Bar Code 39
CODE 39 is an alphanumeric symbology with some ASCII characters available. Although it is a self checking symbology, check characters may be used when number integrity has a high priority. State-of-the-art handheld scanners; however, make the use of this check character redundant. According to ANSI Standards, Code 39 has a standard density of 9.4 cpi (characters per inch) but greater cpi is possible. It is important to remember that the narrow element in a high-density code can be a problem to some scanners, which makes it imperative that all the equipment used to read these ultra high-density codes be checked for compatibility before any ultra high-density labels are specified. Because of its alphanumeric capability, it is possible to produce more than 102 million unique labels with only 5 characters.
Code 39 is accepted by AIM, NEMA, DOD, NASA, and most FORTUNE 500 companies.
wide (4 spaces, 5 bars)
Applications For Code 39:
- Healthcare
- Graphics
- Manufacturing
- Automotive
- Electronics
- Paper
- Transportation
Code 39 Options:
- Increase the CPI
- Convert from Base 10 to a higher Base
Increase the characters per inch:
In an eight character Code 39 bar code (plus start & stop character), increasing code density from 7.6 cpi to 17.0 cpi can generate a 55% reduction in width of bar code. Before specifying an ultra-high density code, be sure and match the scanner to the bar code.
| Number of Characters | CPI | Width of bar code | % Variance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 + S&S=10 | 7.6 | 1.32" | 100% |
| 8 + S&S=10 | 9.4 | 1.06" | 80.3% |
| 8 + S&S=10 | 11.0 | 0.91" | 68.9% |
| 8 + S&S=10 | 14.0 | 0.71" | 53.8% |
| 8 + S&S=10 | 17.0 | 0.59" | 44.6% |
Convert from Base 10 to a higher Base for storage of variable data:
| Heading 1 | Heading 2 |
|---|---|
| Base 10: | 0-9 (all numeric) |
| Base 24: | A-Z (all alpha) |
| Base 30: | 0-9 and A-Z deleting A, E, I, O, U and Q |
| Base 34: | 0-9 and A-Z deleting I and O |
| Base 36: | 0-9 and A-Z (alphanumeric) |
| Base 43: | 0-9 and A-Z plus -, .,$, /, +, %, and space |
To illustrate the impact of changing from Base 10 to another Base, a 5-character bar code is shown:
| BASE: | NUMBER OF VARIABLES: |
|---|---|
| 10 | 100,000 |
| 24 | 7,962,624 |
| 30 | 24,300,000 |
| 34 | 45,435,424 |
| 36 | 60,466,176 |
| 43 | 137,008,443 |
