Thread: To generate bar code from a number

Necessary to generate a bar code in the format 128b, I will go to pass a number 1254896587 and necessary that is generated in hexadecimal format therefore I will go to need to better print the bar code in a equipament POS which way to make this?

example image in hexa:

Code:

static const byte bmp[] = {0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF,
                           0xFF, 0xF0, 0x00, 0xCC, 0x3C, 0x3C, 0xCC, 0x00, 0xF0,0xFF
                          };

Is your question how to generate the byte array from a number, or how to send the byte array to the printer?

Originally Posted by tabstop

Is your question how to generate the byte array from a number, or how to send the byte array to the printer?

to generate and to send for the printer

I found this, more I do not know as to use for mine case!

http://idautomation.com/fonts/code128/

Do you have that font package? If so, then look through their docs; if not, then so what.

It looks like there's two parts to this problem: 1) generating the pattern of black-and-white that makes up the barcode and 2) generating the bitmap equivalent in whatever format your printer expects.

(1) looks pretty easy, based on thirty seconds of Google. You'll need to be able to peel off digits one at a time. For (2), based on what you posted above, your printer expects a pretty straightforward 1=black 0=white bit pattern, so whenever you figure out a black-and-white pattern you can add it into your bitfield.

Here's my interpretation of the translation based on the Code 128 specs. You'll still have to feed it to the printer. There a a few free Windows code 128 fonts on the net. I don't know if the Windows font files will be of any use to you since I'm not familiar with POS hardware you're using.

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

#define START 104
#define STOP 106
#define LENGTH 10

int main(void)
{
    char cInputArray[LENGTH+1] =  {"1254896587"}; 
    unsigned char ucOutputArray[LENGTH+3] = {0};
    unsigned long ulAccumulator = 0l;
    unsigned int uiCheckDigit = 0;
    int iIndex;

    ucOutputArray[0] = START;
    ulAccumulator = START;
    for(iIndex = 0; iIndex < LENGTH; iIndex++)
    {
        if( (int)cInputArray[iIndex] == 128)
            ucOutputArray[iIndex+1] = 0;
        else if( (int)cInputArray[iIndex] > 32 &&  (int)cInputArray[iIndex] < 127)
        {
            ucOutputArray[iIndex+1] = (int)cInputArray[iIndex] - 32;
            ulAccumulator += (iIndex+1) * ((int)cInputArray[iIndex] - 32);
        }
        else if( (int)cInputArray[iIndex] > 126 &&  (int)cInputArray[iIndex] !=  128)
        {
            ucOutputArray[iIndex+1] = (int)cInputArray[iIndex] - 50;
            ulAccumulator += (iIndex+1) * ((int)cInputArray[iIndex] - 50);
        }
        else printf("Questionable character = %c\n",cInputArray[iIndex]); 
    }
    uiCheckDigit = ulAccumulator % 103;
    ucOutputArray[iIndex+1] = uiCheckDigit;
    ucOutputArray[iIndex+2] = STOP;
    return 0;
}

The above code I posted is incorrect based on Barcode 128 symbology and other dated barcode ISO docs I have.

I should have used a START of 105, the "C" character set instead of 104 which is the "B" character set. Also, I should have processed the digits in pairs. For instance, starting with 12 next 54 then 89 and 65 and finally 87. What is in ucOutputArray should be the binary representation of each pair that will be used for printing.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to a barcode reader until Monday morning. So, this is theory until I actually verify it.

Originally Posted by BobS0327

The above code I posted is incorrect based on Barcode 128 symbology and other dated barcode ISO docs I have.

I should have used a START of 105, the "C" character set instead of 104 which is the "B" character set. Also, I should have processed the digits in pairs. For instance, starting with 12 next 54 then 89 and 65 and finally 87. What is in ucOutputArray should be the binary representation of each pair that will be used for printing.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to a barcode reader until Monday morning. So, this is theory until I actually verify it.

I thank the aid very, thus that you it will be able to test speaks to me with using so that I can test here and for in practical.
while this I go trying to understand the code

thanks!!!

Man, you guys are better men than I am, I can't even understand what this guy is saying. I have a feeling he's using an online translator, by the looks of his english.

I've had some very limited success using 128 barcodes created entirely via code. My test environment consisted of a Lexmark T634 laser printer, an old IBM "pen" type bar code reader, Type 7695, Model 265 and an industry standard Metrologic scanner model MS9520.

The easy part was using the variant C as a starting point to print the bar codes. I just used a lookup table to handle all three variants, A,B and C.

The hard part was printing the barcode correctly so that it can be successfully scanned by any bar code reader/scanner. The only way I could successfully print 128 barcodes was to use PCL.

The standards state:

Symbol Size:
According to GS1-128 specifications, the height of the bar code should be 15% of the length or 0.50 inch (1.3 CM), whichever is greater. The X dimension may range from 10 mils (.025 cm) to 40 mils (.1 cm). When the X dimension used is between 10 and 16 mils, the symbol should be 0.50" tall. When the X dimension used is between 16 and 40 mils, the symbol should be 1.25" tall. The X dimension of 10 mils (0.10") is recommended for use with most hand-held scanners

The only way I could accomplish such precise printing was to use PCL5. There are also a few other "standards" requirements that have to be addressed.

So, my question is, does your target printer support PCL or postscript?