Home | Insert Special ASCII Characters (for header, group separator, and trailer) into a 2D Data Matrix Barcode for MIL-STD-130N Compliance – CODESOFT Instructions
Print or Email this article

Insert Special ASCII Characters (for header, group separator, and trailer) into a 2D Data Matrix Barcode for MIL-STD-130N Compliance – CODESOFT Instructions

Target Audience: Advanced User, IT Manager, IT Support
Article #: 11515

Summary

This instruction article explains how to insert special ASCII characters into a 2D Data Matrix barcode for MIL-STD-130N (“Identification Marking of U.S. Military Property”) compliance using CODESOFT.

Preparation

You will need:

  • The latest version of CODESOFT installed on your work station.
  • A 2D Data Matrix barcode object.

Instructions

  1. Open the target label design file.
  2. In Data Sources, select Formula > 2D Barcode.
Select 2D Barcode under Formula in the Data Sources window.
  1. Ensure that Software formula is selected in the pulldown menu.
  2. In the text box, enter a formula to represent the data that the Data Matrix barcode needs to address.
  3. When a special ASCII character is required, such as for Record Separator (RS), Group Separator (GS) or End of Transmission (EOT), select the area of the formula where it will be placed and click on the Insert ASCII button to expand the ASCII Table.
2D Barcode Formula Window with the formula highlighted along with the Insert ASCII button and the desired ASCII code.
  1. Select from the list and press the Insert button at the bottom.
The ASCII Table contains the codes for the commonly-used values, such as RS, GS, and EOT.
  1. The generator will insert the code for the special character which will appear in the formula as “&char(xx)&” with “xx” being the appropriate number. The Preview section will display the Value (GS, RS, etc.) in within braces (or curly brackets) “{ }”.
    NOTE: It is important to remember that “{GS}” shown, for example, is just the human-readable representation for a machine-readable symbol that will be embedded in the 2D barcode.
  2. Press OK when done with the formula.

Example:

To get this expression in the barcode:
[)>{RS}06{GS}17V97384{GS}1P40393-95680-1{GS}S605{RS}{EOT}

You will need to use this formula:
“[)>”&char(30)&”06″&char(29)&”17V97384″&char(29)&”1P40393-95680-1″&char(29)&”S605″&char(30)&char(4)

The ASCII character generation process.

Additional Comments

Tested Using: CODESOFT v2019

If you need further assistance, please contact us.

Author

Dave Klement

Was this article helpful?

Related Articles