Code 16K
Code 16K is a multi-row barcode developed by Ted Williams at Laserlight Systems in 1988. In the USA and France, the code is used in the electronics industry for marking chips and printed circuit boards. Applications in the medical sector in the USA are also known.
Structure
The code is based on the structure of the Universal Product Code and Code 128. 77 ASCII characters or 154 digits can be encoded on an area of 2.4 cm2. The number of rows varies between 2 and 16.
To ensure a high level of error security, Code 16K offers three forms of error detection:
- The parity is checked for each character.
- Each line is recognized indirectly via the display of a start/stop character
- Two checksum characters are appended at the end of the code.
Code 16K exists in three versions (A, B, and C). With an extended decoder, the code can be identified by all conventional readers. Before decoding, the entire block of the code must have been captured.
An exact code specification is available from the Association for Automated Identification and Mobility.
Bibliography
- BARCODAT: 2D-Code-Fibel. 5th edition. BARCODAT, Dornstetten 2007, online (PDF; 4.35 MB), archive link retrieved on May 11, 2022.
- Bernhard Lenk: Handbuch der automatischen Identifikation. Volume 2: 2D codes, matrix codes, stack codes, composite codes, dot codes. Monika Lenk Fachbuchverlag, Kirchheim unter Teck 2002, ISBN 3-935551-01-0.