bob@teda.UUCP (Bob Armstrong) (06/03/90)
Can someone direct me to a font or program for printing code 39 (3 of 9)
barcodes ? Postscript output is best, but I would take anything (maybe
Epson ?).
Note that code39 is not the same as UPC barcodes (the ones you see in
grocery stores)...
Thanks,
Bob Armstrong
bob@teda.uucp {sun,decwrl,pyramid}!teda!bobphillips@tegra.COM (Steve Phillips) (06/05/90)
In article <9208@teda.UUCP> bob@teda.UUCP (Bob Armstrong) writes: > > Can someone direct me to a font or program for printing code 39 (3 of 9) >barcodes ? Postscript output is best, but I would take anything (maybe >Epson ?). > > Note that code39 is not the same as UPC barcodes (the ones you see in >grocery stores)... > >Thanks, >Bob Armstrong >bob@teda.uucp {sun,decwrl,pyramid}!teda!bob I believe that Adobe makes two PostScript fonts for barcodes, one for UPC and one for Code 39. You might want to check with your local Adobe font vendor. good luck... Steve -- ============================================================================ Steve Phillips Tegra-Varityper, Inc. tegra!phillips@uunet.com Billerica, MA ============================================================================
woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) (06/06/90)
In article <1004@io.tegra.COM>, phillips@tegra.COM (Steve Phillips) writes: > In article <9208@teda.UUCP> bob@teda.UUCP (Bob Armstrong) writes: > > > > Can someone direct me to a font or program for printing code 39 (3 of 9) > >barcodes ? Postscript output is best, but I would take anything (maybe > >Epson ?). > > > > Note that code39 is not the same as UPC barcodes (the ones you see in > >grocery stores)... > > Here is a UPC barcode routine for what it is worth. Please don't use it to create stick on barcodes for products down at your local grocery store. Besides being illegal , it is not nice to mess up the inventory control by making the cash register record a 1 lb box of something, when it is a 2 lb box. %% %% Universal Product Code font %% Copyright (C) 1986 by Pipeline Associates, Inc. %% Permission is granted to use and distribute as long as this copyright %% notice remains intact and it is distributed free of charge. %% /UPCFontDict 8 dict def /workdict 25 dict def %% load up drawing procedures workdict begin /gray 0 def /d1 { 1.3 setlinewidth 1 0 moveto 1 100 lineto stroke 2 0 translate } bind def /d2 { 3.3 setlinewidth 2 0 moveto 2 100 lineto stroke 4 0 translate } bind def /d3 { 5.3 setlinewidth 3 0 moveto 3 100 lineto stroke 6 0 translate } bind def /d4 { 7.3 setlinewidth 4 0 moveto 4 100 lineto stroke 8 0 translate } bind def /cline1 { 1 gray sub setgray d1 } bind def /cline2 { 1 gray sub setgray d2 } bind def /cline3 { 1 gray sub setgray d3 } bind def /cline4 { 1 gray sub setgray d4 } bind def /line1 { gray setgray d1 } bind def /line2 { gray setgray d2 } bind def /line3 { gray setgray d3 } bind def /line4 { gray setgray d4 } bind def end /switch { workdict begin /gray 1 gray sub def end } def UPCFontDict begin /FontType 3 def /FontMatrix [.01 0 0 .015 0 0] def /FontBBox [0 0 10 100] def /Encoding 128 array def /Widths 128 array def %% fill the Encoding array with the procs to run for each character 0 1 127 { Encoding exch /.notdef put } for Encoding (0) 0 get /zero put Encoding (1) 0 get /one put Encoding (2) 0 get /two put Encoding (3) 0 get /three put Encoding (4) 0 get /four put Encoding (5) 0 get /five put Encoding (6) 0 get /six put Encoding (7) 0 get /seven put Encoding (8) 0 get /eight put Encoding (9) 0 get /nine put Encoding ( ) 0 get /space put Encoding (|) 0 get /bar put Widths (0) 0 get 14 put Widths (1) 0 get 14 put Widths (2) 0 get 14 put Widths (3) 0 get 14 put Widths (4) 0 get 14 put Widths (5) 0 get 14 put Widths (6) 0 get 14 put Widths (7) 0 get 14 put Widths (8) 0 get 14 put Widths (9) 0 get 14 put Widths ( ) 0 get 2 put Widths (|) 0 get 2 put %% define the procs /CharProcs 20 dict def CharProcs /.notdef {} put CharProcs /zero { cline3 line2 cline1 line1 } put CharProcs /one { cline2 line2 cline2 line1 } put CharProcs /two { cline2 line1 cline2 line2 } put CharProcs /three { cline1 line4 cline1 line1 } put CharProcs /four { cline1 line1 cline3 line2 } put CharProcs /five { cline1 line2 cline3 line1 } put CharProcs /six { cline1 line1 cline1 line4 } put CharProcs /seven { cline1 line3 cline1 line2 } put CharProcs /eight { cline1 line2 cline1 line3 } put CharProcs /nine { cline3 line1 cline1 line2 } put CharProcs /space { } put CharProcs /bar { line1 } put %% BuildChar is called by PS whenever a character is to be imaged out %% of UPC /BuildChar { workdict begin /char exch def /fontdict exch def /charname fontdict /Encoding get char get def /charproc fontdict /CharProcs get charname get def /charwidth fontdict /Widths get char get def charwidth 0 setcharwidth gsave charproc grestore end } bind def end %% register font in postscript font machinery /UPC UPCFontDict definefont pop
zwicky@sparkyfs.istc.sri.com (Elizabeth Zwicky) (06/08/90)
In article <1303@chinacat.Unicom.COM> woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) writes: >> In article <9208@teda.UUCP> bob@teda.UUCP (Bob Armstrong) writes: >> > Note that code39 is not the same as UPC barcodes (the ones you see in >> >grocery stores)... >Here is a UPC barcode routine for what it is worth. >Please don't use it to create stick on barcodes for products down at your >local grocery store. Aside from the fact that he specifically stated that he didn't want a UPC font, this doesn't look to me like it could possibly produce readable UPC. UPC is not like Code-39; characters are not mapped 1-1 into sets of lines. There are 4 codes per character (right-even, right-odd, left-even, and left-odd), not to mention start and stop codes. Your supermarket reader is going to want not only a right half with all rights and a left half with all lefts, but probably also a check digit encoded by whether characters are printed even or odd. You're missing a bit over 75% of the necessary characters to produce barcode that a reader will accept, plus the fact that without the human readable and bars of various lengths it won't pass a human... Elizabeth Zwicky.
jad@dayton.UUCP (J. Deters) (06/08/90)
> Article <1004@io.tegra.COM> From: phillips@tegra.COM (Steve Phillips) >In article <9208@teda.UUCP> bob@teda.UUCP (Bob Armstrong) writes: >> Can someone direct me to a font or program for printing code 39 (3 of 9) >>barcodes ? Postscript output is best, but I would take anything (maybe >>Epson ?). >>Thanks, >>Bob Armstrong >>bob@teda.uucp {sun,decwrl,pyramid}!teda!bob >I believe that Adobe makes two PostScript fonts for barcodes, one for UPC and >one for Code 39. You might want to check with your local Adobe font vendor. > >Steve Phillips Tegra-Varityper, Inc. >tegra!phillips@uunet.com Billerica, MA Or, your local net.denizens may have written their own fonts. You just never know... :-) Anyway, I wrote the following a few years back. We're now basing an entire inventory on it, so it darn well better work! But, see the disclaimer included anyway... -----8<-----Cut Here-----8<-----Cut Here-----8<-----Cut Here----- #! /bin/sh # This is a shell archive, meaning: # 1. Remove everything above the #! /bin/sh line. # 2. Save the resulting text in a file. # 3. Execute the file with /bin/sh (not csh) to create: # README # 3of9 # This archive created: Thu Jun 7 13:52:14 1990 # By: J. Deters (Terrapin Transit Authority) export PATH; PATH=/bin:/usr/bin:$PATH if test -f 'README' then echo shar: "will not over-write existing file 'README'" else cat << \SHAR_EOF > 'README' This is a PostScript prolog that will generate a 3 of 9 barcode font. I wrote it a few years ago after seeing something similar posted for UPC codes by Pipeline Associates. (This is completely different code, however.) It allows full ASCII text (lower case is translated into upper case -- there are no lower case 3 of 9 codes. Also enclosed is a small shell script that will wrap your text up in asterisks, append the prolog, and print the barcode on the page. If you want to truly conform to MIL-STD-1189A (4 SEPTEMBER 1984), Military Standard Department of Defense Bar Code Symbology (SDS), you'll have to code for it appropriately (my sample doesn't fit all their wonderful dimensions). Character density: 9.4 CPI to 3.0 CPI Minimum nominal unit size (thin bar): .0075 inch Maximum nominal unit size (thin bar): .0400 inch Nominal wide to narrow ratio: 2.2:1 to 3.0:1 for codes whose unit size is less than .015 inch 2.0:1 to 3.0:1 for codes