diff --git a/src/main/java/ch/psi/mxsc/BarcodeMatcher.java b/src/main/java/ch/psi/mxsc/BarcodeMatcher.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..924e936
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/java/ch/psi/mxsc/BarcodeMatcher.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/*
+ * Click nbfs://nbhost/SystemFileSystem/Templates/Licenses/license-default.txt to change this license
+ * Click nbfs://nbhost/SystemFileSystem/Templates/Classes/Class.java to edit this template
+ */
+package ch.psi.mxsc;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author panepucci
+ */
+public class BarcodeMatcher {
+
+    public static boolean matchBarcodes(String one, String two) {
+        String one_c = one.replaceAll("[^0-9a-zA-Z]", "");
+        String two_c = two.replaceAll("[^0-9a-zA-Z]", "");
+        return one_c.equalsIgnoreCase(two_c);
+    }
+    
+    public static void main(String[] args) {
+        String one = "Astx-0023";
+        String two = "ASTX_0023";
+        String three = "Astx-0032";
+
+        System.out.println("one == two: " + matchBarcodes(one, two));
+        System.out.println("one == three: " + matchBarcodes(one, three));
+        System.out.println("two == three: " + matchBarcodes(two, three));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/java/ch/psi/mxsc/PuckLoadingDialog.java b/src/main/java/ch/psi/mxsc/PuckLoadingDialog.java
index 6ae69c2..027cc08 100644
--- a/src/main/java/ch/psi/mxsc/PuckLoadingDialog.java
+++ b/src/main/java/ch/psi/mxsc/PuckLoadingDialog.java
@@ -188,9 +188,8 @@ public class PuckLoadingDialog extends JDialog {
         
     void makeVisible(String datamatrix){
         if (datamatrix!=null){
-            datamatrix = datamatrix.trim();
             for (int i=0; i<model.getRowCount(); i++){
-                if (datamatrix.equals(model.getValueAt(i, INDEX_DATAMATRIX))){
+                if (BarcodeMatcher.matchBarcodes(datamatrix, (String)model.getValueAt(i, INDEX_DATAMATRIX))) {
                     int index = table.convertRowIndexToView(i);
                     SwingUtils.scrollToVisible(table, index, 0);
                     table.setRowSelectionInterval(index, index);
@@ -203,7 +202,7 @@ public class PuckLoadingDialog extends JDialog {
     void makeVisible(Puck puck){
         if (puck!=null){
             for (int i=0; i<model.getRowCount(); i++){
-                if (puck.getName().equals(model.getValueAt(i, INDEX_POSITION))){
+                if (BarcodeMatcher.matchBarcodes(puck.getName(), (String)model.getValueAt(i, INDEX_POSITION))) {
                     int index = table.convertRowIndexToView(i);
                     SwingUtils.scrollToVisible(table, index, 0);
                     table.setRowSelectionInterval(index, index);