Specifications

Glossary-5
Glossary
LASER - Light
Amplification by
Stimulated
Emission of
Radiation
The laser is an intense light source. Light from a laser is all the same
frequency, unlike the output of an incandescent bulb. Laser light is
typically coherent and has a high energy density.
Laser Diode A gallium-arsenide semiconductor type of laser connected to a power
source to generate a laser beam. This laser type is a compact source of
coherent light.
LED Indicator A semiconductor diode (LED - Light Emitting Diode) used as an indicator,
often in digital displays. The semiconductor uses applied voltage to
produce light of a certain frequency determined by the semiconductor's
particular chemical composition.
MIL 1 mil = 1 thousandth of an inch.
Misread
(Misdecode)
A condition which occurs when the data output of a reader or interface
controller does not agree with the data encoded within a bar code symbol.
MSI Plessey A numeric-only bar code type. It can accept a variable number of digits up
to 13. MSI Plessey consists of four bars and four adjacent spaces. Each
bar\space pair consists of one information bit. A zero bit consists of a
narrow bar followed by a wide space, while one bit consist of a wide bar
followed by a narrow bar. The zero bit is one unit bar followed by a two-
unit space and the one bit is a two-unit bar followed by a one unit space.
The primary application for the MSI Plessey code is marking of retail
shelves and subsequent scanning
with portable devices for inventory purposes.
Nominal The exact (or ideal) intended value for a specified parameter. Tolerances
are specified as positive and negative deviations from this value.
Nominal Size Standard size for a bar code symbol. Most UPC/EAN codes can be used
over a range of magnifications (e.g., from 0.80 to 2.00 of nominal).
NOTIS Editing An option that strips the start and stop characters from a decoded Codabar
symbol.
Parameter A variable that can have different values assigned to it.
Percent Decode The average probability that a single scan of a bar code would result in a
successful decode. In a well-designed bar code scanning system, that
probability should approach near 100%.