CIM

Automatic Data Capture

 Automatic Data Capture

• It is also known as automatic identification and data capture.

• It refers to the technologies that provide direct entry of data into a
computer or other microprocessor controlled system without using a
keyboard.
• Many of these technologies require no human involvement in the data
capture and entry process.
• ADC systems are used increasingly to collect data in material handling and
manufacturing applications.
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In material handling, applications include:

1. Shipping and receiving
2. Storage
3. Sortation
4. Order picking
5. Kitting of parts for assembly
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In manufacturing, the applications include:

1. Monitoring the status of order processing
2. Work-in-process
3. Machine utilization
4. Worker attendance
5. Other measures of factory operations and performance
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ADC has many important applications outside the factory, including:

1. Retail sales and inventory control
2. Warehousing and distribution center operations
3. Mail and parcel handling
4. Patient identification in hospitals
5. Check processing in banks
6. Security systems
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• The alternative to automatic data capture is manual collection and entry of

data.
• This typically involves recording the data on paper and later entering them
into the computer by means of a keyboard.
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There are several drawbacks to this method:

Errors:
• Errors occur in both data collection and keyboard entry of the data when
accomplished manually. The average error rate of manual keyboard entry
is one error per 300 characters.
Time factor:
• When manual methods are used, there is a time delay between when the
activities and events occur and when data on the status are entered into the
computer.
• In addition, manual methods are more time consuming than automated
methods.
Labor cost:
• The full-time attention of human workers is required in manual data
collection and entry, with the associated labor cost.
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Components of ADC:
Encoded data:
• A code is a set of symbols or signals (usually) representing alphanumeric
characters.
• When data are encoded, the characters are translated into a machine-
readable code.
• For most ADC techniques, the encoded data are not readable by humans.
• A label or tag containing the encoded data is attached is the item that is to
be later identified.
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Machine reader or scanner:

• This device reads the encoded data, converting them to alternative form,
usually an electrical analog signal.
Decoder:
• This component transforms the electrical signal into digital data and finally
back into the original alphanumeric characters.
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ADC technologies can be divided into following six categories:

Optical:
• Most of these technologies use high-contrast graphical symbols that can be
interpreted by an optical scanner.
• They include:
1. Linear (one-dimensional) bar codes
2. Two dimensional bar codes
3. Optical character recognition
4. Machine vision
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Magnetic:
• It encodes data magnetically, similar to magnetic tape.
• The two important techniques in this category are:
1. Magnetic stripe, widely used in:
a. Plastic credit cards
b. Bank access cards
2. Magnetic ink character recognition, widely used:
a. The banking industry for check processing
Electromagnetic:
• The important ADC technology in this group is radio frequency
identification.
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Smart card:
• This term refers to small plastic cards (the size of a credit card) imbedded
with microchips capable of containing large amounts of information.
• Other terms used for this technology include:
1. Chip card
2. Integrated circuit card
Touch techniques:
• It includes:
1. Touch screens
2. Button memory
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Biometric:
• These technologies are utilized to identify humans or to interpret vocal
commands of humans.
• They include:
1. Voice recognition
2. Fingerprint analysis
3. Retinal eye scans
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Bar code technology:

• Bar codes are divided into two basic types:

Linear bar codes:

• In this the encoded data are read using a linear sweep of the scanner.

Two-dimensional bar codes:

• In this the encoded data must be read in both directions.
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Linear (one-dimensional) bar codes:

• Linear bar codes are currently the most widely used automatic
identification and data collection technique.
• There are actually two forms of linear bar code symbologies.
Width-modulated:
• In this symbol consists of bars and spaces of varying width.
Height-modulated:
• Symbol consists of evenly spaced bars of varying height.

• The only significant application of the height-modulated bar code

symbologies is in the U.S. Postal service for ZIP Code identification.
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• In linear width-modulated bar code technology, the symbol consists of a

sequence of wide and narrow colored bars separated by wide and narrow
spaces.
• The colored bars are usually black and the spaces are white for high
contrasts.
• The pattern of bars and spaces is coded to represent numeric or
alphanumeric characters.
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• Bar code readers interpret the code by scanning and decoding the sequence
of bars.
• The readers consists of the scanner and decoder.
• The scanner emits a beam of light that is swept past the bar code (either
manually or automatically) and senses light reflections to distinguish
between the bars and spaces.
• The light reflections are sensed by a photodetector, which converts the
spaces into an electrical signal and the bars into absence of an electrical
signal.
• The width of the bars and spaces is indicated by the duration of
corresponding signals.
• The decoder analyzes the pulse train to validate and interpret the
corresponding data.
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Bar code readers:

• Bar code readers come in a variety of configurations; some require a
human to operate them and others are stand-alone automatic units.

