FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING STANDARDS PUBLICATION 1 November 1,…

FEDERAL INFORMATION
PROCESSING STANDARDS PUBLICATION 1
November 1, 1968

CODE FOR INFORMATION INTERCHANGE

                  Hardware Standard
                  Interchange
                  Codes and Media

U.S. Department of Commerce/National Bureau of Standards
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Foreword

        The Federal Information Processing Standards Publication Series of the National
Bureau of Standards is the official publication within the Federal Government for
information relating to standards which are adopted and promulgated under the
provisions of Public Law 89-306 and Bureau of the Budget Circular A-86 titled,
Standardization of data elements and codes in data systems. These publications
collectively constitute the FEDERAL INFORMATION PROCESSING STANDARDS
REGISTER.
        The publications in this series are used to announce and maintain Federal
Information Processing Standards. Also, these publications are issued to provide
standards information of a general interest and a complete index of relevant standards
publications and specifications.
        Publications in this series which announce the adoption of standards provide
necessary policy, administrative, and guidance information for their effective
implementation and utilization. In most cases, a copy of the technical specifications of
the standard is affixed to the announcing publication. When this is not possible, the
source where copies of the standards specification can be obtained will be cited.
        Suggestions for improvement which are gained by the use of Federal Information
Processing Standards and Publications are welcomed. These should be addressed to the
National Bureau of Standards, Center for Computer Sciences and Technology, Office for
Information Processing Standards, Washington. D.C. 20234.

                                                                        A. V. ASTIN, Director


For sale by the superintendent of document, U.S. Government Printing Office,
Washington, D.C. 20402. Price 10 cents. Subscription service also available for all new
FIPS publications and supplements for an indefinite period.

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                                                                                 FIPS PUB 1
                                          Federal Information
                            Processing Standards Publication 1
                                    November 1, 1968

                              ANNOUNCING THE STANDARD FOR


                   CODE FOR INFORMATION INTERCHANGE

Federal Information Processing Standards Publications are issued by the National Bureau
of Standards under the direction of the Bureau of the Budget in accordance with the
provisions of Public Law 89-306 and Bureau of the Budget Circular No. A-86.

Name of Standard. Code for Information Interchange (also commonly Known as
ASCII, "Ask-Ee"), (FIPS 1).

Category of Standard.          Hardware Standard, Interchange Codes and Media.

Explanation. The standard specifies a code and character set for use in Federal
information processing systems, communications systems, and associated equipments.

Approving Authority.         White House memorandum to heads of departments and
agencies, dated March 11, 1968, signed by Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United
States.

Maintenance Agency.      Department of Commerce, National Bureau of Standards
(Center for Computer Sciences and Technology).

Cross Index.
       a. USA Standard X3.4-1967-Standard Code for Information Interchange
       b. USA Standard X3.4-1968-Standard Code for Information Interchange (revision
       of X3.4-1967)
       c. ISO Recommendation R646-Six and Seven Bit Coded Character Sets for
       Information Processing Interchange. (Available from the United States of
       America Standards Institute at $6.00 a copy.)

Applicability. Generally applicable to the representation of character coded
information in information interchange and files used in data processing,
communications, and related equipments. The Secretary of Commerce by separate letter
addressed to the heads of Federal departments and agencies will provide details
concerning implementation plans and specific areas of application. When released,
information concerning this letter and the applicability of the standard will be the subject
of a future FIPS PUBLICATION. Information concerning the use of the standard in
communications systems may be obtained from the Manager, National Communications
System, Attention: NCS-O, Washington, D.C. 20305.

Implementation Schedule.         All computers and related equipment configurations
brought into the Federal Government inventory on or after July 1, 1969, must have the
capability to use this standard.
Specifications. This standard adopts in whole the USA Standard Code for Information
Interchange X3.4-1967 and in part X3.4-1968 (a revision of X3.4-1967) which have been
developed and approved by the United States of America Standards Institute. That
portion of X3.4-1968 which has not been adopted in the Federal standard is the "New
Line" (NL) convention as cited in the definition of LF (Line Feed) in Section 5.1, page 8,
and paragraph A7.6 of Appendix A, Section A7, page 13.

Qualifications. As contained in the specifications of the standard and as clarified by
the Secretary of Commerce letter addressed to heads of Federal departments and
agencies. (See Applicability paragraph above).

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Where to Obtain Copies of the Specifications of the Standard.

       a. Federal Government activities should obtain copies from established sources
within each agency. When there is no established source, purchase orders should be
submitted to the General Services Administration, Specifications Activity, Printed
Materials Supply Division, Building 197, Naval Weapons Plant, Washington, D.C.
20402. Refer to Federal Information Processing Standard 1 (FIPS 1). Price 40 cents a
copy.

        b. Others may obtain copies from the United States of America Standards
Institute, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016. Refer to CSA Standard X3.4-
=1968. Standard Code for Information Interchange. (Price $2.00 a copy. Discounts are
available on quantity orders. See USASI catalog.)

       c. Copies of X3.4-1967. USA Standard Code for Information Interchange (earlier
version of X3.4-1968) can be revised to reflect the modifications made in the 1968
version by making the following changes:

Reference p. 7-
       Change title of Section 3 to read:
               3. Character Representation and Code Identification

       Add to end of the existing Section 3:
       The standard code may be identified by the use of the notation "ASCII" or
       ''USASCII''.
       The notation "ASCII" (pronounced as'-key) or ''USASCII'' (pronounced you-
sas'key) should ordinarily be taken to mean the code prescribed by the latest issue of the
standard. To explicitly designate a particular (perhaps prior) issue, the last two digits of
the year of issue may be appended, as "ASCII 63" or ''USASCII 63".

Reference p. 8-
       Add to the definition of LF (Line Feed) :
        Where appropriate, this character may have the meaning "New Line" (NL), a
format effector which controls the movement of the printing point to the first printing
position on the next printing line. Use of this convention requires agreement between
sender and recipient of data.

Reference p. 13-
        Add to Appendix A, Section A 7. :
        A7.6     The function "New Line" (NL) was associated with LF (rather than with
CR or with a separate character) to provide the most useful combinations of functions
through the use of only two character positions, and to allow the use of a common end-
of-line format for both printers having separate CR-LF functions and those having a
combined (i.e., NL) function. This sequence would be CR-LF, producing the same result
on printers of both classes, and would be useful during conversion of a sys tern from one
method of operation to the other.

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