ISO/IEC 15424:2008
(Main)Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Data Carrier Identifiers (including Symbology Identifiers)
Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture techniques — Data Carrier Identifiers (including Symbology Identifiers)
The need exists to identify the data carrier a reader detects in autodiscrimination environments. The Symbology Identifier concept provides a standardized way for a device receiving data from a reader to differentiate between the data carriers. ISO/IEC 15424:2008 deals mostly with bar code symbologies; the terms Symbology Identifier, symbology, and bar code are therefore used throughout ISO/IEC 15424:2008 although they are intended to apply to other data carriers as well. This identification is achieved by the addition of an optional feature to readers enabling the reader to prefix a standard string of characters to data messages. This preamble contains information about the decoded symbol (or other data carrier) and any processing the reader has done. The information is not encoded or otherwise explicitly or implicitly represented in the symbol, except that the presence of some optional features may be detected by the reading equipment, whereas others require the reader to be expressly configured to implement them. ISO/IEC 15424:2008 should be read in conjunction with the relevant symbology specifications. ISO/IEC 15424:2008 applies to automatic identification device communication conventions and standardizes the reporting of data carriers from bar code readers and other automatic identification equipment. It specifies a preamble message generated by the reader and interpretable by the receiving system, which indicates the bar code symbology or other origin of transmitted data, together with details of certain specified optional processing features associated with the data message.
Technologies de l'information — Techniques automatiques d'identification et de capture des données — Identifiants de porteuses de données (y compris les identifiants de symbologie)
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Standards Content (Sample)
INTERNATIONAL ISO/IEC
STANDARD 15424
Second edition
2008-07-15
Information technology — Automatic
identification and data capture
techniques — Data Carrier Identifiers
(including Symbology Identifiers)
Technologies de l'information — Techniques automatiques
d'identification et de capture des données — Identifiants de porteuses
de données (y compris les identifiants de symbologie)
Reference number
ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
©
ISO/IEC 2008
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ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
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ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions, and abbreviated terms . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions. 1
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 2
4 Requirements . 2
4.1 Applicability. 2
4.2 Structure . 2
4.3 Code characters. 3
4.4 Modifier characters. 3
4.4.1 Code 39 . 4
4.4.2 Telepen . 4
4.4.3 Code 128 . 4
4.4.4 Channel Code. 5
4.4.5 Code One . 5
4.4.6 Data Matrix. 5
4.4.7 EAN/UPC. 6
4.4.8 RSS (Reduced Space Symbology) and EAN.UCC Composite . 6
4.4.9 Codabar . 6
4.4.10 Code 93 and 93i. 7
4.4.11 Code 11 . 8
4.4.12 Interleaved 2 of 5. 8
4.4.13 Code 16K . 8
4.4.14 PDF417 and MicroPDF417 . 8
4.4.15 MSI. 9
4.4.16 Anker Code. 9
4.4.17 Codablock. 9
4.4.18 OCR (Optical Character Recognition). 9
4.4.19 Plessey Code. 9
4.4.20 PosiCode . 10
4.4.21 QR Code. 10
4.4.22 Straight 2 of 5 (with two bar start/stop codes) . 10
4.4.23 Straight 2 of 5 (with three bar start/stop codes). 10
4.4.24 SuperCode. 11
4.4.25 Code 49 . 11
4.4.26 MaxiCode . 11
4.4.27 Other bar code . 11
4.4.28 Non-bar code. 12
4.4.29 Aztec Code . 12
Annex A (normative) Maintenance . 13
Annex B (normative) Symbology emulation. 14
Annex C (informative) Reference documents. 16
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ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (the International Electrotechnical
Commission) form the specialized system for worldwide standardization. National bodies that are members of
ISO or IEC participate in the development of International Standards through technical committees
established by the respective organization to deal with particular fields of technical activity. ISO and IEC
technical committees collaborate in fields of mutual interest. Other international organizations, governmental
and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO and IEC, also take part in the work. In the field of information
technology, ISO and IEC have established a joint technical committee, ISO/IEC JTC 1.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of the joint technical committee is to prepare International Standards. Draft International
Standards adopted by the joint technical committee are circulated to national bodies for voting. Publication as
an International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the national bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO/IEC 15424 was prepared by Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC1, Information technology,
Subcommittee SC 31, Automatic identification and data capture techniques.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC 15424:2000), which has been technically
revised.
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ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
Introduction
The need exists to identify the data carrier a reader detects in autodiscrimination environments. The
Symbology Identifier concept provides a standardized way for a device receiving data from a reader to
differentiate between the data carriers. This International Standard deals mostly with bar code symbologies;
the terms Symbology Identifier, symbology, and bar code are therefore used throughout this International
Standard although they are intended to apply to other data carriers as well.
This identification is achieved by the addition of an optional feature to readers enabling the reader to prefix a
standard string of characters to data messages. This preamble contains information about the decoded
symbol (or other data carrier) and any processing the reader has done. The information is not encoded or
otherwise explicitly or implicitly represented in the symbol, except that the presence of some optional features
may be detected by the reading equipment, whereas others require the reader to be expressly configured to
implement them.
This International Standard is intended to be read in conjunction with the relevant symbology specifications.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
Information technology — Automatic identification and data
capture techniques — Data Carrier Identifiers (including
Symbology Identifiers)
1 Scope
This International Standard applies to automatic identification device communication conventions and
standardizes the reporting of data carriers from bar code readers and other automatic identification equipment.
