Barcode 128

Question 1

How to encrypt using Barcode 128 cipher?

Answer

Encryption uses the EAN-128 barcode coding standard which includes 3 encoding tables: the 128A, 128B and 128C codes.

The barcode therefore includes alternate black and white lines of variable width (between 1 and 4).

The code starts with Start and ends with End, between are the characters to encrypt each represented by 6 bars (3 blacks and 3 whites).

Example: DCODE is written with 128B barcode Start, D, C, O, D, E, End thus 211214,112313,131321,133121,112313,132113,2331112

Normally the code 128 includes a checksum (modulo 103).

Question 2

How to decrypt Barcode 128 cipher?

Answer

Decryption requires performing a reading of the bar according to EAN-128 standard. Many app for smartphones facilitate this work.

Example: a barcode has for raw message 2112141123131313211331211123131321132331112

Check the first 6 digits (corresponding to the first 3 black bars and 3 white bars)

Example: 211214 that stands for the Start code for 128B.

Split the message each 6 characters and translate them.

Example: 112313 for character d, then 131321, etc. The message contained in the bar code is dCode.

Question 3

How to recognize 128 Barcode?

Answer

The barcode may have a conventional graphical form (black and white lines similar to zebra's stripes) or a binary equivalent (of 0 to vacuum and 1 white bars) or a base 4 code (1,2,3 and 4 for the size of the bar, alternating black and white).

The bar code may have a variable length. It begins (usually) by Start and ends with the character End (see table).

Question 4

What is the difference between codes 128A, 128B and 128C?

Answer

Coding table 128A has ASCII characters from 00 to 95.

Coding table 128B has ASCII characters from 32 to 127.

Coding table 128C has all numeric values from 00 to 99.

id	bands	128A	128B	128C
0	212222	space	space	00
1	222122	!	!	01
2	222221	"	"	02
3	121223	#	#	03
4	121322	$	$	04
5	131222	%	%	05
6	122213	&	&	06
7	122312			07
8	132212	(	(	08
9	221213	)	)	09
10	221312	*	*	10
11	231212	+	+	11
12	112232	,	,	12
13	122132	-	-	13
14	122231	.	.	14
15	113222	/	/	15
16	123122	0	0	16
17	123221	1	1	17
18	223211	2	2	18
19	221132	3	3	19
20	221231	4	4	20
21	213212	5	5	21
22	223112	6	6	22
23	312131	7	7	23
24	311222	8	8	24
25	321122	9	9	25
26	321221	:	:	26
27	312212	;	;	27
28	322112	<	<	28
29	322211	=	=	29
30	212123	>	>	30
31	212321	?	?	31
32	232121	@	@	32
33	111323	A	A	33
34	131123	B	B	34
35	131321	C	C	35
36	112313	D	D	36
37	132113	E	E	37
38	132311	F	F	38
39	211313	G	G	39
40	231113	H	H	40
41	231311	I	I	41
42	112133	J	J	42
43	112331	K	K	43
44	132131	L	L	44
45	113123	M	M	45
46	113321	N	N	46
47	133121	O	O	47
48	313121	P	P	48
49	211331	Q	Q	49
50	231131	R	R	50
51	213113	S	S	51
52	213311	T	T	52
53	213131	U	U	53
54	311123	V	V	54
55	311321	W	W	55
56	331121	X	X	56
57	312113	Y	Y	57
58	312311	Z	Z	58
59	332111	[	[	59
60	314111	\	\	60
61	221411	]	]	61
62	431111	^	^	62
63	111224	_	_	63
64	111422	NUL	`	64
65	121124	SOH	a	65
66	121421	STX	b	66
67	141122	ETX	c	67
68	141221	EOT	d	68
69	112214	ENQ	e	69
70	112412	ACK	f	70
71	122114	BEL	g	71
72	122411	BS	h	72
73	142112	HT	i	73
74	142211	LF	j	74
75	241211	VT	k	75
76	221114	FF	l	76
77	413111	CR	m	77
78	241112	SO	n	78
79	134111	SI	o	79
80	111242	DLE	p	80
81	121142	DC1	q	81
82	121241	DC2	r	82
83	114212	DC3	s	83
84	124112	DC4	t	84
85	124211	NAK	u	85
86	411212	SYN	v	86
87	421112	ETB	w	87
88	421211	CAN	x	88
89	212141	EM	y	89
90	214121	SUB	z	90
91	412121	ESC	{	91
92	111143	FS	\|	92
93	111341	GS	}	93
94	131141	RS	~	94
95	114113	US	DEL	95
96	114311	FNC3	FNC3	96
97	411113	FNC2	FNC2	97
98	411311	ShiftB	ShiftA	98
99	113141	CodeC	CodeC	99
100	114131	CodeB	FNC4	CodeB
101	311141	FNC4	CodeA	CodeA
102	411131	FNC1	FNC1	FNC1
103	211412	Start A	Start A	Start A
104	211214	Start B	Start B	Start B
105	211232	Start C	Start C	Start C
106	2331112	Stop	Stop	Stop

Question 5

What are the variants of the code 128?

Answer

Other than 128a, 128b and 128c variants, some other norms of barcodes exists such as EAN 8, EAN 13, Code 39, Code 93 or postal barcodes.

The vast majority of barcode standards are accepted by optical (laser) scanners or their software.

Question 6

What does the number/code read means?

Answer

A barcode-128 encodes any string, this string can be anything and can mean anything... If the string is a number, this number can be an id in some database (usually the case for barcode of products), but without the database, it is only a number...

Question 7

Where to download 128 Barcode font?

Answer

dCode shares a character font file (ttf font) here (link) (unknown source, unknown licence)

Barcode 128

Barcode 128 Decoder

Barcode 128 Encoder

Answers to Questions (FAQ)