10
Bar code reader
User Information
The printed EAN/JAN-13 symbol is divided into left and right
halves by a pattern of narrow bars and spaces. Two different
code pattern sets are defined for the left side and one for the
right side. Bars and spaces may be 1, 2, 3, or 4 units wide.
The left side contains the code patterns for the
country-of-origin characters and the first five data characters.
The last five data characters and the checksum character are on
the right side.
The first country-of-origin character determines which of the
left side pattern sets to use for the rest of the left side
characters. For example, call the left side pattern sets A and B.
If the first country-of-origin character is 0, the second country
of origin character and the first five data characters will all be
encoded using pattern set A (AAAAAA). If it is 1, the pattern
sets for the left side are AABABB.
A different pattern set is used for the right side characters.
EAN/JAN-8 codes
This is a variation on the EAN/JAN-13 codes. The left
side
consists of the two country-of-origin characters and the first
two data characters, all encoded using the left side A pattern
set.
The right side contains the last three data characters and the
checksum character, all encoded as right side characters.
Table 3
EAN/JAN-13 code properties
Character set
Numerals: 0 to 9
Message length
13 (2 country-of-origin characters, 10 data characters,
1 checksum character)
Checksum
Required