Intrigued by this thread on bar code scanning, I picked up a surplus wand
today here in Toronto Canada for <$10 CDN (about $7 USD).  This is a really
nice solid machined and brushed unit in mint condition, with a metal framed
RJ series plug.  Seem to me starting with a $10 wand and a PIC (and maybe a
few op-amps) I should be able to build a flexible reader for <$40.  Just
for fun right now, but later, who knows what I could wind up using it for.


CIAO - Martin R. Green
elimar@bigfoot.com

----------
From:   ame@SYNAPTICS.COM[SMTP:ame@SYNAPTICS.COM]
Sent:   Tuesday, September 16, 1997 2:41 PM
To:     PICLIST@mitvma.mit.edu
Subject:        Re: Barcode and the PIC

     > > CODE39 is a character oriented barcode that is alpha-numeric.
     I2of5 is
     > > numeric only. If I had to choose one from scratch I would use
     CODE39 it
     > > is easy to read, doesn't need much buffer space and easy to print
     on
     > > stick on labels. Even commercial wands are low cost. Some of the
     HP
     > > HEDS 3000 series wands are $5 or so in a surplus shop and maybe
     > > $75-$100 new.

     > Interleaved 2 of 5 is a fairly simple code which stores information
     in base
     > 100; like code39, it can be processed on the fly.


     In the UK many libraries, both public and university use the TELEPEN
     barcode.  TELEPEN is a proprietary design, but was recently ratified
     as an international standard (I believe).  TELEPEN is compact, with
     built in redundancy and error checking, and the ability to be directly
     decoded to binary.

     I had to buy the spec. document for the TELEPEN code, and I wrote a VB
     program to draw the barcodes.  I did not write a program to read them
     however (sorry), but it should be as easy as the other ones... =:^)

     Last year ETI magazine published a design for a barcode wand using
     standard components.  It detailed how to 'see' the black and white
     bars, and gave an analogue pulse output.  You still had to convert
     this to a digital pulse train and write some decoding software, so it
     was a bit of a half-cocked project, but it might be a good start.

     I don't have access to the magazine, sorry.

     Andy (#2)