Specifications

Symbol LS4278 Product Reference GuideGL-2
Autodiscrimination The ability of an interface controller to determine the code
type of a scanned bar code. After this determination is
made, the information content is decoded.
Automatic Identification System The application of various technologies, such as bar code
recognition, image recognition, voice recognition and RF/
MW transponders, for the purpose of data entry into a data
processing system and bypassing the key-entry component
of traditional data entry.
Background The area surrounding a printed symbol including the spaces
and quiet zones.
Bar The dark element in a printed bar code symbol.
Bar Code An array of parallel rectangular bars and spaces arranged
according to the encodation rules of a particular symbol
specification in order to represent data in machine-
readable form (i.e., Code 39).
Bar Code Character A single group of bars and spaces which represent an
individual number, letter, punctuation mark or other symbol.
Bar Code Density The number of characters represented per unit of
measurement (e.g., characters per inch).
Bar Code Reader A device used to read or decode a bar code symbol.
Bar Code Symbol The combination of symbol characters and features
required by a particular symbology, including quiet zones,
start and stop characters, data characters, check characters
and other auxiliary patterns, that together form a complete
scannable entity (see Symbol).
Bar Height The dimension of a bar measured perpendicular to the bar
width (see Y Dimension).
Bar Width Thickness of a bar measured from the edge closest to the
symbol start character to the trailing edge of the same bar
(see X Dimension).
Baud Rate A measure of the data flow or number of signaling events
occurring per second. When one bit is the standard “event,”
this is a measure of bits per second (bps). For example, a
baud rate of 50 means transmission of 50 bits of data per
second.
Bi-directional Denotes that a machine-readable symbol can be read
successfully in two directions – either backwards or
forwards. Also identifies a scanner that can operate or a
bar code that can be read independent of scanning
direction.
Binary Denotes a numbering system to base 2 in which numbers
are expressed as combinations of the digits 0 and 1 with
positional weighting based on powers of 2. In computing,
these can be represented electrically by 'off' and 'on'
respectively or in machine-readable symbols by narrow and
wide elements or by the absence or presence of a bar
module.