There are various types of barcodes utilized today for tracking everything from inventory to shipping packages. One very specific type of barcoding system is called the UPC barcode. UPC stands for Universal Product Code.
The UPC barcode is made up of 12 decimal digits, and each digit is encoded using a 7 bit sequence. This very specific type of barcode is widely used in North America for tracking items in stores. In order to read UPC barcodes you need a bar code scanner as well as a software that interprets the data that is scanned.
Typically, UPC barcodes are used in retail store environments and are therefore scanned by bar codes scanners which feed the scanned data into a Point of Sale (POS) software which identifies the item being scanned.
Retailers may also choose to print their own barcodes which are not UPC based, and label their inventory with such numbers which may contain further information about the item than is contained in the UPC.
Another new type of barcoding system called the EAN (or EAN-13), which was originally known as the European Article Number and now known as the International Article Number, is the successor to the current UPC system. The EAN system adds an extra digit to the beginning of the UPC number which identifies the origin of the barcode in the world.
UPC and EAN barcodes are known as 2d barcodes, because they represent data in two dimensions. They are the most common type of barcode that simply looks like a series of lines to the human eye.
Regardless whether you are scanning a UPC, EAN or any other type of 2D barcode system, you will need a 2d barcode scanner and a software platform that interprets the data that is being scanned, such as a POS software if you are planning to scan UPC's in a retail environment.
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