At its simplest, a barcode is a . It typically consists of a series of parallel black bars and white spaces of varying widths that represent numbers, letters, or symbols. When an optical scanner sweeps over these lines, it translates the reflected light into digital signals (binary 1s and 0s) that a computer can understand. A Brief History: From Morse Code to the First Scan
These use squares, dots, and hexagons to store data both horizontally and vertically. They can hold significantly more information—up to 7,000 numeric characters—and can often function without a database. GS1 UShttps://www.gs1us.org Types of Barcodes - GS1 US barcode
Barcodes generally fall into two categories: and 2D (Matrix) . 1. Linear (1D) Barcodes At its simplest, a barcode is a
: The global standard outside North America, usually containing 13 digits. A Brief History: From Morse Code to the
The concept was born in 1949 when Norman Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver sought a way to automate supermarket checkouts.