FAQ

Question #1.

What is the proper technique to use with a hand held bar code scanner?

The answer to this question depends on the type of scanner you are using.

	If you are using a wand, maintain a constant or continuous scanning motion across the bar code. The speed the wand moves across the bar code is very important. If the motion is too slow or too fast the decoder will not be able read the bar code.
	When using a CCD scanner, place the unit directly on top of the bar code. Make sure that the head of the CCD reader covers the entire bar code. Press the trigger.
	To use a LASER scanner, make sure the bar code is in correct scanning range. Aim and pull the trigger. Simple practice quickly shows what tolerances (i.e. distances) to work within.

Question #2.

How do I know which Symbology is right for my application?

To help answer this question System ID Warehouse has included the following table with a brief history of most of the popular symbologies.

Code 39
	Code 39 is the most widely used industrial linear symbology. It is used by the U.S. Department of Defense and the automobile industry.
Universal Product Code A
	UPC-A is the standard for supermarkets and retail outlets throughout the United States. All codes for retail applications must be registered and assigned by the UCC (Uniform Code Council).
UPC EAN
	UPC EAN (European Article Numbering) is the European equivalent of UPC-A. This symbology is also used in Japan (JAN).
Interleaved 2 of 5
	Interleaved 2 of 5 is primarily used for carton labeling. It is also widely used by the automobile industry.
Codabar
	Codabar is used by libraries and also by Federal Express.
Code 93
	Code 93 is a compressed version of Code 39. It is used by many companies in space restrictive applications.
Code 128
	Code 128 is the most versitile symbology and is widely used by the United Parce service.
Postnet
	Postnet is used by the U.S. Post Office as a machine readable version of the ZIP code.
OCR A
	OCR A (Optical Character Recognition) was the first attempt to automate a human readable font.
OCR B
	OCR B offers more characters but is otherwise very similar to OCR A.
MICR
	MICR is primarily used in check printing and is not read optically like other auto ID symbologies. It is printed in magnetic ink and read with a special reader.