Bulk Barcode Generator for EAN-128/GS1-128/UCC-128

Barcode Technology - EAN-128 Barcode               Hide the description

EAN-128 barcode, also known as GS1-128/UCC-128. The GS1-128 standard is an application standard within the Code

128 barcode. It identifies data with Application Identifiers (AI).

The GS1-128 is a special form of the Code 128. It's used for goods and palettes in commerce and industry. The name

GS1-128 replaces the old name EAN/UCC 128. There can be coded more than one data field inside one barcode. For example a food palette gets a barcode with the product number (e.g. the EAN 13 number) and additional the weight and the pull date.

Valid characters:  Alphanumeric.

You simply enter the human readable line including the brackets: e.g. (01)01234567890128(15)876543.  This program

will removes the brackets and codes the EAN/UCC 128 code correct as 010123456789012815876543.

EAN-128/GS1-128/UCC-128 is one of the many barcode formats currently in use.

A Barcode is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form.

The barcode formats has two categories:

One-dimensional (1D) --- Barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines.

Two-dimensional (2D) --- Using rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns to represented data.

Check digit:

The program will calculates and add the check digit automatically.

GS1/EAN-128's advantage:

UCC/EAN-128 was developed to provide a worldwide format and standard for exchanging common data between companies. While other bar codes simply encode data with no respect for what the data represents, UCC/EAN-128 encodes data and encodes what that data represents.

For example, you could encode the weight 18.55 pounds in a Standard 2 of 5 bar code by simply encoding the digits 2056. However, an application reading the bar code would not know whether 1855 is a product code, a price, a time (1855 could be 18:55, which is 6:55PM), a lot number or, in this case, the weight in pounds. Even if it did know it was a weight, the application would not know whether the number represented 1855 pounds or 18.55 pounds--or perhaps the weight was expressed in kilograms.

UCC/EAN-128 solves this problem. UCC/EAN-128 has a list of "Application Identifiers" (AI). Each AI tells the system what kind of data will follow and in what format. For example, AI 320 indicates that the data that follows is a net weight in pounds. The next digit indicates the number of digits after the decimal point, followed by 6 digits which express the weight. In our example above, 18.55pounds would be expressed as AI 3202 (the trailing 2 means there are 2 digits after the decimal point), followed by 001855 which represents the weight right-justified within a 6-digit field. Thus our above example becomes UCC/EAN-128 3202001855. This UCC/EAN-128 could be scanned and successfully interpreted by any UCC/EAN-128-compatible system without modification.

In addition to the advantage of compatibility worldwide between users of UCC/EAN-128, the format has the benefit of being able to be expanded without making existing systems obsolete. If a new Application Identifier is needed, it can simply be added to the standard. Existing applications using existing AI's will not be adversely affected. That is, the 3202 AI still will apply for a weight in pounds with two decimal points of accuracy..

Human readable:

Most barcodes display their corresponding values below them, which makes it possible to human read and manually  enter the barcode values into the equivalent system when the barcode label is worn out and cannot be read by the barcode scanner.

The Advantages of using barcodes:

If you want to reduce costs and save time, using barcodes is a good choice. Whether you are a company or a non-commercial organization, to improve efficiency and reduce overhead, barcodes are a valuable and viable option, which is economical and reliable.

Using Barcode system eliminates the possibility of human error. The error rate of manually entering data is
significantly higher than that of scan barcodes. Barcode scanning is fast and reliable, and it takes much less time than manual data entry. Especially when using a QR code, hundreds of characters can be read and entered into your system instantly.

The barcode system provide better data. Because a barcode can store various information such as inventory and pricing, especially when using QR Code, it can store thousands of characters, so the data stored in the barcode can be quickly obtained by the barcode reader, this fast turnaround ensures that time is not wasted on data entry or retrieval. In addition, the barcode can be customized to include other relevant information as needed. They provide fast and reliable data for various applications.

When barcodes are used in management information systems, they can promote better decision-making. Because data is obtained quickly and accurately, you can quickly obtain a full range of information for the entire company or organization, so it is possible to make more informed decisions. Better decisions can ultimately save time and money.

Barcodes are cheap and user-friendly, providing an indispensable tool for tracking data from pricing to inventory. The end result of a comprehensive bar code system is reduced overhead.

FAQ About EAN-128 Barcode

What is the historical origin of the EAN-128 barcode?

The EAN-128 barcode (also known as GS1-128) is developed from the Code-128 barcode and is a barcode symbol that can identify more trade information.

It adopts the EAN/UCC-128 code standard and can represent production date, batch number, measurement and other information.

Its application scope includes freight stack labels, portable databases, continuous data segments, circulation and distribution labels, etc.

Which industries use EAN-128 barcodes?

EAN-128 barcodes can be used to identify storage and transportation units or logistics unit information of goods, such as production date, batch number, measurement, etc.

Some common industry applications include shipping labels, portable databases, continuous data segments, logistics distribution labels, etc.

EAN-128 barcodes can also be used for products that contain a variety of data, such as weight, dimensions, opening date, destination, customer account number, etc.

What is the difference between EAN-128 barcode and Code-128?

The main difference between EAN-128 barcode and Code-128 barcode is the application scope and data format.
The Code-128 barcode can be used for automatic identification in any management system, while the EAN-128 barcode must be used in the EAN/UCC system to represent the information of the storage and transportation unit or logistics unit of the commodity.

EAN-128 barcodes must also carry application identifiers to represent different data types, such as production date, batch number, etc.

