Codablock
A stacked Code 128 or Code 39 variant (Codablock A/B/F) with row framing, used in German clinical chemistry and healthcare labeling.
Codablock Specification
| Character set | Codablock F: full Code 128 ASCII character set |
| Data length | Up to ~1,000 characters (Codablock F) |
| Check digit | Per-row Code 128 check characters plus block check |
| Density | High — stacked rows of Code 128 or Code 39 characters |
| Module width (X-dimension) | 0.19-0.33 mm typical |
| Print ratio | Variable-width bars and spaces |
| Magnification | Not fixed; scales with X-dimension |
| Quiet zone | 10X on each side |
| Standard | AIM USS-Codablock F; DIN EN 728/1556 lineage |
| Origin | Heinrich Oehlmann (Germany), 1988 |
Not generated by barcodegen.net
Codablock is documented here for completeness, but our free generator does not produce this symbology. The closest supported format is PDF417.
What Is Codablock?
Codablock originated in Germany (1980s, by Heinrich Oehlmann) as a way to stack Code 39 rows (Codablock A), later Code 128 rows (Codablock B and the mainstream Codablock F). Each row is a complete, individually scannable linear symbol with row indicators and check characters; a reader can decode rows one at a time and assemble the payload — a resilience advantage when only part of the label is visible.
Its stronghold is the German healthcare informatics chain: clinical chemistry analyzers, sample tubes, and DIN-compliant medical labeling standardized Codablock F (with Code 128 structure) where other markets adopted PDF417 or Data Matrix. Outside that ecosystem it is rare. For general stacked use, PDF417 is the global default.
Common Applications
- German clinical chemistry analyzer labels
- Healthcare sample tube identification (DIN ecosystem)
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