Automatic Identification & Data Capture

The technologies used in the world of Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) are varied and often used in combinations to provide a broader base of information flow. This article attempts to summarize the technologies in common use today, and give the reader a basic understanding of the technology and its uses and limitations.

Barcode: Perhaps the oldest of the AIDC technologies, barcode can be looked upon as the best known and probably most successful to date of the technologies. We are all familiar with the basic barcode on our box of cereal, or the jar of honey that we buy in the supermarket. This barcode is called UPC/EAN and is but one variation of over 250 barcodes that have been designed over time. Barcodes like this are referred to as linear barcodes as they are made up off a collection of bars and spaces side by side. Fortunately many of these barcodes have never gained broad acceptance and we usually only consider 10-12 linear barcodes.