meaningful data and provides the interface to other devices. The decoder is normally integrated into the scanner.

EAN

European Article Number System. The international standard barcode for retail food packages.

EEPROM

Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. An on-board non-volatile memory chip.

Full Duplex

Simultaneous, two-way, independent transmission in both directions.

Half Duplex

Transmission in either direction, but not simultaneously.

Host

A computer that serves other terminals in a network, providing services such as network control, database access, special programs, supervisory programs, or programming languages.

Interface

A shared boundary defined by common physical interconnection characteristics, signal characteristics and meanings of interchanged signals.

LED (Light Emitting Diode)

A low power electronic device that can serve as a visible or near infrared light source when voltage is applied continuously or in pulses. It is commonly used as an indicator light and uses less power than an incandescent light bulb but more than a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). LEDs have extremely long lifetimes when properly operated.

Multidrop Line

A single communications circuit that interconnects many stations, each of which contains terminal devices. See RS485.

Parameter

A value that you specify to a program. Typically parameters are set to configure a device to have particular operating characteristics.

Picket-Fence Orientation

When the barcode’s bars are positioned vertically on the product, causing them to appear as a picket fence. The first bar will enter the scan window first. See par. 3.2.2.

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