Article by:
By Mark Frey

The UCC and EAN International launched a global project to promote the importance of
accurate verification of bar codes. Participating in the project were many members of the
EAN.UCC Global Symbology Committee, a group composed of 20 senior technical staff
members from several prominent AIDC companies.

The project solicited six leading verifier manufacturers to participate in the test. All
participating vendors noted their adherence to standards such as ANSI and ISO
specifications. Of particular user interest was the tolerance specified for vendors that
were documented in ISO/EIC 15426-1, “Automatic identificatio n and data capture
techniques- bar code verifier conformance specification- Part 1: Linear Symbols.”The
goal of the project was to determine what was causing the rumored differences in
measurement, such as operator training or poor conformance to the specifications. Two
separate testing sites were established, one in England and the other at the UCC’s AIDC
testing lab near Princeton, New Jersey.

Engineering symbols and their values were calibrated with the same instrument used to
measure bar code symbols on many of the calibration targets sold. The instrument, called
the “judge” in the industry is NIST traceability and is owned by the UCC. Test symbols
for the UPC-A, UCC/EAN-128, and ITF were measured at different apertures (6, 10, and
20 mils).

The project produced a number of interesting findings. All verifiers could meet the
requirements of the ISO specifications. The tolerances as specified in ISO/EIC 15426-1
need to be tightened. The current ISO specification allows one verifier to differ as much
as a full letter grade and still meet ISO/IEC specified tolerances. An amendment has been
filed and is currently in progress. In addition, data collected on each specific verifier was
shared with each vendor. This information will be used by the vendors to improve their
products, if necessary.

Users need to be trained on the use of Calibrated Conformance Standard Test Cards.
Results measured from these engineered cards can be compared to the tolerance
published by the manufacturer of your verifier. If the results are unfavorable, it could
indicate that your technique could be bad or your verifier needs to be repaired. The UCC
will be releasing new updated Calibrated Conformance Standard Test Cards for UPC-A,
EAN-13, UCC/EAN-128, and Interleaved Two if Five (ITF) in the first quarter of 2003.

A users guideline on how to best use a verifier consistently has also been produced.
Identification is the heart of any supply chain. Bar coding must enable fast, complete, and
accurate identification of your trade items, assets, supplies, and logistics units. If you are
not using the correct tools to ensure high-quality bar codes, you run the risk of making
your supply chain weak and brittle. And a bar code that cannot stand is not just bad
artwork, but expensive artwork, too.

Product Information:
LVS 900 Data Sheet (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
LVS 9000 Data Sheet (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
LVS 6000 Data Sheet (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

More information:
Label Vision Systems, Inc.
101 Auburn Court
Peachtree City, GA 30269
1-800-432-9430
+1 770-487-6414
www.lvs-inc.com

Mark Frey is the Director of AIDC for the Uniform Code Council. He can be reached at
(609) 620-4587 or via e-mail at mfrey@uc-council.org.