whose unit size is equal to or more than .015 inch Minimum bar height: .25 inch Density range Minimum height Maximum height 1.7<=CPI<3.0 .75 1.25 3.0<=CPI<6.5 .375 .875 6.5<=CPI<9.4 .25 .5 Intercharacter gap: The minimum gap is the same as the minimum dimension of a narrow element. The maximum gap shall be no more than three times the width of a narrow element. Margins (quiet zones): The minimum left and right margins shall be 10 times the width of one narrow element or .25 inch (whichever is greater). Human-readable interpretation (HRI): The HRI shall represent only the encoded characters, and start and stop asterisks shall be suppressed. It is not intended to be machine readable. The HRI is to be printed in an easily readable font, and are to be a minimum of .094 inch in height. The HRI shall be printed above or preferably below the bar code. Spacing between bar code and HRI: Minimum of .1 inch, max of .25 inch. Spacing between edge of label and HRI: Minimum .0625 inch Spacing between SDS messages (vertical): Min .375 inch, max .75 inch. Spacing between SDS messages (horiz.): Min .5 inch Maximum number of encoded characters: 30 data, 32 including start and stop characters, and other control characters that may be used. There is a bunch of other stuff in this MIL-SPEC pertaining to opacity, reflectivity, tolerances, and spots and voids that probably won't affect anyone using a 300dpi printer with black ink. DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible. Just ask my boss. This code is provided AS IS, and I make no warranties about its fitness for a particular purpose. If you use this code and it doesn't work for you, tough. I can't be held responsible for any damages for your using this code. How's that for a nasty thing to have to say? SHAR_EOF fi if test -f '3of9' then echo shar: "will not over-write existing file '3of9'" else cat << \SHAR_EOF > '3of9' % % 3 of 9 font. Copyright (C) 1989, John Deters. All rights reserved. % Permission is hereby granted to freely use this software in any % application, commercial or otherwise, as long as this notice is preserved, % and as long as this portion of the software remains freely redistributable. % /3of9FontDict 55 dict def /workdict 55 dict def % load up drawing procedures workdict begin /sp1 { 1 setgray 2 setlinewidth 1 0 moveto 1 75 lineto stroke 2 0 translate } bind def /sp2 { 1 setgray 5 setlinewidth 2.5 0 moveto 2.5 75 lineto stroke 5 0 translate } bind def /mk1 { 0 setgray 2 setlinewidth 1 0 moveto 1 75 lineto stroke 2 0 translate } bind def /mk2 { 0 setgray 5 setlinewidth 2.5 0 moveto 2.5 75 lineto stroke 5 0 translate } bind def end 3of9FontDict begin /FontType 3 def /FontMatrix [.01 0 0 .01 0 0] def /FontBBox [0 0 10 100] def /Encoding 128 array def /Widths 128 array def % Put the proc names of each character in the array 'Encoding' 0 1 127 {Encoding exch /.notdef put} for Encoding (1) 0 get /one put Encoding (2) 0 get /two put Encoding (3) 0 get /three put Encoding (4) 0 get /four put Encoding (5) 0 get /five put Encoding (6) 0 get /six put Encoding (7) 0 get /seven put Encoding (8) 0 get /eight put Encoding (9) 0 get /nine put Encoding (0) 0 get /zero put Encoding (A) 0 get /leta put Encoding (B) 0 get /letb put Encoding (C) 0 get /letc put Encoding (D) 0 get /letd put Encoding (E) 0 get /lete put Encoding (F) 0 get /letf put Encoding (G) 0 get /letg put Encoding (H) 0 get /leth put Encoding (I) 0 get /leti put Encoding (J) 0 get /letj put Encoding (K) 0 get /letk put Encoding (L) 0 get /letl put Encoding (M) 0 get /letm put Encoding (N) 0 get /letn put Encoding (O) 0 get /leto put Encoding (P) 0 get /letp put Encoding (Q) 0 get /letq put Encoding (R) 0 get /letr put Encoding (S) 0 get /lets put Encoding (T) 0 get /lett put Encoding (U) 0 get /letu put Encoding (V) 0 get /letv put Encoding (W) 0 get /letw put Encoding (X) 0 get /letx put Encoding (Y) 0 get /lety put Encoding (Z) 0 get /letz put Encoding (a) 0 get /leta put Encoding (b) 0 get /letb put Encoding (c) 0 get /letc put Encoding (d) 0 get /letd put Encoding (e) 0 get /lete put Encoding (f) 0 get /letf put Encoding (g) 0 get /letg put Encoding (h) 0 get /leth put Encoding (i) 0 get /leti put Encoding (j) 0 get /letj put Encoding (k) 0 get /letk put Encoding (l) 0 get /letl put Encoding (m) 0 get /letm put Encoding (n) 0 get /letn put Encoding (o) 0 get /leto put Encoding (p) 0 get /letp put Encoding (q) 0 get /letq put Encoding (r) 0 get /letr put Encoding (s) 0 get /lets put Encoding (t) 0 get /lett put Encoding (u) 0 get /letu put Encoding (v) 0 get /letv put Encoding (w) 0 get /letw put Encoding (x) 0 get /letx put Encoding (y) 0 get /lety put Encoding (z) 0 get /letz put Encoding (-) 0 get /dash put Encoding (.) 