AUTOMATIC IDENTIFICATION (AUTO ID)

Automatic identification is a form of automatic discovery of objects. For example, to specify the name products at counters (using barcode), or attendance per access at control doors…

Nowadays, there are many automatic identification technologies applied to practical life. In Vietnam, there are also many types of identification technologies which have been widely applied.

1/ Barcode technology

Barcode technology is one of the most widely applied recognition technology with a lot of advantages. Furthermore, device which can read and record relatively simple barcode is very popular, reasonable price. Barcode printing equipment only needs a regular printer to perform. Over the past few decades, barcode is widely used in the retail industry as well as large supermarkets and chain stores, with the aim of reducing costs, increasing efficiency and productivity. With these advantages, the application of barcode technology is a new direction for enterprises in our country at present.

- Commodity barcodes (EAN 13):

o EAN-13 or EAN.UCC-13 or DUN-13 used to be under control of European Article Numbering system The European (stand for EAN), now under the management of EAN- UCC.

o Code EAN-13 i is a sequence consisting of 13 digits (from 0 to 9), it's divided into 4 groups, each group of significance are as follows: Group 1: From left to right, the first two or three digits are the code of the country (territory); Group 2: the next four, five or six digits are the enterprise code; Group 3: the follow five, four or three digits are goods code; Group 4: the last digits (right) are the test code.

o Uses: Each product is manufactured in Vietnam must be registered in a barcode according to EAN 13 standard. This has been applied in Vietnam since 893….

- Serial number barcode: CODE 128. Contains both letters and digits which are possibly encrypted. Applied at toll collection stations, parking lots

- QR barcode: usually applied to mobile software, website links

- Two-dimensional barcode: contains up to 1024 letters, digits. Applied to report data encryption. Vietnamese tax service has been applying.

2/ Radio frequency identification (RFID)

The targets are attached a stamp / RFID card, the device will read the object code when vehicles pass through the radio waves area. For example: attach UHF stamp on books/ documents in libraries, radio equipment will discover readers with books access the library. In the other case, each employee was issued a touch card to open door each access time.

Note: Magnetic card (with black lines) is now out of date, and only uses for ATM card. Magnetic and RFID card are completely different, some people mistakenly believe that RFID card is magnetic card.