The Bar Code Book has been one of automatic identification industry's best-selling textbooks since it was first published in 1989. The Fifth Edition has been completely updated and expanded to reflect current and emerging technology. Previous editions of this book have been used by college educators, MIS departments, equipment manufacturers, government agencies, and individuals.

The book describes the many different forms of 1-D and 2-D bar code symbols, explains how they work, compares their attributes, and provides detailed reference information. Equipment used for printing, reading, and evaluating bar code symbols is reviewed, and extensive information is provided about the applicable industry standards. The emerging fields of Direct Part Marking and image-based scanning is reviewed, and the issue of patents is presented. Many applications of the technology are described.

This book covers more than just conventional bar code technology - all forms of machine-readable symbols are reviewed. This is truly a comprehensive textbook that deserves to be on the bookshelf of anyone working in or around the field of Automatic Identification.

2.2 Automatic Methods

2.3 Choice of Data Entry Technology

3 -History of Bar Code

4 -Introduction To Symbologies

4.1 Symbology Configurations

4.2 Characteristics of a Symbology

5 -Non-Retail Symbologies

5.1 Width-Modulated Linear Symbologies

5.2 Height-Modulated Linear Symbologies

5.3 2-D Stacked Symbologies

5.4 2-D Matrix Symbologies

5.5 Composite Symbologies

5.6 Other Symbologies

6 -Retail Symbologies

6.1 The EAN.UCC Coding System

6.2 UPC

6.3 EAN

6.4 Reduced Space Symbology (RSS)

7 -Symbology Comparison

7.1 Symbology Efficiencies

8 -Bar Code Standards

8.1 Symbology Standards

8.2 Application Standards

8.3 Data Identifiers

8.4 Print Quality Standards

9 -Fundamentals of Bar Code Reading

9.1 Electro-Optical System

9.2 Analog-To-Digital Converter

9.3 Wavelength

9.4 Specular Reflections

9.5 Resolution

9.6 Depth of Field

9.7 Processor

10 -Attended Bar Code Scanners

10.1 Light Pens or Wands

10.2 Handheld Laser Scanners

10.3 CCD Scanners

10.4 Card Scanners

10.5 Terminals

10.6 Interfacing Readers

10.7 Retail POS Scanning

11 -Conveyor Bar Code Scanners

11.1 Orientation-Dependent Laser Scanner

11.2 Omnidirectional Laser Scanning

12 -Image-Based Scanning

12.1 Hand Held Imagers

12.2 Fixed Mount Imaging Scanners

13 -Printing Bar Code Symbols

13.1 Off-Site Printing Techniques

13.2 On-Site Printing Techniques

13.3 Accessories for On-Site Printers

13.4 Special Printing Techniques

13.5 Media

14 -Printing Specifications and Symbol Quality

14.1 Traditional Verification

14.2 The ANSI And ISO/IEC Guidelines for Bar Code Print Quality

14.3 Print Quality of 2-Dimensional Stacked Symbologies

14.4 Print Quality Of 2-Dimensional Matrix Symbologies

15 -Direct Part Marking

15.1 Introduction To Direct Part Marking (DPM)

15.2 DPM Standards

15.3 Marking Techniques For DPM

15.4 Reading Techniques For DPM

15.5 Verification Techniques For DPM

16 -Data Security

16.1 Linear Symbology Data Security

16.2 Symbology Performance Tests

16.3 Effect of Print Quality

16.4 Use of Check Characters

16.5 Error Correction

17 -Data Communications

17.1 ISO Model

17.2 Signaling

17.3 Synchronous Communication

17.4 Error Protection

17.5 Installation

17.6 Local Area Networks

17.7 Trends

18 -Wireless Data Networks

18.1 Introduction to Radio Frequency Communication

18.2 RF Data Transmission

18.3 Spread Spectrum

18.4 Wide Area Radio Frequency Networks

19 -Systems Design

19.1 Definition Phase

19.2 Analysis and Design Phases

19.3 Implementation

19.4 Open Vs. Closed Systems

20 -Applications

20.1 Library Applications

20.2 Inventory Control

20.3 Work-in-Process Tracking

20.4 MRP and MRP II Applications

20.5 Flexible Manufacturing

20.6 Receiving Applications

20.7 Shipping Applications

20.8 Route Accounting

20.9 Electronic Data Interchange

20.10 Retail Applications

20.11 Tester Configuration

20.12 Warehousing

20.13 Health Care Applications

20.14 Postal Applications

20.15 Package Delivery

20.16 Airline Applications

20.17 Electronic Business

20.18 Cashless Gambling

20.19 Virtual Tickets

20.20 Cellular Telephone Applications

21 -Is Bar Code Obsolete?

22 -Legal Aspects


Appendices

A -Interleaved 2 of 5 Specification
B -Rationalized Codabar Specification
C -Code 39 Specification
D -Code 128 Specification
E -Code 93 Specification
F -93i Specification
G -Code 49 Specification
H -Code 16K Specification
I -PDF417 Specification
J -MicroPDF417 Specification Summary
K -Code One Specification
L -Data Matrix Specification
M -MaxiCode Specification
N -QR Code
O -AZTEC CODE
P -Postnet Specification
Q -Four State Code Specification
R -Code 39 Printing Tolerance Derivation
S -Code 39 Error Rate Derivation
T -Data Identifiers & Application identifiers
U -Data Carrier Identifiers
V -GS1 Prefix Identifiers
W -Sources of Symbology Standards and Information
X -Relevant U.S. Patents
Y -Glossary of Terms
Index

Roger C. Palmer, P.Eng. was born in England, but spent most of his early years in Canada. He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree (McMaster University) and an MBA (University of Washington). Over the years, Roger has co-founded three companies involved in developing and manufacturing electronic test equipment for the communications industry.

He became involved in Automatic Identification when he joined INTERMEC Corporation (a manufacturer of bar code products and systems) in 1978. He held several high level positions at Intermec, eventually becoming Vice President, Technology. In 1994 Roger and his family decided that the lifestyle offered in British Columbia was so attractive that it overshadowed the security of having a regular job, so he announced an early retirement from Intermec and moved to Victoria, B.C. Since then he has operated a small consulting company called Palmer Technologies Inc., which provides services to a number of clients involved in different "High-Tech" technical fields, and he has been involved as an expert witness in several patent litigations and contract disputes.

Roger is intimately familiar with bar code technology and equipment. He has served as chairman of AIM's Technical Symbology Committee and also as chairman of the HIBCC's Technical Committee. He was an active member of the ANSI committee that developed the first bar code standards. He has several patents and has been a frequent publisher and speaker on all aspects of bar code technology. He is a member of the IEEE, APEGBC, ARRL, EAA, and the Institute of Navigation.

Apart from the Automatic Identification industry, Roger remains current in many other high-tech fields, and he has assisted companies in evaluating technical trends, developing business strategic plans, or refining product designs.

Outside of work, his interests include flying, yacht racing, cruising, computers, electronics, and amateur radio. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the Province of British Columbia.

Roger and his family live next to the harbor in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.