How Does Barcode Works

Executive Summary:

Introduction:

Barcode has a lot of type, but the most common barcode is the UPC (Universal Product Code). This barcode is usually used in all groceries and supermarkets. Each digit is coded by two black and two white stripes. The stripes have widths of from 1 to 4 units, and the total width for each digit is always seven units. These codes are important most especially in products that we are buying. These codes can’t be repeated again because products are different from each other.

Some digits of the barcode are reversed, so that they read right and left. Part of the code has black and white inverted, so black stripes are white and vice-versa. This helps cut down errors and allows the computer to work out if the code was read from the wrong end when it was scanned. The barcodes are readable even it is reversed because the code of black and white is also reversed so that it can still be read in the computer and work.

Almost everyone is familiar with the striped bars found on grocery and retail stored items. These are barcodes, or more specifically, the Universal Product Code (UPC). UPC codes first appeared in stores in1973 and have since revolutionized the sales industry. The UPC code consists of ten pairs of thick and thin vertical bars that represent the manufacturer's identity, product size and name. Price information, which is not part of the bar code, is determined by the store. Bar codes are read by handheld wand readers or fixed scanners linked to point of sale (POS) terminals. Bar codes are also used for non-retail purposes. One of the earliest uses for bar codes was as an identifier on railroad cars.

Organizers of sporting events also take advantage of bar code technology. The use of barcode technology in an industrial setting can be traced back as far as the 1960s, with some early implementations to identify railroad cars. Common barcodes began appearing on grocery store shelves in the early 1970’s as the UPC code to...