Specifications

Table Of Contents
Code 3 of 9 (Code 39)
Code 3 of 9, or Code 39, is a symbology used
widely in industrial applications. This symbol
was invented by Dr. David Allais and the Uni
-
form Symbology Specification was developed
by AIM USA. The Department of Defense, the
health industry, and the automotive industry
have also adopted Code 39 as their industry
standard.
Character Set -0-9,A-Z,-,.,%,/,$,space, +, *
Encodation - Five bars and four spaces are re
-
quired to encode a character. Three of the nine
bars and spaces are wide while the other six are
narrow.
Start/Stop Pattern - Always the character “*”.
Code Type - Binary, varying length.
Human-Readable - Optional, although it is
typically used
Check Character - Optional (modulus 43 cal-
culation)
Encoded Information - Contingent upon
data requirements
Allowable Sizes -
·
Minimum “X” Dimension: .0075 inches
·
Wide to Narrow Ratio:
·
2:1 to 3:1 for “X” Dimension greater than
.020 inches
·
2.2:1 to 3:1 for “X” Dimension less than .020
inches
Allowable Symbol Height - The greater of
.25 inch or 15% of the symbol length.
Code 128
980009-001 Rev.F D-7
Appendix D - Bar Code Information