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Code 39 Full ASCII (Extended)

The camera app can scan this. The Zebra app can scan this.

Code 39 Full ASCII keeps the same bars as Code 39 but combines pairs of characters to represent lower case letters and control codes. A scanner in Full ASCII mode turns pairs like +A back into a lower-case a.

Also called Code 39 Extended, Extended Code 39, Full ASCII Code 39.

In this family

Specifications

Standard	ISO/IEC 16388 (Full ASCII annex); AIM USS-39
Character set	Full 128-character ASCII (via two-character shift pairs)
Capacity	Variable
Check digit	Optional modulo 43
Dimension	1D linear
Origin	Extension of Intermec's Code 39

Where it is used

Applications needing lower-case or control characters in Code 39

People use it for applications needing lower-case or control characters in Code 39.

The camera app shows this as Code 39. It does not turn pairs such as +A into a lowercase letter.

Example

Printer

Scan and create

Create this code Camera app Zebra app

Create this code opens the barcode generator with this symbology and the sample text filled in.

The camera app can scan this and shows it as Code 39. It returns the raw text. It does not open links, look up products, or start a payment. The desktop companion types that text into the focused field.

The Zebra app can scan this. It returns the raw text.

Related codes

Questions

How does Code 39 Full ASCII encode lower-case letters?

Full ASCII Code 39 uses pairs of ordinary Code 39 characters, such as +A, to stand for a lowercase letter or a control character. The bars are still Code 39. The camera app shows this as Code 39 and returns the characters it read. It does not turn +A into a lowercase a.

Why does my scanner show +A instead of a?

You see +A when the symbol stores the pair and the reader does not expand it. The camera app can scan this and shows it as Code 39. It returns the pair. The Zebra app can scan this too, and this page does not claim that the Zebra app expands the pair.

Is Full ASCII Code 39 longer than normal Code 39?

Yes. Each lowercase letter or extra symbol takes two Code 39 characters, so the barcode is longer than the same text in plain Code 39. The camera app returns that longer string as Code 39.