Hardware Podcasts

S4E48 Paul McEnroe | Inventing the Barcode (UPC) & Scanner

Being an Engineer · 15 Dec 2023 · 58m · Episode 48

What this episode covers

Paul McEnroe, the primary inventor of the Universal Product Code (UPC) and the handheld barcode scanner, discusses the history and engineering behind the technology. He explains how IBM's internal 'pseudo-startup' in Silicon Valley addressed retail inventory and checkout speed issues by developing a reliable optical scanning system using helium-neon lasers. McEnroe details the specific engineering challenge of ink variance in low-cost store printers and how his team's error-canceling measurement technique allowed the UPC to win against competitors like the Bull's-Eye code. He also describes the political maneuvering required to get the code selected by the Supermarket Institute without triggering backlash against IBM's dominance.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
IBM, NCR, McKenzie, Patel, Supermarket Institute, GS1
Products
UPC, Bull's-Eye code, QR code
Chips
Helium-neon laser

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Product Startup · 18m

    189: The Power of Your Team in Building Hardware Innovations

    Paul McEnroe, the creator of the UPC barcode standard while at IBM, discusses the critical importance of team composition and communication in building hardware innovations. He explains how he assembled a diverse group of senior experts to develop the barcode system, emphasizing the need for complementary technical skills and a shared goal. McEnroe highlights specific leadership strategies, such as using debate skills to simplify complex technical concepts for executives and actively soliciting input from quieter team members to ensure all insights are captured.

    Leadership, teams & cultureStarting a product company
    6 chapters

  • How I Built This · 1h 11m

    Square: Jim McKelvey. He Lost a $2,000 Sale, Then Built a $10 Billion Company

    Jim McKelvey, co-founder of Square (now Block), explains how a lost $2,000 glass art sale to a customer with only an American Express card inspired the creation of the Square card reader. He details the engineering hack of using the iPhone's headphone jack to read magnetic stripes, bypassing Apple's restrictive dock connector, and the strategic decision to pitch investors with 140 reasons for failure to build trust. McKelvey describes how this 'innovation stack' of 14 necessary inventions protected Square from being crushed by Amazon's cheaper, copied product in 2014, allowing the company to thrive despite regulatory hurdles and legal disputes.

    Industrial & consumer product designPCB design & layout
    8 chapters

  • How I Built This · 38m

    Compaq Computers: Rod Canion

    Rod Canion, who co-founded Compaq with Jim Harris and Bill Murto, explains how they reverse-engineered the IBM PC to create the first portable IBM-compatible computer, the Compaq Portable. Canion details the strategic decision to reverse-engineer the ROM legally, the rapid prototyping process that resulted in a rugged 28-pound device, and the pivotal moment when IBM launched its own portable, causing Compaq's orders to vanish. He describes the high-stakes gamble of continuing production and storing inventory in trailers, betting that IBM's product would be delayed or inferior, a strategy that ultimately allowed Compaq to outsell IBM's portable and establish the IBM-compatible PC standard.

    Starting a product companyMechanical engineering
    11 chapters

  • People of Packaging · 35m

    349 - Why all your UPC barcodes might be going away soon! Ned Mears from GS1

    Ned Mears, Senior Director of Global Standards at GS1 US, explains the industry-wide shift from 1D UPC barcodes to 2D barcodes under the 'Sunrise 2027' initiative. He details how adding dynamic data like expiration dates can reduce food waste by up to 40% and enable serialized identity for inventory management. Mears discusses the convergence of RFID and QR codes, allowing brands to capture direct consumer data and control digital experiences at the point of sale.

    Packaging designSourcing & supply chain
    7 chapters

  • Moore's Lobby · 2m

    Tune in for Season 3 of Moore's Lobby

    Host Daniel Bogdanoff introduces Season 3 of Moore's Lobby, highlighting upcoming conversations with industry leaders from NASA, IBM, and Google. The episode features clips from Season 2, including Massimo Banzi, co-founder of Arduino, and Luis Barroso, Senior VP of Engineering at Google, who describes early data center redundancy methods. It also showcases Steve Sanghi, CEO of Microchip, discussing his turnaround of the company from near-bankruptcy to a $5.5 billion tech giant.

    Careers & educationConnected products & IoT
    4 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Being an Engineer. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.