Barcode Function Key Emulation

In addition to letters and numbers, most keyboards have function keys (like F1, F2, F3 etc.) and so called extended keys to change the volume or the display brightness. Those keys are not part of any character set, like ASCII or extended ASCII, and can not be encoded directly into a barcode.

However, many barcode scanners have a feature called Function Key Emulation. When activated, a seldom used character combination encoded in the barcode (like "$Q") will have the scanner issue a function key keyboard code. Typically, those letter combinations are encoded with a barcode type like Code 39 Extended or Code 128 because those types can also encode letters and the required character combinations.

Please refer to your scanner's manual to see if your device supports Barcode Function Key Emulation.

Barcode Generators for Code 39, Code 128

Please see our Products section for available barcode generators and extensions.