From: D Yuniskis on
Hi,

I need to pick a barcode symbology that is unlinkey to be
encountered in day-to-day items to minimize conflicts. E.g.,
UPC is non-starter.

I only need 8 decimal digits so no need for the more complex
codes. I prefer a 2 dimensional code as it increases the
available choices for scanners. I'll probably add a few
digits for my own checksum (above and beyond whatever the
code itself supports). So, maybe 10-12 digits, total.

I suspect ABC Codabar is probably the most obscure (at
least the least likely to be encountered *on* something).
I can even get sneaky and print multipart labels to
be even *more* unique.

But, I'd be open to other suggestions. [I can't roll my own
code as I want to use COTS scanners.]

Thanks!
--don
From: 1 Lucky Texan on
On May 24, 10:36 am, D Yuniskis <not.going.to...(a)seen.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I need to pick a barcode symbology that is unlinkey to be
> encountered in day-to-day items to minimize conflicts.  E.g.,
> UPC is non-starter.
>
> I only need 8 decimal digits so no need for the more complex
> codes.  I prefer a 2 dimensional code as it increases the
> available choices for scanners.  I'll probably add a few
> digits for my own checksum (above and beyond whatever the
> code itself supports).  So, maybe 10-12 digits, total.
>
> I suspect ABC Codabar is probably the most obscure (at
> least the least likely to be encountered *on* something).
> I can even get sneaky and print multipart labels to
> be even *more* unique.
>
> But, I'd be open to other suggestions.  [I can't roll my own
> code as I want to use COTS scanners.]
>
> Thanks!
> --don

I dunno, lots of choices (checkout Code 11)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_codes
From: D Yuniskis on
1 Lucky Texan wrote:
> On May 24, 10:36 am, D Yuniskis <not.going.to...(a)seen.com> wrote:
>> I need to pick a barcode symbology that is unlinkey to be
>> encountered in day-to-day items to minimize conflicts. E.g.,
>> UPC is non-starter.
>>
>> I only need 8 decimal digits so no need for the more complex
>> codes. I prefer a 2 dimensional code as it increases the

Grrrr.... s/2/1/ <:-(

>> available choices for scanners. I'll probably add a few
>> digits for my own checksum (above and beyond whatever the
>> code itself supports). So, maybe 10-12 digits, total.
>>
>> I suspect ABC Codabar is probably the most obscure (at
>> least the least likely to be encountered *on* something).
>> I can even get sneaky and print multipart labels to
>> be even *more* unique.
>>
>> But, I'd be open to other suggestions. [I can't roll my own
>> code as I want to use COTS scanners.]
>
> I dunno, lots of choices (checkout Code 11)
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_codes

Hmmm... never heard of Code 11! (and, apparently, most of the
OTS scanners haven't, either! :< )

Just from where I'm sitting, I see Codes 39, 128, EAN13, UPCA
and Codabar (:<). I'll have to take a wander through the warehouse
and see what other codes show up.

I suspect I am just going to have to rely on a large enough
Hamming distance in my symbols to make "coincidences" damn near
impossible (coupled with enforcing the "chosen" symbology).

I'll also have to check to see if I can configure any scanners
to pass "bad reads". One hack might be to deliberately munge
the check digit on a mainstream code so any labels with
*valid* codes I would recognize as "foreign" (?) (i.e., print
all of mine with a check digit guaranteed to be "wrong" -- yet
predictable)
From: tlbs101 on
On May 24, 9:36 am, D Yuniskis <not.going.to...(a)seen.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I need to pick a barcode symbology that is unlinkey to be
> encountered in day-to-day items to minimize conflicts.  E.g.,
> UPC is non-starter.
>
> I only need 8 decimal digits so no need for the more complex
> codes.  I prefer a 2 dimensional code as it increases the
> available choices for scanners.  I'll probably add a few
> digits for my own checksum (above and beyond whatever the
> code itself supports).  So, maybe 10-12 digits, total.
>
> I suspect ABC Codabar is probably the most obscure (at
> least the least likely to be encountered *on* something).
> I can even get sneaky and print multipart labels to
> be even *more* unique.
>
> But, I'd be open to other suggestions.  [I can't roll my own
> code as I want to use COTS scanners.]
>
> Thanks!
> --don

I used code 93 on a military project, 16 years ago. 93 is linear,
not 2-D, but there were many scanners available at the time that we
(the team) could use. The database was written in FoxPro (not my
choice -- lol).

Tom Pounds
From: tlbs101 on
On May 24, 3:06 pm, tlbs101 <tlbs...(a)excite.com> wrote:
> On May 24, 9:36 am, D Yuniskis <not.going.to...(a)seen.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Hi,
>
> > I need to pick a barcode symbology that is unlinkey to be
> > encountered in day-to-day items to minimize conflicts.  E.g.,
> > UPC is non-starter.
>
> > I only need 8 decimal digits so no need for the more complex
> > codes.  I prefer a 2 dimensional code as it increases the
> > available choices for scanners.  I'll probably add a few
> > digits for my own checksum (above and beyond whatever the
> > code itself supports).  So, maybe 10-12 digits, total.
>
> > I suspect ABC Codabar is probably the most obscure (at
> > least the least likely to be encountered *on* something).
> > I can even get sneaky and print multipart labels to
> > be even *more* unique.
>
> > But, I'd be open to other suggestions.  [I can't roll my own
> > code as I want to use COTS scanners.]
>
> > Thanks!
> > --don
>
> I used code 93 on a military project, 16 years ago.   93 is linear,
> not 2-D, but there were many scanners available at the time that we
> (the team) could use.  The database was written in FoxPro (not my
> choice -- lol).
>
> Tom Pounds- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Or... just buy a scanner that supports multiple codes and let the
scanner figure it out.

Tom