User's Manual

403700 Series Color Mobile Computer User’s Manual

Bar Code Symbologies

This appendix contains a brief explanation of some of the bar code

symbologies that the 700 Series Color Mobile Computer decodes and ex-

plains some of the general characteristics and uses of these bar code types.

The 700 Series Computer recognizes eleven of the most widely used bar

code symbologies. With bar code symbologies, like languages, there are

many different types. A bar code symbology provides the required flexibil-

ity for a particular inventory tracking system.

A symbology may be for particular industries, such as food and beverage,

automotive, railroad, or aircraft. Some of these industries have established

their own bar code symbology because other symbologies did not meet

their needs.

Without going into great detail on the bar code structure, note that no two

products use the same bar code. Each product gets a unique bar code.

Industries that use a particular type of bar code symbology have formed

regulating committees or are members of national institutes that issue and

keep track of bar codes. This ensures that each organization that contrib-

utes to a particular industry conforms to its standard. Without some form

of governing body, bar coding would not work.