Published January 2005

New bar codes: more info
without a database

By Lionel Contreras
Guest Columnist

Everyone I know understands what a bar code is and how it is used. Very few people I know realize that the old, lined (1-D) bar code may become obsolete with the new 2-D codes that are slipping into the mainstream.

There are four primary players out there, mostly free: Quick Response, or QR-code; PDF417; Data Matrix; and MaxiCode.

The QR-Code is made and is available from a Japanese company called Denso.

PDF417 is from a company called Symbol Technologies, which is attempting to get the ANSI standardization for printable reader codes.

Data Matrix was developed by RVSI Acuity Cimatrix and is being used by smart optical readers including some cell phones.

Last, and anything but least, is the MaxiCode, which was developed and used by the world-famous shipping company UPS.

These new 2-D codes hold much more information than a standard bar code while taking up less of a package’s premium surface space. They also offer error correction should part of the label get torn away or damaged and marked. The four codes here, though patented, have been released for public domain use, and free programs can be found to print the codes.

While traditional bar codes work by holding a product number that needs to be matched up with database information before being spit back out again to the user, the new 2-D codes can hold the product’s information, such as pricing, without needing to tie into a database. So a candy bar, for example, can have all the information — what it is, retail cost, expiration date, etc. — within the code itself, so there isn’t a need for database management or extra equipment to tie-in the cash registers to a separate database.

The QR-Code can store the most information, while the MaxiCode stores the least. The Maxi-Code, however, seems to be able to recover more information when part of the label is damaged, unlike the current U.S. standard bar code (UPS got smart).

Japan took the novel approach of adding their QR-Code into teen magazines, books and products so that teen-agers can use their readers, and some cell phones, to read the codes like a “Magic 8-Ball” or uncover hidden messages to coincide with a story. Because of this innovative approach, the QR-Code is currently being used in the entertainment sector as well as boosting sales of the aforementioned items.

The lesson here is that bar codes may not just be for shipping, as they seem to sell products by introducing an element of fun. Perhaps putting a code in with baseball cards, holding additional card stats, might just revitalize that industry (just a thought).

When you’re deciding to set up shop or upgrading systems, these new bar code labels are more reliable against damage or marks, and require less database tie-in management for some retail applications. And you may even want to add them to products just for the fun factor.

For more information:

• QR-Code: www.denso-wave.com/qrcode/index-e.html.
• PDF417: www.symbol.com/products/barcode_scanners/2d__
  products__pdf417_technolog.html.
• Data Matrix: www.rvsi.com/acuitycimatrix/DM%20Basics.html.
• MaxiCode: www.idautomation.com/maxicodefaq.html#About-MaxiCode.

Lionel Contreras is an information systems technician with The Herald. For more information on technology news, go to his Herald blog, www.heraldnet.com/blog/blog.cfm?id=6.

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