It specifies a preamble message generated by the reader and interpretable by the receiving system, which
indicates the bar code symbology or other origin of transmitted data, together with details of certain specified
optional processing features associated with the data message.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO/IEC 646:1991, Information technology — ISO 7-bit coded character set for information interchange
ISO/IEC 19762 (all parts), Information technology — Automatic identification and data capture (AIDC)
techniques — Harmonized vocabulary
AIM Inc. International Technical Specification: Extended Channel Interpretations — Part 1: Identification
Schemes and Protocols
AIM Inc. International Technical Specification: Extended Channel Interpretations — Part 2: Registration
Procedure for Coded Character Sets and Other Data Formats
AIM Inc. International Technical Specification: Extended Channel Interpretations — Character Set Register
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO/IEC 19762 and the following apply.
3.1.1
code character
second character in the symbology identifier string, which usually indicates to the host the bar code
symbology of the symbol which has been read
3.1.2
flag character
first character in the symbology identifier string, which indicates to the host that it and the characters following
are the symbology identifier characters
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ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
3.1.3
modifier character(s)
one or more characters following the code character in the symbology identifier string, indicating optional
features or processing applied to the symbol
3.1.4
FNC1, FNC2, FNC3, FNC4
special function character used for specific purposes in certain symbologies
3.2 Abbreviated terms
3.2.1
ECI
Extended Channel Interpretations
3.2.2
OCR
Optical Character Recognition
3.2.3
RF
Radio Frequency
4 Requirements
4.1 Applicability
This International Standard identifies symbologies for which a symbology specification has been published by
ISO/IEC JTC 1, AIM Global, or another recognized international standards body. In addition there is a fixed
number of symbologies which do not have a full standard but do have a reference document available from
AIM Global. These symbologies are included in this International Standard because of their historical usage.
4.2 Structure
The symbology identifier shall be an ASCII character string prefixed by the reading equipment to the data
contained in a bar code symbol.
The structure of the symbology identifier string shall be as follows:
]cm.
where ] (ASCII value 93) represents the symbology identifier flag character;
c represents the code character as defined in Table 1;
m. represents the modifier character(s) as defined for the symbology in question.
NOTE The sign ] is the character assigned to ASCII value 93 in the United States ASCII character set in accordance
with ISO/IEC 646.
If a reader is enabled to transmit symbology identifiers, it shall always transmit a symbology identifier at the
beginning of each message. The application must know whether or not the reader has symbology identifiers
enabled. Therefore, the symbol data may start with a ] and still be interpreted unambiguously.
When these ASCII characters are transmitted in a 16-bit (double byte) system, an 8-bit byte of all zeros shall
be transmitted before each of the above ASCII characters (bytes).
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ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
4.3 Code characters
Code characters shall be drawn from the set of upper- and lower-case alphabetic letters A through Z (ASCII
values 65 through 90) and a through z (ASCII values 97 through 122). The currently assigned code characters
are listed in Table 1. These code characters are case sensitive, i.e. a capital “A” is a different code character
from a lower case “a”.
The code character Y is not assigned to a specific symbology but will be used for system expansion. The first
modifier character following Y will be a digit from 1 to 9 defining the number of remaining modifier characters
in the symbology identifier prefix string.
All code characters not given here are reserved for future use. Maintenance of the list of code characters (and
of options given in 4.3) shall be in accordance with annex A of this International Standard.
Certain symbologies emulate the data content of other symbologies, using their assigned symbology identifier.
See annex B.
Table 1 — Code characters
Code char. Symbology Code char. Symbology
A Code 39 a reserved
B Telepen b reserved
C Code 128 c Channel Code
D Code One d Data Matrix
E EAN/UPC e RSS and EAN.UCC Composite
F Codabar f reserved
G Code 93 g reserved
H Code 11 h reserved
I Interleaved 2 of 5 i reserved
J reserved j reserved
K Code 16K k reserved
L PDF417 and MicroPDF417 l reserved
M MSI m reserved
N Anker n reserved
O Codablock o OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
P Plessey Code p PosiCode
Q QR Code and QR Code 2005 q reserved
R Straight 2 of 5 (with two bar start/stop codes) r reserved
S Straight 2 of 5 (with three bar start/stop codes) s SuperCode
T Code 49 t reserved
U MaxiCode u reserved
V reserved v reserved
W reserved w reserved
X Other bar code x reserved
Y System expansion y reserved
Z Non-bar code z Aztec Code
4.4 Modifier characters
Some symbologies covered by this International Standard contain optional features which need to be
indicated to the receiving equipment to enable them to be correctly processed. This optional processing is
indicated by the modifier character(s).
Each symbology has a different set of optional features. These are listed in the following subclauses.
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ISO/IEC 15424:2008(E)
To determine the modifier character(s) for an application, refer to the subclause corresponding to the
symbology concerned. Listed in this subclause may be one or more processing options, each of which has an
assigned option value. The precise interpretation of the option should be obtained by reference to the relevant
symbology specification. The modifier characters define the options available for the code character. The
number of modifier characters and their meaning is defined for each of the code characters. The first modifier
character shall be from the set {0 to 9, A to Z, a to z}; in some instances the character may represent a
hexadecimal value (0 to F) corresponding to the sum of active processing options.
Where no options are indicated in the subclauses, the modifier character to be transmitted is 0. Values which
are not included in the modifier values of a subclause are reserved for future use.
Check character options listed in the subclauses below indicate the basis of calculation of the check character,
where a check character algorithm has been defined in the symbology specification or reference document.
Symbologies that support the ECI protocol have one or more modifiers to indicate that the ECI protocol is
being used. Unless otherwise stated, the default ECI interpretation for these symbologies is \000003.
4.4.1 Code 39
Code character: A
Modifier Option
character value
0 No check character validation nor full ASCII processing; all data transmitted as decoded
1 Modulo 43 check character validated and transmitted
3 Modulo 43 check character validated but not transmitted
4 Full ASCII character conversion performed; no check character validation
5 Full ASCII character conversion performed; modulo 43 check character validated and transmitted
7 Full ASCII character conversion
...
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