	Barcode Readers

What is EAN-128?

EAN-128 was designed to express a wider range of information such as logistics data or commercial transaction data in addition to the information stored in currently popular JAN/UPC/EAN and Standard Distribution Code (ITF).

More specifically, EAN-128 can express the following information:

	Package number
	Weight, volume, capacity
	Lot number
	Code of the company to be billed

	Quantity
	Date of manufacture/quality assurance
	Location number (destination)
	Customer order number

EAN-128 allows users to select only necessary information from the above, and print it on barcode labels
for use in various applications.

For example, online ordering using EDI (Electronic Data Interchange between companies),
controlling the quality assurance period of foods or the effective period of medicines,
simplifying the inspection of delivered products,
or sorting packages by destinations.
The following label is an example of the application at a food manufacturer.

Backdrop for the Establishment of EAN-128

JAN/UPC/EAN and Standard Distribution Code (ITF) are barcodes used to express the item itself (and quantity). They cannot express data such as date of manufacture, package number, date of quality assurance, and order number.
It is possible to express such data with barcodes by using CODE39 or other coding systems. When, however, companies use different barcodes with different data definitions and different numbers of data digits, data cannot be exchanged for transactions between companies.
EAN-128 was established as a barcode standard to allow common use of barcodes worldwide by standardizing data items, the number of digits, and barcode type.

Configuration of EAN-128

The basic configuration of EAN-128 is as follows:

	CODE128 is used as a barcode system.
	To separate the necessary information such as weight and quality assurance period, each datum comes after an application identifier (AI). To express multiple pieces of information, the necessary data can be linked.

*	The figure above shows application identifiers in parentheses. However, the parentheses are used only for the purpose of illustration. They will not be included in barcode data.

In the example above, the first AI "01" is followed by 14-digit code
to identify the container (the minimum unit of packages such as a corrugated cardboard box) to be shipped.
The second AI "15" is followed by date information of August 27, 1995, which is
the quality assurance period (shelf life or effective period). The last AI "30" is
followed by "3", which is the quantity of the delivery.
Other than above, there are about 100 varieties of AIs.
Users can select desired information and create their barcodes.

EAN-128 does not express information in a fixed format. Users can
select their necessary information. Therefore, in order to achieve a common use of EAN-128, it is necessary to establish specifications in advance about the type of information to be expressed among individual industries or company groups.

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