Abstract: An optical sensing member for reading a coded member having parallel aligned tracks of data and clocking coded symbols which includes a pair of sensing apertures offset to enable the sensing of the data track to occur out of phase with the sensing of the clocking track. The sensing member includes a housing having a sensing surface in which the offset apertures are located, a light source, a pair of photo-transistors for sensing the tracks of coded symbols and optical fibers for transmitting light from the light source to the tracks of coded symbols and the reflected light to the photo-transistors for the reading of the coded members.

Abstract: A transition code processing system which includes a record member on which is located a plurality of bar code symbols, each of which comprises a data channel and a clocking channel. The record member is inserted into a data terminal device and intermittently driven through a printing station in which a sensing member senses the data channel out of phase with the sensing of the clocking channel and generates signals in response thereto. A circuit coupled to the sensing member will process the generated signals and transmit the processed signals to a utilization device. Upon processing the signals representing the last bar code symbol on the record member, the circuit will generate a control signal for stopping the movement of the record member through the printing station, thereby conditioning the record member for a subsequent printing operation.