0 get /period put Encoding ( ) 0 get /space put Encoding (*) 0 get /star put Encoding ($) 0 get /dollar put Encoding (/) 0 get /slash put Encoding (+) 0 get /plus put Encoding (%) 0 get /percent put Encoding (|) 0 get /bar put Widths (1) 0 get 29 put Widths (2) 0 get 29 put Widths (3) 0 get 29 put Widths (4) 0 get 29 put Widths (5) 0 get 29 put Widths (6) 0 get 29 put Widths (7) 0 get 29 put Widths (8) 0 get 29 put Widths (9) 0 get 29 put Widths (0) 0 get 29 put Widths (A) 0 get 29 put Widths (B) 0 get 29 put Widths (C) 0 get 29 put Widths (D) 0 get 29 put Widths (E) 0 get 29 put Widths (F) 0 get 29 put Widths (G) 0 get 29 put Widths (H) 0 get 29 put Widths (I) 0 get 29 put Widths (J) 0 get 29 put Widths (K) 0 get 29 put Widths (L) 0 get 29 put Widths (M) 0 get 29 put Widths (N) 0 get 29 put Widths (O) 0 get 29 put Widths (P) 0 get 29 put Widths (Q) 0 get 29 put Widths (R) 0 get 29 put Widths (S) 0 get 29 put Widths (T) 0 get 29 put Widths (U) 0 get 29 put Widths (V) 0 get 29 put Widths (W) 0 get 29 put Widths (X) 0 get 29 put Widths (Y) 0 get 29 put Widths (Z) 0 get 29 put Widths (a) 0 get 29 put Widths (b) 0 get 29 put Widths (c) 0 get 29 put Widths (d) 0 get 29 put Widths (e) 0 get 29 put Widths (f) 0 get 29 put Widths (g) 0 get 29 put Widths (h) 0 get 29 put Widths (i) 0 get 29 put Widths (j) 0 get 29 put Widths (k) 0 get 29 put Widths (l) 0 get 29 put Widths (m) 0 get 29 put Widths (n) 0 get 29 put Widths (o) 0 get 29 put Widths (p) 0 get 29 put Widths (q) 0 get 29 put Widths (r) 0 get 29 put Widths (s) 0 get 29 put Widths (t) 0 get 29 put Widths (u) 0 get 29 put Widths (v) 0 get 29 put Widths (w) 0 get 29 put Widths (x) 0 get 29 put Widths (y) 0 get 29 put Widths (z) 0 get 29 put Widths (-) 0 get 29 put Widths (.) 0 get 29 put Widths ( ) 0 get 29 put Widths (*) 0 get 29 put Widths ($) 0 get 29 put Widths (/) 0 get 29 put Widths (+) 0 get 29 put Widths (%) 0 get 29 put Widths (|) 0 get 4 put % define each letter in bar code /CharProcs 55 dict def CharProcs /.notdef {} put CharProcs /one { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /two { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /three { mk2 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /four { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /five { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /six { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /seven { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /eight { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /nine { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /zero { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /leta { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /letb { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /letc { mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letd { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /lete { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letf { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letg { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /leth { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /leti { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letj { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letk { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /letl { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /letm { mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letn { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /leto { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letp { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letq { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /letr { mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /lets { mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /lett { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letu { mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /letv { mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /letw { mk2 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letx { mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /lety { mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /letz { mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /dash { mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 } put CharProcs /period { mk2 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /space { mk1 sp2 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /star { mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk2 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /dollar { mk1 sp2 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /slash { mk1 sp2 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /plus { mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /percent { mk1 sp1 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp2 mk1 sp1 } put CharProcs /bar { mk1 sp1 } put % PostScript will call BuildChar for each character printed in 3of9. /BuildChar { workdict begin /char exch def /fontdict exch def /charname fontdict /Encoding get char get def /charproc fontdict /CharProcs get charname get def /charwidth fontdict /Widths get char get def charwidth 0 setcharwidth gsave charproc grestore end } bind def end /3of9 3of9FontDict definefont pop % % 3of9 is now loaded in the printer and can be used like any other font. % Don't forget that you must include the stars at both ends of the text. % Also, you must print out the human readable text beneath the bar code, % if you wish to conform to MIL-STD-1189A (suppress the asterisks). % /3of9 findfont 30 scalefont setfont 72 72 translate 0 0 moveto (*1234567890180100*) show showpage SHAR_EOF fi exit 0 # End of shell archive -- J. Deters +---------+ INTERNET: jad@dayton.DHDSC.MN.ORG | S H * T | UUCP: ...!bungia!dayton!jad +---------+ ICBM: 44^58'36"N by 93^16'12"W "Vanna, I'd like to buy a vowel."
amanda@mermaid.intercon.com (Amanda Walker) (06/08/90)
One thing that no one has mentioned so far is that you can get in trouble by printing barcode on a 300 dpi printer for anything but your own internal use, unless you really know what you are doing. Most barcode symblogies are designed to withstand printing glitches and other distortions, but it is a lot harder to produce barcodes that are actually in spec than it is to just produces ones that scan OK most of the time. For internal inventory purposes, it's up to you to decide whether or not it's worth worrying about. However, if you are making things like UPC codes for retail packaging or LOGMARS labels for DoD shipments, you should bear some things in mind: - UPC cannot be printed in spec on a 300 dpi printer. At the standard symbol sizes, you need to be able to control the bar widths more finely than 1/300th of an inch. Something like a LaserMax or other "super resolution" printer may work, though, since it's a question of positioning accuracy, not resolution. Now, you can print *scannable* UPC & EAN (which is the European extension of UPC) symbols on anything down to a 72 dpi printer, which has proven useful for one-shot symbols such as weigh-it-yourself produce labels. For retail packaging, though, you should probably typeset it to be safe. - Most other codes are only in spec at specific sizes for a particular resolution, and at high resolutions you need to take the printer marking characteristics into account. For example, a high-density Code 39 symbol may be in spec on a write-black printer, but the same set of pixels on a write-white printer will be way out of spec. - Toner smear can quickly render a barcode symbol unscannable. If you are using a wand-type scanner, covering symbols with clear labels will greatly prolong their useful lives and save a lot of aggravation. For anyone doing serious work with barcodes, I suggest getting copies of the USD (Uniform Symbol Description) series of documents from AIM (Automatic Indentification Manufacturers), an automatic-ID technology clearinghouse. I don't have their address handy, but I can dig it up if anyone needs it. -- Amanda Walker, InterCon Systems Corporation -- Entropy requires no maintenance.