Micro QR Description
Micro QR codes are a variant of QR codes that have a restricted size and capacity to limit the data. Micro QR codes can contain numeric, alphanumeric, byte and Kanji data and offer three levels of error correction. QR Codes have three finder patterns while Micro QR has one finder pattern and a limited amount of data that can be encoded. This allows them to use less space and contain a smaller and more focused amount of data.
Error Correction
This barcode uses Reed-Solomon error detection and correction scheme: L - 7% error recovery M - 15% error recovery Q - 25% error recovery Error correction for Micro QR codes allows for the reader to restore data if parts of the code is damaged and cannot be read. The error correction is measured as a ratio of the number codewords that can be read to the number of codewords that cannot be read.
Managing Organization
The QR Code is governed by ISO/IEC 18004:2015. 1
Version Info
Micro QR Codes contain a single finder pattern located at the top left corner of the barcode and there are four versions of Micro QR.
The horizontal and vertical timing patterns consisting of a one module wide row or column and alternates between dark and light modules. This allows the symbol density and version density to be determined
The quiet zone should be clear of any other markings and should match the value of the light module.
Barcode Capacity
There are four versions of Micro QR and the support the following data capacity:
| Version | Error Correction | Numeric | Alphanumeric | Byte | Kanji |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | Error Detection Only | 5 | None | None | None |
| M2 | L | 10 | 6 | None | None |
| M2 | M | 8 | 5 | None | None |
| M3 | L | 23 | 14 | 9 | 6 |
| M3 | M | 18 | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| M4 | L | 35 | 21 | 15 | 9 |
| M4 | M | 30 | 18 | 13 | 8 |
| M4 | Q | 21 | 13 | 9 | 5 |
Data Masking
To ensure reliable QR Code reading it is best for QR modules to be arranged in balanced pattern between the dark and light modules, by creating alternating masking patterns this will help prevent large blank areas that could cause incorrect results when reading.
Related Barcodes
Micro QR Codes are a condensed version of the QR Code.
Differences in Micro QR and QR:
| Micro QR | QR |
|---|---|
| Three levels of error correction | Four levels of error correction |
| Requires one finder pattern | Requires three finder patterns |
| Can contain a maximum of 128 bits | Can contain a maximum of 23,648 bits |
References
- "QR Code Bar Code Symbology Specification." ISO/IEC 18004:2015, ISO/IEC, Feb. 2015, www.iso.org/standard/62021.html.
For additional background and use-case information see our Micro QR barcode page.
For more information, see the Barcode Xpress SDK product page or try our online demos.