• They are usually classified as:

1. Contact readers
2. Noncontact readers
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Contact type bar code readers:

• Contact bar code readers are hand-held wands or light pens operated by
moving the tip of the wand quickly past the bar code on the object or
document.
• The wand tip must be in contact with the bar code surface or in very close
proximity during the reading procedure.
• In a factory data collection application, they are usually part of a keyboard
entry terminal.
• The terminal is sometimes referred to as a stationary terminal in the sense
that it is placed in a fixed location in the shop.
• When a transaction is entered in the factory, the data are usually
communicated to the computer system immediately.
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• In addition to their use in factory data collection systems, stationary

contact bar code readers are widely used in retail stores to enter the item
identification in a sales transaction.
• Contact bar code readers are also available as portable units that can be
carried around the factory or warehouse by a worker.
• They are battery-powered and include a solid-state memory device capable
of storing data acquired during operation.
• The data can subsequently be transferred to the computer system.
• Portable bar code readers often include a keypad that can be used by the
operator to input data that cannot be entered via bar code.
• These portable units are used for order picking in a warehouse and similar
applications that require a worker to move large distances in a building.
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Noncontact bar code readers:

• They focus a light beam on the bar code, and a photodetector reads the
reflected signal to interpret the code.
• The reader probe is located a certain distance from the bar code (several
inches to several feet) during the read procedure.

• Noncontact readers are classified as:

1. Fixed beam scanners
2. Moving beam scanners
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Fixed beam readers:

• They are stationary units that use a fixed beam of light.
• They are usually mounted beside a conveyor and depend on the movement
of the bar code past the light beam for their operation.
• Applications of the fixed beam bar code readers are typically in
warehousing and material handling operations where large quantities of
materials must be identified as they flow past the scanner on conveyors.
• Fixed beam scanners in these kinds of operations represent some of the
first applications of bar codes in industry.
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Moving beam scanners:

• They use a highly focused beam of light, actuated by a rotating mirror to
traverse an angular sweep in search of the bar code on the object.
• Lasers are often used to achieve the highly focused light beam.
• A scan is defined as a single sweep of the light beam through the angular
path.
• The high rotational speed of the mirror allows for very high scan rates that
is up to 1440 scans per second.
• This means many scans of a single bar code can be made during a typical
reading procedure, thus permitting verification of the reading.
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Moving beam scanners can be either:

Stationary units:
• Stationary scanners are located in a fixed position to read bar code on
objects as they move past on a conveyor or other material handling
equipment.
• They are used in warehouses and distribution centers to automated the
product identification and sortation operations.
Portable units:
• Portable scanners are hand-held devices that the user points at the bar code
like a pistol.
• The vast majority of bar code scanners used in factories and warehouses
are of this type.
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Bar code printers:

1. Dot matrix
2. Ink-jet
3. Direct thermal
4. Thermal transfer
5. Laser printing
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Dot matrix:
• In this technique, the bars are printed by overlapping dots to form wide or
narrow bands.
• Dot matrix is a low-cost technique, but the quality of the printed bars
depends on the degree of overlap; accordingly, there is a lower limit on the
size of the bar code.
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Ink-jet:
• Like dot matrix, the ink-jet bars are formed by overlapping dots, but the
dots are made by ink droplets.
• Recent advances in ink-jet technology, motivated by the personal computer
market, have improved the resolution of ink-jet printing, and so bar codes
of higher density than dot matrix bars are possible at relatively low cost.
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Direct thermal:
• In this technique, light-colored paper labels are coated with a heat-sensitive
chemical that darken when heated.
• The printing head of the thermal printer consists of a linear array of small
heating elements that heat localized areas of the label as it moves past the
head, causing the desired bar code image to be formed.
• Bar codes by direct thermal printing are of good quality, and the cost is
low.
• Care must be taken with the printed label to avoid prolonged exposure to
elevated temperatures and ultraviolet light.
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Thermal transfer:
• This technology is similar to direct thermal printing, except that the
thermal printing head is in contact with a special ink ribbon that transfers
its ink to the moving label in localized areas when heated.
• Unlike direct thermal printing, plain (uncoated) paper can be used, and so
the concern about ambient temperature and ultraviolet light do not apply.
• The disadvantage is that the thermally activated ink ribbon is consumed in
the printing process and must be periodically replaced.
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Laser printing:
• Laser printing is the technology that is widely used in printers for personal
computers.
• In laser printing, the bar code image is written onto a photosensitive
surface (usually a rotating drum) by a controllable light source (the laser),
forming an electrostatic image on the surface.
• The surface is then brought into contact with toner particles that are
attracted to the selected regions of the image.
• The toner image is then transferred to plain paper (the label) and cured by
heat and pressure.
• High quality bar codes can be printed by this technique.
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Laser etching:
• In addition, a laser etching process can be used to mark bar codes onto
metal parts.
• The process provides a permanent identification mark on the item that is
not susceptible to damage in the harsh environments that are encountered
in many manufacturing processes.
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• Other processes are also used to form permanent 3-D bar codes on parts,
including:
1. Molding
2. Casting
3. Engraving
4. Embossing

• Special 3-D scanners are required to read these codes.

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Two-dimensional bar codes:

• The advantage of 2-D codes is their capacity to store much greater
amounts of data at higher area densities.
• Their disadvantage is that special scanning equipment is required to read
the codes, and the equipment is more expensive than scanners used for
conventional bar codes.

