Bar Code Symbology
MS-850 Raster Scanner User’s Manual
A-17
Appe
ndices
Appendix H — Bar Code Symbology
Bar code labels should meet minimum ANSI (American National Standards Institute)
standards as specified in ANSI Bar Code Print Quality Guideline, X3.182-1990.
The MS-850 scanner software supports the following bar code symbologies.
Code 39
. An alphanumeric code with unique start/stop code patterns, composed of
nine black and white elements per character, three of which are always wide. Con-
sidered the de facto standard for non-retail symbology.
I
2 of 5.
Interleaved 2 of 5 is a high-density, continuous numeric symbology, used
mainly in the distribution industry.
I
2 of 5 encodes two digits: one in the bars, and
one in the spaces. (A check digit is highly recommended.)
PDF417.
A two-dimensional, multi-row (3 to 90), continuous, variable length sym-
bology that has high data capacity of storing up to 2710 printable ASCII characters.
Each symbol character consists of 4 bars and 4 spaces in a 17-module structure.
UPC and EAN.
UPC (Universal Product Code) is a fixed length numeric, continuous
symbology used in the supermarket and retail industry. The European Article Num-
bering (EAN) system is a well-known variation of UPC. Both UPC and EAN can have
two or five digit supplemental bar code data following the normal code.
Code 128.
A very high density alphanumeric symbology. Will encode all 128 ASCII
characters, it is continuous, has variable length, and uses multiple element widths
measured edge to edge.
Codabar.
A 16-character set (0 through 9, and the characters $, :, /, ., +, and –)
with start/stop codes and at least two distinctly different bar widths.
UCC/EAN-128
. A subset of Code 128. Breaks code into data fields separated by
application identifiers that define data type and length.
AIAG
. Based on Code 39 and named for Automotive Industry Action Group. Has four
required data areas (Part No., Quantity, Supplier, and Serial No.) and additional spe-
cial data areas. A data identifier, one or two ASCII characters, immediately follows
the start character of each bar code symbol and is used to identify the information
to follow.
Code 93.
Code 93 is a variable length, continuous symbology employing four ele-
ment widths. Each Code 93 character has nine modules that may be either black or
white. Each character contains three bars and three spaces. Each character begins
with a bar and ends with a space. This is a (9,3) code hence the name. Code 93 has
47 characters in its character set. The start/stop code is represented by the symbol
?, and the four unique circle codes, ($), (%), (/), and (+), are used as precedence
characters to unambiguously represent all 128 ASCII characters.