Code-128 barcode does not have this requirement and only requires a start mark, data area, check character and terminator.

What are the application identifiers of the EAN-128 barcode?

The application identifier of the EAN-128 barcode is a number of prefixes used to identify different data types.
For example, 00 represents the serialized shipping unit, 01 represents the global trade item number, 02 represents the internal number of the trade item, 10 represents the batch number, 11 represents the production date, 15 represents the shelf life, etc.

The complete list of application identifiers can be viewed on the GS1 official website.

Who developed the EAN-128 barcode standard? Why develop this standard?

The EAN-128 barcode standard is developed by the European Article Numbering Association (EAN) and the United States Uniform Code Committee (UCC).

The purpose is to identify variable product information in trade units in international circulation, such as production date, batch number, measurement, etc.

What are EAN, UCC and GS1?

EAN, UCC and GS1 are all commodity coding organizations or systems.

EAN is the European Article Numbering Association, UCC is the United States Uniform Code Committee, and GS1 is the Global Article Numbering Organization. It is the new name after the merger of EAN and UCC.

Both EAN and UCC have developed a set of standards for using digital codes to identify goods, services, assets and locations. These codes can be represented by barcode symbols to facilitate electronic reading required for business processes. GS1-128 barcode is the new name of UCC/EAN-128 barcode. It is a subset of the Code 128 character set and complies with the international standard of GS1. UPC and EAN are both commodity codes in the GS1 system. UPC is mainly used in the United States and Canada, and EAN is mainly used in other countries and regions, but they can be converted to each other.

GS1 is the abbreviation of International Article Numbering Organization.

GS1 is a non-profit international organization that develops and maintains its own barcode standards and corresponding issuing company prefixes. The most well-known of these standards is the barcode, a symbol printed on a product that can be electronically scanned.

GS1 has 116 local member organizations and over 2 million user businesses. Its main office is located in Brussels (Avenue Louise).

GS1 History:

In 1969, the American retail industry was looking for a way to speed up the checkout process in stores. The Ad Hoc Committee on Unified Grocery Product Identification Codes was formed to find solutions.

In 1973, the organization selected the Universal Product Code (UPC) as the first single standard for unique product identification. In 1974, the Uniform Code Committee (UCC) was formed to administer the standard. On June 26, 1974, a pack of Wrigley's gum became the first product with a barcode that could be scanned in stores.

In 1976, the original 12-digit code was expanded to 13 digits, allowing the identification system to be used outside the United States. In 1977, the European Article Numbering Association (EAN) was established in Brussels with founding members from 12 countries.

In 1990, EAN and UCC signed a global cooperation agreement and expanded its overall business to 45 countries. In 1999, EAN and UCC established the Auto-ID Center to develop the Electronic Product Code (EPC) to enable the GS1 standard for RFID.

In 2004, EAN and UCC launched the Global Data Synchronization Network (GDSN), a global Internet-based initiative that enables trading partners to efficiently exchange product master data.

By 2005, the organization was operating in more than 90 countries and began using the GS1 name worldwide. Although "GS1" is not an acronym, it refers to an organization that provides a global system of standards.

In August 2018, the GS1 Web URI structure standard was approved, allowing unique IDs to be added to products by storing URIs (webpage-like addresses) as QR codes.

What are the characteristics of the EAN-128 barcode?

The EAN-128 barcode is a barcode used to identify information about goods or logistics units. It uses the logic of the Code-128 code, but adds an application identifier (AI) to distinguish different data types.

It has completeness and can express more information, such as production date, quantity, batch number, specifications, etc.

It's compact and saves space because each character is made up of 11 modules instead of 14.

It is continuous and can connect multiple data segments without the need for additional start or end characters.

It is highly reliable and improves recognition accuracy because it uses a signed checksum and a checksum.

It must comply with the regulations of the EAN/UCC system and cannot use custom data formats at will.

It requires specialized readers and software to parse application identifiers and data content.

It may suffer from data redundancy or inconsistency, as different application identifiers may represent the same or similar information.

What are the industry applications of EAN-128 barcode?

The application of EAN-128 barcodes in various industries is mainly used to identify additional information on commodities or logistics units, such as packaging type, product serial number, delivery postal code, etc. It can be used in the following situations:

Shipping label: Used to identify the transportation information of the goods, such as the serial number, weight, destination, etc. of the shipped product.

Portable database: used to store and transmit large amounts of data, such as inventory, orders, invoices, etc.

Continuous data segment: used to connect multiple data segments to form a complete barcode, such as marking batch number, expiration date, production date, etc. on drug packaging.

Logistics delivery label: used to identify the delivery information of the logistics unit, such as delivery postal code, consignee, address, etc.

Which countries use EAN-128 barcodes?

EAN-128 barcodes can be used worldwide as long as the regulations of the EAN/UCC system are followed.

However, it is mainly used in production and logistics rather than retail. In the retail field, the EAN-13 code or UPC-A code is more commonly used.

The relationship between EAN-128/GS1-128 barcode and GS1

GS1 is an international organization responsible for developing and managing systems for the identification of goods and services.

The EAN-128 barcode is a barcode in the GS1 system that is used to represent additional information on goods or logistics units, such as application identifiers, production dates, batch numbers, etc.

GS1-128 barcode is the new name of EAN-128 barcode, and their encoding rules and structures are the same.

The GS1-128 barcode can also be called the UCC-128 barcode because it was jointly developed by the predecessor organizations of GS1, EAN and UCC.

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