 4 elements for a total length of 7
modules
 The left hand 6 digits are coded in Set A (Odd parity), while the right hand
6 digits are coded in Set C (Even parity)
 Compatibility between EAN-13 and UPC-A is achieved because the EAN
table for the left hand variable parity pattern is all A for the 13th digit
equal to 0 (the implicit leading 0 of UPC-A)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
Bar Codes Fundamentals
UPC-A (2/4)
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
UPC-A (3/4)
 There are 2 Guard patterns on the left and on the right of 3 elements (3
modules Bar-Space-Bar)
 There is a Center pattern of 5 elements (5 modules Space-Bar-Space-BarSpace)
 Left Quiet Zone is 9 modules wide
 Right Quiet Zone is 9 modules wide
 Bar Count is fixed to 59 (BC = 3+5+3+4*12=59)
 The length of the code is L = X*95 (without Quiet Zones)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
UPC-A (4/4)
Dimensions (mm) are referred to Magnification Factor 1 (X = 0.33 mm)
Bar Codes Fundamentals
Confidential Documentation
Datalogic Automation
UPC-E (1/4)
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4 levels bar code
Numeric only
Continuous
Self-checking
Check Digit is always included
Fixed length: 6 + 2 digits
Each of the 6 digits is represented by 4 elements for a total length of 7
modules
 The 6 digits are coded with a variable sequence of Set A (Odd parity) or
Set B (even parity) that depends on the 8th digit
 The permutation table of set A and set B encoding is different from the
one of EAN-13
 The first digit on the left is always 0
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Bar Codes Fundamentals
UPC-E (2/4)
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UPC-E (3/4)
 There is a Guard pattern on the left of 3 elements (3 modules Bar-SpaceBar)
 There is a right Stop pattern of 6 elements (6 modules Space-Bar-SpaceBar-Space-Bar)
 Left Quiet Zone is 9 modules wide
 Right Quiet Zone is 7 modules wide
 Bar Count is fixed to 33 (BC = 3+6+4*6=33)
 The length of the code is L = X*51 (without Quiet Zones)
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UPC-E (4/4)
Dimensions (mm) are referred to Magnification Factor 1 (X = 0.33 mm)
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ADD-ON 2 And ADD-ON 5
 ADD-ON 2 and ADD-ON 5 are additional codes placed on the right of EAN13 or UPC-A to add user’s information.
 Typically, they are used in magazines or periodicals to code the number of
the item (day, week or month)
 Each of the 2 or 5 digits is represented by 4 elements with a length of 7
modules
 Use of Set A or Set B encoding (variable parity) follows a complex rule
(algorithm to calculate a number + use of a table of the possible
combinations). This is an implicit way to implement a check digit.
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ADD-ON 2 (1/2)
 There is a start pattern (3 elements Bar-Space-Bar of 1-1-2 modules)
 There is a delineator (2 elements space-bar of 1-1 modules) between the
digits
 There is no stop guard pattern
 Left Quiet Zone is 7 modules wide
 Right Quiet Zone is 5 modules wide
 Bar Count is fixed to 13 (BC = 2+3+4*2=13)
 The length of the code is L = X*20 (without Quiet Zones)
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ADD-ON 2 (2/2)
Dimensions (mm) are referred to Magnification Factor 1 (X = 0.33 mm)
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ADD-ON 5 (1/2)
 There is a Start pattern (3 elements bar-space-bar of 1-1-2 modules)
 There is a delineator (2 elements space-bar of
the digits
1-1 modules) between
 There is no stop guard pattern
 Left Quiet Zone is 9 modules wide
 Right Quiet Zone is 7 modules wide
 Bar Count is fixed to 31 (BC = 3+2*4+4*5=31)
 The length of the code is L = X*47 (without Quiet Zones)
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ADD-ON 5 (2/2)
Dimensions (mm) are referred to Magnification Factor 1 (X = 0.33 mm)
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Other Codes: Codabar
 2 levels bar code
 Self-checking bar code
 Discrete (Inter Character Gap)
 Numeric (0-9)
 6 special characters: - $ : / . +
 4 letters: A, B, C, D as Start or Stop pattern
 Optional Check Digit
 Variable length
 Each character is encoded as 7 elements, 2 or 3 of which are wide
 For this reason this code is also known, mainly in Japan, as NW-7 (i.e.
Narrow Wide 7 elements)
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Other Codes: Code 93
 4 levels bar code
 Self-checking
 Continuous
 Variable length
 Alphanumeric (128 ASCII characters)
 2 check digits (C and K) are always included (modulo 47)
 Each character is coded as 6 elements (3 bars and 3 spaces) for a total
width of 9 modules (10 only for the stop pattern)
 Data character bars can be 1, 2 or 3 times the module size
 4 modules wide bars can only be found in the start and stop pattern
 Like Code 39 Full ASCII, extended ASCII characters can be coded as pairs
with special characters
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Summary
 Before thinking there is something wrong in the scanner because a lot of
parcels are sent to the No Read exit:
 Know very well the codes you have to read
 Check carefully their printing quality with a code verifier (NEVER judge the
quality by eyes!)
 Check the position of the code on the parcel
 Check the scanner’s configuration
 Check the PackTrack calibration
 Check the ACR or the ACB configuration
 Check if the communication with the host is correct
 Only after this you can start to be worried !!! ……
(but usually you find the problem and its solution before!)
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