The Facts about UID

UID is a special way of marking products and items with unique tags. The process was initiated by the Department of Defense, US as a measure to prevent misuse, misplacement, piracy, and duplicacy of commodities and items owned by the government.

What is special about the improved UID labels?

UID markings are a special, unique type of code – and include a special bar code. The technology currently used to mark items is called 2D Data Matrix. Data Matrix is a 2-dimensional “barcode” that is usually square but can also be rectangular. Data matrix UID labels improve the functionality of the more standard barcodes because they can contain 100 times the information of a standard code (often in considerably less space), and can be damaged and still return accurate data. Every code is unique and can be used for only one item. It will not be reused, even when the original item is no longer in service. This unique identifier renders a product distinguishable amongst an entire collection.

How is the information read?

MIL STD 129 states that all manufacturers must mark items with a UID or UID label affixed in an easily visible location. A special scanner is then used to read the UID. MIL STD 129 also gives detailed compliance standards and requirements for scanners and verifiers. The scanners that read Data Matrix UID labels are special 2D scanners; a standard linear laser scanner cannot read a Data Matrix UID label.

The need for scanners:

Data contained on UID labels is read and recorded by the scanner. This creates a database containing information on every single asset owned by the DoD, making it easy to track those assets throughout their lifecycle.
The types of scanners:

A scanner prominently serves to improve compliance parameters for UID marked articles. This being the prime concern the market has a great range of collection to choose from. Amongst the variety one quality choice is the Lockheed Martin IUID scanner.

Why use the Lockheed Martin IUID scanner?

There are a number of scanners on the market. The advanced features and functions of the Lockheed Martin IUID scanner comply with all MIL STD 129 rules. It can perform its basic scanning function, along with additional support activities such as:

• 2D barcode support
• “out-of-box” support for UID
• Visible ASCII 0-31 Support
• UID Validation w/UII Output
• Validation Error Reporting
• Custom UID Parsing
• Setup Software Requirements
• Custom Prefix, Suffix Definition
• On-board Database Lookup
• Photo Capture
• Support Custom Applications

A cost effective and efficient choice, Lockheed Martin IUID scanner is a multi-tasker. It will help systemize your entire work flow and will provide accurate readings every time. To learn more about this scanner, visit ID Integration, Inc. at www.id-integration.com for more information and photos.