There are many various options available, ranging from the classic barcode used in the earliest automated library systems to the newly created Intelligent Mail System and the information-rich PDF417 barcode. Simply picking a 2D barcode because it can hold a lot of data ignores the expense of establishing a 2D barcode scanner or other imaging solutions, not to mention the unique decoding software required to run the system.
So, what barcoding technology is available, how will it assist your organization, and, most importantly, how much does it cost? All of this is dependent on what you want to store on the barcodes and if you want to make use of the most recent technological advancements to get the most out of transporting data along the supply chain.
To begin, the barcode symbology, or a kind of barcode, is essentially a standard means of encoding ASCII (letters and digits) into a format that can be read by equipment that catchesthe light and processes its formation, such as a handheld barcode scanner.
Barcodes with one dimension
Many of the items you see on the shelves have an EAN-13 or EAN-8 barcode, often known as a 1D barcode, which can be read by all laser and CCD barcode scanners. The construction of these barcodes is basic, and they merely carry a string of digits that are normally put beneath the barcode. If the EAN-13/8 barcode is broken, the user can still use it in a POS, for example, and get the same result. This number (or ID) is usually allocated to a product or item of stock information, and it is produced automatically by stock control software or manually as merchandise enters the warehouse.
One apparent issue with the EAN-13/8 and other 1D buy barcodes like Code 39 is that the data encoded in the barcode is dependent, meaning it must be related to something else. For example, if a piece of specialized equipment is transported from a supplier to a company that does not have access to conventional product information databases, a 1D barcode with a 12-digit number will be useless. As a result, the barcode must contain all product information, including specs and everything else that the firm will need to know when acquiring that piece of equipment.
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Barcodes with two dimensions
When you consider that a PDF-417 barcode may carry up to 2000 characters and a barcode can hold up to the physical constraints of the printer, 2D barcodes are significantly more complicated in terms of their physical structure and the sort of information they retain. As a result, these barcodes are far more suitable for compensating for the shortcomings of a 1D barcode. However, only a 2D barcode scanner or a CCD barcode scanner can read 2D barcodes, as the latter captures the 2D barcode as an image and processes it using software algorithms.
When you wish to convey the data associated with a product independently, 2D buy barcodes are the ideal option. To put it another way, we don’t require the receiver of the products to maintain a common database that can translate an ID into product information because all of the information about the product is recorded on the barcode itself. A 2D barcode may carry names, postal addresses, and return addresses, which is extremely valuable in postal scenarios. The receiver of this data may easily scan it using a CCD barcode scanner and save it in a relational database for future use, supplementing their inventory management system with contact information, for example.
