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Cognex Mobile Barcode SDK
Code 11

Primarily used in the labeling of telecommunications equipment

What is Code 11?

Code 11 (also called USD-8) is a numeric only barcode developed by Intermec in 1977. The symbology can encode the digits 0 through 9, a dash, and includes both a stop and start character. Code 11 is variable length with the only limit on length being the width available for print. Code 11 is a linear, one-dimensional (1D) barcode. This means the barcode is composed of a single set of varying width vertical lines and spaces. The data in the barcode is represented linearly by these black/white (bar/space) patterns. Below is a simple example.


Each character in a Code 11 barcode consists of 3 bars (black) and 2 spaces (white)—every character starts and ends with a bar. Of these five elements, two are always “wide” (twice the width of a “narrow” element), and three are always narrow. The symbology also includes distinct start and stop characters.



Code 11 is considered a weak or insecure symbology, as a single print or read error can result in a misinterpreted character. To combat this, a single character check digit is often used with messages of fewer than 10 digits and a two character check digit being used for longer messages. In the preceding examples, the last digit (8) is actually the computed check digit for the data message (4321).

While developed as a high-density, numeric barcode, but because of its poor reliability, Code 11 is not widely used. Code 11 is primarily used in the labeling of telecommunications equipment.

How do we help developers using Code 11?
