This standard was formulated for the purpose of describing an easily understood
coding system, which has been sponsored and operated by the Electronic Industries
Association (EIA) since 1945 for the identification of the manufacturing source and the
date of manufacture of an electronic component or equipment. Currently many
manufacturers are participating in the program. A user may determine who.
manufactured the component or equipment or when it was manufactured through
reference to the EIA source and date code listing, or by direct contact with EIA. The
source code was originally part of this standard. The requirements for the source code
are now covered in EIA-476A.