Barcode Technology - PDF417 Barcode               Hide the description

PDF417 is a stacked linear barcode format used in a variety of applications such as transport, identification cards,

and inventory management. "PDF" stands for Portable Data File. The "417" signifies that each pattern in the code consists of 4 bars and spaces in a pattern that is 17 units (modules) long. The PDF417 symbology was invented by Ynjiun P. Wang at Symbol Technologies in 1991.

Valid characters: ASCII 1-255

The PDF417 is a 2D barcode. It is based on stacked barcodes. The characters are coded in code words. A code

word consists of 17 modules, which consist respectively of 4 strokes and 4 spaces.
The PDF417 is a very compact and flexible code with variable length. Up to 1108 bytes can be coded.

A PDF417 symbol takes about four times the area of a DataMatrix or QR Code.

PDF417 is used in many applications by both commercial and government organizations. PDF417 is one of the

formats (along with Data Matrix) that can be used to print postage accepted by the United States Postal Service. PDF417 is also used by the airline industry's Bar Coded Boarding Pass (BCBP) standard as the 2D bar code symbolism for paper boarding passes. PDF417 is the standard selected by the Department of Homeland Security as the machine readable zone technology for RealID compliant driver licenses and state issued identification cards. PDF417 barcodes are also included on visas and border crossing cards issued by the State of Israel (example).

In addition to features typical of two dimensional bar codes, PDF417's capabilities include:

Linking. PDF417 symbols can link to other symbols which are scanned in sequence allowing even more data to be stored.
User-specified dimensions. The user can decide how wide the narrowest vertical bar (X dimension) is, and how tall the rows are (Y dimension).
Public domain format. Anyone can implement systems using this format without any license.

PDF417 is one of the many barcode formats currently in use.

A Barcode is a method of representing data in a visual, machine-readable form.

The barcode formats has two categories:

One-dimensional (1D) --- Barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines.

Two-dimensional (2D) --- Using rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns to represented data.

Of the 929 available code words, 900 are used for data, and 29 for special functions, such as shifting between

major modes. The three major modes encode different types of data in different ways, and can be mixed as necessary within a single bar code:

Byte: each group of 5 code words represents 6 bytes. (Because 9005 > 2566.) Additional bytes are encoded one per code word.
Numeric: n digits are encoded in ⌊n/3⌋+1 code words, up to a maximum of 44 digits in 15 code words.
Text: Each code word represents two base-30 digits, which are used by a system of four submodes to represent the printable ASCII characters (plus CR, LF and HT):
Uppercase: A¨CZ, SP, Change to lowercase, Change to mixed, Interpret next digit as punctuation
Lowercase: a¨Cz, SP, Interpret next digit as uppercase, Change to mixed, Interpret next digit as punctuation
Mixed: 0¨C9, &, CR, HT, comma, :, #, -, period, $, /, +, %, *, =, ^, Change to punctuation, SP, Change to lowercase, Change to uppercase, Interpret next digit as punctuation
Punctuation: ;, <, >, @, [, \, ], _, `, ~, !, CR, HT, comma, :, LF, -, period, $, /, ", |, *, (, ), ?, {, }, ', Change to uppercase.

Error Correction Level:

PDF417 uses a differently strong error correction. It is used according to the code length. By use of less than 41 code words the Error Correction level 2 is used. From 41 to 160 code words ECL3 is used. From 161 to 320 code words ECL4 is used. From 321 code words ECL5 is used.

Human Readable:

Most barcodes display their corresponding values below them, which makes it possible to human read and manually  enter the barcode values into the equivalent system when the barcode label is worn out and cannot be read by the barcode scanner.

The Advantages of using barcodes:

If you want to reduce costs and save time, using barcodes is a good choice. Whether you are a company or a non-commercial organization, to improve efficiency and reduce overhead, barcodes are a valuable and viable option, which is economical and reliable.

Using Barcode system eliminates the possibility of human error. The error rate of manually entering data is
significantly higher than that of scan barcodes. Barcode scanning is fast and reliable, and it takes much less time than manual data entry. Especially when using a QR code, hundreds of characters can be read and entered into your system instantly.

Using a barcode system can make the working process simple and easy, so it can reduces the employee training time. It only takes a few minutes to master the barcode scanner to collecting data, employees no need to familiar with the entire inventory or pricing process. This also reduces the cost of employee training.

The bar code design and printing cost are low. Generally speaking, no matter how they are used or where they are posted, the cost is not high. They can be customized economically, in a variety of finishes and materials.

The barcode system is very versatile, it can be used for any necessary data collection. This may include pricing or inventory information or management information service system. In addition, because barcodes can be affixed to almost any surface, they can be used not only to track the product itself, but also to track the production process, shipments and equipments.

Using barcode system will improve the inventory control is improved, it can track inventory accurately, inventory levels can be reduced it will lower the rate of eavesdropping. The location of the inventory and device can also be tracked, thereby reducing the time it takes to find the inventory and device.

The barcode system provide better data. Because a barcode can store various information such as inventory and pricing, especially when using QR Code, it can store thousands of characters, so the data stored in the barcode can be quickly obtained by the barcode reader, this fast turnaround ensures that time is not wasted on data entry or retrieval. In addition, the barcode can be customized to include other relevant information as needed. They provide fast and reliable data for various applications.

When barcodes are used in management information systems, they can promote better decision-making. Because data is obtained quickly and accurately, you can quickly obtain a full range of information for the entire company or organization, so it is possible to make more informed decisions. Better decisions can ultimately save time and money.

Barcodes are cheap and user-friendly, providing an indispensable tool for tracking data from pricing to inventory. The end result of a comprehensive bar code system is reduced overhead.

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