• Two dimensional symbologies divide into two basic types:

1. Stacked bar codes
2. Matrix symbologies
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Stacked bar codes:

• The first 2-D bar code to be introduced was a stacked symbology.
• It was developed in an effort to reduce the area required for a conventional
bar code.
• It can contain significantly greater amounts of data.
• A stacked bar code consists of multiple rows of conventional linear bar
codes stacked on top of each other.
• The encoded data in a stacked bar code are decoded using laser-type
scanners that reads the lines sequentially.
2-D Stacked Bar Code (PDF417)
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• The technical problems encountered in reading a stacked bar code

include:
1. Keeping track of the different rows during scanning.
2. Dealing with scanning swaths that cross between rows.
3. Detecting and correcting localized errors.

• As in linear bar codes, printing defects in the 2-D bar codes are also a
problem.
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Matrix symbologies:
• A matrix symbology consists of 2-D patterns of data cells that are usually
square and are colored dark (usually black) or white.
• They have capability to store more data than stacked bar codes.
• They also have potential for higher data densities.
• Their disadvantage compared to stacked bar codes is that they are more
complicated, which requires more sophisticated printing and reading
equipment.
• The symbols must be produced (during printing) and interpreted (during
reading) both horizontally and vertically; they are sometimes referred to as
area symbologies.
• Applications of the matrix symbologies are currently found in part and
product identification during manufacturing and assembly.
2-D Matrix Bar Code (Data Matrix)
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Radio frequency identification:

• In radio frequency identification, an “identification tag” containing
electronically coded data is attached to the subject item and communicates
these data by RF to a reader as the item passes.
• The reader decodes and validates the RF signal prior to transmitting the
associated data to a collection computer system.
• In addition, radio frequency technology is widely used to augment bar
code identification by providing the communication link between remote
bar code readers and some central terminal.
• This application is called radio frequency data communication.
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• Although the type of RF signal is similar to those used in wireless

television transmission, there are differences in how RF technology is used
in product identification.
• One difference is that the communication is in two directions rather than in
one direction as in commercial radio and TV.
• The identification tag is a transponder which is a device capable of
emitting a signal of its own when it receives a signal from an external
source.
• To be activated, the reader transmits a low-level RF magnetic field that
serves as the power source for the transponder when in close-enough
proximity.
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• Another difference between RFID and commercial radio and TV is that the
signal power is substantially lower in identification applications and
communication distances usually range between several millimeters and
several meters.
• The communication distance can be increased by the use of battery-
powered tags, capable of transmitting the ID data over greater distances
(typically 10 m and more).
• These battery-powered tags are called active tags, as opposed to the
traditional passive tags, which have no battery.
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• One of the initial use of RFID was for tracking railway cargo.
• In this application, the term “tag” may be misleading, because a brick-
sized container was used to house the electronics for data storage and RF
communication.
• Subsequent applications use tags available in a variety of different forms,
such as credit-card-sized plastic labels for product identification and very
small glass capsules injected into wild animals for tracking and research
purposes.
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• Identification tags in RFID are usually read-only devices that contain up to

20 characters of data representing the item identification and other
information that is to be communicated.
• Advances in the technology have provided much higher data storage
capacity and the ability to change the data in the tag (read/write tag).
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Advantages of RFID include:

• Identification does not depend on physical contact or direct line of sight
observation by reader.
• Much more data can be contained in the identification tag than with most
ADC technologies.
• Data in the read/write tags can be altered for historical usage purposes or
reuse of the tag.
• The disadvantage of RFID is that:
• The hardware tends to be more expensive than for most other ADC
technologies.
• They are also used for identifying railroad cars and in highway trucking
applications where the environment and conditions make other methods of
identification infeasible.
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Magnetic stripes:
• Magnetic stripes attached to the product or container are used for item
identification in factory and warehouse applications.
• A magnetic stripe is a thin plastic film containing small magnetic particles
whose pole orientation can be used to encode bits of data into the film.
• The film can be incased in or attached to a plastic card or paper ticket for
automatic identification.
• These are the same type of magnetic stripes used to encode data onto
plastic credit cards and bank access cards.
• Two advantages of magnetic stripes are their large data storage capacity
and the ability to alter the data contained in them.
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• Although they are widely used in financial community, their use seems to
be declining in shop floor control applications for the following reasons:
1. The magnetic stripe must be in contact with the scanning equipment
for reading to be accomplished.
2. Unavailability of convenient shop floor encoding methods to write
data into the stripe.
3. Magnetic stripe labels are more expensive than bar code labels.
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Optical character recognition:

• Optical character recognition refers to the use of specially designed
alphanumeric characters that are machine readable by an optical reading
device.
• Optical character recognition is a 2-D symbology, and scanning involves
interpretation of both the vertical and horizontal features of each character
during decoding.
• Accordingly, when manually operated scanners are used, a certain level of
skill is required by the human operator, and first read rates are low.
• The substantial benefit of OCR technology is that the character and
associated text can be read by humans as well as by machines.
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For factory and warehouse applications, the list of disadvantages

include:
1. The requirement for near-contact scanning
2. Lower scanning rates
3. Higher error rates compared to bar code scanning