^BT
TLC39 Bar CodePreview: not drawnThe TCIF linked bar code: a Code 39 for the ECI number with a MicroPDF417 beside it for everything else.
Syntax
^BTo,w1,r1,h1,w2,h2Parameters
| Parameter | Description and accepted values | If omitted |
|---|---|---|
| o | Rotation of the pair on the label.N normal, R 90°, I 180°, B 270° | Last ^FW value, else N |
| w1 | Module width of the Code 39 half, in dots.1 to 10 — width of the Code 39 module | 2 |
| r1 | Wide-to-narrow ratio of the Code 39 half.2 to 3 — wide-to-narrow ratio of the Code 39 | 3 |
| h1 | Bar height of the Code 39 half, in dots.1 to 9999 dots — height of the Code 39 | 40 |
| w2 | Row height of the MicroPDF417 half, in dots.1 to 10 — height of the MicroPDF417 row | 4 |
| h2 | Module width of the MicroPDF417 half, in dots.1 to 10 — width of the MicroPDF417 module | 2 |
How it works
^BT prints TLC39, defined by the Telecommunications Industry Forum for labelling telecom equipment. It is not one symbology but two printed as a unit: a Code 39 carrying the six-digit ECI number, and a MicroPDF417 immediately to its right carrying the serial number and any additional data.
The field data reflects that split. Everything before the first comma is the ECI number that goes into the Code 39; what follows goes into the MicroPDF417.
The parameters size the two halves separately — the first three describe the Code 39, the last two the MicroPDF417 — which is why this command has more dimension parameters than any other bar code in ZPL.
Example
^XA
^FO60,60^BTN,3,3,40,4,2^FD123456789,ABCD^FS
^XZRendering…
How the preview on this site handles it
Not drawn. TLC39 is a composite of two symbologies with a layout defined between them, and drawing only one half would be a symbol that scans as the wrong thing. The field data is drawn as plain text instead; the rest of the label previews normally. ^B3 and ^BF, the two halves, both preview correctly on their own pages.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the comma. Without it the whole value goes to the Code 39 and the MicroPDF417 half is empty.
- Sending more than six digits for the ECI number. That half is fixed at six.
- Sizing the two halves independently of each other. TCIF specifies their relative dimensions; changing one without the other produces a label that no longer matches the standard.