Appendix f: specifications for code 39, Appendix f, Specifications for code 39 – Worth Data 5000 User Manual
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Appendix F:
Specifications for Code 39
Code 39 (or Code 3 of 9) is the de facto standard of non-retail American industry. It is widely used in the automotive industry (AIAG
specifications) as well as in government and military applications (LOGMARS specifications). Code 39 is flexible, features a large
character set, variable data length and density, and bi-directional readability. Code 39 is extremely accurate; substitution errors are
almost nonexistent. Its character set consists of numbers 0 through 9, upper case A-Z, and characters Space, $,
%. / + and -.
The name "Code 39" comes from both the fact that its character set originally contained 39 characters (it now has
43) and from its structure. Each character is formed of three wide and six narrow elements, made up of five bars
and four spaces. Code 39's density can vary from a low of .75 characters per inch (cpi) to a high of 9.4 cpi.
There should be a ¼" "quiet zone" (white space) to the left and right of the bar code. Code 39 uses an asterisk (*)
as a start and stop character. This character must precede and follow the data in the bar code. The TriCoder gives you the option of
transmitting or not transmitting these characters when the bar code is read.
Exact specifications for Code 39 and other bar code symbologies can be obtained from ANSI at the address below:
American National Standards Institute
Customer Service
11 West 42
nd
St.
New York, NY 10036
document ANSI/AIM BC1-1995
Code 39 has several advanced features and functions that are discussed further in this appendix.
*C39*