Zebra Technologies EPL2 - Manual (Page 33)

B Command - Bar Code
Code 128 Bar Code
Function Characters
(continued)
A single FCN4 toggles between standard and
extended ASCII mode for only a single follow-
ing data character. This is referred to as shifting
into extended ASCII mode or shifting into stan-
dard ASCII mode.
Both code sets A and B are needed to represent
the entire extended ASCII character set, just as
both sets are needed to represent the standard
ASCII character set.
FCN4 s can be inserted manually, if necessary
or desired, by following the syntax described
above. The printer will, however, insert them
automatically if extended ASCII characters are
encountered in the DATA. It will do so in the
most efficient manner possible:
· If up to 4 contiguous extended ASCII charac-
ters are encountered, it will shift into extended
ASCII mode by inserting a single FCN4 be-
fore each one;
· If 5 or more contiguous extended ASCII char-
acters are encountered, it will latch into ex-
tended ASCII mode by inserting two FCN4 s
before them.
· While latched into extended ASCII mode, it
will apply the same rules if standard ASCII
characters are encountered.
Thus, the preferred way to encode extended
ASCII characters is to simply embed them in the
DATA and let the printer manage the encoding
task. For best results, the code set should also
not be specified (i.e., p4 = 1). FCN4 s should
be manually inserted only in systems where ex-
tended ASCII characters cannot be transmitted
to the printer.
it is illegal to mix automatic and manual modes
within the data for a single symbol; i.e., an extended
ASCII character encountered in the data after an will
be considered a syntax error. Likewise, an FCN4 af-
ter an extended ASCII character will also be consid-
ered a syntax error.
980352-001 Rev.A
3-15