	Barcode Readers

What is NW-7 (Codabar)?

NW-7 (Codabar) was developed by Monarch Marking Inc., in 1972. It is a relatively early-type barcode that emerged after 2-of-5. It is widely used for data which requires printing sequential numbers, such as blood management, package delivery slips, book management, member cards, or registered mail management.

Configuration of NW-7 (Codabar)

NW-7 was named after its format where one character is represented with total of 7 factors (four bars and three spaces) of two types (Narrow and Wide). Although the original name in the United States is Codabar, it is standardized in Japan with the name of NW-7.

The basic bar configuration is as follows:

	A total of seven bars and spaces express one character.
	A barcode starts and stops with any of A (a), B (b), C (c), or D (d). (Start/stop characters)

* The start/stop characters can be combined in many ways such as
"A---A", "B---B", "A---C", or "D---A".

The specifications of the gaps between characters are the same as with CODE39.

Characteristics of NW-7 (Codabar)

The occurrence of digit-skipping is less compared to ITF, and the barcode size is smaller compared to CODE39.
However, digit-skipping cannot be eliminated completely. When print quality is poor, digits can potentially be skipped.

If a single space is printed wider, it can be mistaken as a stop character, resulting in digit-skipping.

Point

As in the case of ITF, it is also recommended to use NW-7 (Codabar) by setting "a digit specification function" of the barcode reader to disable reading codes other than those having a specified number of digits.

Since start/stop characters can be expressed with various combinations, more varieties of representation can be used.
For example, you can use the combination of "A---A" for list prices, "A---C" for special prices, and "C---C" for bargain prices.

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